Author Archives: Mark

Jesus in the Psalms – Death and Rising

Posted on by
Reply

The life of Jesus in the Psalms was and is an unrolled scroll for all to see. In The Birth, I said I wanted to do the story from just the Psalms. I do intend to focus on Psalms, but this topic is intersecting with other post that are in the works and is just too important. No, I will not get all the references. An example of this is Paul’s Palē or struggles, this topic brought him problems from both the Jews and the Greeks. As I did a word search with “ris or rise and death or dead” something kept showing up that I did not expect, more on that later.

I believe the Holy Spirit used things in the life of David and the other psalmist to announce things that related to Christ. Yes, Moses to Ezra all wrote things that were for Jesus; you need to be careful not to think every line is prophesy. I read a line on tombs and thought it could be included, then I read it in context and knew it was not about Jesus.

In your studies, I suggest you read other translations and use a text analysis tool/reference.

The Psalms

16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV) Paul uses this verse in Acts 13:35. Written by David.

22:16-18 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. (KJV) This is where it describes gambling for the clothes. Written by David.

We know this relates to Roman practices, but forms of sticking people on pieces of wood had existed even before David. Here are two resources; yes, there are detractors about anything Jesus.

31:12
I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel. (KJV) Verse 13 has those enemies plotting to take his life. Written by David.

88:3-7 This section talks about “the pit and the dead”. Written by Heman, it is a song of the Sons of Korah.

Psalms 16,22,31, and 88 have more in common than the verses that I have cited. The last three cover friends leaving, insults, and people attacking.

89:45-48 Cut short his days and what man can save himself from the grave. Written by Ethan the Ezrahite-Ethan and Heman.

Some Other References

Isaiah 53:12
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Matthew 12 and Luke 11 are where Jesus compares Himself with Jonah.

Christians use the Red Sea, Exodus 14, crossing as an example of baptism, which is when we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Elijah raised the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17.

Elisha is credited with two people coming back to life: the Shunammite woman’s son in 2 Kings 4, and a dead man in 2 Kings 13, Elisha was dead, it was his bones that held the power.

New Testament

In my post, Jesus Knew and Told the Disciples, I explored the times in the Gospels when Jesus is credited with prophesying His death. An aspect that I did not think about was the Jewish leaders heard about this also. Herod is quoted asking about John and the power he was hearing Jesus had, Matthew 14. Matthew 27:63 is the Jewish leaders talking to Pilate about posting a guard. It just seems that they understood about a Messiah-figure rising from the dead.   

Jesus also raised people from the dead: the widow’s son, Jarius’ daughter, Lazarus, Matthew 27:52 “holy people” came from tombs alive when Jesus died, and Himself.

Jesus Knew and Told the Disciples 

Another Look at I Am in John

Posted on by
Reply

John wrote his Gospel so people would look to Jesus as the Messiah/Christ and the Son of I AM. He cited miracles as a proof of this, but in his writing, he said many things to back that up. He was an Israelite Jew who probably grew up speaking Hebrew and yet his thoughts and writings were in Greek.

God choose “I AM” as a name to introduce Himself to Moses and Abraham’s children living in Egypt. That phrase is used by John more than any other New Testament writer. I sorted and grouped that phrase in this post. Now, Jesus is not the only person to use it in the Gospel of John. Several people used it and I tried to include all of them, after all it is still a common phrase in our speech and language.

Teachers love to condense and simplify things to make and reinforce their lessons. Many only cite seven miracles being in John, that is not true, the Resurrection does not make most list. In the same custom they focused on a limited number of quotes from Jesus where He used “I am” to reveal something about Himself. I have heard seven or ten, my list has eleven. There is also a long list of where He refers to things He is doing. Believe me this varies by translations.

I put two word-search links for you to compare different translations. God bless translators who work to glorify God and His Word. Text analysis and other study materials help us make sense of translations and show us how they came to us from the original languages.  

All of these references are from the Book by John. The scrambled order came in when I started grouping similar thoughts and sayings and looked in more than one translation.

John the Baptist– I am Not Him – John 1:20,21, 27; 3:28. John the Baptist – I am one calling in the wilderness, 1:23.

Other People – I did use the NIV a lot so your Bible may have something different.

  • Samaritan woman 4:9
  • 5:7 man at the pool
  • blind man 9:9
  • Peter denying 18:17, 25

The Long List – This went through several forms, so it may be a little rough. All of these are about Jesus.

  • Jesus – 4:26, 8:24 I am He (Messiah)
  • 5:36 I am doing works
  • Jesus not going to the festival 7:8
  • 7:28, 29 not here on my own authority
  • 7:33, 34; 8:14, 21, 28; 13:33, 36 going to the One who sent Me
  • 8:16, 18, 14:28 I am going away and I am coming back to you, 16:5, 7, 10, 17, 28, 17:11, 13, 20:17 going to the Father
  • 18:38 He is not alone, 17:21 Father in Me and I am in you
  • 14:2, 8:23 I am from above, not of this world, 17:14,16
  • 8:46 I am telling the truth
  • 8:49 I am not possessed
  • 8:50 I am not seeking glory
  • 11:11 I am going to wake Lazarus, 11:15 I am glad I was not there
  • 12:26 where I am my servants will be, 14:3, 4, 17:24
  • 12:32 I am lifted up
  • 13:7 I am doing (washing feet)
  • 13:18 I am not referring to all
  • 13:19 I am telling you before it happens
  • 16:26 praying, 17:9
  • 16:32 I am not alone
  • Jesus agreeing 18:37 I am a king
  • 19:28 I am thirsty
  • 20:21 I am sending you
  • 14:10 I am in the Father and going there 12, 20

Where Jesus Identified Himself – I have no problem if you see it another way.

  • 6:35, 41, 48, 51 I am the Bread of Life
  • 8:12 I am the Light of the world, 9:5
  • 8:58 I am (before Abraham)
  • 10:9 I am the Gate
  • 10:11,14 I am the Good Shepherd
  • 10:36 I am God’s Son
  • 11:25 I am the Resurrection and the Life
  • 13:13 I am Teacher and Lord
  • 14:6 I am the Way and the Truth, and the Life
  • 15:1 I am the Vine
  • 18:5, 6, 8 I am Jesus of Nazareth

A thought I started working on, was to divide John into ministry sections. Then take these references and group them. It may still get done, but I had a problem deciding on the sections.

John is also important because he was the last writer of New Testament cannon. We all want Revelation to be the last book written and it may have been. What if John wrote the Gospel after Revelation just to reinforce the vision he wrote about. I am in the minority on that thought.

A Comparison of Thoughts on the Order of the New Testament

John’s Gospel may have been the last roadblock to heresies that were already taking root and about to show up. Arianism quickly gained ground in Christian churches. This doctrine wanted to change the Triune God. This doctrine spread so much that the Visigoths who sacked Rome were Arian Christians.

Jesus in the Psalms – His Birth

Posted on by
1

The Law, Psalms, and the Prophets have references to Jesus. As Christians, we know this because He came to fulfill them, not end them. The fair-you-see in the Law, Psalms, and Prophets was also observed by many rabbis during the Exile. They developed many things (rules and synagogues) to compensate for no Temple to worship in, they wanted the Jewish God and faith to not be forgotten by their people in exile. But some leaders were sad-you-see because all they saw was the Law; they did not even like angels or supernatural things. Only the Law was important to them, not the warnings and directions of the prophets and the joyful lessons in the Psalms.

If your Bible has references and footnotes you will see First Testament references all over the pages. Our Book of Hebrews stresses the High Priesthood of Jesus, but I would love to have a transcript of Jesus talking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Philip’s explanation to the Ethiopian eunuch.   

In this series I will highlight from Psalms, just Psalms, verses that foretell aspects of Jesus’ life, ministry, and mission as seen in the Gospels and Acts. (My note-taking phase has overwhelmed me.) Like with my other studies, I want you opening your Bible, leaf and ink preferred and go Berean on me. So, I will include some whole verses, but not all of them. Will I get all of the references? Probably not, the sheer volume of them and how they show up in the chapters is making it very hard to organize.  

Mary the Prophet

Luke quotes, in Chapter 1:46-55, a teenage girl who has had a trip south from Nazareth to the hill country around Jerusalem. In that week-long trip, she was a bundle of fulfilled prophecy, had joy for Elizabeth, nervous thoughts about Joseph, and had Holy Spirit excitement bubbling in her as she thought about countless Scriptures that she was about to deliver. Mary knew her God and His words; she made reference to four different Psalms: 138, 111, 103, and 107. I think that song exploded from her with tears, shouts, and dancing. Her psalms were not numbered or divided into verses, but she knew them and their promises.

  • 138: 6 looks on the lowly. Written by David.
  • 111: 9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. (KJV) Mary actually quote the last line in this verse. More on this verse later. Possibly written by David; I say that because of verse 111:1.
  • 103:17+18 generations and children. Written by David.
  • 107:9 satisfies

Zechariah the Prophet

This older priest was standing in the empty Holy of Holies burning incense. See Luke 1. If he was a Sadducee, he switched parties. Nine months later, when his son John was born, he gives a prophecy that includes references to five Psalms: 72, 111, 18, 105, and 106.

  • 72: 18
  • 111: 9 Zechariah quoted the first part of our numbered verse; “redemption”. This Psalm is acrostic; so, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are divided in its ten verses. Verse 9 has three letters in it (by my count #17,18, and 19). We are used to seeing a verse per letter, like in Lamentations. Psalm 111:9 Hebrew Text Analysis Psalm 119 has 22 sections with 8 lines in each, I (personal project) rearranged it to 8 sections with 22 lines in each section.
  • 18: 2
  • 105: 8+9 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac (KJV)
  • 106: 45

The Wise Men

I believe this points to the Wise Men/gentiles. 72: 10-11 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (KJV) There are two areas in Scripture that are described as Tarshish, one in the Mediterranean, the other south by the Red Sea. Tarshish may mean distance place or smelting place.

References of the Birth

  • 22:9-10 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
  • 71:6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
  • 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

All of these are KJV and I sourced many references from the NIV footnotes. Read the verses in your favorite translation, sometimes old English is hard.

I will include this one, but you will need to view it in the Wycliff Bible.

110:3 The beginning is with thee in the day of thy virtue, in the brightnesses of saints; I begat thee of the womb, before the day star. (From the beginning, thy strength was with thee, and from that day thou hast shone in the brightness of the saints; yea, I begat thee from the womb, before the day star.) This version is like the AMP/Amplified Bible. It explains verses and in different ways for people just learning English. The part in the paratheses is what caught my attention. Please remember that Psalm 110 was written by David.  

New Song

Posted on by
Reply

While reading Psalms 144 and 149 the phrase “new song” sang out to me for a closer look. I am not musical enough to inscribe my verses on staffs and apply rhymes. My notes will be more on the practical side and just discuss the occurrences of the phrase “new song”.

There are many songs in the Bible (BibleGateway – Keyword Search: song). I might consider some “new” songs even if they are not labeled as that: Moses and Miriam in Exodus 15, Deborah in Judges 5, David in 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, the heavens, earth, and mountains in Isaiah 49:13, and songs from the Holy Spirit as mentioned in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.

The phrase “new song” is used nine times in Scripture by Moses, David, Isaiah, and John the Revelator.

  • Psalm 96:1
  • Psalm 98:1
  • Psalm 33:3
  • Psalm 40:3
  • Psalm 144:9
  • Psalm 149:1
  • Isaiah 42:10
  • Revelation 5:9
  • Revelation 14:3

I believe Moses wrote Psalm 96 and 98 as part of a series of Psalms (90 – 100) to get the Israelites to know their God better.

These are observations and thoughts joined with bullet points.

  • The first seven on the list are “sing” (actually #40 is “has put”); the last two are “they sang”.
  • Learn from the verse that “new song” appears in, but place it in context with the rest of the Psalm/prophesy. The Psalm bodies carry a variety of things to sing about.
  • Psalm 40 and 144 have a ten-string lyre or harp in it, as does Ps 92:3. That instrument is a kinnor. The kinnor shares the shape of the Sea of Galilee.
  • Psalm 149 is a Hallelu Yah psalm. That is Praise the Lord.
  • Isaiah 42:10 is part of a Jesus prophecy with a call for a “Light to the Gentiles”.
  • For a different read; take Psalm 33:1-3 and repeat it before reading verses 10, 12, 16, and 20. For Psalm 40:1-3 and read it again before 6, 9, 11, 13, and 17.
  • Psalm 33 had several repeating ideas and words.

Hebrew Concordance: ḥā·ḏāš — 16 Occurrences new

Hebrew Concordance: šîr — 50 Occurrences song

Greek Concordance: καινὴν (kainēn) — 11 Occurrences new

Greek Concordance: ᾠδὴν (ōdēn) — 5 Occurrences song – these five are in Revelation

Counting Pronouns

Posted on by
Reply

The sermon this Sunday morning was from Genesis 28:10-22. This is the first interaction between God and Jacob; 13-15 is God making promises and in 20-22 is Jacob making a deal. At first, I was only counting pronouns in God’s side of the narrative, but a small Voice urged me to contrast with Jacob.

Translators had to take ancient Hebrew and convert it into something we can read with ease. I started in the NIV, used Bible Hub’s text analysis, the KJV, NASB, and EVS versions to get a good count ratio. At first, I counted I (God speaking), you, and your. (KJV was thy, thee, and thou.) Jacob used pronouns but did use names and titles of God; his favorite was “me”. Translations vary, a little, but the ratio was what caught my attention in both sections. Some translations capitalize God’s pronouns.

Verses 13-15

God was focused on Jacob. He referred to Himself six times and to Jacob fourteen times. More than twice as many. The Father loves His children. He loves us so much He sent Jesus to die for our sins. He includes “all people” in these three verses.

Verses 20-22

Jacob referred to himself ten times and to God six times.

What I see is our righteous God taking the lead and showing us His heart. Jacob is acting as he did when he was dealing with his brother.

An Op-ed

The worldly obsession with pronouns is an extension of woke post-modernism bullying us into changing our thinking by changing and redefining our language. I fear for the cosmic balance, because of the number of people on earth claiming to be the center of the universe. If matter starts revolving around these random points the vortexes will destroy the solar system and bring about the end of all things.