Lessons

Old Testament Study – Part 17. The passage in Luke 3:1-6 is a typical passage that most of Christianity today is familiar with from a traditionalist point of view. However, if you were to take the same group of Christians to the book of Ephesians and read chapter one through three and really study the differences between the truths that are there vs. what you find in the Gospels, most of the group would try to keep what is in the Gospels vs. what Paul tells us we have in Christ. This is why Christians are totally ignorant with the truths that belong to us. They try and apply what is given to Israel vs. what has been given to the Christian in Christ. The lesson on July 23, 2006 spends time in the Gospels and studies why nothing has changed from the call to Abraham and the calling of the nation Israel. The mindset that was in the nation of Israel at the time John the Baptist was born was the same mindset that Israel had over the previous 500 years. This mindset is shown in Luke 1:67-68 (KJV) “And his father (John the Baptist’s father) Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,” This shows the two things that Israel had been looking for – to be visited and redeemed. This is the hope and the promise that had been given to Abraham. This passage in Luke comes from Isaiah 35:4 (KJV) “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.” He will come and save you is the same as visiting and redeeming. This lesson is the seventh lesson in the Old Testament series.