Come to Understanding

Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

December 14, 2006
Volume 5 Number 24

Who Has Become Our Salvation?

After the prophet Samuel came to Bethlehem, Yahweh told him to anoint David with oil:

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. -1 Samuel 16

As the Spirit of Yahweh accompanied the physical anointing with oil, David was anointed to become the King of Israel.

As we begin to understand the Word of God more clearly, we learn that Yahweh uses earthly types to show spiritual truths. We also find that He uses historical people and events as prophetic methods to show the future.
Anointing with olive oil is an earthly representation of the anointing with the Spirit of God.

The word, "anointed," is translated from the Hebrew word xyvm (mashiyach), which is also translated as the English word, "Messiah." The Greek word Cristov (Christos) also means "anointed" and is translated into English as "Christ." Therefore, as David was anointed by the Spirit of Yahweh, he was anointed as a type of the Messiah, or Christ.

When Isaiah prophesied, He clearly revealed the coming Messiah as the one who is anointed with the Spirit of Yahweh:

1 The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he might be glorified. -Isaiah 61

Isaiah also prophesied that "God is my salvation." Calling God by both the short and long form of His name, he said that "Yah Yahweh" "is become my salvation:"

2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for Yah Yahweh is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. -Isaiah 12

The prophetic Psalm 118 also confirms the prophecy that "Yah is become my salvation," as Yahweh reveals His right hand for our salvation:

14 Yah is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of Yahweh does valiantly. -Psalms 118

Salvation comes through One who comes in the name of Yahweh:

25 Save now, I beseech you, O Yahweh: O Yahweh, I beseech you, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed is he that comes in the name of Yahweh: we have blessed you out of the house of Yahweh. -Psalms 118

Who could come in the name of Yahweh and out of the house of Yahweh but the Son of Yahweh? He proclaimed that He has begotten the Son:

7 I will declare the decree: Yahweh has said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. –Psalms 2

The prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled. Nearly a thousand years after David was anointed to be the King of Israel and about six hundred years after Isaiah prophesied that "Yah Yahweh is my salvation,
the angel announced that the Son would be born. The Son would come in the name of the Father, which is Yahweh and, in its short form, Yah. In addition to bearing the name of God, He was also to bear the name which means Savior. The angel proclaimed that His name means that he "shall save his people from their sins:"

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name YAHSHUA: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1

The name "Yahshua" is the English translation of the Hebrew name meaning "Yah is salvation." The name "Jesus" is the English translation of the Latin translation of the Greek translation of His Hebrew name.

Just as David was from Bethlehem, Yahshua (Jesus) was also born in that small town:

1 Now when Yahshua was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. -Matthew 2

His birthplace fulfilled Micah’s prophecy. The prophet Micah prophesied that the ruler of Israel would come out of Bethlehem (also called Bethlehem Ephratah):

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. -Micah 5

He was not only described as the "King of the Jews," but the angel also proclaimed that Yahshua is the Savior and the Messiah:

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is the Messiah the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. -Luke 2

Although He, like all of us, was born as a child, He did not remain a child:

40 And the child grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. -Luke 2

After He grew stronger in the spirit and in the grace of God, Yahshua was baptized in the Jordan River and anointed with the Spirit of God:

16 And Yahshua, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: -Matthew 3

Although Yahshua was born in Bethlehem, He was raised in Nazareth. There, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and read directly from the Scriptures:

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. -Luke 4

After He read to them from Isaiah 61, it became clear that this was no ordinary reading about some far off event. He told them, "This day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears." He was the one who was anointed with the Spirit of Yahweh to preach the gospel, or the good news. He was the promised Messiah:

17 And there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

21 And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. -Luke 4

The "right hand of Yahweh" has been revealed. Yah really is our strength and our song. He has become our salvation:

14 Yah is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of Yahweh does valiantly. -Psalms 118

God has fulfilled His promise:

32 And we declare to you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made to the fathers,

33 God has fulfilled the same to us their children, in that he has raised up Yahshua again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you. –Acts 13

Yahweh declares that He told us from ancient times. There is no other God and there is no other Savior:

21 Tell you, and bring them near; yes, let them take counsel together: who has declared this from ancient time? who has told it from that time? have not I Yahweh? and there is no God else besides me; a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me.

22 Look to me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. –Isaiah 45

Yah has become our salvation.

Clarification: The December 1, 2006 issue of Come to Understanding suggested that Moses entered the Promised Land. Because he disobeyed the command of Yahweh, he was not given that opportunity (see Numbers 20:11-12).

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www.ibiblical.orgScriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.