Musing – Does their TaNaK give the Jews a Hope of Christmas?

 Hebraic Musing – Does their TaNaK give the Jews a Hope of Christmas?

How was the birth of Jesus foretold to the Jews in the Old Testament?  

·      Gen.3:14-19 “The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’  So the LORD God said to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this, You are cursed …And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity … between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel….’” NKJV   Interesting that her “seed” will come to defeat the “serpent” (Note – “Seed” is singular!)

·      Gen. 12:1-3  Promises to Abram – “…I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” There is a blessing coming for Everyone!

·      Gen. 17:19 “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, … Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant…”  The Seed’s everlasting covenant is still coming through Abraham’s lineage.

·      Gen 28:14 “Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread …and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Everyone is still to be blessed!

·      Gen 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.”  Confirmed by genealogies in Matt.1 & Luke 2.

·      Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”  And the Virgin birth did come, and God will be with us!  And in Matthew 1:21-23 “Joseph, … do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS,…”    

·      Micah 5:2-5 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel,…” The birthplace of Bethlehem is foretold!  In the N.T. when Herod inquired of them “…where the Christ was to be born.  So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, …”  Matt.2:4-6

·      Isaiah 11:1-5 contains a meaningful description of Jesus – “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, … counsel and might, … knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.  His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, … But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, …; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.  Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.”
In Matt. 2:23 “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets…”  In O.T. Hebrew “Branch” is Neeetser, which sounds like Nazareth!

·      2 Sam. 7:12-16, Nathan told David “… I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  … I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. …I will be his Father, and he shall be My son…. “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.’”   Then in the N.T. an angel spoke to Mary of the future.  “He will … be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  Luke 1:31-33

The New Testament book of Titus describes our Christmas present from God.  “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 NKJV

Even before the first century the coming Messiah was being fore-told!  Did the Jews recognize Jesus?  In first century and still today many did; and many do even now; and many do not; and many avoid the scriptures above; and many haven’t even tried to apply the scriptures above.

Points to ponder

Can these Scripture references from the OT (Their TaNaK) be used to witness to Jews?

Was God arranging for us to have a “Merry Christmas” ever since He created us?

♫  Joy to the world! The Lord is come,  Let earth receive her King!
             Let every heart prepare Him room,  and heaven and nature sing…. ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      December 7, 2021
Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith”
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”  Weekly “Hebraic Musings”  http://insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com

 

 

·      Hosea 11:1 “…And out of Egypt I called My son.”  In Matt.2:14 “…Joseph… took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,” 

·      Jer.31:15 from the LORD: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”   When Herod heard about events, he said “put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem …, from two years old and under, … fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah …: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation,’” Matt.2:17-18