We have found that it was often by bringing us into severe trials, ordeals, putting us under crucial tests, that the Lord develops more and more our faith, our love, our trust, our hope in Him. He would have us learn well our lesson, that without Him we can do nothing, but that with His blessing and favor all things are ours, because we are Christ’s and Christ is God’s. Let us, then, in all the important junctures of life, be sure that we are seeking chiefly the divine will, as expressed in the divine promise, the Oath-Bound Covenant: let us seek it patiently, earnestly, persistently—let us wrestle with the Lord that thereby we may be made the stronger, that when the proper and advantageous experiences have been enjoyed the blessing will come—at the proper moment to do us the most good and in the manner that would be most helpful.

We See this scripture was very much in the minds of the Jew back at our Lord’s first Advent. This is one aspect of the Messiah, to be a mediator of a New Covenant like Moses was of the Old (Law) Covenant. So one question we might ask; Was Deuteronomy 18:15 fulfilled by AD 33? The answer is no. This role of mediator was not an operation of Jesus’ First Advent. The purpose of the First Advent was to pay the “Ransom”, and start the Gospel Age (calling of the Bride). This will certainly be fulfilled during his Second Coming.

KING DAVID prospered under the Lord’s blessing, and he established Israel’s kingdom upon a good footing, which assured peace and respect from the surrounding nations. Living now in a palace in Jerusalem, with the tabernacle of divine service near by, the king bethought him of the incongruity of his living in a grander house than that of his God, and of the fact that the heathen built temples for their idols. The Prophet Nathan was a friend and close counselor of the king, and to him David made known his thought of building a temple. Possibly he had the suspicion that such an innovation might not be proper and that he would do well to have counsel on the subject. Doubtless the lesson of Uzzah made him more careful respecting everything purposed or done in connection with the tabernacle and its services. To the prophet the suggestion seemed a good one, reverential, proper. He endorsed it, saying, “God is with thee,” therefore doubtless he will prosper you in this good thought in respect to this generous impulse of your heart.

The “hour” began at the First Advent in Israel, and Jerusalem did become a center of attraction in the beginning of the Gospel Age. After AD 69, Jerusalem lost significance for the Christian, and the worship of the Father in spirit and in truth became paramount. In the Kingdom too, Jerusalem will be the center of worship, education, etc., but it will fade out in time.

Verse 6 requires a little more examination. “This is he that came by water [baptism] and blood [crucifixion, death], even Jesus Christ.” Jesus began his ministry with water baptism. At that time, John the Baptist made a startling announcement, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Earlier John had said he was not worthy to stoop down and unloose the latchet of Messiah’s shoes (Mark 1:7). The start of Jesus’ earthly ministry was quickly noised abroad in Jewry. “Water” was the start of his ministry, and “blood” was the conclusion of his ministry, when he died on the Cross. Both events were startling, and both were accompanied by signs.

With regard to Jesus, some Old Testament prophecies were a primary fulfillment in him, and others were secondary. Thus Old Testament prophecies in the New Testament often indicate that we should go back to where they were originally given, for buried in them is a picture of Messiah. Jesus was sent into Egypt so that he could be called back out of Egypt. The coming out of Egypt pictures the called-out ones (the ecclesia) of the Gospel Age. Thus Jesus, the Church, and Israel were all called out of Egypt either literally or symbolically.

Part 2: The Samaritans: There was a great deal of prejudice between Jewry and the Samaritans. We see in the scriptures below, the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans because they did not feel they were legitimate Jews. Their is thought that they were half breeds so to speak, not full blooded Jews. The Samaritans themselves thought of themselves as Jews, because they had Abraham as their father also. But since we know the Jesus himself went and testified to the Samaritans and converted them, he considered them Jews, even if the rest of the nation did not. Because of the extreme prejudice it was necessary for Jesus himself to approach the Samaritans.

The Islamic teachings of the coming of their messiah, are very similar to the popular Protestant ideas of the coming Messiah that the Papacy taught to throw the scent off of them. Up until recently all Protestants understood and believed that the Papacy was the Antichrist.

Luk 13:6-9 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. (7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? (8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

“He [God] shall give strength unto his king [Jesus], and exalt the horn of his anointed [the Church].” This statement expands the earlier thought of Hannah’s own individual horn being exalted (verse 1). The humbling of Jesus and his Church is to be reversed, and as a result, that horn will be exalted in all the earth. Both applications are good. Hannah was fitting the “horn” into her own circumstance, but the Holy Spirit moved her to use language, exuberance, and profound thoughts that were much more significant than she could possibly understand at that time.