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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 1 * BOOK 17
ACTS CHAPTERS 1 & 2
Now Acts Chapter 1, where the disciples had seen The Lord ascend out of their midst from the Mount of Olives. The disciples return to Jerusalem and are meeting in an upper room. Now verse 15:
Acts 1:15
We know there were women also, but of the men there were 120. Now Peter realizes that since Jesus had left them with the idea that the Kingdom was at hand (He hasn't told them that it's going to postponed for some 1900 + years) and since the Kingdom is going to be ruled by Christ with the Twelve ruling the Twelve tribes of Israel, then they need twelve men rather than eleven. "Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he (Judas) was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry."
Jesus knew everything about him and what he would eventually do. A lot of people will say Judas never had a chance. God had already created him to be the betrayer. No Judas wasn't put in that situation. Judas had a choice just like you and I have a choice. But God in His foreknowledge knew what Judas would do when he was given the opportunity. So prophecy foretold it. Before Judas betrayed Jesus in the Garden, who actually entered into him? Satan did. Because one point of Scripture says Judas was hung. Scripture doesn't lie so how are you going to reconcile the two? I think as a result of this catapulting action of Satan himself as he leaves Judas' body, it caused Judas to be flung onto a low tree branch or fence post. Now verse 19:
Because it had been purchased with blood money. "For it is written in the book of Psalms, `Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick (his office as one of the twelve) let another take.' I'm sure most of you have heard teaching that Peter was being presumptuous here, and that he should have waited for the Apostle Paul seven years later to fill this twelfth slot. Paul wouldn't have fit. Paul was an opposer of Christ at that time. And so evidently there were only two men that fit those qualifications out of the 120 men gathered there - Barsabas and Matthias. In the Old Testament God would use two stones called the Urim and Thummim for the priest arrive at certain decisions. They were evidently two little gem stones that went into a pouch behind the ephod, and when a decision of yes or no was needed the priest would use these two stones. In choosing Matthias, I don't think they took a vote of the 120 men, but they get God's decision by choosing between these two men.
Acts 1:26
"And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias (some people say this doesn't really tell us that Matthias was God's choice. Well what are you going to do with the last part of the verse? In Chapter 2, it's the day of Pentecost. We find this in Leviticus Chapter 23. Pentecost is not a Church day, but a Jewish feast day. It's one of the seven feasts of Jehovah listed in Leviticus Chapter 23. In verse 5 we have the Passover and in verse 6 the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In verses 9-14 we have the Feast of First Fruits and in verse 15 we have the next feast.
Leviticus 23:15
"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:"
The word Pentecost arrives from that. Pente means 50. Christ has just been crucified at the time of Passover. They were waiting that 50 days till Pentecost. Remember, Jews would come to Jerusalem from the whole then-known world (predominantly Roman Empire) for these seven Jewish feast days. The Temple in Jerusalem is still operating. No one has told these Jewish believers to cast aside Temple worship, these feast days or the Law. Ever since the Tower of Babel there have been all kinds of dialects and languages. These Jews didn't all speak Hebrew. They had been living in Gentile nations and had picked up that language.
"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews (notice we are not dealing with Gentiles), devout men, out of every nation under heaven."
The other important word in this verse is `devout.' What kind of Jews would spend the money and take the time to come back to Jerusalem for a feast day? Only the devout ones. Now verse 6:
The disciples were from that part of Israel. Northern Israel was more rural than the southern part, and not as highly educated. They were mostly farmers, shepherds, fishermen and carpenters. Evidently these 12 men showed they were not from that cultured area of Jerusalem.
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