THE PROPHESIES AS ROADMAPS
Carey Madding
Today's Scripture: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21, ESV
Theme: God inspired the Bible, providing a roadmap to salvation through Jesus.
FINDING OUR WAY
GPS has changed so many things in our lives. When I was a little girl and then a young driver, we used maps. If you were going on an out-of-state trip, you bought a paper map of the entire state you’d be visiting. On cross-country trips, you needed a complete atlas! And if you got lost, you could wander for a while, or if you were desperate enough, you could stop and ask for directions.
People differ greatly in the way they deliver directions. Some people are minimalists and tell you only the major turns, using just a road name or two. Others tell you every road you pass, plus the McDonald’s, the cemetery, and the railroad track you will cross over right before you need to turn left. I don’t know which is harder: too few directions or so many landmarks that I will never spot them all!
THE WAY TO MESSIAH
The prophets of old heard from God and wrote as “they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Some of them gave broad, major signposts of the coming Messiah, like the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14) or that the Messiah would perform miraculous healings (Isaiah 35:5–6) or would come from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). There are prophecies that we recognize only after we understand them in light of the cross (Psalm 22:1, 16–18, 22). And there are some that still seem very vague to me, but are incredibly important to Messianic Jews, who have been looking for these markers all their lives and find that they all point to Jesus! We all know He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), but there is also a prophecy that He would come from Egypt (Hosea 11:1), which came to pass when the Baby Jesus and His family escaped Herod’s murderous rage and spent time in Egypt.
ALL THE WAY
There are hundreds of Messianic prophecies identified by the Jewish teachers. There are many that I don’t easily recognize. Yet every single one of them has been fulfilled, because God caused them to be part of the map to Jesus. He fulfilled every single major “direction” in the Word of God, but also all the little “landmarks” that the over-zealous mapmaker could ever desire. Every tiny turn, obstacle, and marker leads to Jesus! “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20, ESV).
Make it Personal: The promises, verses, and even prophesies which God reveals to you as applying to your life are inspired by Him and meant to speak to you. They aren’t the figment of someone’s imagination. They aren’t even your own ideas. As you read His Word, if God brings a verse or a promise alive in your spirit, it was meant for you. It may also apply to someone else (past or future), but God’s prophesies are multifaceted and apply over generations.
Pray: Lord God, Your Word has the power to encourage my heart. It expresses my deepest grief and my profound awe of You. It also gives me hope, as Your Words to me are powerful and will come to pass. Thank You for inspiring the prophets to record the Word that heals my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Isaiah 45:21-22; John 20:31; Acts 2:14-39
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105, ESV