His eyes are always on us

31/08/12

His eyes are always on us

Mark 1:2,3 - As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

There are many Muslims who claim that these verses in the Gospels were written about Mohammad their prophet. Then there are those among them who make fun of these very scriptures. For example Muslim dawagandist Ibn Anwar mocked at the inaccuracy of these scriptures since they are quoted from the Old Testament and were not accurately quoted.

Firstly the translation into English misleads this scripture for the word translated as 'in' in 'as it is written in the prophets' is the Greek word 'en' and is also translated as 'by' and 'with'. We cannot just choose any one of the words we wish but when we get into the understanding of the sentence we see Mark was not quoting one but more than one Prophet. He was quoting both Isaiah and Malachi therefore the word should have not been 'in' but should have been 'by', for it does not refer to the Book of the Prophets but to the Prophets.

The Greek word 'prophetes' < 4396> is again used in Mark 6:15 and that scripture refers to Elias as being one of the Prophets and in both the singular and plural words the same Greek word 'prophetes' < 4396> is used.

Mark 6:15 - Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.

Therefore the better translation would be -

Mark 1:2,3 - As it is written by the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The way the Lord complied the Bible; all things are confirmed in the Bible by at least 3 scriptures. All important prophesies are confirmed within the Bible, therefore if one has a very good understanding of scriptures there is no way he or she can be misled.

Since Mark was quoting 2 Prophets together he recorded the prophecy and not the sentences. It would only take a foolish mind to state why Mark did not use the quote unquote words of both the Prophets in one sentence.

If one goes into the context of both the Prophets (Malachi 3:1-6 and Isaiah 40:2-8) then one understand these prophesies were not speaking only of John but more of the Lord Jesus Christ.

People look at these scriptures in the natural thus find them fulfilled in John but when one looks at it in the spiritual then one would see it speaks of the Lord coming as man and preparing the way of His people for the judgment before His own glorious coming. This same matter is noted in the books of the other Prophets like Amos and Joel to name a few. In the book of Moses our journey in the Lord is depicted as the journey of the Israelites through the desert and everything that happened on their way is symbolic to us today.

A silversmith needs to place the silver over the fire to purify /refine it. If the silver is placed for even a short time longer than due, the silver will get destroyed. When a silversmith was asked, 'how do you know when to pull the silver out of the fire?' he said 'I keep my eyes unceasingly on the piece of silver and the moment I see my face in the silver I pull it out'.

In today's message the Lord is telling us it is not that He needs us but we need Him for without Him we are not in any position to survive the Great Day of the Lord when He sits in Judgment. It is only in Him, by Him and through Him that we will be able to be made worthy to survive the Judgment Day.

So let us abide to Him and surrender to the One who refines us, prunes us and makes our paths straight. He knows how much we can endure and also knows when to pull us out of the fire. His eyes are always on us.

[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You made us not as the grass also not as the flowers of the field which blossom for a short time and wither away. You have made us into Fruit bearing trees which are most cherished and preserved. Lord we thank You for your salvation, for coming and showing us the way and also being the one who helps and prepares us to receive your salvation. Help us Lord to trust in You more and more...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.

[ Reference Scriptures ]
Malachi 3:1 - Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 40:3 - The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Malachi 3:1-6
1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Isaiah 40:2-8
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

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