Boaz Baptist Church Chronicles

Eighty-six

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:45:00 +0000

I have some fond memories, as a young man, working for a handful of different Kosher Delis in Queens and New York City. One thing I was taught early on, and later ingrained in me, was, that if we ran out of something or something was spoiled or no good, I was supposed to call out “eighty-six.” But, I never knew why. No one ever said why that number was so bad. Why not use thirteen? We all knew it had a negative connotation to it, but no one seemed to know why—why, that is, until I was reading my Bible, one day. Then I understood why that number was so terrible, especially for the Jews.

I often wondered if any of my Jewish co-workers knew where that expression came from. I believe, just like me, someone along the way was reading the Bible and saw what I saw...

“And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” (Genesis 16:15-16)

There it is, in black and white, the only time that that number is used in the entire Bible, Old or New Testament. And, yes, it has a negative connotation to it!

Not only at that age did Abram (Abraham) and Sari (Sarah) try to help God out, by giving Hagar to Abram, to pass on the promised seed [which it did not—Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7 and Hebrews 11:18], but “wild man” Ishmael, who has always lived in the presence of his brethren, has always been one of Israel’s main enemies. (Genesis 16:12)

No wonder someone calls out “eighty-six,” when things are no good. “And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.” (Genesis 16:16)

Pastor Bob

Elijah's Cup

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:45:00 +0000

No wonder the Jews missed the Messiah...

Rabbi Dov's answer to Carole's question... "I am having a Passover Seder for my grandchildren. Why is there a cup of wine for Elijah?"

"...The cup of Elijah derives from a problem in Talmudic Law. The problem is not knowing exactly how many cups of wine to drink at the Seder, four or five. The number of cups is based on the four expressions of deliverance, but there is actually a fifth expression of deliverance.

So, the rabbis came up with the perfect Jewish compromise. We fill the fifth cup, but we don't drink from it. And since Elijah will proceed the Messiah, who will be able to tell us whether four or five cups are correct, we make the fifth cup of wine Elijah's cup.

In some Seder services, each person at the Seder contributes some wine to the fifth cup, symbolizing everyone sharing in the messianic hope. At other Seder services, wine from the cup of Elijah is mixed with the fourth cup...

I hope that this gives you some helpful background.

Best wishes,

Rabbi Dov"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The problem with the above answer is...

The Jews rejected Jesus and, today, in their Passover sedar, they reject His FORERUNNER...

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me [Matthew 3:1-3]: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple [The temple was there when Jesus came], even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:1

Had the Jews believed what Jesus said (Matthew 11:11-15; 17:10-13), they would have known His forerunner was John...

"But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:13-17)

The Jews are waiting for Elijah to come and drink the "fifth" cup of wine, when God said he wouldn't. (Luke 1:15)

Pastor Bob

Jesus Believed in Gaps

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Here is an important gap in the Bible, signifying Christ's immediate purpose and ministry...

"And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:15-21)

The place in Isaiah Jesus was reading from was...

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn...." (Isaiah 61:1-2)

Notice: In Luke 4:20 that Jesus "closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down." Jesus closed the book, right after He read the verse that concerned His First Coming and stopped at the COMMA, in the middle of the next verse, where it describes His Second Coming. This was a gap of two thousand years.

Pastor Bob

Old Testament Salvation According to Hebrews Ten

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:15:00 +0000

Before the Lord Jesus came to pay for men’s sins there was an element of works that a Jew, under the law, had to accomplish, in order to be considered righteous. (Genesis 7:1; 15:6; Hebrews 11:4; II Peter 2:7, 8; Ezekiel 3:20; 14:20; Luke1:6) Obviously, committing a sin wiped out his right standing or righteousness with God. To restore that righteouness, a sacrifice needed to be offered. This sacrifice could only cover sin, temporarily, but not take it away.

“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” (Ezekiel 18:24; See Ezekiel 3:20)

A problem with animal sacrifices…

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.” (Hebrews 10:1-3; Exodus 34:7)

Christians are so used to God forgetting their sins that it’s hard to imagine Him remembering them, again. But, in the Old Testament they were! Since those animal sacrifices could not take away sins, they were remembered again, at the end of the year. (Read Leviticus 16:1-34, here, to understand the Day of Atonement.)

Since it was “…not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins…” (Hebrews 10:4), Christ came into the world in order to receive a flesh and blood body. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me….” (Hebrews 10:5; Psalm 40:6)

Those who died under the Old Testament covenant went to Abraham’s Bosom (which was directly across the great gulf mentioned in Luke 16:26). Final payment for men’s sins had not yet been met, explaining the reason that God had “…no pleasure…” (Hebrews 10:6) in burnt-offerings and animal sacrifices. Those sins could not be permanently taken away, only covered.

Prophecy was fulfilled (Psalms 40:6-10; Hebrews 10:7-9), the day Jesus carried out God’s plan of salvation. He, as God’s sinless sacrifice, He came to take away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

What might confuse some, is, when Jesus was on earth, since He was a Jew under the Old Testament Law, He gave a different prescription for obtaining Eternal Life than the Apostles did after His death, burial and resurrection.

For instance…

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” (Matthew 19:16-21; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-30)

Those who died and went to Abraham’s Bosom were now able to enter Heaven “…by a new and a living way….” (Hebrews 10:20) Payment in full, through the blood of Christ, was made after the “Testator” (Hebrews 9:16) died for the “…remission of sins that were past….” (Romans 3:25)

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10-14)

Pastor Bob

Some differences in Old Testament and New Testament Salvation…

No one in the Old Testament was born-again, spiritually circumcised, adopted or possessed assurance of their salvation.

Abraham was called a “friend” of God (James 2:23), not a “son” of God (John 1:12).

Anyone in the Old Testament that was considered righteous, had their sins remitted (covered), but not redeemed (paid for, in full).

** Special Thanks to Brother Nico Tago for a number of added references.

Were the King James Translators Inspired?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:40:00 +0000

Is there someone who can show me a verse that says that God ONLY inspired the originals—the first copy. I read that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16-17) If God, in His wisdom, didn't preserve the originals for us down through the centuries, then only the originals are inspired. (Can someone, please, show me a copy?)

If we don’t have the original writings, unless they lived for thousands of years, the same holds true for the original writers. They aren’t around, either. We can conclude, then, that the original writers weren’t the only ones used to preserve God’s words. The same Holy Spirit that initially wrote them preserved them.

Though Job asked for his words to be written in a book (Job 19:23), no man that wrote the "originals" ever thought that his words would become the Bible. For example, most of Paul's writings were LETTERS written to churches that he established and individual people he personally knew. Thank God, the phone had not been invented, back then. If it had, we might not, today, have the letters (EPISTLES) and documents—many times, sewn between two pieces of cowhide—we now claim as Scripture.

If the original writers DIDN'T know that their words were going to become Scripture, how do you think the men who helped bring it down to us fared? They were only translating what they believed were copies of God's words into their own language, or, in the case of the Authorized Version, into the common language of the people. No one—least of all THEMSELVES understood that their translation was going to be used of God to inspire His word through preservation, any more than the man on the moon.

Who are we to question His methods? This was His business. Why not just believe what He wrote and delivered to you?

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." (I Thessalonians 2:13)

Pastor Bob

Are Tongues for Today?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:05:00 +0000

The moment someone trusts Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, they are placed by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13), and sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13) We also received the earnest of the Spirit (II Corinthians 1:22), which is a down payment, that states the possession that was purchased will be fully paid by the owner that bought it. In this case it’s our body that God bought and paid for with His own blood (I Corinthians 6:20, Acts 20:28).

No where in Scripture does it say that God ever gave a born again believer the Holy Spirit by measure or that he/she needs the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you don't have the Holy Spirit, the instant you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are not saved. (Romans 8:9).

Are we supposed to speak in tongues, then? No, there is not one verse of scripture that says a Christian has to speak in tongues in order to show that he/she is filled with the Holy Spirit or has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not (I Corinthians 14:22). The audience aimed at, are Jews. Scripture says that the Jews require a sign. (I Corinthians 1:22). All three times tongues are spoken in the book of Acts, the audience is always Jews. (Acts 2, 10 and 19)

Since, in I Corinthians 14:16 and 23, a visitor to the service can be referred to as "unlearned,” tongues are languages that can be learned.

The "unknown tongue" of I Corinthians 14:2 is not a mysterious prayer language of the Holy Spirit; it is a language that no one else in the audience can understand. It is unknown to them. That’s why an interpreter must be there (I Corinthians 14:28). With no interpreter, the person speaking the foreign language "speaketh not unto men, but unto God." When the Spirit intercedes for us, He does so with "groanings" which "cannot be uttered," (Romans 8:26). So, when someone points out that a man, in the spirit, is speaking mysteries (I Corinthians 14:2), he must acknowledge that the verse is dealing with the human spirit and not the Holy Spirit. Notice the lowercase "s" in the word "spirit." Therefore, this is not a special prayer of the Holy Spirit, or else it would not be uttered.

Finally, there are five laws for speaking in tongues that the Holy Spirit lays down, in I Corinthians 14:27-34. These laws are violated in every congregation that profess that speaking in tongues are for Christians today. Keep in mind, the Holy Spirit is not going to violate the Scriptures.

The laws are:

Men only – vs. 27 and 34

No more than three at a service – vs. 27

One at a time – vs. 27

One interpreter – vs. 27

If no interpreter, then keep quiet – vs. 28

—Copied and reworded by…

Pastor Bob

When Liberty Becomes Legalism

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:25:00 +0000

As Children of God know all too well, what one believer may consider “good bible,” another might call "foul." Undoubtedly, convictions between believers don't always match up. Since Christian liberty is in play, there is not always a clear solution to every issue. Sometimes, subjects that are crystal clear to one believer is simply a foggy blurr to another. That’s why the Lord gave us liberty—liberty to weigh in at His leading. Where the Scripture is silent or unclear, it’s our liberty to believe one side, as much as it is for someone else to believe the other.

Even though liberty is associated with the subjects of Salvation and Christian growth, to refer to someone as legalistic, who, in the subject of Christian Growth, has a different opinion than you, is not proper use of that term.

If someone chooses to believe something different than someone else, it doesn’t mean that the first person is a legalist. It simply means that that person has taken more or less liberty than the second person has chosen to do on that subject.

“For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.” (Romans 14:2)

Imagine, here, how silly it would be to say that “so and so is a legalist, because he ate herbs.” (Romans 14:2) Paul said in the same passage “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” (Romans 14:3) Put any subject in Romans 14:2, you will always come up with the same answer: Romans 14:3. Paul said, “…for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?” (I Corinthians 10:29) It shouldn’t be; “…to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:4)

The BIBLICAL idea of legalism…

Legalism refers to any doctrine which states salvation comes strictly from adherence to the law. It can be thought of as a works-based religion. Groups in the New Testament said to be falling into this category include the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Judaizers, and Nicolaitans. Paul said, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen [moved away] from grace." (Galatians 5:4) They are legalists because they emphasized obeying the Law of Moses, in the case of the Pharisees and Scribes, to the letter without understanding the concept of grace. Jesus condemned their legalism in Matthew 23. He, also, said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." (Mark 7:9) The Pharisees love of the praises of men for their strict adherence is said to be a prime example of legalism. (John 12:43)

Another common misunderstanding of legalism is the word law. Law in many places in the Bible refers to the Law of Moses. In Galatians, the Judaizers were trying to insist that salvation required that a person be circumcised prior to obeying the Law of Christ. Galatians 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." The faith here is the Law of Christ and the law here is the Law of Moses. The legalism of the Judaizers was that obedience to the Law of Moses was necessary to be saved. Paul taught just the opposite... "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:2)

(Please, study Acts 15:1-11, here.)

LIBERTY, another misconception...

“And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” (Galatians 2:4-5)

The liberty that Paul is talking about (above) is not a license, as a Christian, to do anything you want. The liberty he is speaking about is freedom from the Old Testament law—the yoke of bondage. Notice the important word “again,” in Galatians 5:1. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Paul was talking to JEWS who were saved by grace who were now trying to incorporate Old Testament laws and rites into salvation. “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1) This has nothing to do with Christian liberty that Paul talks about in Romans Fourteen.

To conclude…

When the subject of SALVATION comes up, the opposite of liberty is legalism.

But...

When the subject of LIBERTY in Christ comes up, being that “…all things are lawful for…” every believer (I Corinthians 6:12; 10:23), the opposite is NOT legalism. The opposite is liberty.

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

Pastor Bob

Your Child's Education - Who is Responsible?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:30:00 +0000

This message isn’t for everyone. If the truth be told, most Christians don’t have their act together enough, spiritually, to consider homeschooling their own children. Christian, if you aren’t homeschooling your child, it doesn’t mean you are sinning. It simply means that, thus far, in your spiritual walk, you haven’t worked out this important biblical issue.

First of all, I am not speaking about your child(ren) learning the three R’s (Reading, wRiting, and aRitmatic). The issue is who do your children belong to? Well, the obvious answer is, your children belong to you!

Be Fruitful and Multiply…

Whether your child ever learns it or not, two plus two always has and always will equal four.

Worldly knowledge is not the issue, here. The issue is who should be teaching your children. The Devil? The Devil’s crowd? The world? The public? The Church? A Nanny? A Sitter? Or, should the ones that sired that child teach them? Christian, who brought that child into the world, to begin with? You did, remember? Who is responsible for your child? The obvious answer is you. You made that baby and it’s your responsibility to nurture it and raise it to maturity. But, alas, we are too far, already.

When the Lord said to Adam and Eve “…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…” (Genesis 1:28), who do you think He had in mind to teach, guide and instruct those multiple children? Here's another question... What degree, from what university, do you think Adam or Eve needed to teach those little souls they were both soon to produce? Moreover, who started the first university? Adam and Eve needed a university to teach their children, right? Well, maybe that’s stretching it, a little. Maybe not a "university." So, let’s just call it a “think-tank.” Here, is the revised question… Who started the first “think tank?” There, that's a better question.

This question can best be answered by reading Genesis chapter two. This chapter provides us with a summary of chapter one. God gives us a second look, if you please, in what just transpired, in writing, right before our eyes, in chapter one. To get the answer to our question, let’s read a few verses from this chapter...

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.” (Genesis 2:19-20)

Just before the Lord describes His method of creating the first woman (Genesis 2:21-25), he puts Adam to work, by bringing him “every living creature” and asking him to name them. Why am I making such a big deal about this? Simply, to prove that Adam had a mind that could (literally) name each and every animal that God created. Then, doesn't it stand to reason that he had the credentials to teach his own children?

With the judgment of God pending (Genesis 6:5-6), some fifteen hundred years after the fall, God found a man whose three son’s supported his ministry by helping him build an ark of safety. [Don’t forget that Noah was five to six hundred years old at this point, when it was being built (Genesis 7:6), so I'm sure he must have needed some help.] Did you ever read the mathematical plans that needed to be studied and then expertly reproduced, by constructing it, in order to save the human race from extinction? (Genesis 6:14-16) These four men (and their wives) were called upon, by a holy God, to use their knowledge, not only to build an ark that needed to stay afloat for at least a year, but to save two of “every living creatures” (not to mention seven of every clean animal, for sacrificing, once they were safe, again, on land). Did you miss it? If you did, I’m going to say it, again. These boys went to homeschool! They not only learned the knowledge and practical training they would need to assist Noah with the building of the Ark, but they learned about the holiness of God from their father. He taught them that the Lord refused to tolerate men's wickedness. Where did they learn these things? At home, with their father!

Once they safely departed the Ark, God issued the same command to Noah as He did to Adam…

“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” (Genesis 9:1)

You might be saying to yourself, “Well, there was no one else to teach them, back then. There were no public school teachers to give these boys an education, so Noah had to do it. And, besides, today, in our modern world, we have others who are hired by the state to teach our children.” All that might be true, but remember, all who were outside of Noah’s family perished. There was a benefit, then, for sure, of being part of this homeschooled family. These children had knowledge and holiness, combined, which achieved the one thing that an outside education couldn’t produce. Salvation. In this case, salvation of the whole race, including all the animals.

Time and space will not permit me to say much more on this subject, but I would like to include what the Lord said about Abraham…

“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.” (Genesis 18:19)

Someone, who doesn’t understand that our children’s education is connected to their very soul and being, has given the church of Jesus Christ the idea that it can somehow divorce their children's education from their spiritual life and that it can be taught in a separate venue. This idea, friend, didn’t come from God.

Last, listen to who Moses, taught under the finest state training in Egypt, said should teach God's children…

“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:1-7; 11:18-19)

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Pastor Bob

The Meaning of the Candlestick

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Did Jesus Sing?

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:00:00 +0000

With all the singing that is recorded in the scripture, it’s almost impossible to believe that Jesus never sang. Here are two places of scripture that shows there was singing and music in the Old Testament…

“Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.” (II Chronicles 23:18)

“And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.” (II Chronicles 30:21)

I wonder what it sounded like to hear Jesus sing. You know He sang, don't you? The one place Scripture records Him singing is…

"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives." (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26)

Jesus sang with the Disciples. They all sang “an hymn.” I wonder what these hymns consisted of. Here’s a hint…

“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4

I wonder what Jesus would've sung about? Wouldn’t it be songs of praise and thankfulness to the Father, and songs of a suffering servant—songs of agony? Like David's songs, weren’t they songs of peace and redemption, and songs about Jerusalem, the holy city of God?

Since, Jesus quoted scripture, doesn’t it makes sense that He put some of it to music? Can’t we conclude that Jesus sang scriptural songs like Saint Paul told us to do? (Colossians 3:16) Here are a few of the Psalms Jesus quoted. Try to put them to music. Try to sing them…

“And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:16 quoting Psalm 8:2)

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? “ (Matthew 22:44 quoting Psalm 110:1)

“For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:39 quoting Psalm 118:26)

“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (John 10:34 quoting Psalm 82:6)

“I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.” (John 13:18 quoting Psalm 41:9)

“But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” (John 15:25 quoting Psalm 35:19; 69:4)

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19 quoting Isaiah 61:1-2)

“Then believed they his words; they sang his praise.” (Psalm 106:12)

Pastor Bob