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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 3 * BOOK 18
GOD'S SECRETS
We continue with Peter and John dealing with the events surrounding the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:21. Consequently, in verses 19-21, Peter had said that if the Nation would just repent of that awful sin of rejecting their Messiah, as well as their other national sins, then God would have immediately instituted the Tribulation, and brought in The King and Kingdom for them. In verse 22, Peter's still speaking to this great crowd of Jews.
Acts 3:22
"For Moses truly said unto the fathers, `A prophet shall the Lord of your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me;...'"
That takes us back to the role of Moses in the life of Israel. A few years ago I noticed that Peter is still on Covenant grounds. John 3:3
"...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
"Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our (that excludes you and I as Gentile believers. Gentiles aren't in the lineage of Israel.) Israel. And Israel was to be the vehicle all along. As so much of Scripture indicates, it's all tied to the Nation of Israel. Deuteronomy 32:8
"When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people (that is all the other nations) according to the number of the children of Israel."
Israel! God's Covenant people. Everything else will fall in place as it begins with Israel. Isaiah 42:1
The Christ, The Messiah. Chapter 49 states so plainly:
Isaiah 49:6,7
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my Salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One (Messiah), to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.'"
Now Isaiah Chapter 59. It just jumps at you when you understand that this is how God had originally laid it out to the Nation of Israel. And it's not that the Nation of Israel had trouble with this, they knew they couldn't go to the Gentiles until the whole nation became a Nation of Priests. Peter and the eleven knew that. In God's total purpose as Paul speaks of it in the Book of Ephesians, God is looking beyond to when He would go to the whole human race without Israel, which He has done. Isaiah 59:20,21
Now Chapter 60, verse 1:
Isaiah 60:1a
"ARISE, shine; for thy light is come,..."
Isaiah 60:2,3
"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth (spiritual darkness), and gross darkness the people (Israel): but the LORD shall arise upon thee (Israel), and his glory shall be seen upon thee (Israel). And the Gentiles shall come to thy light,..."
And who was to be Israel's light? It was for all the world, but it had to come through the Nation of Israel. "Ye are the children of the prophets (Peter says to these Jews), and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."
The first one was a promise to Abraham, that out of him would come a nation of people: the Nation of Israel. When Jesus came and John the Baptist presented Him as Israel's King, what was in the long view? The Kingdom. And this is what Israel was to have understood. Acts Chapter 3 verse 26. Covenant ground. Peter is resting on that Abrahamic Covenant, on the Davidic Covenant, on a Palestinian Covenant, on a Mosaic Covenant. Talking about the Nation of Israel) God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you (how?), in turning away (watch this. Israel could have gone out and evangelized the nations and brought them to His knowledge. Because God knew that Israel wouldn't do it. So God knew that He would be going to the Gentiles without Israel. The Book of Acts is a forty-year time when God is still dealing with His Covenant people. So what does the Sovereign God permit? There's going to be a great influx of Jews into the little Nation of Israel, in order to prepare for the coming of their Messiah. In verse 26, Peter admonished everyone to believe and confess their sins.
Chapter 4. There is not a Gentile in that verse. All right, verse 7. "Then Peter,..."
Peter is always the spokesman throughout his earthly ministry. "...Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel (and he doesn't say and you Romans and you Gentiles. When Peter keeps emphasizing the Name, the Name, what does that imply? The Messiah, The King, The Savior, The Redeemer of Israel. Only that Israel had killed Him. God had raised Him from the dead. Alright, read verse 10 again:
Acts 4:10
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,..."
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