19And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
The last time we were in Peter, we addressed evidence for faith. The focus was on the lives of the apostles and all those that heard. That is a serious piece of evidence. Today Peter refers to the prophetic word of God. The prophecy in the bible is something that allows us to believe the validity of the bible.
Jesus himself fulfilled so many prophecies about the messiah. It detailed where he would be born (Bethlehem), where he would be raised (Nazareth), that someone would introduce His arrival (John the Baptist), that He would teach in parables, that He would be rejected, the manner of death, that Judas’ betrayal money would buy a potter’s field, that He would rise from the dead and so on. He fulfilled around thirty prophecies on the day of His death. It’s conceivable that someone could be an imposter and fulfill some. However, to do what He did is statistically impossible unless He really was the messiah.
The bible is full of other prophecies. One amazing one was about king Cyrus. He is prophesied about 150 years before his birth. He is described by name as one who would be of aid to Israel. This was before they were captive as a nation. This is an amazing example of God foretelling the future by naming names and events.
God loves us and wants us to be confident in Him and His Word. Prophecy is enough to silence the skeptics doubts.
Lord, thank You for prophecy. Thank You that You’re Word can be trusted. Help us to delve into it and build our relationship with You.