The Role of Revelation

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises and patterns.  However, without Paul, so well schooled in Jewish thought and practice, we would not have seen many of the connections nor would we be able to draw out the theological implications of Jesus' life and death.  To be sure, Matthew, writing for Jews, saw how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies---but for all the applications of Jewish life and practice---the high priesthood, animal sacrifice, circumcision, the Paschal Lamb, etc.---it took Paul to bring us to the level of spiritual understanding of Old Testament types and themes. 

In God's hand lies not only our salvation, but also our understanding of what He is doing.  His revelation to mankind is as important to us as His action on our behalf.  Isaiah said, To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

If we want to see what God is about, we need to "turn our ear" to the Spirit of God, whose role it is to show us:

The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

Morning by morning, He opens my eyes,

Wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

                                                      (Is. 50:4)