Those to Whom the Word of God Came
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June 07, 2009 |
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 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken)." (John 10:34-35)
When Jesus performed great miracles, the people who witnessed them glorified God and said, "A great prophet has arisen among us! God has visited His people!" Yet still the Jews judged and condemned what Jesus had done and tried to kill Him anyway.
It is the same today. If someone receives revelations from God, that is, he receives prophesies concerning what will happen in the future, or if he performs wonders and signs in the name of Jesus Christ, there are many people who misunderstand and condemn him as a heretic who is leading a heretical sect saying, "He says that he himself is God."
'Those to whom the word of God came' refers to those who receive the word of God, prophesy the mysteries that God has told them and they testify to the living God by performing God's powerful works.
1. "I said, 'You are gods.'"
Psalm 82:6 says, "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.'" 'Gods' and 'sons of the Most High' here refer to judges in Old Testament times. The Judges in Old Testament times were entrusted with the right to judge by God and were called 'judges.' They are the ambassadors of God who received the word of God and they were called 'gods.'
The New Testament also has the recordings on those who looked like gods by receiving the word of God and received special revelations form God (Acts 14:11, 28:6; John 10:34-35). God sometimes spoke to them face to face. Sometimes He sent His angels to them or He showed dreams and visions.
Those to whom the Word of God has come can have prior knowledge and prophesy what will happen in the future. They can interpret dreams and visions that cannot be explained with human intelligence, so they were considered or called as gods. Joseph, Moses, Daniel and the apostle Paul were such people.
2. Examples of Those Who Received the Word of God
First, Joseph was in the Spirit of God. While he was wrongfully sent into jail, the Pharaoh dreamed a strange dream. His spirit was so troubled, so he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men in the Egyptian Empire. Pharaoh told them about his dreams, but there was no one who could recount and interpret them for the Pharaoh. At that time the chief cupbearer had been with Joseph in jail and he recommended Joseph to the Pharaoh.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it." Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer." Joseph clarified that the interpretations of dream was not in his strength but in the power of God.
Joseph did not give the Pharaoh his dream's interpretations alone, but he also presented a good solution to him. Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?"
The Pharaoh didn't believe in God but he confessed that Joseph was inspired by the Spirit of God and that he was full of understanding and great wisdom. That's why the Pharaoh let him sit in the next position of authority after the Pharaoh and gave him the authority to rule over the whole land of Egypt.
The second case is that of Moses. Moses was considered a god by the Pharaoh. Moses was chosen to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God said to him, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh." As spoken, when Moses manifested God's miraculous works he was considered as a god by the Pharaoh, and though the Pharaoh feared Moses, he wouldn't kill Moses even when Moses brought many plagues unto Egypt.
The signs and wonders Moses manifested were not possible with human power but possible only by the power of God. Every word of God that Moses had delivered before Pharaoh was fulfilled for that reason, and Moses looked like a god to the Pharaoh.
The third case is Prophet Daniel who interpreted dreams and visions. Daniel was taken away as a captive into the land of Babylon along with the Jewish people. In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. The king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. He didn't tell them anything about his dreams but he forced those who might give interpretation to also recount the dreams to him.
The Chaldeans answered the king and said, "Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh." They meant interpreting a dream that was not told at all was impossible for mortal humans but possible only with God whose dwelling place was not with mortal flesh.
But when the Chaldeans said this, the king became indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel now enters and time is requested from the king so that Daniel could recount the dreams and the interpretation of the dreams for the king. The mystery in the dreams had been revealed to Daniel in a vision and Daniel was blessed by the God of heaven. When Daniel came to the king and told him about his dream and interpretation. King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and paid homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. (Please refer to Daniel 2-3).
The fourth case is that of the apostle Paul who had been considered to be like a god by many people. During his first journey for evangelism the apostle Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in Lystra.
In Lystra there was a paraplegic who had been born with the crippling condition of his legs and feet. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, and when Paul fixed his gaze on him and saw that he had the faith to be made well, he said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us." (See Acts 14:11). Later he was arrested and he was sent to Rome aboard a ship. During the trip the boat was wrecked by a violent wind and they landed on an island called Malta. The people made a fire in the cold weather. When Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. The native people who saw this expected Paul to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But nothing unusual happened to him, and they began to say that he was a god.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Those who received the Word of God and magnified the holy name of God, they were exalted even by the kings. It was because they were the sons of the Most High God the Almighty (Please refer to Psalm 82:6).
When they showed signs and wonders by the power of God, they were considered as gods by many people.
May you become worthy to be considered as those to whom the word comes, magnify the kingdom of God and receive the love and blessing of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
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