The Oracles of God

 I listened to a DVD recently on the oracles of God by teacher and historian, Michael Rood. It was very enlightening, so I decided to look into this topic for myself. These oracles are mentioned four times in the New Testament, once by Luke, the evangelist, twice by the Apostle Paul in his writings and once by the Apostle Peter. The word "oracles" is from the Greek "logion", meaning utterance or communication.

Luke writes in Acts 7:38-39, speaking of Moses, This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel (messenger) which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively (living) ORACLES to give unto us. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt.

Moses was a mediator between the children of Israel and the Almighty. He spent 40 days at the top of Mt. Sinai receiving the oracles or communication directly from the creator, which he then taught the people. However, they quickly turned from God's commandments in disobedience. They would not listen to Moses, so he gave them a stern warning that is still applicable to all nations today.

Luke references in Acts 7:37 the message from Yehovah himself to the disobedient Israelites who refused to obey him.  Deut 18:18-19 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee (Moses), and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

This Prophet is none other than Yeshua (Jesus). Yehovah declared that he would put HIS words into his mouth and he would only speak as he was commanded. All will be required to shama (hear and obey). We see in the gospels Yeshua stating over and over that he only spoke or did what the Father told him. He was totally submissive to Yehovah and taught nothing of himself or in opposition to the Father's instructions. He declared the same ORACLES that were given to Moses at Mt Sinai. We learn in 1Cor 10:4 that He was the Rock that followed them through the wilderness and, no doubt, was the one who communicated directly with Moses.

In Romans 3:2, Paul states that there were advantages to being a Jew, chiefly because unto them were committed the ORACLES of God. See the words of Moses in Deut 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Paul was referring them back to the Torah, back to Mt. Sinai, where the oracles of God were transmitted to Israel. These instructions or communication from the Almighty are eternal. Israel was to be a light to the nations around them, teaching them the way of Yehovah. Though, as a nation, they never fulfilled their calling, spiritual Israel is waking up and declaring these oracles to the world.

In Hebrews 5:12, Paul chastises many believers in his day with these words. "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the ORACLES of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat."

Many Christians today are satisfied with the milk of the word, so to speak.They readily accept the sacrifice of Yeshua for salvation. They worship him and eagerly share him with others. However, the gospel message is not primarily the story of his life on earth, but the message he brought to us, the message of the Kingdom. That is the story the Bible presents to us from Genesis to Revelation. Most Christians don't really know that story. They don't read what is termed the "Old Testament". They are not familiar with the oracles of God. Paul calls them the first principles. These oracles are the communication of God with mankind, his instructions for righteous living based on his word, not on modern Church theology.

In 1Peter 4:11 we read "If any man speak, let him speak as the ORACLES of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

This is a message for those who preach the gospel to us in our churches, no matter the denomination. If any speak, let him speak the oracles or communication of God. We need to hear this today, to take it to heart, to hear and obey the words of our creator. We are often told that these words are not applicable for our day and time, that they are outdated or spoken only to an ancient people. We don't have to obey them. All we need is JESUS. Scripture proves that this Jesus was the God of the Old Testament, that he was the one through whom the Father created the world. All things were made by him and for him. He was the one who met with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). He was the one who journeyed in the wilderness with the Israelites, the one who instructed the prophets, the one who came to earth as a man and tabernacled among us, who taught the disciples, met Paul on the road to Damascus, gave his life as a ransom for sin, was resurrected to the right hand of the Father in heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on his followers on Shavuot (Pentecost). He is alive today as our High Priest, interceding for us before the throne of God. The story is all about him and he is the WORD! The living oracles are his instructions and we must hear and obey if we are to enter into life everlasting.

The Renewed Covenant

The Bible is filled with duality, shadow pictures and symbolism of that which is yet to come, that which is perfect. Hebrews, chapters 7-10 offers us a detailed account of the role and purpose of the tabernacle and Levitical priesthood as a pattern of the heavenly.

The covenant that God made with the children of Israel at Sinai included the establishment of an earthly tabernacle and priesthood. It was ordained by God that the tribe of Levi would occupy the priesthood, dedicated to the service of temple worship on behalf of the nation. When the children of Israel entered the promised land, each tribe was given a portion of land as their inheritance. Levi’s inheritance was the Lord, and as such, their brethren were instructed to bring their tithes and offerings to the storehouses throughout the land for the support of these Levites who served in the temple.

Malachi 3:10 “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Both the temple itself and the priesthood were patterned according to God’s specific instructions. Hebrews 8:5 “Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

Hebrews 9:2-4 “For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.”

The priests went daily into the first room, where they performed their temple service. Only the high priest was allowed entry into the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, once each year on the Day of Atonement. He brought with him a blood sacrifice, for himself as well as for the nation as a whole. These rehearsals were carried out year after year, generation after generation. Hebrews 9:9-10 “Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience. Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.”

These were only figures, shadows of the sacrifice of our savior as our eternal High Priest. These earthly sacrifices could not cleanse mankind from sin or a guilty conscience. They were instituted as a substitute until he appeared, whose eternal priesthood they foretold.

His coming ushers in a change in the priesthood. He serves in a heavenly tabernacle, not made with hands. Because his life has no beginning and no end, he is our faithful High Priest forever. He offers the perfect sacrifice, his own body, which is able to cleanse once and for all those who trust in him.

The old covenant is set aside for the new. The shadow fades as the reality appears. There is no longer a need for earthly priests to continually offer the blood of bulls and goats to picture the remission of sins. The perfect sacrifice has been presented, once and for all. Through him we enter into a new (renewed) covenant.

Hebrews 10:16-17 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

The renewed covenant supercedes the old one that had been written on tables of stone, but does not nullify it. The problem was not with the torah, but with the hearts of the people. Hebrews 8:8-10 “For finding fault with THEM, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people”. Paul tells us in Romans 7:12 “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”

God’s law is perfect. The problem lies with mankind, who does not have a heart to keep it. Our savior and High Priest has opened the way for us into the Holy of Holies, behind the veil that once separated mankind from the Father, We now have access to him through the blood of Yeshua. We can enter into the renewed covenant now by allowing him to put his laws in our hearts and minds. Isaiah prophecies of a day when the Kingdom of God reigns on this earth.

Isaiah 2:3 “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”