Msg #2249 The Silent Years Before Christ

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

Americans do not know what four-hundred years feels like, but they stand between the closing verses of Malachi and the opening verse of Matthew. Heaven is silent for four-hundred years, no prophet saying, “Thus saith the LORD…”, no dreams, no visions, no Isaiahs, no Jeremiahs, ... just recorded silence. Some hidden apocrypha books record some sketchy history, but the LORD God is silent until that x-publican, Matthew, picks up a pen and writes, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The astute Bible student sees that that mirrors Genesis 5:1, “This is the book of the generations of Adam in the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.” Four-thousand years after the first son of God, Adam, there comes the second Adam, the son of God and man, the Savior, Redeemer of man.

Malachi records God’s displeasure with Israel before he falls silent for four-hundred years. The Persian empire is crumbling in the first hundred, but the Hebrews have their independence. Then in 332 BC Alexander the great conquers Judea, and his kingdom is divided between his three generals. Ptolemy, with capital in Egypt, and Seleucid, with capital in Syria, conquer and pass Judea back-and-forth seven times in the next 150 years. When the Seleucid ruler desecrates the temple the Jews rise and revolt, and in 164 BC the Maccabeans purify the temple giving rise to Hanukkah. One-hundred years later, in 63 BC, the Roman General Pompey conquers Jerusalem, but Jews maintain their temple worship throughout the Roman domination. Now God breaks the four-hundred years of silence and Matthew, under the hand of God, began his record, “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ.” What an amazing book, what an amazing Saviour, what amazing grace. Merry Christmas.

An Essay for week #49 - Dec 4, 2022

Msg in audio at www.GSBaptistChurch.com/audio/gs221204.mp3

Half Shekel Journals on Israel www.GSBaptistChurch.com/israel22

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