Verse 22: “ Men of Israel, listen to these words: Yeshua of Nazareth, a man from God, was manifested among you with miracles, wonders and with signs, which God did through Him in the midst of you, just as you all know.” 

Nazareth: Yeshua was from this location in the Galilee. This is important because it points to the fulfilment of the prophecy found in Isaiah 9v1-7. Nazareth was a very small, insignificant place. 

Manifested: Declared or proven. Yeshua demonstrated who He was. Know: The way this word is written tells us that they knew it in the past, they knew it in the present and they will know it in the future. This is telling us that the ministry of Yeshua is going to continue. The signs, wonders and miracles were not complete and were going to continue – through the Holy Spirit, and through those who are His disciples. 

Verse 23: “Him, being delivered up, by the determinate plan and foreknowledge of God, was taken by men who had lawless hands; and they fastened Him to the tree, and He died.” 

The determinate plan: It was marked out, appointed, predetermined. This is also a word that many people translate ‘predestination’. Foreknowledge of God: This predetermined plan does not function in isolation. God, who is omniscient, has foreseen it and therefore has determined it. 13 

Note: There is a relationship, in the Scripture, between this concept of predestination and the foreknowledge of God. Predestination does not mean that God has determined some to be in heaven and some to go to hell. When Scripture speaks of predestination it speaks about something that God has seen ahead of time (foreknowledge), and He is able to mark out the plan (like a pattern, see example below) ahead of time, according to what He has seen. (Example: If we want to make a dress we buy a pattern. Based on the pattern we have an idea about what the dress is going to look like.) 

Predestination, according to Paul in Ephesians 1v11, is only relevant for those who are in Messiah, those who have received the gospel. Messiah is the pattern (to use our example above) that we base our lives upon. We are going to be like Him in character (Romans 8v29). 

Lawless hands: The hands of people who were against the Torah. 

Verse 24: “Whom the same Yeshua, God raised. Having loosened the agony of death because it was not possible that it should seize Him by these things.” 

Yeshua: He is the Son of God. He is God. Everything about God speaks of life and, therefore, the agony of death could not hold him/seize Him forever. 

Verse 25: “For David says concerning Him: ‘I saw the L-rd before me through all (time). Because on my right hand is He in order that I should not be moved.’” 

David says: This is a quote from Psalm 16v8. Through all (time): He was always there. On my right hand is He: David prophesied that Messiah was going to be at his right hand, meaning that David had His favour, His support. 

In order that I should not be moved: It is because we have Messiah that we will not be moved away from the things of God (His purposes, Covenant etc) 

Verse 26: “My heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices; my flesh will remain upon this hope,” 

This is a verse quoted from Psalm 16v9. 

Remain: It is the same word as ‘to dwell’. The word ‘dwelling’ here relates to a lifestyle. This hope: David is saying that he is going to dwell/live upon this hope. His life, and all that he does, is going to be based upon the hope that, through Messiah, he will not be moved (by the enemy). Messiah holds us, in order that the enemy does not have victory over us. 

Verse 27: “because He will not leave my soul in hell, nor will He allow the ones who have received grace to see corruption.” 

This is quoted from Psalm 16v10