Romans 16
The Prophetic Writings
I have not counted
But it is said there are 283 direct quotations
From the Old Testament in the New Testament
When Paul says
But now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings
He is making an impact statement, for us to see our great need
And God’s great love and power, it is all revealed in the prophets’ writings
A message of God’s working in people’s lives
The failures of the people God loves and a message of hope for redemption
The prophets help us to see how great our need is
And how great the revelation of Jesus Christ is to each one of us
The Prophetic Writings
In Romans 16, we find Paul’s
closing words to this amazing letter.
In the last 3 verses are Seven Impact Statements…
1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel
2. and the proclamation of Jesus Christ
3. according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past
The fourth Impact Statement is found in verse 26…
4. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings.
Paul has said a mouth full when
he says the prophetic writings.
When you and I pick up our
Bibles, we pick up a book.
The Greek word for the word bible is…
ta biblia means “books”.
The Bible is a collection of individual books
such as Genesis, Exodus, Isaiah,
Song of Songs and many others.
The first five books are called the Torah.
The Torah or what is called the five books of Moses,
retell the story of a family.
This family story is focused around
Abraham and his wife, Sarah.
The Torah starts with the Book of Genesis,
the beginning of God’s creation
of earth and the human race.
This gives us the history and
background of Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham and Sarah have a son,
whom God promised to give them.
He was named Isaac.
From there we find this family grows
and becomes known as the people of Israel.
These five Books of Moses
tell of Moses’ leadership of this family
and the covenant God gives to them.
The other books of your Bible
up to the New Testament
are the Books of the Prophets.
These books have been divided into two groups…
The former prophets
– including the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings
— are narratives that explain the history of Israel
from the perspective of Israel’s
fulfillment of God’s covenant.
The latter prophets — including Isaiah,
along with 12 minor prophets
— report the exhortations of these fiery
leaders to return to God and Torah.
These writings include poetry, wisdom
literature, short stories, and history.
Our approach to reading these prophetic writings
is varied by different prospective…
Literary, historical, anthropological, theological;
as the rabbinic sage Yochanan Ben Bag Bag said…
“Turn it, and turn it,
for everything is found within it.”
If we only look at the prophetic writings
as forecasting the future…
We missed a great deal of what the
prophetic writings have to offer.
The prophetic writings cover every area of life.
Life as it relates to individuals, families,
society, nations, love, marriage, sex, etc.
They also reveal the failures of humanity,
family dysfunction, social failure with
crime and struggles, national oppression
and captivity, hatred, divorce, adultery
and fornication, and violence.
The prophetic writings were a call to share warning…
Which the prophets received by divine revelation,
including dreams and visions.
The prophets uncovered the failures
of people and their ruling classes.
Warning of God’s wrath,
His judgement of failures
with horrific vengeance.
But in the midst of prophetic
announcements of judgment…
We also read God never intends
to leave His people in misery.
Again, and again God promises a new order,
a new covenant.
Jeremiah 31
A new King from the house of David.
A king to bring peace.
Isaiah 9:6-7
The last prophet we see before
the coming of Christ is John the Baptist.
Who sums up the writings of the prophets
as he fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 40:1-11.
It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
"I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way"—
"a voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'"
And so John came, baptizing in the desert region
and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 1:2-4
I have not counted…
But it is said there are 283 direct quotations
from the Old Testament in the New Testament.
When Paul says…
But now revealed and made known
through the prophetic writings
He is making an impact statement,
for us to see our great need
and God’s great love and power.
It is all revealed in the prophets’ writings.
A message of God’s working in peoples lives,
the failures of the people God loves
and a message of hope for redemption.
The prophets help us to see…
How great our need is.
And how great the revelation of Jesus Christ
is to each one of us.
1. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel
2. and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
3. according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
4. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings
5. by the command of the eternal God,
6. so that all nations might believe and obey him—
7. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Scripture Reading
Romans 16:25-27 NIV
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
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