Acts 20:1-16
Paul continues the third missionary journey as he goes into Greece, Troas, and Miletus. In verse 7, in Troas, Paul spoke with them a message until midnight. One young man was listening from the window in the upper room. He fell three stories when he fell asleep from staying up listening to the message. He died upon his fall. Paul embraced the man, allowing the anointing from his body to enter into the young man’s body, and the man was raised back to life. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 22-24
The Hebrew writings often had more than one meaning. It could apply to the present day as well as carry prophetic meaning. Why is God cryptic like that? Jesus would often speak in parables and then question the disciples why they didn’t understand Him? Again, why so cryptic? To know the Lord and receive revelation of truth, we need to seek Him in humility.
Jews know the Psalms, but they need revelation in order to see that Jesus was the Messiah who suffered as the sacrifice for the world. His feet were pierced (verse 16). They cast lots for His clothes (verse 18). He was forsaken by God (verse 1).
In verse 1, it says, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus quotes this verse on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). The Hebrew word for “forsaken” is “azab,” meaning, “to leave, forsake, abandon, leave behind, be left over, let go, depart.” Another definition is, “to leave someone who is depending upon one’s services, to leave in the lurch.” Did God abandon Jesus? The Bible says that Jesus “became sin,” so He became spiritually separated from His Father for a moment. He went to Hell, paid the price on our behalf, and once the price was paid, God raised Jesus to spiritual and natural resurrected life!
Psalm 23 is often read at funerals, but this psalm is for the living, for the one living in the dependency of faith, as a sheep is dependent upon its shepherd. The shepherd meets every need of the sheep – that shepherd is Jehovah. He feeds the sheep, leads the sheep, cares for the sheep, restores the sheep, protects the sheep, and comforts the sheep. Our Father is the One who created us and completes us. No other person can do that for us; only Him. Thank God for pastors, but they are not God. Thank God for parents, but they are not God. Thank God for friends, but they are not God. If we look to a person to be what only our Father is to us, then we will be disappointed. Because God is only known through the spirit, people will sometimes shift that dependency onto someone or something tangible- a person, a church, a Christian, or a church leader. It’s not fair to anyone in that situation. Let’s put our trust in God; He will never fail us.
Psalm 24 is about Jesus as the King of glory. He wants to enter the gates of hearts as our authority and our salvation!
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