I never cease to be amazed at the mastery of the Scriptures exhibited by the apostles and the other New Testament writers. Consider Peter in 1 Peter 2:10
...for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
He was talking to the believers, “...to those who reside as aliens...” in scattered parts of the world. There is a lot there that I hate to skip, but I have a link to the passage appended, so you can read it in its entirety. But notice that he calls them, and us, a group who “were not a people, but now are the people of God.” As I read that, two bells rang in the hall of memory. First, Hosea, 1:10, 11 is where Hosea named his children “No Mercy” or, “No Compassion” and, “Not My People.” Then, in a burst of prophetic revelation, he talked about the redemption and restoration of His people.
Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” It will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living God.” 11 And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves one leader, And they will go up from the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Paul quoted this in Romans 9:25, 26. This was the second memory “bell.”
As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
Israel was rejected, or cut out of the olive tree (Romans 11) and the Gentiles, that’s us, were grafted into their place. Then, by miraculous grace, He grafted Israel back into the tree, along with us, so that both groups would be saved. Glory!
But I want to focus on the liberal use of Scripture. Recall that these guys did not have computers to Google the verses they wanted. They didn’t even have concordances. They memorized it. You can protest or explain that they were inspired, so the Holy Spirit gave them the message. But I have to confess that I have never had the Holy Spirit “recall” a verse to my mind that I had not previously memorized. I do often remember the verse that applies, but have to use my spiritual CC, concordance crutch, to find the reference.
It is astounding how they had the verses at the tip of their tongues, or “pens,” if you will. I am working my way through Psalm 119. (One verse at a time, and do not ask me to string them together.) But the messages contained in these individual verses are overwhelming.
Let’s take just one, for instance. We may do more later. Verse 160 says: (Holman)
The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
In this age of doubting the Genesis story, particularly the first eleven chapters, this is a profound statement. The Psalmist, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit declared all such challenges, void. To modify a common phrase, “What part of entire (all), do you not understand?” All of the Word is true and reliable. God created the world. God cleansed the world in Noah’s day. And in Revelation, also under attack, He promises to again cleanse the world of ungodliness and unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18) (Revelation 16)
God created the world, and He, Jesus is coming back to rule it. Look back up at Hosea 11. The Jews will have one ruler. We know now that is Jesus, and He will rule the land. That is the millennium in chapter 20 of Revelation. And it will be right after the battle of Armageddon, also known as Jezreel (16:16). Recall that place? Yep, Hosea hit it right on the head.
God’s Word is true and His judgments are righteous and will last forever. Good verse to memorize. I am a little behind Peter and Paul...and Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James, Jude, and a couple of others. But keep learning. Keep memorizing. It is worth the time and effort. After all, It is God’s Word.
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