A Couple More Curiosities - From the Old Testament

Just to keep some side issues going while waiting for responses on Acts009, I thought I'd share a couple more curiosities from the Scriptures. The last ones I shared had to do with the New Testament writings. In this post I we will consider two faith issues from the Old Testament.

(Someone had asked how to preach Jesus from the Old Testament Perhaps you will pick up something here that can be shared.)

(1) Its all in the a word - Zechariah 12:10 says, "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me WHOM they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."

This Scripture is filled with allusions to the new covenant writings. If you will study it carefully, each statement connects to something given about Jesus. There is one word, however, you may find of particular interest. A Jewish rabbi did. The word 'WHOM' is made up of two letters, the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet; Aleph and Tau.

A Jewish rabbi was reading this and the word 'WHOM' stuck in his mind. He then read from a New Testament that was in his library, these words, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" (Rev1:8) Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet.

The Lord captured this rabbi's heart with one word. The WHOM brought him to Jesus. (Interesting, no?)

(2) What is it is about the tithe? Leviticus 22:14 says, "But if a man eats a holy gift unintentionally, then he shall add to it a fifth of it and shall give the holy gift to the priest."

The ancients were commanded to put something in their hand when they came to the Lord. (Cf. Deut14:22-29) Failure to do so was considered the mark of a backslider. It was believed that all physical, spiritual, and financial blessings backslid with the backslider.

So, when it came to repentance, the peoples were told to show their repentance, by coming to the Lord by adding an extra fifth to their tithe. Why is this? It was an issue of right-heartedness. (Cf. Lev27:30,31)

Isn't it interesting how our purse can become a measure our walk with the Lord. Paul added; "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." (Gal6:7)

This isn't an issue of New Testament tithing. But it does appear that no one fools God, tithe or no.

This study was originally part of a series on the book of Acts given to members of Hebraic Foundations from July 10, 2002 through January 19, 2003. They were written by Pastor Buddy Martin, a former United Pentecostal Church minister, who founded Christian Challenge International. Writings are the copyright of Buddy Martin and reprinted on this site by permission. For a list of all the articles in this study, go here.

Page added October 22, 2004

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