As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

I Corinthians 2:9

 
Fellow Believers,

Flipping through the dial some years ago, I happened to tune into a religious radio program that was already in progress. The preacher was teaching from the Book of Genesis. Using the trials and victories of Joseph as an example, he spoke of the need to be patient and to accept unfair treatments, and of how God can turn evil developments into great blessings.

Though familiar, the message was encouraging. Then, to my surprise, I learned at the end of the program that it was a rabbi preaching to the Jews.

So I thought to myself, "How can it be that this Jewish sermon sounds so much like the ones we hear in many churchesand vice versa?"

Then, what God says in I Corinthians 2 came to my mind: "No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory...but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit" (vv. 7,8,10).

You see, while the Rabbi did a fine job in extracting the moral and religious teaching from Genesis, he was not equipped to see the far more important gospel message hidden in the text. By way of contrast, wehaving the gracious Holy Spirit to teach us spiritual thingscan readily see Joseph as a type of Christ, with his life pointing to the humiliation, crucifixion, resurrection and exultation of our Lord.

Unfortunately, even today Christian theologians and commentators by and large approach the Old Testament much as that Jewish rabbi did. Yes, they do see Christ in a handful of conspicuously Messianic or gospel passages. But for most of the other scriptures there, they concentrate mainly on the surface or literal teaching.

So, may I encourage you to go to the Bible yourself with a different eye. As you meditate on what you've read, beseech the Holy Spirit to show you "the secret wisdom that has been hidden for our glory". When you find spiritual truth in the Bible that even the most learned rabbi cannot discern, you will discover great new joy and excitement in studying God's word.
 

Tom Holt, Editor
Forth Quarter, 1991

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