A LIVING BOOK PART 3:

 

This would have to be the greatest proof that the Old Testament is not a dead book: all scriptures are very much alive because they contain the word of God and God is not dead. His word will live forever.

Cast your mind on the road to Emmaus when the resurrected Saviour joined two travellers who were discussing the hottest topic of the day, His possible resurrection (Luke 24:13-15). They told Him they ‘trusted’ the Galilean was the Messiah who would redeem Israel but were now sceptical because He had died (v 21). It would seem that nobody besides Isaiah understood the necessity of His death.

The Saviour simply expounded ‘unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF….beginning at Moses and all the prophets’ (Luke v 27).  He thought the written word of the past was all they needed as proof of the living Christ. The rest came with the witness of the Holy Ghost which burned within their hearts (v 32).

Now we come to the greatest man of the Old Testament who testified of Christ, of His birth, His ministry, His necessary death: Isaiah, whom Jesus quoted more frequently than He quoted any other prophet. His words have lived through the New Testament, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Why? Because “great are the words of Isaiah”…..(3 Nephi 23:1) This, from the Saviour’s own mouth.

Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah as a ‘suffering servant’ in earthly ministry who was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” is heart rendering (Isaiah 53:3-8) and his prophecy of Christ’s Second Coming as  the King of Glory when the Saints will praise His ‘loving kindness and the great goodness toward the House of Israel….to give unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes..” a splendour to look forward to (Isaiah 63:7; 61:3).

How can we ever proclaim dead the eloquence of Isaiah who announced: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This is the prophecy of the living Christ, the majestic King who will make us His forever.

We cannot think that anything that has been and gone is dead. If we do, we run the risk of believing that the very God we worship is dead also. He who has the whole human family in His hands is more alive than any of us. All that has been will echo throughout eternity, most especially His words that live on….even the words of the Old Testament, the root of our beginning.

“For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4)

I stand in awe of Your sacrifice

And Your soul’s pain;

The body freely given

For nothing of You to remain.

 

I ache, I ache,

Knowing the cost;

Then I read Your living word

And I am comforted

Knowing nothing is lost.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Transcendent Glory by Greg Collins)