Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 2 * BOOK 79
PART 3 of the MESSIANIC PROPHECIES – PART 2
Psalms 40 and 41
Okay, good to have all of you back from your coffee break. We’re going to pick right up where we left off. You can go back with me to chapter 40 of Psalms, and then we’ll probably go back up to Hebrews again.
Anyhow, for those of you out in television—again, we always want to be reminded that because of your prayers and your financial help, we are reaching more and more people every day. I’ve said it before on the program. I never considered myself a soul-winner per se. I always felt my ministry was primarily to just teach believers. But, oh, my goodness, you ought to read our mail – how many people will say that for the first time in their life they’ve heard the plan of salvation. They’ve come into it, and they just rejoice in it. So that tells us that the Lord is blessing it beyond anything we could have ever dreamed.
I don’t know—maybe I’ll take time sometime this afternoon and give a brief explanation of how in the world we ever got on television. Well, I’m going to tell you right now, it wasn’t my idea, believe me. But maybe in the next program I’ll take two or three minutes—because it’ll be a long time before the program comes on where we explain all of that (Book 42).
Okay, we’re going to keep right on where we left off in that first half hour. We were in Psalms chapter 40. One of the Messianic Psalms where David the prophet is actually speaking, many times, the exact words that Christ used—or at least it’s a close explanation of His first advent ministry. And, you remember, we got down as far as verses 7 and 8 where he said:
Psalms 40:7-8
“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Now, let’s go back to Hebrews 10 for just a moment. I’m afraid I left off a little too quickly when I ran out of time in the last lesson. So come back with me to Hebrews 10, and then we’ll go back to Psalms. Then we’re going to come back to John’s Gospel. That’s Bible study.
Hebrews chapter 10 verse 9, where Paul is using the exact quote of Psalms chapter 40.
Hebrews 10:9
“Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. (Now that’s God the Son speaking to God the Father.) He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” Now you’ve got to remember, Paul, here in the Book of Hebrews—now I recognize some don’t think Paul wrote it. But I’m not going to get all exercised over that. But nevertheless, I want to point out that whoever wrote it, what is he showing here when “He took away the first that he might establish the second”?
What’s he talking about? Well, the system of Law—sacrifices, Temple worship, and the feast days. That was all done away with by the work of the cross. So he says here in verse 9 that “He taketh away the first, (That is the whole system of Law and Temple worship.) that He may establish the second”—which is this Age of Grace.
We’re not under Law. We’re under Grace—which most of Christendom still can’t get through their head; but nevertheless, it’s so obvious. Now in verse 10:
Hebrews 10:10
“By the which will (That is the will of God.) we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Now let’s see, we’re going to have another one in maybe the next Psalm, where we have a reference to the fact that He was given a physical body. All right, stay here in Hebrews 10 for just a little bit.
Hebrews 10:10b-11
“…through the offering of the body (the human body) of Jesus Christ once for all. (Not just once a year. Not just once every hundred years, but for all eternity.) 11. And every priest (in the old economy)standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:” Animals’ blood couldn’t atone for anything. All right, now verse 12:
Hebrews 10:12-13
“But this man, (the man Christ Jesus) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Now I’m glad I came back, because I wanted you to see verse 13.) 13. From henceforth (That is where He has been positioned ever since His ascension in Acts chapter 1. He has been seated positionally at the right hand of the Father.) From henceforth (That is from the time that He went back to Glory He is waiting for the day that–) expecting till his enemies (Christ-rejecting mankind, Israel in particular, that they would–) be made his footstool.”
Now, what does the footstool imply? He’s got them under His feet. They are no longer in a position to resist Him. He’s ready to come back and exercise His power and His Kingship. Now let’s go back to Psalms, and we’ll move on—back to Psalms 40, verse 8.
Psalms 40:8-10
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” Who’s the great congregation? Israel. The Nation.
Now don’t ever forget Romans 15 verse 8. “Now I say–” Maybe we’d better look at it. Keep your hand here. I’m through in Hebrews. Keep your hand in Psalms 40. Come back with me to Romans. And if you happen to hit John’s Gospel, put a mark in it; because we’re going to come to it in just a minute. But here in Romans chapter 15 is a verse that I use over and over because it says it all. And again, what most of Christendom knows nothing of. Oh, it’s awful, isn’t it, Charlie, how little people know? Oh, it’s so sad. And the Book is here. They’ve had it for 2,000 years. And they just don’t know what it says.
Romans 15:8a
“Now I say that Jesus Christ (Jesus of Nazareth) was (past tense) a minister of the circumcision,…” Who is the circumcision? Israel. That’s who He was a minister to. Not to the whole world, not up front. Remember, I’m always reminding people—I’m not saying ever, but up front. When He made His appearance, it was only to the Nation of Israel. And it wasn’t until Israel’s rejection that it brought about Salvation for the whole human race. But keep everything in its order.
Romans 15:8b
“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, (It was His plan. It was for His purposes that He came to His own, but His own received him not. And why did he come?) to confirm the promises made unto (Whom?) the fathers:” Not to the Gentile world. He came to the Nation of Israel to fulfill all those Old Testament prophecies.
Now if you’ll flip back to Psalms just a minute, then we’re going to jump back up to John’s Gospel. Now reading verse 9:
Psalms 40:9a
“I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:…” In Israel. For three years He proclaimed who He was and all the promises attendant with faith in Him as the Messiah.
Psalms 40:10a
“I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;…” He declared everything.
Psalms 40:11
“Withhold not (Or we would say – do not withhold.) thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”
I’m going to stop there, and we’re going to jump up to John’s Gospel. Go to chapter 17. I think that’s the chapter a lot of people call the high priestly prayer. I think I’ve almost never used any of this in a previous program. So I want to take time today. I didn’t really intend to do this over maybe a minute or two, but I think I should. John’s Gospel chapter 17 as Jesus is pouring out His heart in prayer.
Now always remember, don’t ever forget, that Jesus operated on two levels. He was totally man. He was totally God. He never let them intertwine, but yet He would go from one to the other. Okay, now the point I want to make—whenever Jesus prayed to the Father, He was not using the Deity side. He was using which side? The human. When He suffered, He suffered in the human realm. But His Spirit also suffered in the Godly realm, or the God-realm. So as you read these, you’ve got to understand that He’s pouring out His heart—as He said in Psalms 40 He would—to God the Father. But He’s praying from His humanity.
John 17:1-2a
“These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, (So He’s going to be addressing God the Father. And He said:) Father the hour is come: (Now remember, He’s probably in the Garden, if I’m not mistaken here.) glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. 2. As thou has given him power over all flesh,…” Now remember who’s speaking. Jesus of Nazareth, pouring out His heart from the human side, to God the Father.
John 17:2
“As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he (speaking of Himself) should give eternal life to as many as thou (God the Father) hast given him.”
Now again, we always have to realize that the work of the Holy Spirit and the Father and the Son all work in consort to open the hearts and minds of lost people to come to faith. Now remember, we’re dealing primarily with the Nation of Israel.
John 17:3a
“And this is life eternal,…” Now you’ve got to remember—oh, just put all these things together. With the woman at the well—when Jesus was speaking of life-giving water, what kind of a question did that bring out of that woman?
Well, this is Jacob’s well. What’s the matter with this water? And what did Jesus tell her? I’m not talking about H2O. I’m talking about spiritual water—life-giving water; eternal, life-giving water. Now, it’s the same concept here. What Jesus is talking about is not physical life, but eternal life.
John 17:3
“And this is the life eternal, that they (That is the Nation of Israel. That’s all He’s concerned about at this point in time.) might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” What did God want? He wanted Israel to understand who this Jesus really was.
Now I’m thinking again of something else. We use it all the time. Come back. Keep your hand in John. Matthew 16 and this is exactly what the Lord had in mind for all of Israel, not just for Peter, but for all Israel. Matthew 16, you should know these verses by memory. We use them often enough. Here, once again, we’re at the end of His three years. They are about ready to go up to Jerusalem for the Passover and the Crucifixion. But they are up in Northern Israel, so they’re a few days away.
Matthew 16:13-14
“When Jesus came into the borders of Caesarea Philippi, (the headwaters of the Jordan River) he asked his disciples, (the Twelve) saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14. And they (the Eleven) said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
Matthew 16:15-16
“He (Jesus) saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (And here Peter speaks up. I don’t think he did in the first guessing of what people thought, but now he does.) 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, (the Messiah, the Promised One, see) the Son of the living God.”
Now that’s all Jesus is praying to the Father that Israel would recognize. Oh, that they could just see who I am!! But what was their answer? “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” See that? Okay, back to John’s Gospel verse 4.
John 17:4-5
“I have glorified thee on the earth: (He’s had His three years of ministry.) I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (In other words, to convince Israel who He was, even though He didn’t succeed. He spent His whole three years.) 5. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world (even) was.” What does that mean? From eternity past.
I asked one of my classes the other night—have you ever, if you wake up in the middle of the night, or if you’re just resting in your easy chair during the day, or you’re out for a walk, whatever—have you ever stopped to just analyze eternity? Have you ever stopped to figure out how long back, as well as forward, eternity is? Well, think about it some time.
You can’t get far, because there’s no way we can comprehend forever and ever and ever and ever back. And ever and ever and ever into the future—we can’t begin. But see, this is what the Lord Jesus is claiming. God the Father and God the Son were already together in the eons of past eternity.
I just had a thought and I lost it. I was going to go to another verse with regard to the eternalness of it all. But maybe it’ll come back. All right, oh, I know where I was going to go. Look at verse 5 again.
John 17:5
“And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” All right, now here’s the thought I want to leave you. When Christ came to earth, if I understand Scripture correctly, the only thing He laid aside and did not bring with Him was His Glory. Is that right?
I’m going to qualify that. I’m going to show you in a minute why that was wrong. Only three men ever got a glimpse of His glory while He was on earth. What am I talking about? The Transfiguration. Yeah, some of you have been with me long enough.
Go back to Matthew. I think it is verse 16 or 17. This is the kind of a glory that He knew from eternity past. And you know what? It’s the kind of a glory we’re going to see when we see Him. It’s beyond comprehension. But it was just a little, brief glimpse of His glory. All right, Matthew—oh, my goodness, I’ve got to go up to the last verse of chapter 16, because I get a lot of questions on this verse.
Matthew 16:28
“Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the son of man coming in his Kingdom.” What was He talking about? Well, He was talking about the transfiguration when He told the Twelve that there were some of them that would not die until they saw the Son of Man in all His glory. And that was, of course, Peter, James, and John.
Matthew 17:1-2a
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, (just the four of them) 2. And (He) was transfigured before them: (before Peter, James, and John—the three of them) and his face did shine as the (What?) the sun,…” Can you look into the bright noonday sun and get away with it? No, you cannot. It’ll burn your eyes. That’s the kind of a glory that He was showing to these three men.
Matthew 17:2b
“…His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment (His clothing, whatever He was wearing.) was white as the light.” And those men caught it. Just a glimpse of it.
All right, now come back to John. This is what He’s referring to. This was the kind of glory that He had to lay aside, or everybody that met Him would have ended up blind. In fact, I think, really, that’s what happened to the Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus.
I think that light from Heaven was just like a welder’s torch. It just seared his eyes, and he was blind. And I think that was the malady that he carried with him the rest of his life. Now that’s speculation, and I can’t prove that. I always make a note when I bring this in. But nevertheless, this was the glory that He had with God before the world was ever created. All right, now here it comes, almost word-for-word out of the Book of Psalms.
John 17:6
“I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: (That is the Eleven believing disciples. We’re going to talk about Judas a little later this afternoon.) thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.” Now verse 7, now remember, this is a prayer. He’s praying to the Father.
John 17:7-8
“Now they (these Eleven) have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. (It’s a God connection.) 8. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have (What’s the next word?) believed that thou didst send me.”
In other words, those Eleven believers—I’m leaving Judas out—those Eleven believers now got a comprehension of who Jesus of Nazareth really was. He was a member of the Godhead. He was the Creator of everything. Verse 9 and this is the Lord Jesus pouring out His heart that night just before His arrest.
John 17:9-10
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them (These Eleven, especially, maybe He was including some of those other believing Jews. But He’s praying primarily for these Eleven disciples.) which thou hast given me; for they are thine. 10. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”
John 17:11
“And now I am no more in the world, (In other words, He’s about ready to go through His death, burial, and resurrection. And then His ascension where He’ll be back with the Father.) but these are in the world, (These eleven men, they’re in the world.) and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”
In other words, that relationship between the believer and God the Son and God the Father. We have that same thing, of course, in our glorious Age of Grace. That comes back to Romans chapter 8—that if we’re born from above, we are heirs of God; we are joint-heirs with Christ.
All right, I love this. John 17, I don’t know why I’ve never taught it before in the program setting, but I haven’t. Verse 12:
John 17:12
“While I was with them in the world, (those three years) I kept them in thy name: (That’s why they were so insulated from all the hatred and all the things that were constantly around them.) those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, (Except who?) but the son of perdition; (Here it comes now.) that the scripture might be fulfilled.” And we’ll come back to that again in the next Psalms.
John 17:13
“And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
Let’s go back to Psalms, so we make a little headway anyway. Come back with me now to Psalms chapter 40. I just wanted you to see how everything that David by inspiration wrote was actually fulfilled in the life of Christ in His three years of earthly ministry.
All right, now let’s go back and rehearse how the Psalmist puts it. Then, I think, you’ll see the connection. Psalms 40 verse 9 again:
Psalms 40:9-10
“I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: (in other words, the Nation of Israel) lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; (In other words, He was constantly letting Israel know who He was. The only reason they didn’t know it was because they couldn’t believe it.) I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.”
The Nation of Israel should have known. How many times have you heard me say that? Israel should have known who He was. Israel could have known who He was. But Israel what? They never knew. Isn’t it sad? But, you know, it’s the same way today. It’s the same way today. My goodness, America of all places, from coast-to-coast, should know the God of this Book. But I read something last night that scares the socks off of me.
There have been a lot of books published and brought on the market just in the last three or four months written by atheists. And they are selling by the millions. That was the word that the guy used. These books authored by these atheists are selling by the millions here in our beloved America. Well, what does that tell you? Our younger generation is going down the tubes spiritually. They’re the ones that I’m most concerned about in this coming election. They have absolutely no spiritual concept anymore.
I’ve got time enough. In one of George Barna’s recent polls, and I may have referred to it in an earlier program, he was polling only young people below the age of 17 from evangelical churches. Eighty percent of them didn’t even know what a Damascus Road experience was. Imagine! One of the fundamental stories in our Bible and 80% of evangelical kids did not know what it was.