1 PETER
The design of this first epistle is to explain more fully the doctrines of Christianity to these newly-converted Jews.
1 Peter 1
1 Peter 1:1-2 (KJV), “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”
Peter reiterates what all of the apostles had claimed, including Paul, on Jesus’ return
1 Peter 1:5 (KJV), “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Peter confirms that we should rejoice in our trials and temptations
1 Peter 1:6-7 (KJV), “6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:3 (KJV), “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.”
Peter commends us for our faith having not seen
1 Peter 1:8 (KJV), “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
Peter confirms the inspired word of the prophets (primarily speaking to Jewish Christians)
Confirming as well the prophecies of the Messiah
1 Peter 1:10-11 (KJV), “10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.”
Isaiah 53:5 (KJV), “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Come on guys, what can you not see?
1 Peter 1:12 (KJV), “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”
Peter concludes his introduction quoting another prophecy
1 Peter 1:24-25 (KJV), “24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”.
Isaiah 40:8 (KJV), “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.”
Hebrews 3
As the apostle of our profession, the prime-minister of the gospel church, a messenger and a principal messenger sent of God to men
Hebrews 3:1 (KJV), “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”
Confirming to the Jewish believers that Jesus is higher than Moses
Hebrews 3:3-4 (KJV), “3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. 4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
Be steadfast in your faith and do not waiver as your fathers did (quoting David from Psalms)
Hebrews 3:7-11 (KJV), “7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)”
Psalm 95:7-11 (KJV), “7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”
Hebrews 3:15 (KJV), “While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”
Psalm 95:7-8 (KJV), “7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.”
Jeremiah 7 Trusting in Lying Words
Jeremiah warns Judah not to trust in what you do to keep you safe
Jeremiah 7:3-4 (KJV), “3 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these.”
[1] “We today don’t say, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD” as they did in Jeremiah’s day. Today some say, “I go to church, I go to church, I go to church”; or “I’m a conservative, I’m a conservative, I’m a conservative”; or “**I’m Calvary Chapel, I’m Calvary Chapel, I’m Calvary Chapel.” None of these things make one right with God apart from true faith and true repentance.” (Guzik)
** You can throw in any denomination.
Serious statement from God to Jeremiah
Jeremiah 7:8-10 (KJV), “8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?”
This is serious
Jeremiah 7:12-15 (KJV), “12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.”
What was in Shiloh?
Joshua 18:1 (KJV), “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.”
Shiloh was an administrative center
Joshua 18:8-10 (KJV), “8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh. 9 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. 10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.”
God tells Jeremiah specifically not to pray for them
Jeremiah 7:16 (KJV), “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.”
God’s continued rebuke
Jeremiah 7:30-31 (KJV), “30 For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. 31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.”
Jeremiah 7:32 (KJV), “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.”
Proverbs 27 Read
Proverbs 27:1 (KJV), “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
James 4:13 (KJV), “Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.”
Ezekiel 6 Judgment on Idolatrous Israel
Ezekiel 6:3-4 (KJV), “3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. 4 And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.”
A promise of the gracious return of a remnant of them to God, by true repentance and reformation
Ezekiel 6:8-10 (KJV), “8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. 9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.”
Directions given to the prophet and others, the Lord’s servants, to lament both the iniquities and the calamities of Israel
Ezekiel 6:11 (KJV), “Thus saith the Lord God; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.”
[1] David Guzik
Grow in the Word of the Lord 