As I wrote before, with my morning coffee, the first thing I do is to read the Bible, with a uniball vision pen nearby. (the .075 fine, I'm a writer, we get kinda funny about particular pens, and this is one of my favorites, along with fountain pens)

In the upper margins of the Bible, on the first page of the Epistle, I wrote the word:


Blood.

the same thing on top of the second page:

Blood.


".....for obedience to Jesus Christ and the sprinkling by His Blood". 1 Peter 1:2c

and then

"But with the precious Blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect". 1 Peter 1:19

Wedged between these two references to the Blood, are the workings of two entities, "your faith" and "the prophets:.

In the upper margin of the page I wrote this:

"The prophets----a Spirit of Messiah in them.
b. serving you."

serving you.

I underlined this passage of Scripture:

.....the salvation of your souls". 1 Peter 1:9b

The way I read it, as the Spirit gives is this: we are free from the bonds of death, because now we no longer fear death, but live in reverent fear of God.

Does the word "salvation" only reference the fact that whence we die, we go to be with God in the new Jerusalem?


"the salvation of our souls"

for what purpose?

Now. Here and now. This ties into the next passage that I so adore and that ties in the whole Vine:

"Concerning this salvation, [b]the prophets[/b]
who spoke of the grace that was to come to [b] you[/b] searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ [b]in them[/b] was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." 1 Peter 1:10-11

here's where I believe it gets really good, because why were these lone prophets, mostly despised by men "searching" so "intently" and with "the greatest care"?

"It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but [b]you[/b] when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven"

These last portion I yellow hi-lited a long while back,

"Even angels long to look into these things".
1 Peter 1:12

What these prophets were uncovering was so huge that even angels were desirous to look into "these things".

"these things".

What ARE "these things"?

the coming of Messiah. Not only as a Final atonement offering, but to bring the Goodness and the Mercy and the Word of God to the nations.

Jesus was the bridge to the "nations", Jesus was not only the Grafter of "ingrafted vines", but thru Him, the First Evangelist bringing to the "nations" the Truth that Yahweh is the God of ALL.

Jesus is the Bridge, the Branch that was spoken of.

Please let me tell you something, Jews, rabbinical Jews don't have a urge, a burden to go to the nations, and speak of the Glory and the Mercy and the Compassion of the One and Only God, Yahweh. God knew this. Of course, in the time of the Lord, there would be "God-fearer's", those that believed in the One Unseen God, Yahweh, but they would always be considered "gentiles".

Thru the Atoning Blood of the unblemished Lamb, God said "NO, cleanse yourself in the Precious Blood of my Son, and you too, O Nations, shall also be a "chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God." 1 Peter 2:9a

the prophets SAW this, foresaw this great miracle, this grace, that from a tiny sliver of land, a tiny band of people, chosen of God, from this tribe would come the Messiah to bring the Good News, the Gospel to the WHOLE WORLD.

it was so huge, that angels longed to look into such things, God adjudged the time that this Most Holy Faith would become worldwide.

I mean, look at the world of that day. (forget for a second of the world of today) You had a world, where poles would be worshipped, where "sacred prostitutues" would be plying their wares IN "TEMPLES"(!), both women and male prostitutes, a world were men earned fortunes peddling silver statutes of artemis and a whole panoply of "gods", a world where infants would be cut open and sacrificed and burned, and God said "enough", and Jesus was born, ministered,raised the dead, healed the sick, drove out demons, mentored a tiny band of apostles and disciples, and then willingly drank the Cup of Wrath, went to the Cross, died as an atoning Lamb, the final pascal Lamb, was buried, and then on the Third day, rose from the dead, and gave his disciples their Commission, the Great Commission.

Even angels long to look into such things.

Can you see Isaiah sitting in heaven, the prophet who wrote of the coming Christ in his 4 "suffering Servant" songs, sitting with Peter, Cephas, the first New Covenant man, who uttered the words, "You are the Messiah".

I'm not even through the first chapter, and I have to drive a dear friend to the airport, but please allow me to reiterate three things:

1. The Precious Blood of Christ

2. The prophets who had this revelation of Messiah revealed to them not to serve [b]themselves[/b] but to serve [b]you[/b]

3. "the salvation of your souls"

in closing, why this "salvation of your souls"?
so we can sit in heaven and have a merry old time?

We know the answer, "no", the salvation of our souls is for NOW, right NOW, for this second, this moment, this day that stretches before us, so that we can reflect the Glory of God NOW, today.

May God bless the patient reader of my meager offerings from this keyboeard, may you be blessed in Christ as I have been by writing this,neil