#prophecies #prophets #GodHadAPlan #ToRedeemHumanity
We have become so intertwined with the culture of religious traditions” that we have forgotten that we serve a risen Savior, we are children of the Most, high and that He defines who and what we worship and not the culture! This devotional provides us with the history of the prophecies that pertain to the birth and coming of Our Lord. It also talks about why He came to earth. Not to fill the pockets of merchants, but to save humanity from their sins.
(Unless otherwise cited all scriptural references in this devotional are from the New International version of the Bible found on Biblegateway.com).
What We Know
We know that Jesus’:
- Cultural and religious background is Jewish. He is a direct descent of Abraham. See Luke 1 in the NT. When the Lord spoke to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 he told him that “and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’ we are told that through Abraham’s offspring “all nations on earth will be blessed.” Jesus Fulfilled that promise. He is the only descendant of Abraham through whom all nations in the entire earth can be blessed.
- Great, great…… grandfather was Jacob. Numbers 24:17 identifies Jesus as a star and scepter “I see him, but not now; behold him, but not near. a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth.”
- Kingly line stems from Jesse and the “man after God’s own heart” King David. Isaiah. Isaiah 11:1 and Acts 13:22: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit.”Be mindful that Isaiah is prophesying about a “king” after the time of the capture of Jerusalem by the Assyrians. Some of his prophecies about the Messiah include the following.
- Isaiah 7:14 “Isaiah foreshadowed the virgin birth of Jesus
- Isaiah 9:6-7 There would be a son called God
- Isaiah 11:1-10 All nations would seek the counsel of Jesse’s descendant (Jesus). Verse 10: “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.”
- Isaiah 7:14 shows us that He was born from a virgin: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Jeremiah Prophecied About the Birth of the King
Jeremiah, the “lamenting prophet,” also proclaimed Jesus’ lineage. Jeremiah 23:5-6 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior..”
Samuel Prophecies About the Birth of the King
Samuel tells David what will happen to his lineage after he dies. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever..”
Michah Names Bethlehem as the Birthplace of The Messiah
Micah 5:2 identified the town and the clan from which Jesus would be born ““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[ of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”.
The Witnesses
Psalm 72:9-10: “May the desert tribes [the shepherds?] bow before him and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts [The Kings with the gifts?].”
The Slaughter
Herod attempted to wipe out his perceived rival, Jesus, because the Magi did not return to tell him where the Messiah lived. There is a specific prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 that speaks to Herod’s behavior. “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” The prophecy is realized in Matthew 2:16-18 “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Hosea Prophesied About the Flight To Egypt
God warned Joseph, in a dream; to take Jesus to Egypt, the family stayed there until Herod died. Hosea prophesied about this flight to Egypt in Hosea 11:1 ““When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”
Numerous religions in the world refuse to accept the fact that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. The loss of His Kingship over their lives is a belief system that prevents them from being safe. What does that mean? In Jesus’s own words! ‘John 14:6 ESV “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is not our intention to condemn anyone. It is our responsibility to proclaim the Messiah and His saving grace to people all over the world!
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