Oracles of God

Dear Brethren,

The apostle Paul chided the church brethren for not being as mature as they could be.  It was a very serious reproach, pointing out that they were unskilled in the Word of Righteousness – the basics of the Oracles of God.  Do we know the basic principles of the Plan of God and the Doctrines of Jesus Christ?  Paul told the church brethren:

“You are dull of hearing.  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness.”  (Hebrews 5:11-13)

Paul then goes on to enumerate seven steps in the Plan of God, and he calls each of these basic points – the Doctrines of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes we use the phrase, “It goes without saying,” but then, for emphasis, we say it anyway!  Paul uses a similar approach when writing to the Hebrews.  Because of the extreme gravity of the subject material Paul says, “Not laying the foundation again...” but then he goes on to list the foundational principles of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”  (Hebrews 6:1-2)

These seven sequential and fundamental points describe the development of God’s Plan.  They are in perfect harmony with the prophetic meaning of the annual Feasts of the Lord given in Leviticus 23.  One reason that some people have a difficult time understanding the Bible is because they lack the understanding of how God is working out His Plan.  That is why Paul called those Christians, “babes.”  When they should have been teachers in the Church of God, they did not understand how the Holy Days and the Doctrines of Jesus Christ describe God’s Plan in the lives of men.

“If any man speaks, let him speak as the Oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever.”  (1Peter 4:11)

What are the Oracles of God?  The sacred revelations, teachings, laws, and utterances of God given to men, are Oracles of God.  We see that Moses received the Oracles (Acts 7:38) and, also, to the Jews were committed the Oracles of God (Romans 3:2).  God has progressively revealed His Oracles to the prophets of old, ancient Israel, the apostles, and the New Testament Church of God – establishing His Plan of Salvation to call many sons and daughters to glory (Heb 2:10).

The following is the Seven Step Plan of God as revealed in the Doctrines of Jesus Christ and the Seven Annual Feasts of the Lord.

1.   FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE

“The foundation of repentance from dead works...” (Hebrews 6:1)
Repentance means to "turn around," and stop sinning.

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover.”  (Lev 23:5)

The Feast of Passover pictures deliverance, Christ’s shed blood, past sins covered…

God calls us and grants us repentance (John 6:44, 65, Acts 5:31, Romans 2:4)

2.  BELIEVE GOD – FAITH TOWARD GOD

“Faith toward God…”  (Hebrews 6:1)
Faith = belief = obedience = come out of sin (John 6:29).
The Days of Unleavened Bread picture coming out of sin.  This leads to reconciliation to the Father (2 Cor 5:19, Isa 59:2, Lev 23:27).

Beginning with the Night to be Much Observed (Exodus 12:42),“The fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat Unleavened Bread.”  (Lev 23:6)  Israel came out of Egypt at this time.

3.  BAPTISMS – DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS

“The doctrine of baptisms (pl)…” (Hebrews 6:2)
Choose God – or choose death.

“He [Jesus] shall baptize you with Holy Spirit, or with fire.”
(Mat 3:11)

“Our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”  (1Co 10:1-2 This occurred at Unleavened Bread. Lev 23:6)

4.  NEW SPIRIT – LAYING ON HANDS

“The laying on of hands…” (Hebrews 6:2)  The laying on of hands, after baptism, is when God the Father gives of His Spirit, conveying son-ship to the recipient - now are we the sons of God (1 John 3:2).  God put His Spirit in those at the first Pentecost (Acts 2:1, Jn 3:5)  (Leviticus 23:15-17 is Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Firstfruits).  “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”   The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34) will see God's Holy Spirit poured out on all men (Joel 2:28).

5.  NEW LIFE – RESURRECTIONS

“The resurrection of the dead…”  (Hebrews 6:2)  (All 1Corinthians 15)

“If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”  (1Co 15:17)

Christians are a part of the first and better resurrection (1 Thes 4:16, Heb 11:35)

There is an order to the resurrections (1Co 15:23, Rev 20:12, Jhn 5:28).

The Feast of Trumpets pictures the time when Jesus will return with the resurrected saints (Leviticus 23:24, Rev 19:14)

The Feast of Atonement will see another fulfillment after Christ's return, when all the world has opportunity to be reconciled to the Father (Lev 23:27).

6.  FINAL DISPOSITION – ETERNAL JUDGMENT

“Eternal judgment...”  (Heb 6:2, Jhn 7:37 Last Great Day)

We shall all give account of ourselves (Rom 14:9-12). “I saw a Great White Throne… And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”  (Rev 20:11-12, Leviticus 23:36)

7.  ETERNAL PERFECTION – GOING ON TO PERFECTION

“Let us go on unto perfection…”  (Heb 6:1)  (All Rev 21 (a new heaven and a new earth), Jhn 7:37 Last Great Day)

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”  (Eph 4:13)

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”
  (1 Cor 2:9)

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Hear the three-part series on the Plan of God

Sermon: “Plan of God”  
Sermon: “Seven Step Plan”  
Sermon: “Oracles of God”  

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