FROM SAMUEL
13. Knowledge
I Samuel 2:3. “The Lord is a God of knowledge.” More from Hannah’s lips. And from Paul’s pen, a statement to the Colossians:(2:2-3) “...to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, in Whom (Father and Christ or just Christ?) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
He knows it all, this Christ, Who is God.
14. Deliverer
II Samuel 22:2 “The Lord is my deliverer.” The words are David’s. He speaks the same in Psalm 40:17 and numerous other places. It is generic and applicable in a number of ways to how our God sets us free from the enemy of our souls.
But let’s be specific. Who is this Deliverer in concrete human terms? Romans 11:26 quotes Isaiah as referring to a Deliverer who will come out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This Jewish deliverer is none other than Christ.
And thus Christ shares yet another title with Yahweh, making these two , one.
15. Saviour
With this word we strike a nerve in Scripture. David begins the chorus in II Samuel 22:3 by calling the Lord his Saviour. We have been conditioned to thinking of Jesus this way, for He saved us from our sins. But the prophets of Yahweh knew Him by this same term. From David to Isaiah(43:3), “I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” And from Isaiah to Hosea (13:4), where God says, “...there is no Saviour beside Me.”
When we come to the New Testament with the words of Hosea ringing in our ears, we are faced with either a problem or a revelation. None other than Mary (Luke 1:47), the mother of Jesus and His half-brothers and sisters, proclaims: “...my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Well, that’s safe enough. Still talking about “God.” But in the very next chapter, the beloved physician quotes the angel of the Lord as saying, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
(But Hosea said...)
With Paul the excitement builds. His letter to Titus is overflowing with the Saviour theme. 1:3 “...preaching...is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour.” But check the very next verse: “...peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”
Whoa, Paul, what are you saying? And could you say it again? Certainly, now in 2:13 of the same letter: “Looking for...the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” In 2:10 and 3:4, it is “God our Saviour”. In 3:6, it is again Jesus.
The formula “God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” is used also by Peter, II Peter 1:1.
Oh, have we ever fathomed the reality of this truth? The truth is, our Saviour, Jesus, is God.
16. The One Worthy to be Praised
“I will call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised,” says David , II Samuel 22:4. Is anyone else worthy of such praise and worship? No one. But see the Worthy One revealed in other form:
In Matthew 2:11 the Magi (wise men) worship a young child named Jesus. Matthew 14:33 tells of some suddenly believing disciples in what seems to be a hopeless storm. When the winds die down at Jesus’ presence they worship Him. In the next chapter a Canaanite woman worships Jesus in appealing for her daughter to be healed. Luke (17:16) tells of a Samaritan man, healed and grateful, who falls on his face before the Master. John relates how one born blind worships Him.(9:38) Thomas, a doubter no longer, calls Jesus “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Never is this worship refused. The only ones who rebuke such actions are the religious leaders... in every age.
The writer of Hebrews quotes a Psalmist who says, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” The implication of the passage is that “Him” is the Son.
The final chorus of praise to Jesus, Who is God, is found in Revelation 5:12, which says, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!” Why, because He died? Many have died. Because He suffered? No. Because He is God. For only God is worthy of such praise.
17. The Avenger
II Samuel 22:48 “It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.” Paul’s complementary statement: “...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God.”
FROM THE WRITERS OF KINGS and CHRONICLES
18. The Lord of Hosts
In II Kings 3:14 and 19:31, our God is called the Lord of hosts. David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, all call Yahweh the Lord of hosts, or the Lord of armies.
But in Revelation 19:11-14 we catch a glimpse of another “Lord of Hosts,” or, excuse me! the Same One, in a different context: “I saw ...a white horse, and he that sat upon him...doth make war...And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses...”
Commander Jesus. Lord of armies. God.
19. the Judge
David is singing again, II Chronicles 16:33. Part of the song goes, “...He cometh to judge the earth.” The concept of a coming judgment by the coming Judge is fulfilled quite handily in the Christ of God, as says Peter to Cornelius, (Acts 10:42) “It is [Jesus] which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick [living] and dead.” Paul agrees, later in Acts (17:31), speaking to the religionists on Mars’ Hill: “He [God] hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained.”
So God is the Judge. But He judges through Christ. And Christ becomes the Judge without God ceasing to be the Judge. Oh my, we’re in over our head. This calls for faith. The revelation simply remains that Jesus is God.
20. Forgiver of Sin
The Lord appears to Solomon by night and reveals to him in that classic passage, II Chronicles 7:14, that if certain conditions are met, He will forgive their sins.
Now who can forgive sins, but God? That’s what some Israelites wanted to know when Jesus said to a man sick from palsy, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
A good question still. No one can forgive sins, but God, for it is against God, and God only, as David said in Psalm 51, that we sin. I can tell you that what you did against me is “forgiven,” but the sin remains on the books in Heaven until it is covered by the blood of God’s Son.
So Solomon's God, David's God, and the sick man's God -Jesus- are all the same God, amen?
FROM EZRA
21. the God of Heaven
Reference is made in 5:11,12 to one called the “God of heaven.” Everyone knows God is in Heaven. Now struggle with this one, from the lips of Jesus: (John 3:13) “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”
Even while He was here, the true residence of the One we call the “Nazarene,” was heaven. The place where God lives.
FROM NEHEMIAH
22. God of the Exalted Name
What a time of praise and rejoicing the returning Israelites were having! We extract only this piece of information for our use now: (9:5) “...blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”
And David said, “O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1)
Joel adds that, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered.”
The name. Students of the Word surely know where I’m heading now. It’s the masterful work of Paul to the Philippians: (2:9-10) “Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him (Jesus) and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...” An exalted name! An excellent name! The name of Jesus!
Can Joel find an echo in the New Testament? You’re way ahead of me: Romans 10:9-13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart...thou shalt be saved [delivered]...for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Don't leave out Peter. Acts 4:12 still says that "there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Does such a statement offend the Father? Make Him jealous? No, the "Name of the Lord" , the exalted Name, the saving Name, it's all the same! The name of the Lord is Jesus !
23. Sender of Prophets
9:26 mentions the prophets sent by Yahweh, the God of Israel. We know that all the prophets were sent of God, right? Consider Matthew 23:34 in this light. Jesus is speaking to the religiously deceived Jews of His generation:
“Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes...”
Has Son suddenly usurped Father’s job? Oh no. Father and Word have been working in this way forever. What Father does, Jesus does... They are One.
No, I haven't forgotten "personhood" and "two-ness". There is a heavenly Father. There is a Son. But try as you may, you will not pull them apart.
FROM JOB
24. God Incarnate
“Incarnate” sounds so theologically correct. And it is. But Job had it in words we can understand a little better (19:26): “In my flesh I shall see God.” Now, in order for Job to see God in Job’s flesh, God will have to have flesh too! But no! Even Jesus said, John 4:24, “God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”
How could God be flesh? "Incarnate", OK, but not flesh! Doesn’t sound quite right, but the mystery of all mysteries is just that: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
The Word became flesh. And John says that the Word (Jesus) was God! (John 1:1) Job agrees that a man showed up on the planet one day who was and is Almighty God.
FROM DAVID (and others) IN THE PSALMS
25. God of the Holy Hill
“I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of his holy hill.” David praying to “the Lord.” (3:4) But according to 2:6, God has set His King (the Messiah, Jesus) on that very hill! So the one David is crying to and being answered by, is the Christ!
26. The King
5:2 “Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King...” David calls out to God. But as noted above, the “King” has been placed by God in Zion. We know that King to be Jesus.
Micah looks ahead to a time when Bethlehem, “...little among the thousands of Judah,” shall produce the One “that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). Micah had previously said that “The Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even forever” (Micah 4:7).
It was this prospect of a King coming that threw Herod the Great into such a rage (Matthew 2:1-3) that He attempted to dethrone Jesus before His reign could be a threat.
Zechariah was first to see King Jesus riding into Jerusalem, hailed by the crowds of Israelites: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee..”(9:9) Matthew 21:1-11 gives the account for us as it happened in history.
Even a Roman Governor, Pilate, gets in on the act. His interview with Jesus (John 18:33-38) turns up some information he had not been expecting. Convinced that Jesus is a King, he announces to the city of Jerusalem via that sign for which he always will be remembered: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
Right you are, Pilate. The King for whom the Lord has a special message: “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” God at the right hand of God. An identification so close, so real, that to see One is to see the Other. “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father,” said Jesus(John 14:9).
27. Praised by Infants
“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies...” (8:2) David, speaking to his most excellent Lord in heaven.
But Jesus did not consider it robbery to take that very verse unto Himself when being praised by some small children in the Temple. It seems to have temporarily stopped the mouths of the chief priests and scribes (Matthew 21:15-16)!
28.The Shepherd
David:“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...” (23:1) Asaph: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel... Thou that dwellest between the cherubims...”
But Isaiah, looking ahead to a Shepherd on earth: (40:11) “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them...”
By John we are introduced to this one that David could only imagine, that Isaiah could only see in vision. We know Him as Jesus. (John 10:11)Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”
Jesus knew His Bible. He had read David. He did not stumble onto an allegory that was fitting for the moment. Deliberately He calls Himself the Shepherd of Israel.
Because He is that Shepherd, the Lord God.
29. Light
“The Lord is my light ...” (27:1) says David to His God in a time of trouble.
But Jesus, Who with the Father is David's God, says, “I am the light of the world!” John 8:12
No need to squirm. No need to explain. Light proceeds from Father and Son equally!
30. Worthy of Glory
“Give unto the Lord the glory due His name!” (29:2) The Psalmist is convinced that glory belongs only to God. Indeed, elsewhere God has said He will not share His glory with another.
Nevertheless, one of the founding apostles says unashamedly that “to [our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ] be glory both now and forever. Amen.” II Peter 3:18. And we must say the "Amen."
31. A Sun
(84:11) “For the Lord God is a sun and shield...” Spoken hundreds of years before Messiah came to Earth, a planet truly in need of a Sun..
But when He does appear here, He is a star of equal magnitude: “He was transfigured before them, and His face did shine as the sun...” (Matthew 17:2) Visit that final City, and you will have no need of the sun. Why? “The glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”
Fascinating. Is there any difference between “did lighten it” and “is the light thereof”? None that I know of. This is two ways of saying the same thing! Is there any difference then between “God” and “the Lamb”? Not a one! Two ways of saying the same thing.
32. The Only Wonder-Worker
136:3-4 “O give thanks to the Lord of Lords,... who alone doeth great wonders.”
Alone? Alone! Anyone doing wonders of the magnitude of this Lord of Lords must be the Lord of Lords. And can you think of One Who did incredibly great wonders while He was on the earth, and even empowers His own to do the same today?
God is still the only one who does mighty works. Cheap imitations abound, but our God, Father - Son - Spirit , alone does great wonders!
33. The One from Whom comes the Spirit
I offer Psalm 139:7 ("Where can I go from Your Spirit?") as one of a multitude of passages that suggest that God has/is a Spirit. We call Him the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, and sometimes just the Spirit. How does Jesus relate to this One?
Well, we learn from Paul that the sum total of “Spirits” in the Godhead is one. “There is one Spirit...”(Ephesians 4:4). But in Philippians 1:19 we read of “the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” We assume this is the same Spirit, given that there is only one to deal with!
So the mystery expands here and lets us know again our finite nature when it comes to figuring out things we cannot see. “God” has a “Spirit.” Jesus has a “Spirit.” But there is only “one Spirit.” Jesus must be God.
Further, Jesus gives us that Spirit "from the Father." (John 15:26) If that Spirit is with the Father, how is Jesus able to bring it from There to us? Unless He is There Himself...
34. Blind-eye Opener
(146:8) “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind...”
But hundreds of years later (John 9:30), let an ex-blind man tell it like it is to the religious establishment of Judea. He is speaking of Jesus: “Why, herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes!...if this man were not of God, He could do nothing!” Right, friend. Not only of God, but God Himself!
FROM SOLOMON
ECCLESIASTES
35. Revealer of Secrets
“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil (11:14)." The revealer and judge of every secret. Reminds me of something Paul said about Jesus: (Romans 2:16) “God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel.”
Everything that God is seen doing or being, as though He were alone, in the Old Testament, He is seen doing or being in association with one called Jesus in the New. What a unity!
And it is not as though the Word of God, Jesus, just appeared. He has been with the Father forever, according to John 1.
