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Today: Psalms 75; Acts 13:13-41; 1 Kings 6; 1 Kings 7:1-22
Psalms 75
I love the Psalms that begin with notes to the “Chief Musician.” Psalm 75 is “set to ‘Do Not Destroy! A Psalm of Asaph.'” These were worship songs sung by the Israelites. It would be like opening up a songbook (or these days, gazing at the lyrics up on the church wall) and seeing the instructions “To the tune of ‘Amazing Grace.'” This ‘Do Not Destroy!’ song must have been a popular favorite. The melody has been long lost but wouldn’t you love to hear it?! I believe some day, we will!!!
Acts 13
How wonderful that Luke recorded for us Paul’s words as he explained Jesus Christ to the Jews in Antioch. Paul’s message lays a historical foundation (something the Jews would be familiar with) for Christ’s identity. Paul quoted from their Old Testament Scriptures the prophecies that predicted Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ life and death were foretold repeatedly in the Old Testament, down to the smallest details. But the Jews had not understood that these ancient prophecies, predictions they had learned as children, were actually coming true when Jesus walked the earth. They did not recognize the Christ and so he was executed for blasphemy. But even in executing Him, they were fulfilling prophecy.
“But God raised Him from the dead.” Acts 13:30
Hallelujah! In Acts we are reading accounts from people like Peter who actually SAW and INTERACTED with Jesus Christ AFTER He came back from the dead. And even though Paul did not, he was surround by others who did. They were first hand witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
1 Kings 6
I read through the Bible every year. It is usually a plan that includes passages from the Old Testament and New Testament every day. (This year’s plan also includes a passage from the Psalms or Proverbs every day and I am loving it!) Reading both the Old and New Testaments simultaneously in this way always reveals such interesting parallels. In some ways I find the parallels amazing, proof of the miraculous nature of the Bible. But the parallels are hardly surprising since the entire Bible points to Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament, we are reading in Acts about how the Holy Spirit was now filling and training individual Christians, God’s new church. In the Old Testament, we read in 1 Kings how God was finally building His new church building through Solomon.
