Bible Verse of the day Friday August 4th, 2023

Acts 2:29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

On the day of the birth of the Christian church during the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter took the floor and spoke to the people of Israel and the Jewish converts. Peter let them all know that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had witnessed performing many miracles through God's power, was, in fact, the promised descendant of King David, the Promised Messiah. He further told them that David, the great King of Israel, was dead and laid to rest in his tomb. David, the great patriarch and recognized established king of Israel, was also a prophet in his time. He spoke of the one from his descendants who would eternally occupy His symbolic royal throne. David further told them that this descendant of his would live and never die. Peter also explained that Jesus, the one that they had sent to the Cross, was the one David spoke of.

The tomb of David was apparent to Israelites living on Peter's Day; David stayed in his grave, and they could visit his tomb whenever they chose. Most likely, many in Peter's audience had seen David's tomb in Jerusalem. Since David had passed away and his body had experienced decay, he could not be the promised Messiah. King David was not the Messiah, only the King of Israel. He was not speaking of himself in his writing concerning the coming of the promised Messiah.

God had disclosed 'the path of life' to His servant David. The Lord had shown him the only path to eternal life, which filled his heart and soul with great delight in God's holy presence. The first time we read this wonderful Psalm (Psalm 16), it might seem like David spoke of himself when he penned these words: "You will not leave My soul in Hades, nor allow Your Holy One to see decay." Nonetheless, as Peter correctly teaches the people of Israel that day, King David had long since passed away, was buried, and the deteriorating remnants of his decaying body were still disintegrating in a tomb in Jerusalem.' In David's writings in Psalm 16, David did not speak concerning himself. Peter wanted his audience that day and to us this day to understand that Davis did not write concerning himself but about Jesus, whom those gathered there that day sent to the Cross. 

Peter acknowledged that though this Psalm made mention of David, it declared someone superior to David – the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus most likely taught Peter and the other disciples this when He taught them from the Scriptures. This concept is the gospel message in its entirety, Jesus paid a sin debt he did not owe, one that we owed but could never pay. God verified that the morning Jesus walked out of the tomb he had lay in. By Jesus' resurrection, God proved that He was our savior and the only way to a full life in the here and now and an eternal life spent with the one that made it possible for us. Without the resurrection, we would have reason to doubt that Jesus paid our sin debt in total, so we come to God's house on the first day of the week to worship and praise Him for His great love, grace, and mercy.