Unto Us They Did Minister
Two things become obvious as we read and study Holy Scripture; the love, patience and tender care of God for His children and the faithfulness of those chosen of God to speak to those that were to come. Having not yet seen the events they – like Job – “[knew] their redeemer lives.” Knowing that the things of which they spoke were not to be for some indeterminate time, they persevered faithfully, speaking the words given to them through nothing more than faith.
Take heart! Take heart and don’t be discouraged by the things you see around you. Rather “encourage yourself in the Lord” (I Samuel 30:6) and persevere to the end wherein is our blessed hope “if we faint not.” The end is not here, and until the end comes, you too must persevere in your faith. Though the end will be and that end sooner than perhaps we think, it is not here.
The prophets faithfully spoke and recorded the words given them from the mouth of God. The Apostles confirmed those words, having walked the dusty roads of Judea and listened to the words of Jesus, who himself was the Word become flesh. Both the prophets and the apostles faithfully did the work, so that we who follow might be strengthened and have faith to persevere. We ought to give thanks and praise God that we are counted worthy to suffer for the name of our Lord as they did.
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. – I Peter 1:8-12
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. – Hosea 13:14
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – I Corinthians 15:51-57
“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.” – Hosea 14:1-9
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
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