Read with Me
1 Peter 1:10-12 (HCSB)
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Angels desire to look into these things.
Listen with Me
This truly is an amazing revelation that Peter is sharing with his readers. In verse 9 he had just told them that in Jesus they were receiving the goal of their faith, which is the salvation of their souls.
This salvation had been foretold since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) and by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). But those prophecies were shrouded in darkness and mystery.
Over the millennia, God gave more light to the prophets He called to speak to His people, showing them greater detail about the Deliverer who would arise. They began to present Him as more than a prophet, and even more than a mere man. He became known as the Messiah, or “anointed one”, and as the one who would save God’s people from sin and death.
Those prophets tried to discern when the Messiah would arrive. Some did indeed receive information about the events that would unfold before his arrival, including the very detailed prophecies in Daniel 2 and 7-12 showing the rise and fall of successive kingdoms before the Kingdom of God was inaugurated by one who was like a son of man.
But ultimately, every prophet realized that the fulfillment of their words would come after their own time, that their messages would, in fact, have the most significant meaning for people who had not yet been born, who would live through the events that they could see only far in the distance. And those people would also be the ones who would see God’s anointed Deliverer face to face and be able to live their earthly lives in the reality of the salvation, transformation, and power he would bring.
But even though they realized that they would not experience these events in the flesh themselves, that reality didn’t seem to make them sad or discouraged. Instead, it filled them with hope, understanding that God was still actively working his plan into the warp and woof of history to bring redemption to His people, their people. And they knew that ultimately, they would be able to experience that redemption too, as they believed in the one God would send before He ever arrived.
Pray with Me
Father, at first glance it does seem that it would be a bit disheartening to see such a wonderful deliverance coming, but to understand that you yourself would die before it happened. But those true to You and Your message of redemption really did seem to be encouraged instead, joyful at sharing the good news, and completely trusting that You would do all that You promised at exactly the right time. Lord, help me to live in that same kind of hope as I eagerly wait for the rest of Your plan and Your promises to be fulfilled. Amen.