An Inspired Heritage (1 Peter 1:10–12)

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
– 1 Peter 1:10–12

That is amazing. Think about what 1 Peter is saying here: the prophets—take Isaiah, for example—who prophesied 700 years before Jesus came (about 2,700 years before today), were serving you.

1 Peter 1:10–12 shows how God used the prophets to point us to Jesus.

That is what this passage says. Isaiah was not ultimately serving himself. Neither were Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, or any of the prophets.

These men went through intense trials—part of what 1 Peter 1 addresses, as earlier we read about being “grieved by various trials.” This world is hard, and trials weigh heavily on us. Yet Scripture says that these prophets wrote down God’s revelation to serve you today.

Ultimately, they served you by pointing you to Jesus. They wrote truths about his sufferings and his glory—truths that were then passed from person to person. Now they have been announced to you through those who preached the good news by the Holy Spirit.

Think about the people in your life who shared the gospel with you, and the people who shared it with them, and those who shared it with them. Every link in that chain goes back to the prophets who wrote down God’s Word. All of them were serving you—leading you to salvation in Jesus and helping you trust God in your trials.

1 Peter 1:10–12 reminds us that Scripture strengthens us in trials.

So here is the encouragement: Be in God’s Word every day.

Realize that those who wrote Scripture did so to serve you—to lead you to life in Jesus, to reassure you of the promises and purposes of God in a fallen world, to help you when you are tempted to lose faith or lose heart. They echo to you again and again: Take heart. Trust God. Trust God. Trust God.

All who wrote God’s revelation are serving us. Let’s allow them to serve us daily through the Word.

O God, we praise you for your Word. We praise you for revealing your Word by your Spirit to Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Ezekiel, and all the prophets. We praise you for their faithfulness—faithfulness that served not themselves but us. Help us live in that service by soaking in your Word, in your promises, and in the stories of your faithfulness passed down through generations.

Lord, help us stand in the trials of this world. Help us persevere in faith with patience, as James 5 teaches, knowing that you are faithful. Thank you for giving us a record of your faithfulness to help us stand—not only when we first come to faith in Jesus, but in every moment as we walk by faith.

And, God, help us pass on your Word to others. Help us announce to others the good news—by your Holy Spirit—of who you are and what you have done. Help us do that faithfully among the people around us today, and faithfully among the nations.

A Prayer for the Kunbi People

We pray especially for the Kunbi people of India and Pakistan—22 million men, women, and children who do not know the good news that has been passed down to us. God, may your Word reach them. May the gospel be announced to them in the power of your Spirit. May they be served by your Word for their salvation, now and forever.

We pray all this in light of your Word, which we love. Thank you for serving us through it, and thank you for those who have faithfully passed it on.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.