Luke 1:5-25
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

So Zacharias was serving in the temple during a period of time known as the course of the house of Abia. After his course of service was complete, he returned to his house, and his wife Elisabeth conceived. Their child would be known as John the baptist. If we research at what time of the year the course of Abia took place, we can know when John was born.

In 1 Chronicles 24, we find the account of David’s establishing of the twenty-four courses of service in the temple, divided among the sons of Aaron, to cover the entire year. That who is called Abia in the New Testament, is called Abijah in the Old.

1 Chronicles 24:1-19
Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office. And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar. And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar. Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses, The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul, The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah. These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

The eighth course fell to Abijah. Because there were twenty-four courses, there were two courses, each lasting two weeks, designated for every lunar month. Therefore, the eighth course would take place during the second half of the fourth month.

Now the sequence of the months of the Hebrew religious calendar was as follows:

1. Nissan – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of March and April (Fast of the Firstborn, a unique day of fasting and Passover that is celebrated in memory of God who saved the Jews, are the major festivities in this month)

2. Iyyar – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of April and May

3. Sivan – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of May and June

4. Tammuz – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of June and July

5. Av – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of July and August

6. Elul – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of August and September

7. Tishri – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of September and October (It experiences autumn for most of its days. Rosh Hashanah, known as the Jewish New Year and Sukkot, a Biblical pilgrimage festival, are the important days of the month of Tishri)

8. Cheshvan – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of October and November

9. Kislev – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of November and December (Hanukkah, a festival that lasts for eight nights begins from the 25th of this Hebrew month)

10. Tevet – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of December and January (The festival of Hanukkah continues through some part of this month)

11. Shevat – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of January and February

12. Adar – equivalent to the Gregorian calendar months of February and March

So Zacharias served during the second half of the month of Tammuz—what we might know as late June or early July. At the end of this time—the beginning of Av—he returned to his house, and his wife Elisabeth conceived—again, sometime in Av. Elisabeth hid herself for five months—through the month of Kislev. What happened next—during the month of Tevet?

Luke 1:26-38
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

So in the sixth month, Mary conceives the Lord Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not the sixth month of the year; it is the sixth month of Elisabeth’s pregnancy. We know this from the context preceding, which tells us that Elisabeth hid herself for five months. It is at this time that Mary immediately goes to visit her cousin Elisabeth, to share this wonderful news.

Luke 1:39-56
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

So Mary stayed with Elisabeth for about three months, which would take us to the end of Adar and the beginning of Nisan. What happens next?

Luke 1:57-66
Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

So John the baptist was born in Nisan. What other Scripture would support this? Look at what Zacharias said about him.

Luke 1:67-80
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Zacharias, under the power of the Holy Spirit, declares his son John to be the fulfillment of a prophecy normally attributed to Elijah.

Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Isaiah 40:3-5
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

This reference to John’s being the fulfillment of the return of Elijah is further supported in the New Testament.

Matthew 3:1-3
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Matthew 11:7-10
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Matthew 17:11-13
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Mark 1:1-4
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Luke 3:2-4
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luke 7:26-28
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

So it is clear that the arrival of John the baptist was the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the return of Elijah before the coming of the Lord. What is interesting here is the Jewish custom of setting out an extra cup of wine at Passover, in expectation of Elijah’s arrival. So how fitting and perfect it is that John arrives at Passover.

Now, continuing with our study, if Mary, as soon as she conceives under the power of the Holy Spirit, visits Elisabeth, who is in her sixth month, proven by the fact that, as soon as Mary’s three-month visit is over, Elisabeth gives birth, then Mary gives birth six months later. This would bring us to the month of Tishri.

Interestingly, Tishri, which is the seventh month of the religious calendar, is the first month of the civil calendar, which is why Rosh Hashanah is known as Jewish New Year, despite the fact that the Old Testament Law refers to Nisan as the first month. This would fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah that establishes the government on the shoulder of the Messiah.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Now, one of the seven feasts that takes place during Tishri is Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles, a time when God was thought to come and dwell with His people. What is interesting about THIS fact is this Scriptural truth.

John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The Greek word translated here as dwelt is skenoo, which means “to tent or encamp, i.e. (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specially), to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol of protection and communion).”

The Word was made flesh, and tablernacled among us, Emmanuel, God with us, left His throne in glory and came to dwell with His people, and it is very likely that this happened during Tishri, during the Feast of Tabernacles, and not on December 25.

John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

So why is it so hard to find from Scripture the time of His birth? And why is there no record of the first believers observing that birth? Because the first believers were Jews, and because the Jews did not observe birthdays, that being a practice of the nations, the first believers would have never observed Jesus’ birth. They did observe a remembrance of Him, of course, but what they remembered was His death—not His birth–in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

Many say that this verse refers to a time known as the Great Tribulation—a time that will take place after the believers are caught up to be with the Lord for eternity. But look at the next verse.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Those days, previously referred to as the “great tribulation,” will be kept short for the sake of the elect. Why and how would the shortening of the tribulation benefit the elect, if they are not living through it, along with others on the earth?

Continuing further in Matthew 24, the Lord Jesus once again refers to those days of tribulation when He describes an event that takes place immediately after the end of them.

Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This description of the event is clear, and it is the gathering of the saints, which is elsewhere called the believers’ being caught up, as described by the Holy Spirit, speaking through our brother Paul.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Both the event described in Matthew 24:29-31 and the event described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 include the following elements:

The Lord’s return and descent in the clouds

The sound of a trumpet

The gathering of His elect

The passage from 1 Thessalonians also speaks of the dead believers’ being raised from the dead. Another place in which the Lord speaks of this is found multiple times in John 6.

John 6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Can another seven years follow what our Lord calls the last day? I think not. The last day is the last day.

Clearly, the saints will be caught up at the appearance of Jesus, at His return, at the last day, after the days of tribulation that the Father has mercifully kept short, for the sake of His elect. The tribes of the earth shall surely mourn when they see Him because they know there is no second chance, no additional seven years to change their minds about the truth of the gospel, but those, whose citizenship is in heaven, who believe on Him, shall rejoice.

Genesis 17:7-8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Would the land itself be the everlasting possession, or would the land be theirs in order to usher in the everlasting possession–theirs until that everlasting possession would become a reality? And what is meant by “thy seed”? Is it Abraham’s natural descendants, or is it someone else?

Genesis 22:15-18 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Again God speaks of Abraham’s seed, and now God also speaks of swearing by Himself. We see this referred to in the New Testament.

Hebrews 6:13-15 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

So God swore by Himself because He could not swear by anything greater than Himself. But–hmm… it also says here that Abraham OBTAINED the promise after having patiently endured. And yet, Abraham NEVER obtained the entire land of Canaan. Therefore, because God does not lie, that promise must refer to something else. Of course, we do not have to surmise. We need only to refer to other Scripture to help us understand. Scripture interprets Scripture by narrowing down what any given passage could possibly mean.

Galatians 3:6-9 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

According to this very clear passage, when God told Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him, He was actually preaching the GOSPEL to him. In other words, the promise to Abraham was redemption through Christ Himself–the very same promise that was given to Adam and Eve in the garden. And, after all, isn’t this what the entirety of the Scriptures is really all about–Creation, its Fall, and its Redemption?

We also see this truth reflected in the words of Christ, when He said…

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Abraham SAW the promise of redemption; this is what God was telling him and promising him.

Okay, so the promise to Abraham is clearly salvation itself in Christ Himself, and therefore, that everlasting covenant is eternal life, and the land is truly the Promised Land of that New Jerusalem, where we shall live with God. How can it be the physical land of Canaan, when that could not possibly be everlasting? We know this because Peter tells us that…

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

…and…

2 Peter 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

So the land of Canaan cannot be the object of the promise because the land of Canaan cannot be everlasting. It is destined, along with the rest of the earth, to be burned up.

Now, that seed. Oh, how dispensationalists LOVE to claim that the promise was to Abraham and his bloodline. And oh, how this bad doctrinal tree has brought forth bad spiritual and behavioral fruits, as professing Christians have been stirred up to defend the U.N.-created physical nation of Israel, even if it means killing Palestinians, many of whom are Christian–our very brothers and sisters in the faith! Dispensationalists believe that the Jews hold special favor with God, and that, when a Jew is saved, it is somehow more special. But what does God say?

Acts 15:7-9 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

No difference between us and them. After Peter was shown a vision (three times), in which God, showing him unclean food, said “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”, and after he more fully understood that vision once when Cornelius, a Gentile, came to see him…

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

God is no respecter of persons. This means He will save whomever He wants to save, and it does not matter to Him whether that person is a Jew or a non-Jew. It’s not about what we bring to the table of salvation. In fact we bring nothing. We HAVE nothing to bring. However, in case we are still not convinced that God holds no special regard to a person’s background before He chooses to save him and how He judges the works of a professing believer…

Romans 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Ephesians 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

Colossians 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

1 Peter 1:17-21 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

No difference between the Jew and the Gentile. There are two kingdoms in reality–God’s and Satan’s–period. You are either in Christ or you are not. And in Christ, there IS no Jew or Gentile–we are all one in Him.

Sorry, Mr, Hagee, the Jews do NOT have their own covenant–if you are a true Christian, then you must believe the words of Christ, Who said there is no other way to the Father but by Him. We cannot try to come in through any other door besides that Door, otherwise we are thieves. We either believe Him, or we don’t.

So now we come to this part–what is meant by the SEED?

Galatians 3:15-18 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

God is clearly not speaking of many seeds, so it cannot be descendants; He is speaking of ONE Seed, which is Christ.

Galatians 3:26-29 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The promise to Abraham is not land; it is salvation, redemption, and eternal life. His seed is not his descendants; it is Christ. And we are all Abraham’s descendants by faith and inheritors of the promise given to him.

Our taking on the call to home school brings with it additional demands, and as such, it is even more imperative that we make such an effort. In fact, our focus on our children’s academic achievements can easily cause us to lose sight of the main end of our duty as parents—preparing our children to be followers of the Lord in a world that is ever-increasingly secular. However, we would all acknowledge that this call from God was His plan for ensuring that we have the authority that He has given us over the raising of our children. Furthermore, because this method of educating our children has provided us with the reward of chunks of time spent with them that we would never have had if they were in an institutional school for six hours a day, may we be blessed to redeem that time wisely. May we utilize that gift of time toward helping our children to understand and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that their souls, too, can be clothed in that precious blood of our Savior, the only suitable covering for our sin. While there are no guarantees that our children will wear that garment, or they may not come to wear it until they are much older, we still prepare it for them by laying the foundation that is the only solid rock on which we can stand—our Lord Jesus Christ. And we prepare it out of obedience to the Father.

Therefore, while we struggle to keep our own priorities in order—God first, our husbands next, our children next, and all other things after that—let us also try, with constant help from the hand of our Father, the strength of our Savior, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to remember that, of all the things for which we are responsible, we shall never fear the winter of tribulation if our family is clothed in scarlet.

And to God alone be the glory.

For seven years He confirmed the new covenant promised to the nation of Judah in Jeremiah, the covenant with many–three and a half years through Himself and three and a half years through His chosen apostles. After that the promise was extended beyond Judah as the first Gentile converts began to become joined to His glorious body–the church. In the middle of these seven years, His death on the cross put an end to sacrifices and oblations–the temple veil was ripped from top to bottom. The Lord Jesus had offered Himself as a sacrifice to pay for sins once for all. Where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Daniel 9:27; Hebrews 10:18)

The Lord Jesus fulfilled every promise ever made about Him. He fulfilled the Law in Himself, and when He sent the Holy Spirit, His sheep were regenerated, and, as promised in Jeremiah, the Law was written on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33)

What began as a simple message of God’s provision of salvation was soon complicated by those called the Judaizers, who felt that it was still necessary to have some kind of Law to follow, rendering the redemptive work of the cross of Christ virtually insignificant. If righteousness were to come by the Law, then Christ died in vain. Instead of embracing Abel’s simple and prophetic sacrifice of innocent, blameless blood, many in the early church adopted Cain’s prideful ambitions of an offering produced by his own earthly works. And, when told it was not acceptable, they reacted violently—much in the same way as Cain.

Over the course of almost twenty centuries now, the Lord Jesus’ simple message of worshipping in spirit and in truth, of loving God with all that you are, of fearing God in His mercy toward us, of knowing that our salvation is a gift without price, and of forgiving others in all humility, is all but lost.

The church has taken the focus off our glorious Lord and switched it right back onto us humans. Suddenly it is all about us–our goodness, our gifts, our talents, our desires, our prosperity, our health, our walk, our choice to follow Him, our sacrifices, our obedience to His teachings, our views, our purpose, our best life now–and we have become demigods. One can almost hear Lucifer declaring, “I will be like the Most High.” Only he is attempting to accomplish this in the bodies of God’s creation–mankind. It was what he tempted our parents with in the Garden, and it is what he tempts us with still.

Yet, through all this, our heavenly Father continues to reveal Himself to us, faithfully carrying out His plan and purpose, despite our faults and our foolishness. And when He brings one of us out of our spiritually dead state and causes us to pass from death to life, it is a glorious thing. Glorious because it is all His work. Anything good in us comes from Him. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. It is the Lord’s doing, and it is glorious in our eyes. (Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 118:23)

Who am I that God should consider me? Yet may I glory in Him and in His profound grace and mercy, and know that it is right and good that He considers me–only if it is because all that He does is right and good. And who am I to question what He does? (Romans 9:20)

Therefore, all I can do is to attempt to express gratitude, although even that is far from adequate. I await the day in which we will be with Him, in incorruptible bodies, and perhaps better equipped with heavenly words that are more suitable for worshiping Him.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

~~~ 

There is no doubt about it. This is a huge task. It is obvious from this passage that we are commanded to teach the Word of God to our children constantly, during every part of the day, including when we go to bed and when we awake again.

It is just as obvious that this requires spending a great deal of time with them. The logical conclusion in all of this is that home schooling becomes our only option. How can possibly obey this directive from God completely if our children, during their formative years, spend six hours a day away from us? And what if they do this for five days a week and ten months a year–for thirteen years of their lives?

However, other than above commandment, why should we teach the Bible to our children? The Bible itself gives us the reasons.

Psalms 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The Word of God is a lamp that lights the way for us so that we are not traveling through life in the dark. Without that light, our children would be not be able to see their way clearly, and they might continue that way until, having strayed off the path, they end up entangled in perilous brambles and thorns.

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Word of God is our spiritual food. Without physical food, we will weaken until we eventually die. It is no different with our spiritual food, although we take that into our hearts, our minds, and not our stomachs. As our children nourish themselves with the Word, they will grow stronger and more able to resist temptation.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1 Peter 1:24-25 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: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The Word of God is the source of that standard of truth that will never fall. It is unchanging, and it is completely reliable. When all the popular beliefs of man change like shifting sands, the Word of God will always stand sure, and so will our children’s footing if they stand on that.

John 17:15-17 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 The Word of God cleanses us. If our children harbor any secret sin, their exposure to the Word of God will convict them of that sin, and the goodness of God will lead them to repenting of it. This leads us to the next purpose of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Word of God is a living sword that cuts to the very center of our being to reveal our true inner being. It is also a weapon by which our children can cut through the lies of the enemy to find the truth. It clearly divides those lies from the truth.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Finally, the Word of God is able to show our children the way of salvation. It teaches them, it shows them their faults, it corrects them, and it instructs them in righteousness. The Word of God thoroughly equips them to be the vessels through which God performs His good works.

The Word of God is the totality of God’s revealed will to us; it is the final authority on all truth for us who believe. It is our very lifeline. It is no wonder that God asks us to teach it to our children constantly.

This is truly the most important part of our home schooling. I share this with you as I go into the last year of home schooling and realize that this is my most important task this year—my one last chance to make sure that my son digests that Word.

May God be forever glorified in this.

Judges 7:1-2 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

=2 Corinthians 12:7-10 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

~~~

How many times have I fallen into the trap of wondering why my children don’t perform in this or that area as well as someone else’s child? How many times have I doubted my own ability to home school my children based on that unfair comparison and others like it? How is it that I have forgotten that the Lord has made us all different, and that He has reasons for doing so, whether or not I can see them? If only I were more organized, more disciplined, more consistent, or less of a procrastinator, well then, my children could and would be perfect, and I would be more pleasing to God.

I think that, in general, mothers are most vulnerable to this kind of thinking—although, having never been a father, I can’t be sure. When I was coming of age in the turbulent 60s and 70s, the cry of most parents was, “Where have I gone wrong?” This tells me that I am not the first parent to take the blame for all my children’s—well—humanness.

Now, if mothers in general do this sort of thing to themselves, homeschooling mothers have got to be even harder on themselves. After all, the world has told them that their decision is somehow just not healthy for their children—it just won’t work—there is bound to be some bad effects from this—and now, these moms are out to prove the world wrong. We have decided to show the world that homeschooling, by its very nature, is not only as detrimental as they say, but far superior to the alternatives, and we think this means that it should naturally produce superior children. Then comes that moment when our child does something totally thoughtless or rude, or worse yet, rebellious. We are sure it is something we have overlooked, never considering that our children are simply just as human and in need of a Savior as we are.

Christian homeschooling moms can also fall into this trap, despite our recitation of the fact that we all fall short of the glory of God.

Now, we are dedicated to homeschooling our children, but we are Christians first—homeschoolers second. For many of us, the decision to homeschool was simply the fruit of one’s relationship with God—it was something done in obedience to His call—it was ordained by Him. For the rest of us, well, God ordained our decisions, too. We just may not have realized it at the time.

So, because we are Christians first, Christ should be first in every area of our lives. What we read in God’s Word also applies to our homeschooling.

Often, when we think things are going well, suddenly things take a detour and we end up flat on our faces. At times like this it is natural to think that we have failed God, but we need to remember that in our human natures, this is all we CAN do. Now, I am not recommending that we do a half-committed job of raising our children—absolutely not—they are a heritage of the Lord. We aren’t to relinquish our responsibility in this charge that God has given us. However, we do need to try to avoid the thinking that we are doing this ourselves, under our own power. We simply need to remember that if we WERE perfect parents, we might begin to think that we raised these children by ourselves. We might forget that it is God’s grace that is sufficient for us, and that it is a blessing to remain dependent upon Him. Having said that, let us receive the occasional disappointment in ourselves as a loving reminder from God that we need Him. It is God’s goodness that turns us toward Him every time we fail in our own eyes. And it is His goodness that allows us to fail in the first place, so that we don’t fall into another trap—self-exaltation.

Therefore, even in our homeschooling we should be aware of our total dependence upon Him.

But aren’t we to be perfect? Doesn’t He say we are to be perfect?

It is HIS holiness, setting us apart, HIS faithfulness, completing what He began in us, which makes us perfect or complete—it is His perfection. If we COULD be perfect parents, wouldn’t we be at risk for occasionally thinking that we don’t need our heavenly Father?

Besides, the heart–the focus–of Christianity is more about how we think than what we do. The Lord Jesus brought all of His teachings to this deeper level, teaching us that lustful looks equate to adultery and cruel words equate to murder. He constantly pointed to the hearts of men as being the problem and the deeds simply the fruits of those dark hearts.

So may we look to Him in ALL things—even homeschooling—especially homeschooling–since the very reason we are doing this, whether or not we will admit it, is that God has ordained us to it. 

Therefore, on our bad days, when we wonder why we are not more organized, more disciplined, more consistent, or less of a procrastinator, let’s think of the thorns in our respective sides as God’s goodness in keeping us humble and in need of Him. Let’s remember that guilt is simply the flip side of pride. 

It’s all right if our army has a handicap. After all, we have not saved ourselves. 

May His name be even more glorified in our weaknesses, as we continue to rest in Him, the Lord of the Sabbath, and may we make Him first in all things as we prepare to begin another school year.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

~~~

What comfort this gives us as we embark on our ministry of raising up our children. Sometimes we see the results from the beginning; sometimes it takes years to see the results. Sometimes we think our efforts will never bear fruit.

Lately, the Lord has blessed me with glimpses of those fruits emerging. Dare I be so confident of this? Is there a danger in this, provided I don’t allow myself to think that the credit goes to me? Confidence in this promise because of Who has made the promise is perfectly within God’s will. Is it not?

In the past few weeks, my children have begun to ask me to pray for certain things. Since when have they held such confidence in prayer? When did this begin, and how did I fail to notice the first buddings of this fruit?

My daughter has been expressing (now and then) dismay over not having a faith like the faith that she sees in others. Is this the beginning of the Holy Spirit convicting her–of the Father drawing her to Christ? Am I so privileged as to witness the labor pangs that precede my daughter’s spiritual birth from above, just as I was part of those that announced her physical emergence?

Earlier this week, my son pleaded with me to go on a church youth retreat. How astounded was I when, rather than giving the expected reason of “I want to go away with my friends for three days and have fun”, he blessed my ears with “I really want to go away for three days to learn about God.” And today, as we did our Bible study, he expressed the amazing thought of how much he wished Jesus was on earth now, in our lifetimes, so that he could see Him and know Him. When I explained how he can talk to Him now, through prayer, he put on a disappointed face and said that sometimes, that’s not good enough.

I know how he feels. Sometimes it ISN’T enough, and I want so much more of Him.

Still, what a blessing to hear these words coming from my children. May God continue to water whatever tiny seeds I have planted in them.

All glory to God alone.