AS the story of the Bible unfolds from the beginning to the end, we are brought to the reality that it’s all about Jesus Christ. Moreover as we interact more with Jesus Christ, we discover that Christ Jesus is all about us as believers. We see the patriachs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob as well as the great prophets such as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and great kings like David and Solomon. While reading, we are caught up in the exploits of the great men and women of God.
As Jesus of Nazareth enters the scene, He turns our focus to Him as the greater One and indeed the greatest. While we probably have moulded our lives around the bravery and faith of the great characters of the Old Testament, we are shown that there is Someone far beyond. In His own words, He says in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The whole biblical testimony is Jesus Christ. Others were just types, shadows and prophets.
The revelator puts it in a more emphatic manner in Revelation 1:1-2, “[1] The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: [2] Who bear record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” The biblical climax is Jesus Christ and for us to establish God’s eternal desire to dwell in us. Matthew 1:23, records, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
As the Gospel of Christ is presented, everyone and everything humbles to give preeminence to Jesus Christ. The greatest prophet before Christ, ie John the Baptist says in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Jesus testifies in Luke 7:28, “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” Jesus is greater than John the Baptist as established in John 5:36, “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”
The prohet Jonah preached under great divine inspiration that nations would repent. Presidents would declare prayer and fasting. We read in Jonah 3:5-8, “[5] So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. [6] For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed, nor drink water: [8] But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.” You would wonder why certain countries declare that they are Christian countries. Jesus, the Greater says in Matthew 12:41, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Let those with ears hear.
Some have been so much attracted by the wisdom of Solomon and tried to copy him. Here are God’s requirements of a king as recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, “[14] When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are about me; [15] Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. [16] But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. [17] Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. [18] And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: [19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: [20] That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”
Jesus says according to Luke 11:31, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” We have to resort to true wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:24,30 pointedly say, “[24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [30] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” Need I say anything further. Maybe next instalment. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
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