Jesus is the character of God
READING through the entire Bible, you will encounter diverse stories. It’s an intriguing and mouth-watering piece building faith for some and confusion for others bend on misinterpreting it.
Therefore the Bible needs interpretation. The prime interpretation of the Bible (from Old Testament to New Testament are the epistles.) The epistles reveal what was shadow in the Old Testament. The epistles are the reality of the shadow. Beyond that, readers need the discerning unveiling of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus had much to say but He was limited because His audience was not yet filled with the Holy Spirit to contain His teaching. John 16:12 reads, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” After His ascension, the Holy Spirit would be the One to reveal Jesus.
John 16:13 confirms, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
This is the lot in the epistles written after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Another challenge we have is that, not so much seriousness is directed to appreciate Jesus, the Revelation of Scriptures.
Apostle Paul laments in 1 Corinthians 3:2, New King James, “I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;” It remains to us to grasp the Gospel of Christ.
The writer of Hebrews weighs in in Hebrews 5:12-13, “[12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. [13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.”
This is a direct call to us to grasp what the prophets of old saw as shadow. Jesus spoke it in parables. The early apostles wrote it to us. The ball is now in our court.
As you read the volume of the books of the Bible, you will come across such characters as King Solomon who was rich, had many wives and concubines who led him to worship their gods.
Some have built church doctrine on such examples. You have heard some say they like David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Esther and others. The truth is that the Bible is God’s book to reveal Himself in Christ. It’s not meant to reveal Abraham, David, Solomon or Paul.
Hebrews 1:3, Amplified, records, “He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Lightbeing, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power.
When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.”
We read and study the Bible to see Jesus not the exploits of Samson or Daniel.
Jesus didn't kill anyone during His earthly ministry and therefore we can conclude with certainty that God never killed anyone in Old Testament times.
Remember the devil’s mission of stealing, killing and destroying. While discussing this, there are some who say that there are other gods who hear and answer. Stories are told of how people of old asked for rains from “holy” mountains or trees referred to as trees without name.
You may have heard that they found cooked food under trees while on the journey. They would sit down and eat and proceed with their journey.
The truth is that while in the shadow of the Old Testament, God always provided for His creation although credit was given to ancestral spirits or spirit mediums.
However, the Bible says God forgives and allowed that period of lack of knowledge to subside.
Jesus came to show us God and lead us to Him and portraying His true character. Acts 17:30 clarifies, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
⬤ALL Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.