John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Some of the most amazing passages I find in the Old Testament, are the clear passages about Christ. The words shown above are from our Lord. Remember, the Scriptures that Christ is referring to are the Old Testament books. When Jesus said these words, the New Testament had not been written. When this is remembered, the goal of Christ becomes clear. The Jewish nation was looking for their Christ because of the words found in the Old Testament, and Jesus is telling them to look and see, for it was Him that the Old Testament was talking about.
The writings of Moses and the prophets, which were of divine inspiration and authority was the beginning point and the authority often used that the apostles and Christ appealed to scholars of their day, that would show that this searching would lead them to a divine knowledge of Jesus as the promised Christ.
The Jewish nation had the sacred oracles committed to them and in front of them in each town and city where they lived, and these words were read, not only by their kings, princes and judges, but the common people, who brought up their children to the reading of them, and instructed them in them, and told of the Messiah to come. Jesus told the leaders of the Jews to reread them now, and see clearly it was Him that the oracles were foretelling.
Words like the ones found in Psalm 22 cannot be ignored. In this Psalm we find the telling of Christ’s death on the cross. We are told in other passages about the death of Christ, but in no other place is it told from the vantage point of Christ on the cross.
Psalm 22
1My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
It is clear that when Christ cried these words from the cross, it was to remind hearers of these words, to even this extent, Christ was found in the Old Testament. Was David aware that he was penning the words of Christ from the cross, when he wrote Psalm 22? Of course not. This is what is so amazing about the passage. David wrote only as he was moved by Holy Spirit to write and not knowing in any way he was foretelling the death of our Lord.
Skeptics of the Bible seem to think writers conspired together to paint a picture of Christ after the fact. This could not be the case in Psalm 22. Furthermore, at times writers of the Old Testament seemed to disagree with each other before the birth of Christ. Why this is important to remember is if there was indeed a conspiracy by writers of the Old Testament, as some would claim, you would think the writers would at least tell the same story and that they would not seem to contradict each other.
At this time of year we remember the birth of our Lord. This too, is foretold in the Old Testament. But transform your thinking for a while to the writers of the Old Testament, as we considered such a plot to mislead. Let’s consider, if you will, that these writers wanted only to paint a picture and offer hope based on nothing other than a dream and fantasies by the religious naïve leaders of that day. This is pretty much what is thought to have happened by these skeptics.
Micah 5:2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.
This is one of the best-known passages found in the Old Testament foretelling where Christ would be born. The kings under whose reign Micah ministered ruled from 752-697b.c. This prophecy 700 years before Christ’s birth is huge on its own. But consider the writers mind when he wrote this. Micah either knew full well of Hosea and his book that was written just a few years ahead of Micah or he did not. If you believe a plot of collaboration and conspiracy on behalf of the writers, in order to paint a hope and dream, one would also need to think Micah would need to take other writers into account in order to maintain this false dream. But notice what we find in Hosea.
Hosea 11:1
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
This passage too, is speaking of the Promised One. This passage shows no collaboration and conspiracy on the behalf of the writers. From what location was Christ to come from? Was it Egypt or Bethlehem? Bethlehem was not in Egypt. Had Micah checked the writings of Hosea, he could have got on board with Hosea, in order to show all were on the same page.
I feel Micah knew full well what Hosea wrote, but still wrote as he was led by Holy Spirit, and not led by his need to match others in what they say, in order to cover the plot.
But had the writers wrote themselves into a corner? How could both be right?
Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ even deepens the concern. It is found in Isaiah chapter 11
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Notice the word Branch is capitalized in the KJV. "a Branch shall grow out of his roots"; a prophecy owned by the Jews themselves and even thought by them to belong to the Messiah. The Christ would be "called a Nazarene, or " being an inhabitant of Nazareth, or Netzer, “the branch” so called from the multitude of plants and trees that grew there, but Nazareth is not in Egypt nor is Bethlehem.
The book of Isaiah was written in the same time frame as Micah and Hosea. Had they not checked with each other? The locations the writers claimed Christ was to come from were not the same locations, and for a collaboration and conspiracy on the behalf of the writers to take place, all must be on the same page.
I submit to you they all knew of each others writings, but each of the other writers were not the inspiration for their own writings. They were not driven to paint a false hope that they knew in their own hearts did not exist. They were driven to follow the leading of Holy Spirit, to write as they were led. They dared not change the words to match others. Even if it did not make sense to them as they wrote it. They were compelled by their faith in that God knew what was going on, and they did not. They knew in the end God’s words would overcome the things they did not understand.
Skeptics with conspiracy plots have no ground for support. This is but one example that shows that their logic is only a bogus notion of haters of God. They will do anything in order not to believe.
What happened?
How did the writers get out of this mess? As it turns out all three writers were correct. We see this in the life of our Lord.
Born in Bethlehem.
John reminds us..
John 7:42
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Indeed you are right John. Scripture tells us this is what happened.
Matthew 2:1
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Coming from Egypt.
Joseph fled to Egypt taking his family with him, in order to save the young child.
Matthew 2:13
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
This was not only for the safety of the child, but to work out God’s plan while I’m sure Joseph was not thinking of this, but only for safety. Yet it worked right into the plan of God.
Matthew 2:15
And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son
Shall be a Nazarene
Matthew 2:23
And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
All three statements came from writers 700 years before the fact. All three writers it would seem, disagree to the location of the coming of Christ. Yet all three writers wrote as they were led, not because of a false hope. They had more faith in God, than faith in their own limited understanding. All three writers, as it turns out, wrote the truth.
Many things in life you may not understand. God’s wisdom is beyond ours and that at times life does not add up. In the end we will always see the goodness found in Christ.
Trust Him. Believe in Him. Make Him Lord of your life.