Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are always in my presence. (Isaiah 49:16)
Every Christian knowledgeable of the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies of Messiah’s first coming are aware of the word-picture Psalm 22 (especially verses 1-18) paints of the crucifixion. Jesus Himself quotes from the psalm while on the cross (Matthew 27:46).
But many Christians are unaware of the additional prophetic information about the crucifixion found in one of the books Catholics believe to be part of the Bible. The book of Wisdom was written a century or so before Jesus’ birth. This is from chapter two:
"Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us; he opposes our actions, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the Lord".
"To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the righteous and boasts that God is his Father."
"Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him in the end. For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. "
"With violence and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
I think this is not only an amazing prophecy clearly fulfilled on Golgotha, but it can be an enormous encouragement to those of us who sometimes wonder if God really is in control of things – even when things go bad.
Yes. He is.
As He tells us through the prophet Isaiah (37:26): Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass . . . . And the psalmist tells us (Psalm 139:15-16): My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
He knows our name. He knows our address. And our lives are engraved upon His hands.
That is why we can trust Him.
Every Christian knowledgeable of the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies of Messiah’s first coming are aware of the word-picture Psalm 22 (especially verses 1-18) paints of the crucifixion. Jesus Himself quotes from the psalm while on the cross (Matthew 27:46).
But many Christians are unaware of the additional prophetic information about the crucifixion found in one of the books Catholics believe to be part of the Bible. The book of Wisdom was written a century or so before Jesus’ birth. This is from chapter two:
"Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us; he opposes our actions, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. He professes to have knowledge of God and styles himself a child of the Lord".
"To us he is the censure of our thoughts; merely to see him is a hardship for us, Because his life is not like that of others, and different are his ways. He judges us debased; he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure. He calls blest the destiny of the righteous and boasts that God is his Father."
"Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him in the end. For if the righteous one is the son of God, God will help him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. "
"With violence and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
I think this is not only an amazing prophecy clearly fulfilled on Golgotha, but it can be an enormous encouragement to those of us who sometimes wonder if God really is in control of things – even when things go bad.
Yes. He is.
As He tells us through the prophet Isaiah (37:26): Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass . . . . And the psalmist tells us (Psalm 139:15-16): My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
He knows our name. He knows our address. And our lives are engraved upon His hands.
That is why we can trust Him.
2 comments:
Rich,thanks for this meditation. Today in the Extraordinary Form we celebrate Passion Sunday. The Gospel is John 8:46-59 which describes another confrontation with the Pharisees. The Wisdom passage links well with it. Whenever I read OT passages regarding Jesus, I think how very fortunate we all are to be able to look at them not only as prophecy, but in the light of Jesus who so perfectly fulfilled them. I think that maybe we are very blessed to see what could not be seen in OT days. Is our faith perhaps easier to come by? If so, do we squander it?
Easier to come by? I don't think so. Consider how many atheists and anti-Christs are out there today. Squander it? God help me not to. I wrote about that very think last month, too: http://thecontemplativecatholicconvert.blogspot.com/2014/03/from-fire-to-ashes.html
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