1 Peter series - The Voices of the Grace of God

                                  The Voices of the Grace of God

1 Peter 1: 9-12 

There are many voices in our world, and many are calling for attention. Many are based on the tongue of the enemy of God, but there is one voice that speaks to the heart of those whose ears are open to hear the voice of truth and grace, the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the prophets of God were elected and called of God to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. And they wrote down exactly what the Holy Spirit spoke, whether it was guidance, judgment, exhortations, or revelations of the things to come in the last days. They also spoke of God’s grace and of the Lord who brings salvation by grace to all. It was these prophets that Peter alluded to in the following text - “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.”

First, Peter speaks of the salvation that comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Peter's statement on salvation is the receiving the end result of their faith. Salvation, the deliverance from sin and death, and all the consequences, the redemption of their souls for eternity. 

All of the exiled believers were the beneficiaries of the letters from Peter and the scrolls of the prophets being circulated among the believers at various churches. Peter walked and talked with Jesus, the Christ, the promised One of God. Peter reminds them of Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Micah, Micah, Malachi, and Zechariah, the voices of the grace of God. 

Let’s begin with Moses, he spoke of Jesus in the book of Deuteronomy 18:17-19 -  “The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.” Jesus was this prophet, Jesus only spoke what the Father told him to speak.  “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” (Jn. 12:49-50) Jesus spoke the very words of the Father, and He opened the hearts of all who heard and believed. Moses himself probably wondered about the one spoken of by God. Moses spoke for God, but he also spoke for himself. He knew there must be another in this promise from God.

Next, the Isaiah spoke to the people of a suffering servant in Isa. 53. Isaiah heard from the Holy Spirit about One who would be like a root that came out of dry ground. He would suffer great pain and be mistreated, despised, and beaten. His wounds would bring healing and payment for their iniquities and transgressions before God. He would die a painful and degrading death, and yet He would arise to the light of life, and justify many. Isaiah spoke these words as well as writing them down for later generations. He must have long to see the one in which the Holy Spirit spoke of, the lamb that would be sacrificed for the sins of mankind. Isaiah also spoke of the birth of a child, who would be born to a virgin, and he would be called Immanuel ‘God with us’, his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7:14, 9:6) 

Then there was Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, who saw the fall of his nation. He spoke by the Holy Spirit about the death of many children of the nationality of the house of Jacob. The weeping would not be comforted because they were no more. Oh, Jeremiah saw plenty of death in Israel, especially Jerusalem. (31:15) He also spoke of a righteous Branch from David, a King who will reign wisely. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior. (Jer.23:5-6)

Next was Daniel, a prophet in captivity, he saw a vision of the future during evening prayer. He saw one who was like the son of man, who walked up to the Ancient of Days (God the Father) and he was given authority to rule, he would be worshiped by all mankind, and his rule and dominion will never end, it is everlasting. How Daniel must have asked and searched the Old Testament scrolls to see who this King would be. Daniel was given another vision, of an Anointed One who arose in a restored Jerusalem, and then he would be put to death by the rulers of Jerusalem, and then after a length of time an antitype would appear, and desolate the temple. This Anointed One is Jesus, the Christ.

  Last but not least are the minor prophets, Micah, Hosea, and Zechariah. Micah heard the Holy Spirit speak of a Savior born in Bethlehem who will rule over Israel in the future. Hosea also heard the Holy Spirit speaking of this same Savior come from out of Egypt as a child. Zechariah the prophet hears the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking of this Savior coming on a donkey’s colt into Jerusalem, and then hears of the same Savior who returns to Jerusalem with grace and supplication. (Micah 5:1-2; Hosea 11:1; Zech. 9:9, 12:10)

Application - For 4,000 years, the Holy Spirit has been speaking through his prophets and men called, chosen to speak the Words of God. We are the beneficiaries of these words written in God’s Word, the Bible. I wonder as I read God’s words, about the coming King of kings, about the catching up of those who will not experience the wrath of God. I look through God’s word to the salvation we have through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And yet, having these written words, the world seems to be ignorant of the words that bring life and that eternal. Many have deafen ears, blinded eyes to the truth that Jesus proclaimed almost 2,000 years ago. They have given themselves to the words of man, and of the enemy of God, whom Jesus said were all lies. (Col. 2:8, Jn. 8:44). 

The Word of God is the only written word that is absolute, infallible, and accurate down to the dot and tittle. Man in his limited understanding has tried to discredit it as myth or moral fables. But the prophets who were filled with the Holy Spirit and led to write the books that bear their names, they never had the advantage of living through the fulfillment of many of the prophecies of those scriptures. And the angels of God who desired to know what the prophets were writing about, are the very angels ready and awaiting God the Father’s final words, to go and fulfill the times of the end foretold by the very same prophets. 

Do you search the scriptures as the Bereans, to see that which was written and is said to be true? Are you understanding the times in which we live, as the men of Issachar? Has God given you a yearning to hunger for understanding of His Word?  God has given us His Word, and the Holy Spirit desires to speak to all who have an ear to hear. “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 12:49-50; 16:13

Today is the day, open His word, and let the Holy Spirit speak into your lives about our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Until next week, In His Service, Mike Davis

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