An Exposition Of 1 Peter, Part 4: The Prophets Said It Would Be Like This

The Prophets Said it Would be Like This:

1 Peter 1:10-12

Introduction

The idea for the title of this section comes from a Chattanooga weatherman who predicted correctly a big snowstorm in March 13, 1993. It was the only snow of the season in an area that barely averages 4 inches of snow a year. It was a great shock to all that the city got 21 inches of snow that late in the season. The weatherman, Paul Barys would later advertise his forecasts with the words: “Paul said it would be like this.”

In the the text we just read, Peter had begun to teach the believers in the five Roman provinces in what is now Turkey that contrary to their expectations, persecution was a badge of election rather than a punishment. The believers there were to rejoice even in the times of trial as it was the means of perfecting their faith. What the Roman authorities meant for evil, God was using for good just like God used Pharaoh in the Old Testament to His glory.

Exposition of the Text

Concerning which salvation the prophets searched and made careful inquiry — the In the text we read, Peter now shifts to the prophecies of the Old Testament. The Scripture of the Church in the New Testament era was what we call the Old Testament. This would have been supplemented by some of the New Testament epistles of which most had been written. The Gospels of Mark and Matthew were probably written by this time. But the writings that already existed probably were not universally available. There may have been other written material, and there was the preaching and teaching of the Gospel. We do not know how much of the New Testament the churches to whom Peter addresses had. Since there were many churches, it is possible that different churches had different material. But it is probable that all had copies of the Old Testament in the Greek language called the Septuagint. Jews as well as Gentile converts would have been instructed from the Old Testament and as much material as was available of the new.

We know from the Gospels how important the Scriptures were to Jesus. We read in John 5:39-40 that the Old Testament pointed to Him. He challenged the listeners to search the Scripture with Jesus in mind. It i s not that the Pharisees and Scribes did not know the Scripture. They certainly did know what the Scripture said. They were aware that the Scripture was life itself and pointed the way to eternal life. However, they were not yet enlightened to what the Scripture meant. They would find eternal life in Jesus Christ and Him alone.

On the road to Emmaus we read that in Luke 24:27 that Jesus used the Scripture to show that it testified of the necessity of Jesus’ suffering as well as afterward to enter into His glory. The Old Testament testifies of the death and resurrection of Christ. To these two disciples, this testimony was presented before He revealed Himself alive by the breaking of bread. Shortly afterward in Luke 24:44-45 Jesus tells the eleven that the Scripture testified about Jesus.

I could quote many Scriptures in the New Testament about the foundational importance of the Old Testament in preaching Christ and the resurrection. I will mention just one of them. In 2 Timothy 3:15-16 Paul tells Timothy of the importance of the Scripture. It makes one wise unto salvation and is profitable for “doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.” The Old Testament is God breathed.

So when Peter now points them towards the Old Testament Scripture, he notes that the prophets diligently searched and inquired of Scripture. They did more than just prophesy the Word of God to their generation. They searched the Scriptures they had at the time for salvation. They were searching for a time when the wolf shall lie down with the lamb (Is 11:6), when the swords would be beaten into plowshares and the spears into pruning hooks. (Isaiah 2:4) (Micah 4:3). They hoped for God’s grace and deliverance in their own time. Even though there were times of temporary relief given, the fulfillment would have to wait for another time for the Savior.

They instead prophesied concerning the grace you have received — Literally the Greek says “They concerning the unto you grace having prophesied.” The “unto you grace” preceding “having prophesied” gives additional emphasis to the idea that they prophesied to their behalf even more than they prophesied to those of even their own time. Much of what they prophesied would not be fulfilled until the time of Christ. The Church is then the beneficiary of the message of the Prophets.

Searching for how and at what time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did testify — We have already noted that all Scripture is God-breathed. We also read that the Holy Spirit is the inspirer of Scripture. Here we read that the prophesied through the Spirit of Christ which was in them. What one member of the Triune Godhead does or says is the work of the entire Trinity. Peter may be emphasizing the Spirit of Christ here because He wants to emphasize that the content of the prophecies in which they prophesied about Jesus came from Jesus Himself, who is the Word of God. this also teaches the pre-existence of Christ as well. The Spirit of Christ in the prophets before His incarnation testified through them of His own days on earth, His life, suffering, death, burial and resurrection. Jesus then becomes the fulfillment of His own prophecy. God knew the entire plan in advance, even from before the beginning of time, and the Old Testament was part of that plan.