Devocional Semanal 1-24-22 / La curiosidad de los profetas – El deseo de los ángeles
Cerramos el devocional de la semana pasada (Note preocupes, estamos seguros) considerando que el fin de nuestra fe es la salvación de 1san Pedro 1:1-9 de nuestras almas. Hoy continuamos con ese tema y consideramos 1san Pedro 1:10-12 y luego 1:13-25. Leemos de la primera: “10 Los profetas que profetizaron de la gracia destinada a vosotros, inquirieron y diligentemente indagaron acerca de esta salvación, 11 escudriñando qué persona y qué tiempo indicaba el Espíritu de Cristo que estaba en ellos, el cual anunciaba de antemano los sufrimientos de Cristo, y las glorias que vendrían tras ellos. 12 A estos se les reveló que no para sí mismos, sino para nosotros, administraban las cosas que ahora os son anunciadas por los que os han predicado el evangelio por el Espíritu Santo enviado del cielo; cosas en las cuales anhelan mirar los ángeles.”
Al pueblo hebreo de la antigüedad se le había hablado de la venida del Redentor y de cuándo aparecería. (La necesidad de un Redentor implicaba una necesidad de salvación). Nuestro texto nos informa que sus profetas preguntaron y buscaron una respuesta a esa pregunta. Habrían preguntado a Moisés, habrían escudriñado sus escritos diligentemente y se les habría dado revelación sobrenatural. Nuestro texto también nos informa que el reino angélico deseaba mirar la salvación del hombre.
Los cristianos de hoy no pueden hablar con Moisés y el canon de las Escrituras está cerrado, es decir, no hay una nueva revelación. Pero sí tenemos los escritos de Moisés, los escritos de los profetas, la enseñanza de Jesús registrada en los cuatro evangelios, y los escritos de aquellos que Él escogió (Los apóstoles excluyendo a Judas Iscariote). Nuestra garantía se encuentra en las Escrituras. Leemos de 2 Timoteo 3:16a que toda la Escritura es dada por inspiración de Dios y de 2nd Pedro 1:20-21 leemos que ninguna profecía de la Escritura es de ninguna interpretación privada porque la profecía no vino por la voluntad del hombre: sino que los hombres santos de Dios hablaron como fueron movidos por el Espíritu Santo.
Estos hombres (profetas) fueron movidos por el Espíritu Santo a la profecía acerca de los sufrimientos de Cristo, la gracia de Dios que vendría de esos sufrimientos, y el tiempo de ambos. No entendían completamente lo que estaban profetizando, pero a través de la fe, creían lo que el Espíritu Santo los había movido a hablar y escribir. Sin embargo, Pedro y sus contemporáneos (Sus compañeros apóstoles) recibieron la comprensión de estas cosas y lo agradecidos que deberíamos estar. Debido al mensaje que predicaron, no necesitamos “preocuparnos, estamos seguros” para estar en la presencia de Dios por la eternidad.
Peter wrote that because of the sufferings of Christ and the salvation that came to us through those sufferings we are to “13 gird up the loins of our mind, be sober, and rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming ourselves to the former lusts, as in our ignorance; 15 but as He who called us is holy, we also are to be holy in all our conduct, 16 because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ 17 And if we call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, we must conduct ourselves throughout the time of our stay here in fear; 18 knowing that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for us 21 who through Him we are able believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope is in God. 22 Since we have purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, we are to love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to us.
(Tenga en cuenta que me tomé la libertad de cambiar los pronombres en este pasaje para personalizarlo para cada lector. El siguiente es el texto original que se encuentra en la Nueva Biblia King James).
13 Por tanto, ceñid los lomos de vuestro entendimiento, sed sobrios, y esperad por completo en la gracia que se os traerá cuando Jesucristo sea manifestado; 14 como hijos obedientes, no os conforméis a los deseos que antes teníais estando en vuestra ignorancia; 15 sino, como aquel que os llamó es santo, sed también vosotros santos en toda vuestra manera de vivir; 16 porque escrito está: Sed santos, porque yo soy santo. 17 Y si invocáis por Padre a aquel que sin acepción de personas juzga según la obra de cada uno, conducíos en temor todo el tiempo de vuestra peregrinación; 18 sabiendo que fuisteis rescatados de vuestra vana manera de vivir, la cual recibisteis de vuestros padres, no con cosas corruptibles, como oro o plata, 19 sino con la sangre preciosa de Cristo, como de un cordero sin mancha y sin contaminación, 20 ya destinado desde antes de la fundación del mundo, pero manifestado en los postreros tiempos por amor de vosotros, 21 y mediante el cual creéis en Dios, quien le resucitó de los muertos y le ha dado gloria, para que vuestra fe y esperanza sean en Dios. 22 Habiendo purificado vuestras almas por la obediencia a la verdad, mediante el Espíritu, para el amor fraternal no fingido, amaos unos a otros entrañablemente, de corazón puro; 23 siendo renacidos, no de simiente corruptible, sino de incorruptible, por la palabra de Dios que vive y permanece para siempre. 24 Porque: Toda carne es como hierba, Y toda la gloria del hombre como flor de la hierba. La hierba se seca, y la flor se cae; 25 Mas la palabra del Señor permanece para siempre.
Y esta es la palabra que por el evangelio os ha sido anunciada.
A los profetas se les habló de nuestros Salvadores que sufrían sin entender completamente la razón de ellos, pero los apóstoles llegaron a entender la gracia de Dios y nos transmitieron ese entendimiento. Entonces, ¿qué estamos haciendo con él? ¿No debemos honrarlo y adorarlo por la forma en que vivimos? ¡Sí, lo somos!
Steve
Stevelampman.com / Poder Transformador; la obra de Dios en nombre del hombre
Weekly Devotional 1-24-22 / The Curiosity of the Prophets – The desire of the Angels
We closed last week’s devotional (Do Not Fret, We Are Secured) considering that the end of our faith is the salvation of our souls’ 1st Peter 1:1-9. Today we continue with that theme and consider 1st Peter 1:10-12 and then 1:13-25. We read from the former:
“10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven–things which angels desire to look into.
The Hebrew people of old had been told of a coming Redeemer and when He would appear. (The need of a Redeemer implied a need of salvation). Our text informs us that their prophets inquired and searched for an answer to that question. They would have inquired of Moses, searched his writings diligently and were given supernatural revelation. Our text also informs us that the angelic realm desired to look into the salvation of man.
Christian’s today are not able to talk with Moses and the canon of scripture is closed, that is, there is no new revelation. But we do have the writings of Moses, the writings of the prophets, the teaching of Jesus recorded in the four gospels, and the writings of those He chose (The apostles, excluding Judas Iscariot). Our surety is found in the Scriptures. We read from 2nd Timothy 3:16a that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and from 2nd Peter 1:20-21 we read that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
These men (prophets) were moved by the Holy Spirit to prophecy about the sufferings of Christ, God’s grace that would come from those sufferings, and the timing of both. They did not fully understand what they were prophesying, but through faith, believed what the Holy Spirit had moved them to speak and write.
Peter and his contemporaries (His fellow apostles) however were given the understanding of these things and how thankful we should be. Because of the message they preached we need not “fret, we are secured” to be in the presence of God for eternity.
Peter wrote that because of the sufferings of Christ and the salvation that came to us through those sufferings we are to “13 gird up the loins of our mind, be sober, and rest our hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming ourselves to the former lusts, as in our ignorance; 15 but as He who called us is holy, we also are to be holy in all our conduct, 16 because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ 17 And if we call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, we must conduct ourselves throughout the time of our stay here in fear; 18 knowing that we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from our aimless conduct received by tradition from our fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for us 21 who through Him we are able believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that our faith and hope is in God. 22 Since we have purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, we are to love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to us.”
(Please note, I took the liberty of changing the pronouns in this passage in order to personalize it to each reader. Following is the original text as found in the New King James Bible).
“13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’ 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the found-ation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, 24 because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, 25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
The prophets were told of our Saviors suffering not fully understanding the reason for them but, the apostles came to understand God’s grace and passed that understanding on to us. So, what are we do with it? Are we not to honor and worship Him by the way we live? Yes, we are!
Steve
Stevelampman.com / Transforming Power; the Work of God on Behalf of Man