The Bible Session 6

Is the Bible the truly God's Word?  Christians say yes.  The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word?   These types of questions must be seriously examined if we are to determine the validity of the Bible’s claim to be the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Church of Divine Guidance Adult Bible Study Group is doing a study to address and answer these questions.  

Review  

Last week we started to look at the way that the Old Testament was constructed.

The Old Testament was written,for the most part,  in Hebrew, which is a comparatively simple language to understand.  It’s broken up into 3 major sections; history, poetry, and prophecy.   The historical books are the first 17 books in the Old Testament.  The first 5 are known as the Pentateuch or the Law.  Those books trace the history of man from creation through  the time that the nation of Israel is chosen, starting with Abraham, redeemed, and prepared to enter a promised homeland.  The remaining 12 historical books record the conquest of that land, a transition period in which judges ruled over the nation, the formation of the kingdom, and the division of that kingdom into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms, and finally the destruction and captivity of both kingdoms.   They record the history of the Jewish nation from its inception through its days of glory and deportation, and finally, to its days of survival as a small, insignificant nation surrounded by enemies intent on destroying it.

The Historical Books:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.  

The Poetic Books:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon  

Now comes a different set of books, which are known as the poetic books of the Bible: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. They don't relate historical experiences.  Rather they relate the experiences of the human heart. They do not advance the story of the nation of Israel. Instead, through the use of Hebrew poetry, they delve into the questions of suffering, wisdom, life, love, and most importantly, the character and nature of God. The Psalms do however have some prophecies about the coming Messiah.  

The next major section of the Old Testament is prophecy.

The Prophetic Books:  Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

These 17 books make up  about one-fourth of the Scriptures.  The office of prophet was instituted the days of Samuel, and those who were prophets stood along with the priests as God's special representatives. The men who wrote these books were called or appointed to "speak for" God Himself. God communicated His messages to them through a variety of means, including dreams, visions, angels, nature, miracles, and an audible voice.

A prophet’s primary function in the Old Testament (OT) was to serve as God’s representative or ambassador by communicating God’s word to his people. True prophets never spoke on their own authority or shared their personal opinions, but rather delivered the message God himself gave them.

Exodus 4:12 (NKJV)12  Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you

Jeremiah 1:9 (NKJV)9  Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Ezekiel 2:7 (NKJV)7  You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious.

And many of the OT prophetic books begin with the words, “The word of the LORD that came to whoever the prophet was.

The prophetic books have four major themes and purposes:

1. To expose the sinful practices of the people

2. To call the people back to the moral, civil, and ceremonial law of God

3. To warn the people of coming judgment

4. To anticipate the coming of Messiah

Unfortunately, the messages they shared from God were often rejected and their lives endangered.

Why is the Old Testament and the history of the Jews so important to us as Christians?  

Both Jews and Christians both claim to have God's Word.

Judaism. It is the oldest of the world's three great monotheistic religions (that is, religions serving one God). He revealed His law, the Torah, to the Jewish people (the first five books of the Old Testament) and He chose them to be a light for all humanity. The Torah contains some 613 commands which are summed up in the Ten Commandments.

A very important concept in Judaism is that of the Messiah. Originally the Jews believed that God would send a powerful messenger (the Messiah) who would deliver Israel from her oppressors and usher in a reign of peace and prosperity. Today many Jews no longer hold to a personal messiah, but hope for a messianic age of justice and truth. For the Jews the coming of the Messiah or the messianic age still lies in the future.

We Christians all owe a tremendous debt to the Jews. We have inherited so much from them, and from them came God's own Son, the Messiah. Faith in Him, that is, in His death and resurrection is why we are now reconciled to God and have hope for the future, the resurrection of the body and eternal life in the presence of God. We Christians can not only look back on a marvelous history, but forward to the day when His kingdom comes and brings all people together.  

So the Hebrew bible most if which is the Old Testament is very important because;

1. It reveals God—that there is a Creator, that the world didn't just happen, and that He is in control over everything at all times.

We read about creation in Genesis 1

Isaiah 46:9-10 (HCSB)9  Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; ⌊I am⌋ God, and no one is like Me.10  I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place, and I will do all My will.

2. It reveals that this God is a God of love who is deeply concerned about every person.   

Psalm 8:4-8 (HCSB)4  what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him?5  You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor.6  You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet:7  all the sheep and oxen, as well as the animals in the wild,8  the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea that pass through the currents of the seas.

Psalm 86:5 (HCSB)5  For You, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, rich in faithful love to all who call on You.

Psalm 100:5 (HCSB)5  For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

3. It reveals that God's love is defined by His laws.  The Ten Commandments, and the statutes and judgments based on those commandments, show us how to live God's way of love.  All of them are summed up by the two great laws of love that Jesus gave the in answer to a question from one of the scribes about which was the greatest commandment

Mark 12:29-31 (HCSB)29  “This is the most important,” Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One.30  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.31  “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

4. It reveals that sin brings suffering—that when we sin, there is a penalty. And if an entire nation sins, it eventually will reap the results of those sins. On the other hand, if an individual or a nation repents of sin and asks God for forgiveness, He is ready and willing to forgive

Deuteronomy 28:15-68 gives us a litany of the result of sin.  It’s talking about the nation of Israel but we can apply much of it to ourselves as individuals and as a nation.

But then when we or a nation repents and asks forgiveness;

Psalm 103:8-13 (HCSB)8  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.9  He will not always accuse ⌊us⌋ or be angry forever.10  He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him.12  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.13  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

5. It reveals the plan of God—that there would be a Savior who would pay the death penalty for your sins and my sins; that this Savior, the Messiah, would establish the Kingdom of God on earth; and that there would be a resurrection of the dead to eternal life

The entire 53rd chapter of Isaiah

Daniel 2:44 (HCSB)44  “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.  

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

Numbers 24:17 (NKJV)17  "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.  

6. It reveals that there would be a new covenant under which God would give people the gift of His Spirit, which would remove our heart of stone and replace it with a heart that would love and obey God

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (HCSB)31  “Look, the days are coming”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.32  ⌊This one will⌋ not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke even though I had married them”—the LORD’s declaration.33  “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the LORD’s declaration. “I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.34  No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration. “For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (HCSB)26  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.27  I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances.

7. It reveals that humanity is created in God's image, created to be like Him and to share rulership with God over the entire universe

Genesis 1:26-27 (HCSB)26  Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”27  So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

Hebrews 2:6-8 (HCSB)6  But one has somewhere testified: What is man that You remember him, or the son of man that You care for him?7  You made him lower than the angels for a short time; You crowned him with glory and honor8  and subjected everything under his feet. For in subjecting everything to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. As it is, we do not yet see everything subjected to him.  

The New Testament

Early New Testament Manuscript

Was written in Greek, which is a very complex language that emphasizes abstract concepts and subtle shades of meaning. Therefore, studying the New Testament demands greater diligence.  Like the Old Testament, the New Testament is not one book, but a collection of 27 individual books that reflect a wide range of themes, literary forms, and purposes

The Historical Books:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts

The first five books in the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John (called the Gospels), and Acts (Luke wrote Acts too)—are entirely narrative and the only historical books in the New Testament. The first the Gospels, are a historical account of the life and times of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whose birth, life, death, and resurrection were prophesied throughout the Old Testament. The book of Acts provides a factual report of the period from Christ's final words to His followers and His ascension into heaven to the travels and trials of the apostle Paul. Acts describes some of the key events in the spread of the gospes from Judea to the far reaches of the Roman Empire.

The Doctrinal Books:  Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude, Revelation

With the end of Acts and the historical books of the New Testament, the Bible moves to 22 letters (called epistles are letters of doctrine—teaching and instruction in Christian truth and practice.  A doctrine is a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group.

Paul is believed to be the writer of Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, the brother of Jesus wrote James, the apostle Peter wrote the books by his name, the apostle John wrote, in addition to the Gospel book, wrote the 3 epistles with his name and he wrote the book of Revelation.   Jude, which we studied a few months ago, was believed to be written by another half brother of Jesus and the brother of James.  There is some dispute about the author of Hebrews.  Most theologians believe that it was written by Paul.  

Bible Study Audio

<====IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BIBLE OR WANT ANOTHER ONE CLICK HERE====>

The Bible Session 5

Is the Bible the truly God's Word?  Christians say yes.  The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word?   These types of questions must be seriously examined if we are to determine the validity of the Bible’s claim to be the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Church of Divine Guidance Adult Bible Study Group is doing a study to address and answer these questions.  

Review

For the last 4 weeks we have been talking about the uniqueness of the bible.  How it was written over 1500 by at least 40 different people, translated into 1200 languages, it’s historically accurate, archaeology has proven many of the places in the bible existed the bible is scientifically accurate while being written well before science confirmed things like the earth being round, the vastness of the creation, that at one time everybody spoke the same language, as it says in Genesis, and finally all the fulfilled prophecies of the bible about nations and cities, and the Messiah.  

All this is evidence that the Bible is true and as it says in

2 Timothy 3:16 (HCSB)16  All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,

Psalm 119:160 (HCSB)160  The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.

One final evidence that the Bible is true is found in the testimony of those who have believed it. Multitudes of people, past and present, have found from personal experience that its promises are true, its counsel is sound, its commands and restrictions are wise, and its wonderful message of salvation meets every need for both time and eternity.

The Bible is an awe-inspiring book. However, we don't want merely to admire it; we need to understand it. In fact, the majority of people who have an opinion about the Bible--either positive or negative--don't understand what it says. Such understanding is crucial because the Bible is the Word of God, a fact that becomes especially apparent as you study it. So we need to know how to study the Bible. That encompasses four things: reading it, interpreting it, meditating on it, and teaching it.

The Old Testament

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, a comparatively simple language to understand.   It isn't a theoretical or philosophical language with a lot of abstraction. It is very concrete.  The Old Testament is broken up into 3 major sections; history, poetry, and prophecy.   

The Historical Books:  Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.  

These first 17 books of the Bible trace the history of man from creation through the inception and destruction of the nation of Israel. In the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), Israel is chosen, redeemed, and prepared to enter a promised homeland.  The remaining 12 historical books record the conquest of that land, a transition period in which judges ruled over the nation, the formation of the kingdom, and the division of that kingdom into northern (Israel) and southern (Judah) kingdoms, and finally the destruction and captivity of both kingdoms.  They record the history of the Jewish nation from its inception through its days of glory and deportation, and finally, to its days of survival as a small, insignificant nation surrounded by enemies intent on destroying it.

The Poetic Books:  Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon  

Now comes a different set of books, which are known as the poetic books of the Bible: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. They don't relate historical experiences.  Rather they relate the experiences of the human heart. They do not advance the story of the nation of Israel. Instead, through the use of Hebrew poetry, they delve into the questions of suffering, wisdom, life, love, and most importantly, the character and nature of God. The Psalms do however have some prophecies about the coming Messiah.  

For Psalms the Hebrew Bible uses the designation Tehillîm, which means "Praises."

All but thirty-four of the psalms bear some type of title.  Among the titled psalms, seventy-three use the inscription "A Psalm of David". The Hebrew usage may indicate "belonging to David," "connected with David," "concerning David," "for David," "dedicated to David," "in the style of David," or "by David."  It doesn’t necessarily mean that David was the author.  In addition to the seventy-three referred to David, twelve are connected with Asaph, who is mentioned in the bible as being assigned by David as a worship leader

1 Chronicles 6:31-32, 39 (HCSB)31  These are the men David put in charge of the music in the LORD’s temple after the ark came to rest there.32  They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations ⌊given⌋ to them.  39  Heman’s relative was Asaph, who stood at his right hand: Asaph son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,

2 Chronicles 29:30 (HCSB)30  Then King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to sing praise to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with rejoicing and bowed down and worshiped.

Twelve with the inscription  Sons of Korah

The fact that the Sons of Korah are authors of some of the Psalms is quite interesting and is a real testament to the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God.  Remember the occasion of the revolt against Moses and Aaron when the nation of Israel was in the wilderness?

Numbers 16:1-2, 23-24, 31-35 (HCSB)1  Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben,   250 prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. 23  The LORD replied to Moses,24  “Tell the community: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”31  Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open.32  The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all ⌊their⌋ possessions.33  They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly.34  At their cries, all ⌊the people of Israel⌋ who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too!”35  Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.

Korah died but his sons didn’t

Numbers 26:9-11 (HCSB)9  The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. (It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the community, who fought against Moses and Aaron; they and Korah’s followers fought against the LORD.10  The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men. They ⌊serve as⌋ a warning sign.11  The sons of Korah, however, did not die.)

The prophet Samuel came from the line of Korah

Samuel’s Levitical heritage comes through his father Elkanah, who was a descendant of Korah

1 Chronicles 6:22-27 (HCSB)22  Kohath’s sons: his son Amminadab, his son Korah, his son Assir,23  his son Elkanah, his son Ebiasaph, his son Assir,24  his son Tahath, his son Uriel, his son Uzziah, and his son Shaul.25  Elkanah’s sons: Amasai and Ahimoth,26  his son Elkanah, his son Zophai, his son Nahath,27  his son Eliab, his son Jeroham, and his son Elkanah.

1 Samuel 1:1 (HCSB)1  There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

The Korahites became doorkeepers and custodians for the tabernacle

1 Chronicles 9:19 (HCSB)19  Shallum son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah and his relatives from his ancestral household, the Korahites, were assigned to guard the thresholds of the tent. Their ancestors had been assigned to the LORD’s camp as guardians of the entrance.

During the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle.

1 Chronicles 6:31-38 (HCSB)31  These are the men David put in charge of the music in the LORD’s temple after the ark came to rest there.32  They ministered with song in front of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem, and they performed their task according to the regulations ⌊given⌋ to them.33  These are the men who served with their sons. From the Kohathites: Heman the singer, son of Joel, son of Samuel,34  son of Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Eliel, son of Toah,35  son of Zuph, son of Elkanah, son of Mahath, son of Amasai,36  son of Elkanah, son of Joel, son of Azariah, son of Zephaniah,37  son of Tahath, son of Assir, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah,38  son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, son of Israel.

Two Psalms ascribed to with Solomon, one to Ethan,

This may be the Ethan who wrote the Psalm

1 Chronicles 15:19 (HCSB)19  The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals;

And one to Moses.

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.

The essence of the Book of Proverbs is the teaching of moral and ethical principles.

The book of Ecclesiastes gets its name from the Greek version, which has the title ekklēsiastēs, "assembly." The name in Hebrew is literally qōhelet, "one who assembles." This has been taken to mean either "one who collects" wise sayings or "one who addresses an assembly," that is, a preacher or speaker, the implication being that one assembles a group for the purpose of addressing it. It is a narrative written by what some translations say is the Preacher others the Teacher.

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (HCSB)1  The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2  “Absolute futility,” says the Teacher. “Absolute futility. Everything is futile.”

Ecclesiastes 1:1-2 (NKJV)1  The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2  "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

According to rabbinic tradition, Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon in his old age.

The Book of Ecclesiastes does not directly identify its author. There are quite a few verses that imply Solomon wrote this book. There are some clues in the context that may suggest a different person wrote the book after Solomon’s death, possibly several hundred years later. Still, the conventional belief is that the author is indeed Solomon.

The primary aim of the author is to show from personal experience that all earthly goals and blessings, when pursued as ends in themselves, lead to dissatisfaction and emptiness. The highest good in life lies in reverencing and obeying God, and in enjoying life while one can. Thus the author was a man of faith; he was skeptical only of human wisdom and endeavor.

The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.

The Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon is obviously a poem of love. The difficulty is how to interpret it. Some view it as;

1. Allegorical. This was the interpretation common among the Jews from ancient times, and from them it has passed over into the Christian Church. The Jews regarded the Song as expressing the love relationship between God and his chosen people. The Christian Church saw in it reflected love between Christ and the Church.

2. The dramatic view. The essence of this view is that the Song is a drama representing Solomon as having fallen in love with a rustic girl, the Shulamite, whom he takes to his royal palace in Jerusalem.

3. The typical view. This view, too, holds that in the Song there is portrayed the great love between Christ and the Church, King Solomon being regarded as a type of Christ, and the bride as representing the Church.

4. The natural or literal view. The basic tenet of this view is that the Song is a poem extolling human love. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.

Bible Study Audio

<====IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BIBLE OR WANT ANOTHER ONE CLICK HERE====>

The Bible Session 4

Is the Bible the truly God's Word?  Christians say yes.  The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word?   These types of questions must be seriously examined if we are to determine the validity of the Bible’s claim to be the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Church of Divine Guidance Adult Bible Study Group is doing a study to address and answer these questions.  

Review

For the last 3 weeks we have been talking about the uniqueness of the bible.  How it was written over 1500 by at least 40 different people, translated into 1200 languages, it’s historically accurate, archaeology has proven many of the places in the bible existed.  

Last week we talked about the bible being scientifically accurate with the fact that many of the principles of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible long before scientist confirmed them experimentally.  

Things like the roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22), the vastness of the creation (Jeremiah 33:22), and everybody on the earth at one time spoke the same language (Genesis 11:1).  

We started to talking about fulfilled prophecy.  About 30% of the Bible is prophecy.  We looked at some prophecies about cities last week.  The important thing about biblical prophecies about cities was not that they would be destroyed or captured because skeptics have suggested that a message of impending doom spoken against an ancient city must come true eventually. The prophecies in the Bible are very specific such that the details of one city’s prophecies do not fit the next one.

We looked at prophecies about Jerusalem, Tyre, Nineveh, and Babylon.

This week let’s look at some prophecies about the Messiah.  

Josh McDowell, in his books mentions 61 specific prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

His birthplace;

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)2  "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

Luke 2:4-7 (HCSB)4  And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David,5  to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant.6  While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.7  Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

His ancestry;

Numbers 24:17 (NKJV)17  "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.  

Matthew 1:1-16

The slaughter of innocent children;

Jeremiah 31:15 (NKJV)15  Thus says the LORD: "A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more."

Matthew 2:16-18 (HCSB)16  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.17  Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:18  A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.

His betrayal by a friend;

Psalm 41:9 (NKJV)9  Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

John 13:18 (NKJV)18  I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'

He would die with criminals and be buried with the wealthy;

Isaiah 53:9 (NKJV)9  And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Luke 23:33 (NKJV)33  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

Matthew 27:57-60 (NKJV)57  Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.58  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.59  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,60  and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.

He would rise from the dead;

Psalm 16:8-11 (NKJV)8  I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.10  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.11  You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Matthew 28:5-6 (NKJV)5  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.6  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

<====IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BIBLE OR WANT ANOTHER ONE CLICK HERE====>