To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date sent: Mon, 1 Jul 2002 12:36:25 -0500
Subject: [HF] Bible Study HF070 - Who Shall Declare His Generation
Hebraics,
In this study I'll share brief overlays of history with regard to the
Jew
and Jesus. The chapter in the Bible that has been the number one
cause of Jewish people turning to Jesus, is Isaiah 53. Interesting
enough Isaiah 53 also records the Jewish rejection of Jesus. But the
prophets also record the acceptance of Jesus in the final days. We will
use part of Isaiah 53 as a backdrop for our study. (You may wish to
read Isaiah 53 as a prelude to this study.)
This is Bible Study HF070 - Who Will Declare His Generation.
The angel spoke to Philip, "Get up and go south to the road that
descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." Philip did so, and when he arrived
he found a court official of Candace, queen on the Ethiopians, sitting in
his chariot reading a scroll from the prophets. The Spirit told Philip to
join himself to the chariot. Philip ran up to the chariot and he could
hear the eunuch reading aloud from Isaiah. It is amazing how God
works. It is here a door will open that will result in the ancient
Christian
church of Ethiopia. (This church, by the way, never came under the
sway of the later emerging papal system.)
The eunuch invited Philip to join him in the chariot, and in doing so,
Philip saw that the eunuch was reading from Isaiah the prophet. So
Philip says, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The
eunuch
responds, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me." Hence
we
have the first recorded incident of a Jew, or in this case possibly a
convert to Judaism, accepting Jesus as Messiah of Israel.
Historical note: The ancient Ethiopian Christians were more probably
Jews who had relocated to that region many, many years prior to this
incident. This issue became a source of irritation for modern Israel. In
the massive airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991, it was later
discovered that a great many of the Ethiopian Jews had strong
Christian leanings. (The airlift was called Operation Solomon.)
Back to Philip and the eunuch. Here is what the eunuch was reading
that caused his ponderings; "He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and
as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His mouth.
In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His
generation? For His life is removed from the earth." (For your
reading
this incident is recorded in Acts 8:26-49)
So the eunuch asks the one question that has been the cause of more
Jews turning to Jesus, including not a few rabbis, than any question
that could be asked. He says to Philip, "Please tell me, of whom does
the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?" It is at this
point
that Philip begins preaching Jesus to him.
Historical note: The most ancient writings of the Jews, that is,
writings
that were before Christ, the targums, and even some of the writings
found in the Talmud, state that Isaiah 53 spoke of Messiah. It was
only later that rabbis began to say Isaiah 53 was about Israel, not
Messiah. In some instances this chapter was left out of Jewish Bibles
because it caused too many questions to be asked. And Jews were
forbidden to read any Christian writings.
But let's continue --- Isaiah 53 is filled with history. It is actually
a
record of history before the fact. That alone is the wonder of our Bible.
We have the only book of any religion that records history before it
happens.
So what history are we reading that concerned the eunuch? Notice it
says, "Who will relate His generation." Keep in view that Isaiah
is
writing to Jewish people. So in Isaiah 53:1, where it says, "Who has
believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been
revealed?" Isaiah was speaking representatively of both the apostles
and the prophets. His question could be said, "Who among we Jews
will receive the gospel of Messiah?"
Again notice the question; "Who will relate His generation."
What the
Jews through the centuries did not realize is that there was had been a
concentrated effort to write Jesus out of Jewish history. For hundreds
of years the Jews thought that not only were Christians idolaters, but
that Jesus was a Roman or a Greek god. They had no idea that Jesus
and the apostles were all Jews.
Historical note: It has only been in these latter times that the Jews
have been rediscovering Jesus. Many rabbis have received Jesus
Christ, as Messiah of Israel, and many more will do so in the future.
They are finding that Judaism completes itself in Jesus, and that
Biblical Christianity is the fulfilling of the promises made to the
fathers.
(A book that I recommend our readers purchase is entitled, 'The
Jewish Reclamation of Jesus - An analysis & critique of the modern
Jewish study of Jesus', by Donald A. Hagner.)
Once again, "Who shall declare His generation?" One of the
major
signs of the second coming of Jesus is when the telling of Jesus
begins to stir the hearts of the Jewish peoples. They have to be
prepared to receive the Messiah.
Jewish scholar Pinchas Lapide wrote in 1975; "The 187 Hebrew
books, research articles, poems, plays, monographs, dissertations,
and essays that have been written about Jesus in the last twenty-
seven years since the foundation of the state of Israel, justify press
reports of a 'Jesus wave' in the present-day literature of the Jewish
state. The fact is that much more has been written about Jesus in
Hebrew in the last quarter century than in the eighteen previous
centuries."
With what Lapide said in 1975, guess how much more what he says
is true today. Jews are turning to Jesus in unprecedented numbers.
Rabbi Tovia of Jerusalem actually placed an ad in the Jerusalem Post,
that has since been removed, that said, "Why have more Jews
converted to Christianity in the last 19 years than in the last 1900
years?" Believe it or not, but his ad was actually an affront against
Christian missionaries. Tovia was trying to sell some of his tapes. But
if I were a Jew, and had read that ad, I'd want to find out why Jews
were turning to Jesus.
Jews are turning to Jesus because His generation is being declared!
Its that simple. But it didn't start yesterday. It seems that the Jewish
conscience has been awaking for some time now. In the 9th century a
Jew named Eliezer HaKalir, wrote the following rhyme, which is recited
in the Yom Kippur prayer:
"Messiah, our righteousness, hath turned from us: we are in terror
and
there is none to justify us! Our Iniquities and the yoke of our
transgressions He did bear for He was wounded for our
transgressions: He carries our sins upon His shoulders, that we may
find forgiveness for our iniquities and by His stripes we are healed. O
eternal One the time is come to make a new creation: from the vault of
heaven bring Him up, out of Seir draw Him forth, that He may make
His voice heard to us in Lebanon, a second time by the hand of
Yinnon."
A great many Jews today find themselves in a quandary. They are
afraid to accept Jesus, but they are also afraid to reject Him. They are
hearing the testimonies. The arguments passed down by the Christ-
rejecting rabbis cannot stand against the testimony of the Scriptures.
Nor can those arguments stand against the Jews today who proclaim
Jesus as Messiah and Lord. There is no greater testimony than that of
the miracle of a changed life. But this quandary of the Jew is foretold in
Scripture.
Notice carefully how the prophets record history ahead of time. The
Lord spoke through Hosea, saying, "I will go away and return to My
place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their
affliction they will earnestly seek Me." (Hosea 5:15) Did not Jesus
say
this to the Pharisees who were rejecting Him? "You will seek Me, and
will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." (John 7:34)
What is it that has contributed to the intense interest among the Jews
in Israel towards Jesus? Two things: they have been an afflicted state
since its forming in 1948. It is becoming more so. Every time a suicide
bomber takes innocent lives, it is an affliction. Will the Lord intervene?
Not at this point. They must 'acknowledge their guilt and seek [His]
face."
But secondly, we have the work of the Holy Spirit. God said He would
bring them back to their own land that they make seek Him. This final
work of the telling of His generation will take place by the Holy Spirit
being poured out on Israel. God spoke through Zechariah the prophet,
and said, "I will pour out on the house of David and on the
inhabitants
of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will
look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as
one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like
the bitter weeping over a firstborn." (Zech12:10)
Looking on Jesus is another way of describing the heart that is turning
to Jesus in faith. It is a matter of what the Bible calls 'beholding the
Son.' Jesus said, "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone
who
beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself
will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)
Did the eunuch behold the Son? Yes, he most certainly did. Philip
declared to the eunuch the generation of Jesus, that Jesus was the
true Son of the Living God. What was left to be done? It says, "As
they
went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said,
'Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Well, you know the story. Philip simply said, "If you believe with
all your
heart, you may." The eunuch quickly responded, "I believe that
Jesus
Christ is the Son of God." Yes, he was baptized, and then went on his
way rejoicing. Hence we have the beginnnigs of the ancient Christians
in Ethiopia. And it was all because someone declared His generation.
How about you? Is there something you would like to share or ask?
The study is open.
Shalom in Christ,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace
of God; that no root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)