The Mystery

Mystery means something is hidden until the appropriate time comes for God to reveal it.

God created Adam and Eve, and their generations spread throughout the Earth. But these people became sinners and wicked (Genesis 6:5; Mathew 24:38).

God chosed Noah as he did everything according to the will of God. His generation multiplied and they also became wicked people who worshipped pagan gods.

So God chosed a person called Abraham. He was old and was not having children. But God called him and told him that he is going to have a child and his offspring’s will be like stars in the sky. Abraham believed in God and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:6; Galatians 3:6).

Through his wife Sarah, Abraham got a child Isaac and Isaac had two sons through Rebekah – Esau and Jacob. Even though Jacob was a deceiver, at one point of time God called him and changed his name to Israel (Genesis 32:28). So God started blessing the offspring of Israel (Genesis 22:18; Genesis 35). Even though the people of Israel were not obedient to God, He did not leave them.

Through prophets God blessed Israel. In Isaiah 60:1-6, God is prophesying about future glory of Israel. He tells people will come to you with gold. Israel is blessed even today.

In New Testament, Paul tells in Ephesians 3:1-12, the great privileges in the gospel not only belong to Jews, but to the believing gentiles, even though they are not circumcised. He tells it as a Mystery of God. The mystery is that the gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ, by the gospel.

Paul tells in Ephesians 3:9, his business was to make all men see what is the fellowship of mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus. It is a mystery of Christ because it was revealed by him (Acts 26:16-18; Galatians 1:12).

In Old Testament we see Jews as the chosen people. When Jesus Christ came into this world as a child, gentiles came to him as wise men (Mathew 2:1-12). The respect paid to Christ by these gentiles was a happy specimen of what would follow when those who are afar off should be made high by Christ.

Christianity does not begin with “once upon a time”, but starts with Bethlehem in Judea. Jesus is not just another man, but that he was descended from a royal family, and there was a King’s blood in his veins (Mathew 2:6). Wise men, the gentile came to worship and honour a King. They did not come to see a saviour, but a King (Mathew 2:2).

In Psalms 72:1-11, we see certain characteristics of a King. In this Psalm, even though Solomon’s name is mentioned, Christ’s Kingdom is being prophesied. He has the authority which is being given by father and he is a righteous King. All the verse in this Psalm depends on the first verse – “Give righteousness to the King’s son”. In verse 3 we see prosperity as a by-product of righteousness. In verse 8 we see Solomon wants to extend the kingdom whole on Earth, which only Christ can when he comes a second time. In verse 10 and 11, all kings came and bow before him. Even though Solomon failed to go to gentiles, in the new kingdom gentiles will come, through this Mystery of God. Till verse 17 we see how kingdom will be of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament God held back from the gentiles the secret that they should be heirs and shareholders of the gospel and have admission into the church (his body) on the same terms as the Jewish people (Ephesians 1:10).

Difference here is that gentiles are being chosen by faith in Christ Jesus. We as gentiles don’t want to do any physical method to be the chosen ones like the Jews. We need to do is accept Christ as our King and saviour and believe that he died for our sins ad we are made righteous through his blood.

When you believe this in your heart and soul, you are saved and is a new creation in Christ Jesus, and are heirs and shareholders of his body.

All gentiles are being chosen by faith (Romans 15:9,10; Galatians 3:8,9). Once you are chosen, you enjoy the life in the temple of God and are yielded into obedience to him.

We are saved by faith, not of good works. We are saved to do good works.

The BOOK – Future Prophet

Prophet Amos was a sheepherder and dresser of the sycamore trees. In his book, we find one instance of God calling a man when he was occupied in his daily work (Amos 1:1). God called him, shepherd’s crook in hand, and sent him forth to gather his straying people. David was caring for his sheep and Gideon was at the threshing floor when they received their commissions.

On the wild uplands of Judah, beyond Tekoa, Amos received his training as a prophet straight from the hand of God. Though a native of Judah, he prophesied in and about Israel. He prophesied while Uzziah was on the throne of Judah and Jeroboam 2 was king of Israel. He feared God so much that he feared no one else at all. He always hit straight from the shoulder (Amos 1:2). He didn’t fail to tell even King Jeroboam 2 what he should do. God wanted someone to bear his message courageously, and Amos did not fail him. Israel needed a prophet who would tear the scales from their eyes and let them know the sure consequences of their idolatry, and Amos fearlessly set them forth. God abhors sin. The horrible cruelty of sin must be punished. The Law of our respective countries will be kept when we learn to keep the law of God. The Law of God is fulfilled in love.

Amos was humble, wise, clever, fearless and faithful.

In the first 2 chapters we see the Judgement against nations. Bethel was the religious capital of the Northern Kingdom. Idolatry was there. They had substituted calf worship for Jehovah. The people felt no need of preaching. But Amos started his preaching to the assembled crowds at Bethel, for it was a sacred feast day, by proclaiming the Lord’s judgement upon six neighbouring nations – Damascus (Syria), Gaza (Philistia), Tyre (Phoenicia), Edom, Ammon and Moab. Then he came near home and pronounced judgement against Judah (Amos 2:4), and against Israel (Amos 2:6) and finally the whole nation (Amos 3:12).

In chapters 3 to 6 we see the judgement against Israel (Northern Kingdom). Amos was called to tell of certain punishment (Amos 3). If people will reject the repeated warning of God, they must be punished (Amos 5). He told the people of Israel they were greedy, unjust, unclean and profane (Amos 2:6-12), and that they defended and excused themselves on the ground that they were God’s chosen people (Amos 3:2). He remained then that this made their sin the greater. The Israelites looked at their relationship to God differently. They saw it as merely as an outward and formal thing. They boasted that they were the chosen nation and no real evil could befall them. We see many professing Christians today in the same danger. They imagine their salvation is secured by their being members of a church. They are conferring a favour upon God and he cannot condemn them (Amos 5:21, 23-24).

Amos condemned Israel as she was a chosen nation and knew God’s law, and so her sin was the greater. He called the women of his day “cows of Bashan” because they only cared for luxury and worldly pleasures (Amos 4:1). God always warns before a punishment, yes, and offers a way of escape. God denounces sin, but he offers a remedy for sin. Israel’s rejection of repeated warnings should lead her to prepare for God’s judgement (Amos 5). If Israel had sought the Lord, “the day of the Lord”, spoken of in Amos 5:20 would not have overtaken her.

Amos tells of Israel’s coming Judgement in 5 visions.

·         The devouring Locusts (Amos 7:1-3)

·         The consuming fire (Amos 7:4-6)

·         The searching plumb line (Amos 7:7-11)

·         The basket of ripe fruit (Amos 8:1-14)

·         The Lord at the alter (Amos 9:1-10)

From chapter 7 to 9 he speaks regarding vision of future. When he spoke of the doom of the surrounding nations, the people were drawn to him and they cheered him. He was silenced by a false prophet, Amaziah. He was driven from Israel. Freedom of speech was not given the true prophet of God. He was not safe in Israel. When he found that Israel would not hear him, he returned to Judah and put his writings in a book so all people could read and understand it.

Amos tells us of bright future for God’s chosen people. The whole land will once again be a kingdom under the house of David (Acts 9:11-12). The tabernacle of David now torn down, shall be rebuilt (Acts 15:16-17). Israel shall be restored to her land and prosper. A happy people shall dwell in a happy land. Always keep in mind that the Jewish people who have been scattered over the face of the world are being gathered back to their land of promise. National prosperity will again flourish. Jerusalem shall be the capital of a mighty kingdom. Converted Israel shall be God’s witnesses (Amos 9:13-15).

What we understand from this book is about why great empires have fallen and the answer is sin. The secret of a great person’s undoing is sin. I pray that this book help you to see sin in its true light so that you can plead forgiveness from Lord and be saved and live a truthful and faithful life. 

The BOOK – Deliverance through Esther

In the midst of this famous chapter (Esther) in the world history occurs the beautiful and charming Bible story of Esther. Although God’s name is not mentioned in the book of Esther, every page is full of God, who hides himself behind every word. He has never let his people go in the past and he will never let them go in the future. He followed them in their captivity into Babylon. When the prophets were silent and the Temple closed, God was still standing guard. 

Esther is like David and Joseph. God had each one hidden away for his purpose. When the day came, he brought them to the front to work out his plan. God hid Joseph away in a dungeon in Egypt, but when he was ready, he placed him in the position of prime minister of that country. God always has someone in reserve to fulfil his purposes. Sometimes it is a man like Joseph, or Moses. Sometimes it is a woman like Hannah, or Esther, or Mary. Recall men in history such as Martin Luther and Billy Graham whom God seems to have prepared and kept for the hour. Two beautiful girls join hands in behalf of God’s people. They are Ruth and Esther. Ruth becomes the ancestors of the Deliverer of Israel and Esther saves the people so that the Deliverer might come. 

The events of this book center around three feasts.

·         Feast of King Ahasuerus (Esther 1-2)

·         Feast of Esther (Esther 7)

·         Feast of Purim (Esther 9)

King Ahasuerus was Xerxes, the Persian monarch (485-465 BC). When the king and princes were in the midst of their drunken revelry, the king called for Vashti so that he could show off her beauty. Vashti refused. This made the king a laughing stock. To defend himself, he deposed the queen (Esther 1:12-22).

The minute Ahasuerus saw Esther, he made her his queen. The little Jewish orphan girl, raised by her cousin Mordecai, was lifted to the Persian throne. She was his queen for 13 years. Esther’s marriage to Xerxes gave the Jews prestige at this court and made it possible for Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:1-8). 

In Esther 3-5, we read of the ascendancy of a man by the name of Haman. He was a wicked man whose day of triumph was short and whose joy endured but for a moment. When Haman appears in the book of Esther, he had just been exalted to the highest position under the King of Persia (Esther 3:1). The high honour turned his head. He swelled with vanity and was bitterly humiliated when Mordecai, who was sitting at the gate, did not do homage to him as to the king (Esther 3:2). The little fault of Mordecai was magnified into a capital offense. Mordecai, a Jew, could not give divine honour to a man. Haman became so enraged that he wanted to have a whole sale massacre of all the Jews in the Kingdom (Esther 3:6). Haman tried to prove to the king that all the Jews were disloyal subjects. He offered to pay the king a bribe (Esthet3:9). The king signed a royal decree that meant that every Jewish man, woman and child should be killed and all their property should be taken. You can compare this treatment with that used by the Nazi regime.  Imagine the fasting and praying and the weeping in sackcloth that took place among Jews (Esther 4:1-3).  Queen Esther saw it all and inquired of Mordecai what it meant. He gave her a copy of the King’s decrees that told the sad story. Then he added, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

There is one thing to do always. Do what is right and leave the rest to God. God prepares people for emergencies. Failure is not sin, faithlessness is. There is a time to act. Read what happened that night when the king could not sleep (Esther 6:1-11). How Haman was trapped (Esther 6:6). At that second banquet Esther pleaded for her own life. She had Haman on the spot. The king granted Esther’s wish. Haman was hung on the very scaffold he had prepared for Mordecai, and Mordecai was elevated to the place of honour next to the king. 

The book of Esther closes with the account of establishing the Feast of Purim and lifting Mordecai to the place made vacant by Haman (Esther 10:3). The Jewish porter became the second man, just under the king of Persia. The Feast of Purim was to be celebrated annually.  It is always inspired by the dramatic story of Esther. 

This book of Esther is an important link in a chain of events that tell of re-establishing the Hebrew nation in their own land in preparation of the coming of the Messiah into the world. The Jewish people had escaped extermination. It was God’s purpose that they should be preserved to bring forth the Saviour of the world. 

As you study the word of God, you will find that through the ages Satan has tried to destroy, first, God’s people, the Jews, then the Church, and even Christ himself. But God has thwarted his plans. “Even the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church” (Mathew 16:18).  At the same time you need to ask this question as why has God allowed me to live at this particular hour? To do what is right means that we must jeopardize our lives. Then we must face the issues and answer with this young queen – “And if I perish, I perish”. God bless you.

The BOOK – Repairing Morals

Nehemiah was the cupbearer at the court of King Artaxerxes. This was a position of high honour. But in this position of familiarity with the King, he had not forgotten his people. The news brought to him about Jerusalem made him very sad. This sadness could not be wholly hidden and the King detected it. The Jews had been back home for almost a 100 years, but had made no attempt to build Jerusalem beyond the restoration of the Temple, because their enemies made it almost impossible. 

He was loyal enough to his people to leave the luxury of a king’s court and go back to rebuild Jerusalem, the capital of his homeland. The King gave consent. We find even today Jews everywhere long to see Jerusalem flourish, and they turn their faces there as their homeland. 

When Nehemiah reached Jerusalem in 445 BC, Ezra had been there for 13 years. Ezra was a priest and had been teaching the people the word f God. But Nehemiah was a civil governor. He had come with the authority of the King of Persia to build the walls of Jerusalem. After he had been there only 3 days, he went up and viewed the walls at night. When he saw their dilapidated condition, he encouraged the people to begin building immediately. The work was accomplished in 52 days by assigning a portion of the wall to each family. Their attitude was expressed in the verse – “The people worked with all their heart” (Nehemiah 4:6)

First the Samaritans, the enemies of the Jews, derided them. They hindered their work so that the Jews had to keep watch night and day. Their derision turned to anger and Nehemiah divided the men into 2 groups, one keeping watch while others worked. Then opposition rose within the ranks. Some of the Jews became tired and complained that there was so much rubbish that the walls could not be built. All this rubble had to be removed in a thick canvas pad on the carrier’s back; there were, of course, neither wheelbarrows nor cars to convey the material. Then the complaint arose that the rich were demanding usury that the poor were unable to pay. Again the enemies tried by craft to bring Nehemiah away from his building, but Nehemiah only prayed and again he foiled his enemy. 

He stood upon a pulpit of wood and read and explained the Law to the people (Nehemiah 8:1-13). This public reading brought true repentance to the people and a great revival broke out. 500 years ago, when Martin Luther read the Bible, the Protestant reformation began. 

I pray that you also read the Bible daily so that you will know the will of Lord in your life and live accordingly, Amen.

The BOOK – Division of Land

When Joshua was about 90 years old, he decided to divide the land which they had taken and to-be taken among the Israelites. They divided it in a way – This is Judah’s, this is Asher’s and so on. They said this even while most of the portions were occupied with Amorites, Jebusites and Hittites. This division of the land was the announcement of faith that under God’s guidance they will occupy the land. When you read the life of great men of God, most of the decisions taken by them were with faith and then depend on God’s providence. 

I am reading about a book on Oral Roberts, a great healing evangelist in the 50’s and 60’s. Everything he did in life was with prayer and faith. He prayed and heard the word of God and in faith took decisions. It started with his ministry and even with that faith he started the Oral Roberts University. They fast, they pray and then by the word and faith they start impossible and God will guide them to move forward. 

Although all this land was allotted to various tribes, all of it was not conquered until the time of David. Division happened according to the will of God, and so the strong did not take the best part leaving the fragments to weak, neither did the rich purchase the choicest spot, leaving the poor more undesirable sites. 

When God takes control, there is no rich or poor. I have heard preaching that poor will be the privileged people in God’s kingdom. God does consider everyone sinners with respect to his holiness. Whosoever confess their sins and accept Jesus and believes that through accepting Christ his sins are forgiven and forgotten are taken equally into God’s Kingdom, whether it is rich or poor, strong or weak. 

I pray that you understand the faith which people of Israel had at the time of division, and have that faith with prayer and a personal relationship with God and do the things which are impossible according to the world, Amen.

The BOOK – Mobilizing Army

When you start reading the book of Joshua, we see Israel right on the border of the land of promise, near the banks of the Jordan. Joshua is the leader of the Children of Israel now and we hear God saying, “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River” – Joshua 1:2. Joshua stands with bowed head and a lonely heart, for his wise counsellor and friend has gone. 

Moses had to die before the children of Israel could go into Canaan. Israel had to wait until Moses was out of the way. To the Christians, we need to understand the theology behind this scene. Moses represents the Law. Joshua represents Christ. Christ alone can lead us into the inheritance that is ours. 

“Not by works, so that no one can boast” – Ephesians 2:9

Christ wants to lead us into what he has purchased on the cross for us. Overall it takes Moses and Joshua together to present to us typically the finished work of Christ.

God called Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land and gave him confidence. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you not forsake you” Joshua 1:5. Joshua sent men through the camp to tell them that in three days they would cross the Jordan, and be prepared for the journey (Joshua 1:10-11)

There are some promises God gave to Joshua which we can see in Joshua 1.

·         Joshua 1:3 – Every place that the sole of your foot I shall tread upon, that I have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

·         Joshua 1:4 – From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea towards the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

·         Joshua 1:2 – Arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

·         Joshua 1:8 – This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

·         Joshua 1:11 – Prepare you victuals; for within three days, ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it. 

Joshua’s Bible was the book of Law. Our Bible is far more complete and we know more about God’s will because Christ has interpreted it for us. Some answers you will get in Joshua 1:7. Do we meditate upon the word? Do we turn from it to the right or to the left? “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whitherso-ever thou goest”

We can see the story of Rahab, a prostitute who stood with the children of Israel and hided the two scouts who went to bring the report of the land. When Israel went to capture the capture Jericho, Rahab hung a scarlet cord out of her window so that her house might be marked and spared. This woman is being mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.

Sons of Ham, who is the Son of Noah, were the descendants of Canaan. Since they were wicked and idolatrous people, God warned them in destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But they did not change and now God is going to destroy their power and give their land to the Israelites. 

As Christians, people won’t know the importance of relationship between Christ and his followers. They indulge in cheating, taking bribes, adultery, fornication, drinking and flirting as they think they should imitate the world. But always be careful. God called us to be his children, when Israelites were against him. Israelites thought they are his chosen ones and they can do anything, and finally God gave then punishment. Now days, this is the same attitude we see in Christians. They believe through grace Christ made them their children and so they can do anything. Be careful, because God can leave you and call the unsaved, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhist people and reveal himself to them and take them along with him to eternity.

I pray that as mentioned in Joshua 1:7, you live with the word of God and stay holy as he is holy, Amen.