Retha Groenewald's Blog: RETHA Groenewald AUTHOR, page 45

Servant of The Lord

This entry is part 11 of 11 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38 ESV)

Mary Servant of the Lord

Mary proclaimed that she was the servant of the Lord.

A bond-servant is duty bound to his or her master; allegiance is pledged to the master.

Mary was not the only servant that bore a child for a master.

 

Hagar Servant of Sarah

God promised Abram and Sarai a child, but Sarai was barren.

So Sarai made a plan and gave her servant, Hagar to Abram so that Sarai could obtain a child through Hagar.

Hagar did become pregnant and Ishmael was born.

Thirteen years later God’s promise came into fulfillment and barren Sarah became pregnant with Isaac.

 

Bilhah and Zilpah

Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob went through a similar situation. They competed for the love of Jacob and 12 sons and one daughter was born to Jacob.

Leah was fertile and Rachel was barren.

When Leah bore Jacob sons and Rachel could not, she gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob to bear sons.

Leah also gave her servant Zilpah to Jacob to bear him sons.

Ten sons were born to Jacob when, once again the Lord did the impossible and made a barren woman fertile and Rachel bore Jacob two sons.

 

Who is Your Master?

Hagar, Bilhah and Zilpah bore children for their masters.

Mary was appointed by God and she also bore a Son for her Master. Her Master was God and not man.

In life you are often in a situation where you obey and follow someone else’s instructions. It could be your boss, your parent, teacher, leader.

The question is not obeying your superiors, but who is your master?

 

The post Servant of The Lord appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

Mary Mother of Jesus

This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

The angel Gabriel who had visited Zechariah, brought Mary the good news that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ.

Contrary to Zechariah who did not believe Gabriel, Mary mother of Jesus, believed. She did not how it would happen, because she was a virgin, but she believed.

Mary was living in the town of Nazareth, when she received the visit from the angel Gabriel.

Gabriel called her blessed. She was blessed, but Jesus would be the Savior.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph when she became pregnant with Jesus.

The angel also told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, who had been barren, was 6 months pregnant.

 

Filled With Holy Spirit

 

Mary went to visit Elizabeth in the hill country of Judah. When Mary entered the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth, John the Baptist reacted with joy in his mother’s womb. He was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb and when he reacted with joy, his mother, Elizabeth, was also filled with the Holy Spirit.

There was no telephone or cell phones those days, so Mary could not have made a long distance call to Elizabeth. It is quite possible that Elizabeth did not know that Mary was coming and therefore did not know that she was going to be the mother of Jesus. It was revealed to her by the Holy Spirit when her son’s reaction in her womb.

and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord. (Luke 1:42–45 ESV)

The post Mary Mother of Jesus appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

He is called Most High

This entry is part 9 of 9 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.”

 

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.  (Luke 1:32-33, 35 ESV)

 

Most High emphasizes the might and power of God.

The first time we read about this name of God is in Genesis 14 when Melchizedek visited Abraham.

The Bible called Melchizedek the king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High.

Melchizedek and Abraham broke bread together and Melchizedek blessed breaks bread with him and blesses him. Abraham in return, gives him his tithe. In Hebrews 7 Jesus is compared to Melchizedek.

 

The next time is in Deuteronomy:  When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. (Deuteronomy 32:8)

The Most High is mentioned a few times in the Old Testament. In the book of Daniel, king Nebuchadnezzar calls God the Most High when he is restored. Daniel himself refers to the everlasting kingdom of the Most High.

Then in the New Testament the angel comes to Mary to tell her that she will give birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God.

The post He is called Most High appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

7 Children God Named Before Birth

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

There are seven people that we read of in the Bible who God named before birth.

Are they all Jews? No.

Are they all Christians? No.

Did God have a plan for their lives? Yes.

 

Isaac and Ishmael

The first two babies we read about in the book of Genesis. Both babies had the same father.

Abram was given the promise by God that nations would come from him. At that time he had no children, his wife Sarai was barren.

They waited 25 years for the promised child, Isaac to be born.

About 13 years before Isaac’s birth, Sarai made a plan. She was barren and old and did not see how God could fulfil his promise. So she “helped God’s prophesy to be fulfilled” by giving her servant Hagar to Abraham to conceive a child.

Things did not go well between Hagar and her mistress Sarai and Hagar left. In the desert she met the Angel of the Lord  who told her to go back……

And the Angel of the Lord said to her:     “Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son.     You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your affliction. (Genesis 16:11 NKJV)

 

When Abram was 99 years old, God formalized the covenant with Abram. He changed their names from Abram to Abraham and from Sarai to Sarah.

He promised Abraham his long awaited child.

Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. (Genesis 17:19 NKJV)

 

Solomon

Solomon was the third child God named before his birth.

Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba.

He became king and because he asked the Lord for wisdom, the Lord gave him everything.

Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days (1 Chronicles 22:9 NKJV).

 

Josiah

The Lord gave Josiah his name 32 years before his birth.

He became King at the age of 8 years old and reigned for many years.

He was one of the few kings that obeyed God and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” (1 Kings 13:2(NKJV).

 

Cyrus

Cyrus was not an Israelite; he was king of Persia, but he was a servant of the Lord.

The Lord used him as a mighty tool in the returning of the Jews to Israel to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem.

His birth and name was prophesied 173 years before he was born.

“Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held— to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight;  I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, tThat you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant’s sake, aAnd Israel My elect, I  have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other;  I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity;  I, the Lord, do all these things.’ (Isaiah 45:1–7 NKJV).

 

John the Baptist

Then the new era began after 400 years of silence since the last prophet Malachi.

The birth of John the Baptist was announced, who would prepare the way for the Lord.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John (Luke 1:13 NKJV).

 

Jesus

And last but definitely not the least is Jesus Christ our Savior.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 NKJV)

There are other children named by God after birth, for example Hosea’s children.These 7 children God named before they were born.

The post appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

Caesar Ruled 50 Years Before Jesus’ Birth

This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

 

Who ruled 50 years before Jesus’ birth?

 

Roman Empire

From a small kingdom centered in Rome, the Roman Empire grew until it became one of the most powerful empires in the world. It systematically conquered one kingdom after the other.

In 63 B.C. Pompey, commanding Rome’s army, marched into Jerusalem and entered the Temple. Jewish leaders aligned them with the stronger Rome to gain favor.

50 Years Before Jesus’ Birth

Internal politics in Rome lead to Julius conquering Pompey. He gave himself the title of Caesar.

The senate, who had ruled the republic until then, gave Julius Caesar all the authority. He became Rome’s emperor.

Julius Caesar was murdered about 50 years before the birth of Jesus.

 

30 Years Before Jesus’ Birth

The drama continued in Rome. The alliance between Octavia and Anthony didn’t last long.

During that time, Cleopatra of Egypt visited Herod in Israel and demanded tribute from Herod. When Octavia defeated her lover, Anthony, in battle, Herod was very quick to change sides.

Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide in 27 B.C.

That same year, Octavia changed his name to Augustus Caesar and ruled Rome until 14 B.C.

The family of Augustus ruled Rome throughout the New Testament timeline.

 

King Herod Ruled Judea

Herod, who was half-Jewish, was ambitious.

He befriended Rome and received the kingship of Judea for his efforts.

He ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. over Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Perea and Idumea.

The Jewish citizens of Judea never accepted Herod as their king.

 

Herod the Great

Herod became known as Herod the Great because of his extensive building projects.

During the same time that Octavia re-established worship of Jupiter, King Herod began the 46 year project of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. The dimensions of the Temple were 15 meters long, wide and high. It was about 16-20 stories tall.

The Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 the Roman army under command of Titus conquered Jerusalem.

 

 

The post Caesar Ruled 50 Years Before Jesus’ Birth appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

Zechariah Reacts to God’s Message

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

 

Luke 1:5-25

Zechariah, the priest, was serving in God’s Temple. Suddenly to the right of the incense altar, Archangel Gabriel appeared with a message from God.

They Wanted a Child

 

They weren’t young any more and had no children; Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, was barren.

They wanted a child and they prayed to God.

Gabriel brought the message that God had heard their prayers. Elizabeth would bear Zechariah a son and his name would be John.

God gave him a name before birth.  There are 7 children named by God before birth in the Bible.

Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would bring great joy and gladness at birth; He would be the one who prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s prayer weren’t only answered, the prophecy about their son exceeded way above their expectations.

 

Zechariah Reacts to God’s Message

Zechariah was probably dumbfounded by this wonderful news and great prophecy….

Zechariah was a priest; he knew his Bible.
He was working in God’s Temple where God’s presence was, when God’s angel appeared to him in this holy place.
Outside, the nation of Israel was waiting for him to burn the incense on the altar in the holy place. They were waiting for the smoke of the burnt incense so that they could pray. The smoke drifting heavenward symbolized their prayers reaching God’s throne.
In this environment Gabriel brought him the message and prophecy from God; their prayers were answered.

What did Zechariah do when he heard this wonderful news?

“How can I be sure this will happen? Zechariah asked.  Instead of praising God, Zechariah doubted; he didn’t believe.

 

Gabriel’s Reaction to Zechariah

Gabriel immediately closed Zechariah’s mouth.

Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.” (Luke 1:19-20 NLT)

Gabriel did damage control.

Zechariah was silenced; he wasn’t able to utter another word of disbelief, contradicting the promises of God.

The crowds waited for Zechariah to come out and wondered about the delay. What was taking him so long? When he came out, he couldn’t speak. He finished his week of duties in silence and was mute until the day he said his son’s name.

 

How do You React to God’s Message?

Often you pray, believing and waiting on God.

Sometimes you wait for a very long time…

Time passes and nothing happens….

Then one day God sends a messenger to you. He brings you the message that God had heard your prayers. The messenger continues to prophecy over you way more than what you asked for….God was blessing you exceedingly and abundantly.

What do you do?

What is your reaction?

Do you end the shocked silence with unbelief that God had actually heard your prayer – because in the back of your mind you had doubts, despite your fervent prayers?
Do you follow Zechariah or
Mary’s example? (Read about Mary’s reaction in the article titled Mary Servant of God).

The post Zechariah Reacts to God’s Message appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

10 Promises Prophesied About John the Baptist

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

In Luke 1:13-17 Gabriel’s message contained 10 promises prophesied about John the Baptist before his birth.

 

You shall call his name John. John means God is Gracious.

Zachariah + Elizabeth = God remembers His oath 

Zachariah +Elizabeth + John = God is gracious, God remembers His oath.

 

You will have joy and gladness with the birth of your son.  Joy would accompany his birth because it initiated the time for the Messiah to arrive. Jesus was born 6 months after John the Baptist.

 

Many would rejoice at his birth. His birth would bring joy and greater great rejoicing will come from men and angels with the birth of Jesus.

 

 He would be great before the Lord. His calling was to be the forerunner of the Lord as prophesied in Isaiah 40:3-5

 

A voice cries: 

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;  make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be lifted up,  and every mountain and hill be made low;  the uneven ground shall become level,  and the rough places a plain.  And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,  and all flesh shall see it together,  for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5 ESV)

He must not drink wine or strong drink, pointed to living according the Nazarite rules and ways. (Numbers 6:2-5) Not all the requirements of a Nazarite vow were mentioned here. It could also mean that he was set apart for the Lord to serve God in a special way.

 

He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, came to visit John’s mother Elizabeth, the baby (John) leapt in her womb (Luke 1:41).

 

He will turn many children of Israel to the Lord. Many people heard his message, repented, turned towards God and became followers of Jesus. They turned away from the old life of sin, and repented.

 

He will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. John the Baptist wasn’t Elijah, but he would prepare the way for the Lord in the same spirit and power as Elijah. Both prophets called Israel to repentance.

 

He will turn the hearts of the father to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. This was prophesied in the last verses of Malachi. Malachi was the last prophet before the 400 years of prophetic silence. The silence was broken with his birth.

 

He will prepare the people for the Lord to come, Jesus Christ to make ready people to welcome the coming of Jesus Christ.

The post 10 Promises Prophesied About John the Baptist appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

Angel Gabriel

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

 

Accounts of angels appear throughout the Bible. The first time an angel of God is called by name is in Daniel 8:16. Angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel the prophet to give him the interpretation of his vision about a goat and a ram.

Two angels, excluding Lucifer, are mentioned by name in the Bible. These two angels are Gabriel and Michael. Both of these angels are identified in the Book of Daniel and then mentioned in the New Testament.

 

4 Visitations by Angel Gabriel

There are four accounts of visitations of Gabriel to three different people on earth. Two of these accounts were to Daniel (Daniel 8:16-19; 9:20-27). The other two accounts were when he visited

Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, in the midst of his priestly duties in the Temple and
Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, to tell her of the birth of the Messiah in Luke 1:26-28.


Gabriel

Gabriel means “strength of God” or “mighty one of God”.

He is the archangel who represents the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
He is always seen in association with Messianic prophecy.
He brought revelation, understanding, skill and interpretation to Daniel in the Old Testament.
He brought the same to Zechariah and Mary in the New Testament.


Michael

Michael means “who is like God” or “God-like”.

Michael, the archangel is associated with spiritual warfare as seen in Daniel 9, 12 and Revelation 12. In Daniel 9 he helped Gabriel overcome the prince of Persia and in Revelation 12 he leads the war against Satan. Michael appeared to Daniel in Daniel 10:21.

In Jude 9 Michael argued with the devil about the body of Moses.

It is Michael’s responsibility to protect Daniel’s people the nation Israel. There have been many attempts throughout the ages to eliminate them. It’s Michael’s responsibility to prevent that from happening.

 

These two angels work together like the Word and the Spirit work together. They do what God commands; they minister to believers, strengthening you to do God’s will.

There is spiritual warfare between good and evil. It’s the angels that fight against the demons; believers pray.

The post Angel Gabriel appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

Angel Gabriel 4

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

 

Accounts of angels appear throughout the Bible. The first time an angel of God is called by name is in Daniel 8:16. Angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel the prophet to give him the interpretation of his vision about a goat and a ram.

Two angels, excluding Lucifer, are mentioned by name in the Bible. These two angels are Gabriel and Michael. Both of these angels are identified in the Book of Daniel and then mentioned in the New Testament.

 

4 Visitations by Angel Gabriel

There are four accounts of visitations of Gabriel to three different people on earth. Two of these accounts were to Daniel (Daniel 8:16-19; 9:20-27). The other two accounts were when he visited

Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, in the midst of his priestly duties in the Temple and
Mary, the virgin mother of Jesus, to tell her of the birth of the Messiah in Luke 1:26-28.


Gabriel

Gabriel means “strength of God” or “mighty one of God”.

He is the archangel who represents the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
He is always seen in association with Messianic prophecy.
He brought revelation, understanding, skill and interpretation to Daniel in the Old Testament.
He brought the same to Zechariah and Mary in the New Testament.


Michael

Michael means “who is like God” or “God-like”.

Michael, the archangel is associated with spiritual warfare as seen in Daniel 9, 12 and Revelation 12. In Daniel 9 he helped Gabriel overcome the prince of Persia and in Revelation 12 he leads the war against Satan. Michael appeared to Daniel in Daniel 10:21.

In Jude 9 Michael argued with the devil about the body of Moses.

It is Michael’s responsibility to protect Daniel’s people the nation Israel. There have been many attempts throughout the ages to eliminate them. It’s Michael’s responsibility to prevent that from happening.

 

These two angels work together like the Word and the Spirit work together. They do what God commands; they minister to believers, strengthening you to do God’s will.

There is spiritual warfare between good and evil. It’s the angels that fight against the demons; believers pray.

The post Angel Gabriel 4   appeared first on Retha Groenewald.

11 Facts About Luke and the Book

This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series Jesus' Birth and Early Years

Luke wrote two books in the Bible. He wasn’t an apostle…

Who was Luke?

Early Christian writings accepted Luke as the author of 2 books, Luke and Acts.
He was the only Gentile author of a New Testament book. According to Colossians 4:10-14, Luke was not ‘of the circumcision’, meaning he was not Jewish; he was a Gentile.
He was a physician. Perhaps as a physician he took greater interest in the birth of two very important babies a few months apart, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
 He was an educated man and wrote in high Greek style.
 He was not one of the 12 disciples, and was not there at the beginning (John 15:27).
 He knew Paul, maybe as a loyal friend. He traveled with Paul and was present at some events that took place in Acts.
 He is mentioned 3 times in the letters of Paul in the New Testament.

 Colossians 4:14  
 2 Timothy 4:11 (LEB)
 Philemon 24 (LEB)

 Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. (Luke 1:1–4 NLT).

About the book

Luke documented the facts about Christ, from Jesus’ birth, His ministry, death and resurrection, in the form of a letter.
The letter was written to a ‘lover of God’ for that is what the name Theophilus means.
The purpose of the letter was to give the reader clarity and certainty and the truth about Jesus Christ.
The Book Luke has 24 chapters and is the longest of the four Gospels.

Who was Theophilus?

Perhaps he was a Roman official,
Someone of high social standing or
Someone who received teachings about Christianity and was seeking the truth or
Maybe  all the above.

 

Luke and the Book

Luke wrote in an orderly manner an exact account of the life of Jesus Christ. How did he do it?

He personally investigated all facts.
He researched the material.
He interviewed eyewitnesses, people who were there.

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the  power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16 ESV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— (1 John 1:1 ESV)

He listened to the testimonies of those who had ministered the Word, to the preaching and oral accounts of the apostles.


The Holy Spirit guided him.

Luke’s training as a physician allowed him to use logic and facts when he wrote the story of Jesus Christ.  

 

The post 11 Facts About Luke and the Book appeared first on Retha Groenewald.