Is Jesus Mentioned in the Old Testament?

Tom: In this our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we’re in the book of Acts. We’re in Acts:8:31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
See All.... And of course, this is Philip who is being led by the Holy Spirit, and he’s led to a man of Ethiopia who was in charge of the treasure of the queen of the Ethiopians, and he’s reading from the Book of Isaiah and not quite understanding it, is he, Dave?

Dave: Yes, but he has a copy of it.

Tom: He has a copy of it, right.

Dave: And I don’t think he bought it in Jerusalem. He brought it with him. He’s reading it on the way home.

Tom: Now, Dave, this might be a little controversial, and I know you like to steer of that, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway…

Dave: Right. Absolutely.

Tom: In verse 29 it says, “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” You know, a lot of people say that we’re anti-charismatic, anti-gifts, and so on…I don’t know where they get that idea. Over years and years we take the position that A.W. Tozer takes, that we don’t find anything in the Word of God that would say that the gifts are not for today.

Dave: But we want them to be the real thing.

Tom: Exactly, and that’s a large problem. That’s why I say this is going to be a bit controversial.

Dave: Tom, how many people have said to me, “Let me tell you what God told me today about you,” you know? Well, He didn’t tell me. That’s almost like when I get up in the morning, I ought to have some neon sign up in the sky giving me my orders for the day. You’ve got the Bible. You better read that and study that, and the Lord will give you insights and understanding. I don’t know how He said this to Philip. Maybe it was just an impression that he had. He realized he’s got to join himself to this chariot.

Tom: This whole thing was a miraculous event.

Dave: Yes it was.

Tom: He didn’t just get on his bike and tool off and run down the chariot.

Dave: Right. Right.

Tom: But, here’s my question. And, again, I want to do this cautiously because, as we’ve noted, there’s so many fakes, there’s so many flaky claims to be led of the Holy Spirit, and so on. But nevertheless, Dave, couldn’t God do this today? Couldn’t God speak to your heart? Couldn’t God speak audibly to somebody? But it wouldn’t be an everyday event.

Dave: Of course. But, Tom, let me put it in these terms: last week I mentioned my little experience on the plane (I’ve had this so many times) where the gentlemen across the aisle asked me to change places with him. Now, why would God have to say to me, “Dave, take the place of that man across the aisle, and get him to change seats with you!” He didn’t have to do that, because the Lord had somehow arranged for that man’s wife to be sitting next to me, next to the window, and he wanted to come over and do it. 

So, you see, there’s one of the problems, Tom. Oh, it would be much more spectacular if I had had a voice from God telling me, “Talk this guy into changing seats with you.” Well, I could give a great testimony about that. Wow! “God told me to do this.” But God didn’t have to tell me to do that. But it is just as much guidance as if He had told me to do that. 

I have missed planes - never my fault, I don’t think (maybe once or twice), because I’m pretty careful about getting there on time when it comes to airplanes. Maybe some other things - now, Tom, don’t tell on me.

Tom: All I have to do is mention the flight that you thought was Friday, but was actually Thursday of last week, Dave. Now, come on here. 

Dave: Well, now that is one of the very few exceptions.

Tom: Yes, that’s the exception to the rule.

Dave: And, again, that was all in the Lord’s will. He allowed me to make that mistake because…

Tom: But He does that. He creates opportunities for us.

Dave: Right. Right.

Tom: It’s wonderful.

Dave: I remember being shuffled from one plane to another. They all kept having mechanical problems, and I think the third one, finally - and I have a special number I call - “Get over to this gate quickly,” you know. And I finally get over there, and just as I step aboard, the first class flight attendant standing there, you know, at the front, “Dave Hunt! You’re just the guy I wanted to talk to!” Well, I didn’t get a voice from God telling me to get over there. But the Lord worked the circumstances out. So that was where it went. 

But, Tom, yes, God works in amazing ways, and I see Him guide my life. And, you know, you’ve heard me say many times - almost…not every time, but almost every time I get off of an airplane, I just say, “God, you did it again. I don’t know how you do it!” But He doesn’t have to talk to me to tell me to make some decision. 

But I remember one plane that landed in Chicago. When it hit the runway, the hydraulics went out. It had to be towed up to the gate, so I missed…anyway, Tom, the man I sat next to on the next plane, that’s the one God wanted me to sit next to. But He didn’t give me a voice from heaven. It could happen; He could have done that. But, Tom, we live in a much more organized society today. So it’s more likely that God is going to work the circumstances in our schedules or whatever.

Tom: But, Dave, the bottom line is the content that you were there for, it was the Word of God.

Dave: Amen.

Tom: You were preaching and teaching the Word of God. God arranged a circumstance and situation to have you in a place where you spoke His Word, you preached the truth, and people respond.

Dave: Amen.

Tom: That’s the bottom line. Many times we get letters from people that said that they’re Spirit led, and so on, and you’ll find out the content of what they’re promoting, it’s all subjective. It’s all stuff that they’ve either made up - and some cases it’s so contrary to the Word of God that you think, God could not be involved in this. 

Dave: Right.

Tom: So we need to test the spirits, test all of these things, but not deny what God is able to do. That’s my point.

Dave: Right. And stick with the Bible.

Tom: Amen. Amen. Verse 30: “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth.” And that’s Isaiah 53.

Dave: So, Tom, it was miraculous how God put Philip right there. Miraculously said to Philip, “Join yourself to this chariot.” But the man was ready. That’s why God had him there. The man invited Philip up. I’ll never forget an ex-Marine pilot - I shouldn’t have been in that seat, I shouldn’t have been on that plane, and so forth - but anyway, without going into those details, his first words when he sat down beside me were, “ I want to know God!” Well, that’s the way the Lord does it. He caused that man to sit there. And He will bring us in contact with people who want to know the truth. You don’t have to knock your head against the wall trying to persuade somebody.

Tom: Yeah, but, Dave, some people say, “Yeah, but I don’t know as much as Dave Hunt, man. You know, suppose somebody asks a question and I don’t have the answer?” If God provides the opportunity, it seems to me He’s going to have you there with what you have with what you know. He’s not going to create it out of a vacuum. But if somebody has something to give that will be a blessing to somebody else, God’s going to have you equipped and in that right place to do it no matter where you are: how mature you are in the Word, and so on, I think.

Dave: That’s true, Tom. But the Lord is going to teach us through these experiences, too, so I couldn’t say how many times I came home from an encounter and I fell on my face before the Lord and said, “God, I didn’t have the answer. Please help me. I want to have the answer the next time that question is asked.” So we learn. We don’t know everything at once. And we learn over a period of time.

Tom: But we’re just not to be that reluctant or self-conscious - actually that’s what I was getting at.

Dave: Absolutely. We’re trusting in the Lord. “And the place of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” Well, Tom, we’re not going to be able to finish this. But he’s going to ask Philip, “Is he talking about himself, or about some other man?” But the man had that much sense to recognize…

Now, the Jewish people today who say, “Well, that was Israel he was talking about. Couldn’t have been the Messiah.” They wouldn’t dare to admit this was the Messiah, because it goes on - it’s very clear… 

Tom, you could write out - I’ll just make this suggestion to people out there: type out Isaiah 53 on a blank piece of paper. Don’t tell them where it came from, and ask some Jewish friend, or ask anybody, almost: “This is in the Bible. Who do you think it’s talking about?” I guarantee you they’ll say, “Oh, that’s Jesus. Oh, that’s Jesus. Yes.” A Jewish man might say, “Well, that must be some Protestant, some Christian from today, who wrote that.” No, surprise, surprise! It was your ancient prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 53, and he was talking about the Messiah. Now who do you think the Messiah might be?