Bless the Lord, O my soul,   
And all that is within me,   
bless His holy name.   
Bless the Lord, O my soul,   
And forget none of His benefits.   
- Psalms 103:1-2   
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The Word Shall Go Forth From Jerusalem

Isaiah 2:3

 

            “He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem”.  This Old Testament foretold where first the word would go forth when the Kingdom came. Luke speaks of this scripture in Luke 24:47, “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”. Luke foretells the message of “repentance and remission of sins” would be preached to all nations, but it would have its beginning in Jerusalem.

 

            I have often wonder, other than Old Testament foretold, why Jerusalem was to be the beginning point. In Acts 1:7, 8, Christ there speaking to His Apostles before His ascension to the Father states this again, “and He said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. Why this order? The Bible does not give a reason, other than what Isaiah says. “the word shall go forth from Jerusalem”. My thoughts on this.

 

            When Jesus spoke in verse 7,” it is not for you to know times or season” they were not worry about dates and times when kingdom would come, but it was important to receive the power necessary to the part which they were to take in  the Kingdom when it came so that it would progress. Then in verse 8, He tells them, “you shall be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of all the earth”.

 

            I have read by commentators the reason was, “that Christ wanted to be vindicated” in the same city in which He was condemned. Maybe so. Best answer I have is that John the Baptist and Jesus done a lot of preparatory preaching here. And a great portion of people were favorably impressed by this preaching. At great annual festivals and large group of people were gathered there and saw and here many things. To me this should be the beginning place because at the preaching of the Apostles, the greatest number of disciples would come forth. Begin where you get the best results. Second, Judea was prepared by the previous preaching done there; this would produce the second greatest number of disciples. Third, Samaria, who had seen many miracles done by Jesus and heard Him, would produce a great number of disciples. Lastly, to the end of the earth, Gentiles.

 

            You needed a great number of disciples to preach when the Kingdom came. You start where most would be produced.  Acts 8:4, “therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

- CL Bruner



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