Is God really the Villain of the Old Testament or has He been wrongly accused? If He has been wrongly accused, who is Responsible for the False Accusation? Part 10
Part 10
Have we as post-cross believers become like the Pharisees and Sadducees? Will we remain behind a curtain that Christ Himself removed? Will we continue to give as much weight to the the writers of the Old Testament as we do to Jesus Himself?
Over and over we are told no one really knew God, no one saw God’s true nature. Jesus was here to clear up the ungodly like thing that were attributed to God. Jesus the express image of God is telling us that if we have seen Him we have seen the Father. Jesus tells us He didn’t do or say anything He didn’t see the Father do. The Word, God in flesh was here to say; look at Me, I’m dong the will of the Father. I am what you have been looking for in the scriptures. I am here in bodily form to show you exactly what I am like. All things written before, all things seen before are just shadows; you did not see me clearly. Here, I AM.
Right about now you may be thinking, if this is all true where does it leave us in relation to the Old Testament? The only One that can tell us how to interpret scripture is Jesus the Truth. If we read the Old Testament without the revelation of Jesus Christ with a view through His eyes we simply become one of those Jesus spoke about when He said no one knew Him.
Is it not wise for us as believers to treat the Old Testament exactly the way Jesus did?
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven. (Matt 5:38-48)
Religiously we have been taught that the preceding verses are some type of measuring stick or a set of rules that Jesus was leaving for us to live up to. But, the essence of this teaching is found in verse 48; Be ye perfect, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER.... Jesus was not setting up rules to follow if you wanted to be a better person, He was revealing the Fathers true nature! Jesus knew mankind's seeing was hindered by a wall and He knew that prior to His arrival we had only been seeing types and shadows of God. Jesus was here to say; you have heard it said, BUT I SAY. With each verse Jesus was systematically replacing a distorted view of God with a clear and perfect image.
Does out interpretation of Old Testament scriptures reflect the verses above? Did people see God turning the other cheek? Did they see a God of love, loving His enemies? Jesus said four times in the book of John alone that no one really knew God and He was here to reveal Him. Wouldn’t it be safe to say that in this teaching Jesus is revealing the Father, just as He said He would? Yes! Be perfect, just...like...your...Father.
Part 11 to follow
Have we as post-cross believers become like the Pharisees and Sadducees? Will we remain behind a curtain that Christ Himself removed? Will we continue to give as much weight to the the writers of the Old Testament as we do to Jesus Himself?
Over and over we are told no one really knew God, no one saw God’s true nature. Jesus was here to clear up the ungodly like thing that were attributed to God. Jesus the express image of God is telling us that if we have seen Him we have seen the Father. Jesus tells us He didn’t do or say anything He didn’t see the Father do. The Word, God in flesh was here to say; look at Me, I’m dong the will of the Father. I am what you have been looking for in the scriptures. I am here in bodily form to show you exactly what I am like. All things written before, all things seen before are just shadows; you did not see me clearly. Here, I AM.
Right about now you may be thinking, if this is all true where does it leave us in relation to the Old Testament? The only One that can tell us how to interpret scripture is Jesus the Truth. If we read the Old Testament without the revelation of Jesus Christ with a view through His eyes we simply become one of those Jesus spoke about when He said no one knew Him.
Is it not wise for us as believers to treat the Old Testament exactly the way Jesus did?
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven. (Matt 5:38-48)
Religiously we have been taught that the preceding verses are some type of measuring stick or a set of rules that Jesus was leaving for us to live up to. But, the essence of this teaching is found in verse 48; Be ye perfect, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER.... Jesus was not setting up rules to follow if you wanted to be a better person, He was revealing the Fathers true nature! Jesus knew mankind's seeing was hindered by a wall and He knew that prior to His arrival we had only been seeing types and shadows of God. Jesus was here to say; you have heard it said, BUT I SAY. With each verse Jesus was systematically replacing a distorted view of God with a clear and perfect image.
Does out interpretation of Old Testament scriptures reflect the verses above? Did people see God turning the other cheek? Did they see a God of love, loving His enemies? Jesus said four times in the book of John alone that no one really knew God and He was here to reveal Him. Wouldn’t it be safe to say that in this teaching Jesus is revealing the Father, just as He said He would? Yes! Be perfect, just...like...your...Father.
Part 11 to follow
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