Sunday, July 31, 2022
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Friday, July 29, 2022
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Psalms, chapter 17, comments: David's prayers for deliverance
Psalm 17:1 ¶ «A Prayer of David.» Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy
presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. 3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast
visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find
nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of
thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that
my footsteps slip not. 6 I have called upon
thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear
my speech. 7 Shew thy marvellous
lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust
in thee from those that rise up against them.
David’s reference to feigned lips signifies deceitful
speech. See the context of the prayer he makes as the speech he swears to God
is genuine. David is asking for a fair and equal judgment from God. He asserts
that God can test his intentions and will find nothing that links David with
wicked men. He is determined to be honest and true in his speech.
God’s word has kept him from the paths of the destroyer. This
reference is to, according to Strong’s dictionary and the cross-references for
how the Hebrew is translated elsewhere, a violent man, a robber, and a
murderer. In David’s context this is a reference to the wicked men he opposes.
Note the similarity between verse 5 and other verses in the Psalms;
Psalm 18:36 Thou hast
enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Psalm 119:116 ¶ Uphold me
according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold thou me up, and I shall be
safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually…133 ¶ Order my steps in thy word: and let not any
iniquity have dominion over me
Psalm 121:3 He will not
suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber…7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
See David’s confidence in verse 6 and compare these verses;
Psalm 55:16 ¶ As for me, I
will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
Psalm 66:19 But verily God
hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my
prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalm 116:2 Because he hath
inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
David’s confidence in God is apparent throughout this passage and
throughout Psalms. Clearly, in spite of his pride and his sin nature David had
complete trust in God’s providence. Also, any study of saved and salvation
throughout the Bible shows that it, almost all of the time, refers to a
temporal deliverance rather than talking about eternity.
Prophetically speaking, I was struck by the way this prayer would
be valuable in the Tribulation to come, the time of Jacob’s trouble, when the
Beast of Revelation, popularly, but not Biblically, called the Antichrist.
When the whole world is lined up against those who follow Christ
and obey His commands there will be no place to hide, no job to be had, no
currency to be exchanged for the necessities of life as we all know because the Christian will not
take the Beast’s mark, if indeed that is to happen before the translation of
the Church, popularly but not Biblically call The Rapture.
Would you hold to your faith if you had to be registered as a
Christian by Law but were threatened with beheading if you did not take the
mark? What about your children or grandchildren? Would you take the mark to
save them? Remember this prayer.
For us now, this is a great meditation that speaks to our hearts
as we struggle in a growingly insane world. And it continues…
Psalms 17:8 ¶ Keep me as
the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, 9 From the wicked that oppress me, from
my deadly enemies, who compass me about. 10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with
their mouth they speak proudly. 11 They
have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the
earth; 12 Like as a lion that is
greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast
him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: 14 From men which are thy hand, O LORD,
from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and
whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of
children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. 15 As for me, I will behold thy face in
righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
As David continues his prayer he uses a phrase, the apple of
the eye. This phrase refers to one of whom someone is extremely fond and
proud. This phrase is used in different contexts in slightly different forms.
Deuteronomy 32:10 He found
him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he
instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
Proverbs 7:2 Keep my
commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Zechariah 2:8 For thus
saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which
spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
The shadow of thy wings is another interesting
phrase. Notice its usage three more times in the Psalms.
Psalm 36:7 How excellent is
thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under
the shadow of thy wings.
Psalm 57:1 «To the chief
Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.» Be
merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee:
yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities
be overpast.
Psalm 63:7 Because thou
hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
Psalm 91:4 He shall cover
thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall
be thy shield and buckler.
This metaphor has the meaning of protection. It is not a literal
statement that God has wings like a feathered bird. Let’s look at other examples.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Exodus 19:4 Ye have seen
what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought
you unto myself.
Revelation 12:14 And to the
woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent.
David continues to ask for protection from wicked people who
oppress him and from deadly enemies who surround him. This is the prayer of
someone who is much put upon but trusting in God, his protector.
What is the meaning of they are inclosed in their own fat? Throughout
most of history starvation was an ever-present danger for humanity everywhere.
People were the victims of frequent famines and dearth. So, to be fat was to
show that you were prosperous and did not lack in food. It was a sign of
success and importance. It is linked in verse 10 with pride. The rich viewed
their fat as a protection against starvation and a sign of prosperity.
Psalm 73:7 Their eyes stand
out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
Prosperity can dull the senses when it comes to God and make that
one’s source of deliverance rather than our Creator.
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart
of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart,
and convert, and be healed.
It didn’t work for Job did it.
See how in verses 11 and 12 David likens the wicked to a lion
tracking its prey and crouching to the earth to spring on the hapless victim.
Verses 13 and 14 are troubling in that David says literally here
that the wicked are God’s sword and His hand. Many commentators object to this
interpretation but look at this verse;
Isaiah 10:5 ¶ O Assyrian,
the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical
nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take
the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the
streets.
David acknowledges here, perhaps, that evil, wicked men are
permitted to do their crimes because God uses them to chastise and correct His
people. This is a disturbing consideration.
Some commentators say that verse 15 shows a knowledge of a future
resurrection when David will see God’s face. They refer back to Psalm 16:9-11.
Please review the previous verses I noted from other authors of books of the
Bible and their expectation.
Prophetically, this passage shows the future sorrow the Jews will
have to endure and then the followers of Christ in the Great Tribulation to
come. The end result of faithfulness to God from the Jew before Christ and the
Christian, both Jew and Gentile, after Christ is to see God’s face in eternity.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the
pure in heart: for they shall see God.
The pure in heart shall see God. The Psalms define in what
being pure in heart entails.
Psalm 24: 3 ¶ Who shall
ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands,
and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the
blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him,
that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
See how in this passage in Psalms where the pure in heart seek
God’s face and then in Matthew, chapter 5, Christ says that they will see God.
Notice the statement in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:6 But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
For us today, personally, we not only have wicked people to deal
with who hate us for being Christians, hopefully not for just being antisocial
and obnoxious, but we also have malevolent spiritual beings that oppose us. I
often think of these pleas against the wicked in Psalms as prayers that can be
made against spiritual beings as well.
This is also a promise of our resurrection and eternal life with
the One who created us.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Psalm 16 comments: in thee do I put my trust
Psalm 16:1 ¶ «Michtam of David.» Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. 5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. 7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
Michtam is an obscure reference for which we can get many explanations
from many commentators. Some say it means golden or profound and others say it
is only a musical reference. It is found again in Psalms 56 through 60.
David is said to be a man after God’s own heart.
1Samuel 13:14 But now thy
kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart,
and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou
hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
And yet David was guilty of great sin. How could he be described
as such?
Acts 13:22 And when he had
removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he
gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine
own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
David’s trust in God never wavered despite his own selfish
desires. That is the key to being a man after God’s own heart.
Saints in verse 3 is a very interesting word. It means sanctified ones,
those set apart by God for God. Regardless of the Roman Catholic mythology
God’s own who trust in Him are His saints. It is clear that by noting the
saints that are in the earth it is implied that there are saints in the
spiritual world.
Ephesians 3:14 ¶ For this
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is named,
Hebrews 12:23 To the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and
to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect
In verse 4 David mentions drink offerings of blood. Apart
from the Roman Catholic heresy let’s look at what he was specifically referring
to. Drink offerings of wine were required under the Law given to Moses.
Numbers 28:7 And the drink
offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the
holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a
drink offering.
Drink offerings were made to other gods by the
heathen and the idolatrous Israelites.
Jeremiah 7:18 The children
gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough,
to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto
other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
In verse 5 David is celebrating his relationship with God. Portion
is used as inheritance in the following;
Genesis 31:14 And Rachel
and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance
for us in our father’s house?
Deuteronomy 32:9 For the
LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.
My cup is used elsewhere in Psalms to refer to God’s blessings, God’s
bounty, and God’s deliverance.
Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a
table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with
oil; my cup runneth over.
In verse 6 David declares the beautiful and wonderful inheritance
he has received from the Lord with lines as in boundary lines. See goodly
heritage at the end.
The use of reins in verse 7 is very interesting. Reins are
internal organs, particularly the kidneys, and is used in a similar way that heart
is used in the Bible sometimes for gut feelings, thoughts, and intentions. Remember
back in Psalm, chapter 7.
Psalm 7:9 Oh let the
wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the
righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
So here David’s confidence in the Lord is confirmed even by his
feelings, his innermost being.
Prophetically, not only can we see in the pages of the Bible how
the Israelites failed God and followed after other gods, to their own
destruction, we can look at a clear distinction between the Christian and the
heathen. The distinction is in how we have confidence in God and how many of
the elite of the heathen resent even our right and duty to acknowledge and
worship God. The clear lines between us become greyer in areas where Christians
engage in heathenish activities. For instance, when Christians practice
cohabitation and live with a sex partner to whom they are not married, treating
the bond-for-life that God intended casually and irreverently they are following
the heathen philosophy.
The first large work of Satan when Christianity first grew was the
creation of a state church that denied the liberty that is found in the New
Testament and killed not only unbelievers but nonconforming Christians. It was
a Satanic religion that said that kings ruled in God’s place and were to be
followed and obeyed as if they were God. That started with early church leaders
like Cyprian insisting that to obey a Christian priest was to obey God. We
still have that today in Fundamentalism where to obey the charismatic pastor is
to obey God in some instances (i.e. Jack Hyles).
Paul had to warn Corinthian Christians about not engaging in pagan
worship practices even if they were doing it as a matter of convenience as any
clear reading of his letters to them will show.
I am bringing this all together to explain a greater truth. Today,
there are controversies in America regarding things like Critical Race Theory
and various sexual orientations and lifestyles. So-called Marxist Critical
Theory and sexual “liberation” movements are all connected to 1960s Marxists of
the Frankfort School like Herbert Marcuse and postmodernist philosophers like
Michel Foucault. Modern Civil Rights movements in America take their cues and
tactics from the Marxist playbook as do the arguments to impact young people’s
lives with Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory is not about the teaching
of history but of Marxist philosophy and class warfare disguised as racial
oppression.
When Christians defy traditional lines of morality like practicing
fornication or having sex with someone to whom they are not married or
practicing cohabitation (shacking up) they have been drawn into the Marxist
sphere of living and are more open to the tyranny of the collective. People are
weakened by their rejection of the stability of traditional morality or their
offspring will eventually become more and more dependent upon government and
the largesse of the collective playing right into Marxist aspirations for
control.
There is not a long distance from the state church at Rome and its
drink offerings of blood to a government that considers itself a messiah and
rests its authority on what Richard Ely, mentor to President Woodrow Wilson,
said was the “divine right of the state.” There is also not a long distance
between Christians shacking up and accepting homosexual couples in the
congregation.
But back to the passage, Their sorrows shall be multiplied that
hasten after another god is a very prophetic statement and an indictment of
America today.
Personally, we must reject any standard of living, any even hint
of our accepting of current society’s moral positions. We as Christians must
not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate anyone who does. We must not commit
fornication, avoid “shacking up” with a sex partner, drunkenness, illegal drug
use, and so many other things that are glorified in our culture. We must
refrain from immodest dress, sensual behavior, and sexualizing children at a
young age by permitting these things to come before their eyes.
In other words, we should be circumspect in our lives, careful in
our dealings, and always thinking of whether what we are doing glorifies God or
ourselves, or perhaps no one. The Communist mentality that has infiltrated our
culture tells us that a thing is okay to do simply because we want to do it and
that being happy is life’s highest good which of course are rubbish thinking. Remember
always in your mind, Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after
another god.
Psalm 16:8 ¶ I have set the
LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be
moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and
my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore.
David’s confidence in God requires David’s complete trust in God. He
is expressing the belief and faith of what God will do for him. It is clear he
is showing that David had a confidence in the resurrection. And by context
verse 11 would reveal a belief in eternal life on David’s part which is evident
throughout Bible history on the part of believers.
Job spoke of the resurrection nearly 2,000 years before Christ.
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave,
that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest
appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come. 15
Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the
work of thine hands.
Job 19:25 For
I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon
the earth: 26 And though after my skin
worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes
shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Isaiah spoke of a resurrection a thousand
years after Job.
Isaiah
26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together
with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for
thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
And Daniel a few hundred years after Isaiah.
Daniel
12:2 And many of them that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt.
Ezekiel also spoke of a physical resurrection
although many insist this is metaphorical, simply about the restoration of
Israel. I believe it is, on its literal level, physical regarding flesh and
blood.
Ezekiel
37:1 ¶ The hand of the LORD was upon me,
and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of
the valley which was full of bones, 2
And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very
many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these
bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these
bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will
bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye
shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I
prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together,
bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld,
lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them
above: but there was no breath in them. 9
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and
say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the
breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an
exceeding great army. 11 Then he said
unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they
say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and
cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD,
when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your
graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in
you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye
know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
In the record of Paul’s debate with the
religious leaders of his day when he was first arrested the proof of the belief
in the resurrection is evident.
Acts
23:6 But when Paul perceived that the
one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council,
Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and
resurrection of the dead I am called in question…8 For the Sadducees say that there is no
resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
Acts
24:15 And have hope toward God, which
they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead,
both of the just and unjust…21 Except it
be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the
resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
The Resurrection is the primary doctrine of
Christianity, for without it, saying that Jesus Christ was God means nothing.
Without the Resurrection, belief in the judgment of sin in eternity is a stupid
and vain oppression of the spirit of man. If we die and cease to exist we have
nothing but self-righteousness in this life if we are religious.
Paul said it like this;
1Corinthians
15:12 ¶ Now if Christ be preached that
he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of
the dead? 13 But if there be no
resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our
preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified
of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead
rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised: 17 And if
Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in
Christ are perished. 19 If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
Prophetically this passage is alluded to again in Acts as a
reference to Christ. An allusion is not a direct quote but uses the sentiment
of a passage. The Holy Spirit shows us what the intended meaning of a passage
is in this way.
Acts 2:25 For David
speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on
my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my
flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known
to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
So, at Pentecost Peter is preaching to Jewish proselytes from many
nations who will become followers of Christ the Lord. Here the Holy Spirit
applies this passage in Psalms to the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophetic
interpretations are clear.
For us, personally, this again can be applied to the promise of
eternal life and our eternal life with the One who created us. It is a great
prayer if we think of the promises we have in Christ and how we view Christ
Himself, God in the flesh, who was here with us in the flesh, who is here
inside of us in His Spirit, and perhaps in book form, in the Bible as the word
of God.
Monday, July 25, 2022
Matthew, chapter 3, comments: John the Baptist begins his ministry
Matthew 3:1 ¶ In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Luke is more specific in how he fixes a date.
Luke 3:1 ¶ Now in the
fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor
of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch
of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of
Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the
high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the
wilderness.
Mark also references this and, in fact, starts there alluding to
the Old Testament.
Mark 1:1 ¶ The beginning of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy
face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and
preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
The kingdom of heaven is only used in Matthew as a
reference to the kingdom of God which phrase Matthew also uses. For
proof of this by the text itself see;
By the way, a difference in those two phrases is not necessary to
prove the millennial reign of Christ or Israel’s importance.
Matthew
19:23 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his
disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a
camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew
11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them
that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:
notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist
until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by
force.
With;
Luke 7:28 For I say unto
you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than
John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than
he.
…then…
Matthew
13:10 And the disciples came, and said
unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it
is not given.
With;
Mark
4:10 And when he was alone, they that
were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable. 11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given
to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
And…
Matthew
13:31 Another parable put he forth unto
them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a
man took, and sowed in his field: 32
Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the
greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come
and lodge in the branches thereof.
With…
Mark
4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we
liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It
is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is
less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and
becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the
fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
Luke
13:18 ¶ Then said he, Unto what is the
kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a
man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and
the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
And…
Matthew
13:33 Another parable spake he unto
them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
With…
Luke
13:20 And again he said, Whereunto shall
I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is
like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the
whole was leavened.
And…
Matthew
18:3 And said, Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven.
With…
Mark
10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said
unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for
of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein.
Luke
18:16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little
children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of
God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever
shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter
therein.
And…
Matthew
4:17 From that time Jesus began to
preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
With…
Mark
1:14 ¶ Now after that John was put in
prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
And…
Matthew
5:3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
With…
Luke
6:20 ¶ And he lifted up his eyes on his
disciples, and said, Blessed be ye
poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
In verse 3 Matthew quotes Isaiah;
Isaiah 40:3 ¶ The voice of
him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Also quoted in Mark and John;
Mark 1:3 The voice of one
crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.
John 1:23 He said, I am the
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as
said the prophet Esaias.
Luke quotes more fully with the Holy Spirit giving us word
substitutions that give the deeper meaning of the Old Testament passage;
Luke 3:4 As it is written
in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths
straight.5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made
straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Isaiah 40:3 ¶ The voice of
him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4
Every valley shall be exalted, and
every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be
made straight, and the rough places plain: 5
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Verse 4 gives a description of John the Baptist’s appearance and
his diet confirmed in Mark.
Mark 1:6 And John was
clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he
did eat locusts and wild honey;
John reminds us of the prophet Elijah.
2Kings 1:8 And they
answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his
loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Interestingly, there is this in the last book of the Old
Testament;
Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will
send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of
the LORD:6 And he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
Which we will see as explained by Jesus that John was a type of
Elijah coming in his power and authority and therefore Elijah had come to
announce the Messiah, if in type, power, and authority.
Matthew 17:10 And his
disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first
come? 11 And Jesus answered and said
unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come
already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.
Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake
unto them of John the Baptist.
Verses 5 and 6 show that a large group of people from all over the
Roman province of Judea near the Jordan including Jerusalem. John’s baptism for
sin was to get the nation of Israel prepared to receive their Messiah. John the
Baptist will be the prophet who declares Christ. He will teach the Jewish
people as a nation to repent of their sins and be baptized as symbol of their
repentance. John’s baptism had no saving power but was an outward expression of
a commitment to righteousness in preparation for the Messiah to come.
Note that the kingdom of heaven and of God is about to be
revealed. Its nature and essence, its reality in the Lord Jesus Christ is just
on the verge of being shown to the Jews. The Jews need to prepare their hearts
and make sure their commitment. The Messiah is coming. They are still under the
Law.
Although the physical act of baptism is not mentioned in the law
for the general populace of Jews washing is referred to for the priests to wash
their hands and feet in Exodus 30:18-21. Peter refers to Noah’s experience in
the Ark saving him and his family from the Great Flood as a type of baptism in
1Peter 3:20-21. Paul uses typology in calling the flight through the Red Sea as
a type of baptism in 1Corinthians 10:1-2. Jonah’s experience in the deep is
also a type of baptism.
What is important is that as Old Testament shadows of future
truths and prophecies become more and more concrete as the Bible progresses we
have here John the Baptist preparing in baptism the Jews for the Messiah who is
about to appear. This is a commitment by the Jews, a commitment of the
spiritual heart in repentance of sin, sin that causes a need for the Messiah to
come to them.
We should consider the prayerful request from David.
Psalm 51:1 ¶ «To the chief
Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had
gone in to Bathsheba.» Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy
lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from
mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I
sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when
thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin
did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold,
thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part
thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 ¶ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken
may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my
sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free
spirit. 13 Then will I teach
transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 ¶ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou
God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my
mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16
For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest
not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices
of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure
unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the
sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then
shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
So, by David, Moses, Jonah, and even Naaman the Syrian we have a
fortelling in type of this baptism presented by John. This is not the same
baptism that we share. This is for national repentance in preparation of a
Messiah who, for us, has already come and will return. As the Messiah had not
been revealed yet David, Moses, and Jonah could not have made the following
prayer Peter commands the believing Jews to make later.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all
the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye
have crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 ¶
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said
unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 3:7 ¶ But when he
saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them,
O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for
repentance: 9 And think not to say
within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you,
that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of
the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire. 11 I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor,
and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire.
John the Baptist condemns the religious elite. The wrath to come
is referred to in several places and it is assumed that the Jews already know
that this is expected.
1Thessalonians 1:10 And to
wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which
delivered us from the wrath to come.
Revelation 11:18 And the
nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they
should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the
prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and
shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
God’s judgment will be poured out at the end on wicked mankind and
John here is suggesting that the religious elite of Israel are among the wicked
to be judged.
Verse 8 shows us an important facet of the King James Bible in its
self-defining qualities. What does the word meet mean here? We
cross-reference the verse to Luke 3:8.
Luke 3:8 Bring forth
therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves,
We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these
stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
Here we see that meet means worthy. This makes these
statements in Genesis make more sense to us.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD
God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help
meet for him…:20 And Adam gave names to
all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but
for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
There is no such thing as a helpmeet, Christian. God created a
helper that was up to the task, a woman made from man. He created a helper
worthy for Adam in Eve.
What are fruits worthy of the mind of repentance from sin? For
these Jews obedience to the Law and turning from their sins against the Law was
fundamental.
Deuteronomy 6:24 And the
LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our
good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we
observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath
commanded us.
Faith in Christ is our righteousness.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
And our works are centered around that faith and belief unlike the
Jews who had not seen the Messiah yet.
John 6:28 ¶ Then said they
unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is
the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
With regard to repentance, to repent is to turn from something,
changing your mind about it and rejecting it.
Exodus
32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians
speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the
mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce
wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
Ezekiel
18:30 Therefore I will judge you, O
house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent,
and turn yourselves from all
your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
The self-righteousness of the religious elite could not accomplish
this. Only humility before God could accomplish this.
Verse 9 is one of those things Jesus says that underscores the
ability of God to do what our reality tells us is impossible. This type of
hyperbole is used elsewhere.
Luke 19:40 And he answered
and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out.
One commentator, Peter Ruckman, suggested that stones may record
sound and be a record of what is said in their vicinity. What do you think? God
could take inanimate objects, lifeless things, and make living human beings out
of them if He desired as He controls all reality and every function of every
cell.
Verses 10-12 state very clearly that the Messiah to come will
separate those who will obey and follow God and those who will not. This is a
theme of Matthew. There are several passages that underscore the dividing that
Christ does. The ministry of reconciling mankind to God’s self and the judgment
to come for those who will reject His free offer of salvation are both referred
to here in the early part of Matthew. Let’s look at some other passages as two
examples of this thought, a gathering and a judgment.
Matthew 13:24 ¶ Another
parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a
man which sowed good seed in his field: 25
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and
went his way. 26 But when the blade was
sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and
said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then
hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An
enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and
gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay;
lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up
also the wheat with them. 30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in
bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 25:31 ¶ When the
Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them
one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand,
but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall
the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee? 40 And the King shall
answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred,
and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in:
naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked,
or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least
of these, ye did it not to me. 46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal.
Matthew 3:13 ¶ Then cometh
Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to
be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for
thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Suffer, meaning to allow or permit as in the phrase I suffer fools
gladly when you are amazed at someone’s willful ignorance.
As Jesus, who is God in the flesh, requires of Himself that He
submit to the baptism of John an interesting figure of speech takes place. The
Spirit, capital S, of God, the very mind of God, descends on Jesus like a dove.
That is a simile connecting two unlike things with as or like. A
dove did not descend on Christ literally but only in type. Using a dove as a
symbol we can look back at Noah’s days as the Ark came to rest of dry land. The
dove signifies the Holy Spirit in Genesis 8 with Noah’s name related to the
Comforter when one compares Genesis 5:29 to John 14, 15, and 16’s reference to
the Holy Ghost as the Comforter.
John reported that Jesus didn’t do any baptizing Himself but that
His disciples baptized people.
John 4:1 When therefore the
Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more
disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus
himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
Verses 16 and 17 have their parallels in Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:22, and John 1:32-33.