"If I shut the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people, who are called by My name, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be opened and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place...."
I've been studying the person of Solomon, and the way that he lived his life. Of anyone, one would think that Solomon would be the model of a man that we would want to follow. After all, he was a son of David, who was a man after God's own heart, holy Scripture tells us, and not only Solomon was the son of David, but in his own right, he had sought after and lived in a good relationship with God--at least, in his younger years. In God had responded to Solomon, such as after Solomon's prayer in 2 Chronicles 6: "Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house...." Or, in another place, Solomon had finished the house of the Lord, and the Lord had responded to Solomon's acts with the words of this first paragraph above. (2 Chronicles 7:13-15)
The Queen of Sheba's statements about Solomon probably most accurately describe Solomon at this time: "How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom.
Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness."
In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes:
"The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel to know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to give prudence to the naïve, to the youth knowledge and discretion, a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:1-7)
While Solomon probably didn't write all of Proverbs, he probably was the main author.
Yet the Bible tells us as it was in reality. In first Kings 11: 4, holy Scripture tells us: "For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; his heart was not entirely devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been."
"Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from God, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, they should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. So the Lord said to Solomon' Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statuettes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son...."
. Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes 2:1 he writes: "I said to myself,' come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.' And behold it too was futility.... (10) And all that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure...." So Solomon was certainly not a model for men or any person.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). And in regard to the New Testament, one can pick out the many shortcomings of the apostles. All have sinned.
Isn't it interesting, that while the Bible tells it like it is, even in regard to the Bible's heroes, there is not one single word about sin against one person: Jesus Christ.
One particular man's free-wheeling logic led him to the foolish conclusion that "Jesus had to die to be granted immortality and a sinless state.
That's flat out wrong!
Jesus Christ was required to be sinless--He was tempted but never sinned.
Jesus would not have harbored sin in His mind either, as if struggling with it. According to Jesus, (Matthew 5:28, Proverbs 23:7) a man's thoughts are to God like he is acting. Jesus Christ was God.
Actually I would claim there is a prophetic requriement...
The Apostle Paul writes:
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"
Galatians 3:13 Redeemed us
. That hangeth on a tree (o kremamenoß epi xulou). Quotation from Deuteronomy 21:23 with the omission of (upo qeou) (by God).
The allusion was to exposure of dead lbodies on stakes or crosses (Joshua 10:26). Xulon means wood, not usualy tree, though so in Luke 23:31 and in later Greek. It was used of gallows, crosses, etc. See Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; 1 Peter 2:24. On the present middle participle from the old verb (kremannumi), to hang, see on "Mt 18:6"; see also " Acts 5:30".
One particular man's free-wheeling logic led him to the foolish conclusion that "Jesus had to die to be granted immortality and a sinless state.
That's flat out wrong!
Jesus Christ was required to be sinless--He was tempted but never sinned.
Jesus would not have harbored sin in His mind either, as if struggling with it. According to Jesus, (Matthew 5:28, Proverbs 23:7) a man's thoughts are to God like he is acting. Jesus Christ was God.
There is only one sinless man: Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 4:15; 7:26, 1 John 3:5, etc.)
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "... We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
"God made Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf...Actually I would claim there is a prophetic requriement...
The Apostle Paul writes:
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"
Galatians 3:13 Redeemed us
. That hangeth on a tree (o kremamenoß epi xulou). Quotation from Deuteronomy 21:23 with the omission of (upo qeou) (by God).
The allusion was to exposure of dead lbodies on stakes or crosses (Joshua 10:26). Xulon means wood, not usualy tree, though so in Luke 23:31 and in later Greek. It was used of gallows, crosses, etc. See Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39; 1 Peter 2:24. On the present middle participle from the old verb (kremannumi), to hang, see on "Mt 18:6"; see also " Acts 5:30".
The execution of criminals by crucifixion--on a wooden cross,
as Jesus Christ, was invented and used
the Romans, and unknown in Joshua's time, or the writing of Deuteronomy.
Obviously, the Romans intended dying on the cross to be exceptionally
cruel and painful, but, as cruel and painful as it was, death came slowly by
suffocation. Jesus was on the cross six
hours, and that was considered rapid--He died from a broken heart. The two other crucifixion victims soon died from suffocation,
having their legs broken and unable to raise up to breath. However, without that, their survival probably would have lasted much longer, at least until the next day, a Sabbath. The Jewish authorities required the criminal's death before that.
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REDEMPTION
REDEMPTION
For as many as are of
the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is
everyone
who doesn`t continue
in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."
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Now that no man is
justified by the law before God is evident, for, "The righteous will
live by faith."
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The law is not of
faith, but, "He that does them will live in them."
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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,"
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13. cristoV hmaV exhgorasen ek thV kataraV tou nomou genomenoV uper hmwn
katara oti gegraptai epikataratoV
paV o kremamenoV epi xulou
Christ redeemed us (cristoV hmaß exhgorasen). First aorist active of the compound verb exagorazw (Polybius, Plutarch,
Diodorus), to buy from, to buy back, to ransom. The simple verb agorazw (1 Corinthians 6:20;
1 Corinthians 7:23)
is used in an inscription for the purchase of slaves in a will (Deissmann, Light
from the Ancient East, p. 324). See also Galatians 4:5; Colossians
4:5; Galatians 5:18.
Christ purchased us out from the curse of the
law (ek thß kataraß tou nomou). "Out from (ek repeated) under (upo in verse Galatians 3: 10) the
curse of the law."
Having become a curse
for us (genomenoß
uper hmwn katara). Here the graphic
picture is completed.
We were under (upo) a curse, Christ became
a curse over (uper) us and so between us and the overhanging curse which fell on him
instead of on us. Thus he bought us out (ek) and we are free from the curse which he took
on himself.
This use of uper for substitution is common in the papyri and in
ancient Greek as in the N.T. (John 11:50; 2 Corinthians 5:14).
That hangeth on a tree (o kremamenoß epi xulou). Quotation from Deuteronomy 21:23 with the omission of upo qeou (by God). Since Christ was not cursed by God.
The allusion was to exposure of dead bodies on stakes or crosses (Joshua
10:26).
Xulon means wood, not usually tree, though so in Luke 23:31
and in later Greek. It was used of gallows, crosses, etc. See Acts 5:30; Acts 10:39;
1 Peter 2:24. On
the present middle participle from the old verb kremannumi,
to hang, see on "Mt 18:6"; see also "Ac 5:30".
=========================================
"God made Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf..."? How can that be?
To an Orthodox Jew that is an outrageous statement, and it was to Paul the apostle, who wrote that statement--until he met the resurrected person of Jesus Christ.
To an Orthodox Jew that is an outrageous statement, and it was to Paul the apostle, who wrote that statement--until he met the resurrected person of Jesus Christ.
However the Jewish prophets foretold this in Isaiah 53.
"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.....I
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he didn't open his mouth, he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.... For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth.
And it was the Lord's will to crush him cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." Isaiah 53.1-11 NIV
"by force and by law he was taken; what anyone played his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living; for our faults struck down in death. They gave him a grave with the wicked, a tomb with the rich, though he had done no wrong and yet there had been no perjury in his mouth.
Yahweh has been pleased to crush him with suffering. If he offers his soul in atonement, he will see his heirs, he shall have a long life and through him what Yahweh wishes will be done.
His soul's anguish over you will see the light and be content. By his suffering shall my servant justify many, taking their fault on himself." Isaiah 53:8 through 11, Jerusalem translation
In the New Testament book of Acts, a Christian elder witnesses to a nonbeliever about Jesus Christ, using this passage in Isaiah 53. (Acts 8:30-37)
