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Judges, chapter 11, comments: Jephthah
Judges 11:1 ¶ Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah. 2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
Here is a very controversial chapter in Judges. Jephthah is
mentioned in Hebrews in the faith chapter of 11, as well, as a man of faith. He
is alienated from his father’s legitimate family, gathering some unsavory types
of men to his leadership.
Judges 11:4 ¶ And it came
to pass in process of time, that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.
5 And it was so, that when the children
of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah
out of the land of Tob: 6 And they said
unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of
Ammon. 7 And Jephthah said unto the
elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house?
and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah,
Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight
against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the
inhabitants of Gilead. 9
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again
to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me,
shall I be your head? 10 And the elders
of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The LORD be witness between us, if we do not so
according to thy words. 11 Then Jephthah
went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over
them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpeh.
The Ammonites, who later King David would treat so terribly for a
humiliation, make war on Israel. See 2Samuel 12 and 1Chronicles 20 for that
episode in David’s reign. The people of Ammon originated in an unholy act of
perversion regarding Lot, Abraham’s nephew.
Lot’s youngest daughter, according to Genesis, chapter 19, got him
drunk and had relations with him producing a son, Benammi, who was the father
of the Ammonites.
Jephthah is summoned to lead the Israelites but he admonishes them
in that why do they call him, someone they hold in contempt. But the elders of
Gilead repeat their request for his leadership. You can see the back and forth
on this in this passage. So, Jephthah’s captainship is confirmed.
Judges 11:12 ¶ And Jephthah
sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou
to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land? 13 And the king of the children of Ammon
answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land,
when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan:
now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the
king of the children of Ammon: 15 And
said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor
the land of the children of Ammon: 16
But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness
unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh; 17
Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I
pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto.
And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent:
and Israel abode in Kadesh. 18 Then they
went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land
of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the
other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was
the border of Moab. 19 And Israel sent
messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel
said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.
20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass
through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in
Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And
the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of
Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites,
the inhabitants of that country. 22 And
they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and
from the wilderness even unto Jordan. 23
So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before
his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it? 24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy
god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from
before us, them will we possess. 25 And
now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of
Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,
26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her
towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along
by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them
within that time? 27 Wherefore I have not
sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the LORD the
Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of
Ammon. 28 Howbeit the king of the
children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.
Ammon’s complaint against the people of Israel was that Israel had
taken land from Ammon when they took the Promised Land.
Numbers 21:24 And Israel
smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto
Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon: for the border of the children of
Ammon was strong.
They demanded the restoration of their territory. But Jephthah
contended that it was not their territory but had belonged to the Amorites and
was taken in war. Indeed, the verse I listed from Numbers 21 shows that the
Israelites stopped at the border of Ammon because they were too strong to
contend with.
Now, if the Amorites had taken this territory from the Moabites
and Ammonites that is nothing of the Israelites concern.
Numbers 21:26 For Heshbon
was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the
former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
Why didn’t you do something about it in the three hundred years
since it was taken, he demands? His declarations fall on deaf ears, though.
Judges 11:29 ¶ Then the
Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh,
and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto
the children of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah
vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the
children of Ammon into mine hands, 31
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house
to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be
the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. 32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of
Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till
thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the
vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued
before the children of Israel. 34 And
Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to
meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child;
beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 35
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and
said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of
them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go
back. 36 And she said unto him, My
father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according
to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken
vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 And she said unto her father, Let
this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down
upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows. 38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for
two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon
the mountains. 39 And it came to pass at
the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according
to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in
Israel, 40 That the daughters of
Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days
in a year.
God gives Jephthah His Spirit, placing it on him, as it is said
typically of Old Testament characters under the Law, rather than abiding or
indwelling in them as it is said for the New Testament Christian. He has a
special anointing of God and yet he vows a vow that seems rash considering what
happened.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou
vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools:
pay that which thou hast vowed. 5 Better
is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
And as it was said in the Law;
Numbers 30:2 If a man vow a
vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not
break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
God gives Jephthah a great victory. When he returns to his house,
to his great dismay, the first individual to come out of his house is his
daughter. So, the question has been argued for centuries as to whether or not
he killed and offered his own daughter as a burnt offering exactly like he
promised.
First, remember that Jephthah is spoken of highly as a great man
of faith in Hebrews, chapter 11.
Hebrews 11:32 And what
shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak,
and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
[Jephthae is Jephthah from Greek language.]
And God said this about human sacrifice, so common among the
Canaanites.
Jeremiah 19:5 They have
built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt
offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into
my mind:
Jeremiah 32:35 And they
built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to
cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech;
which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do
this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
Then, we have the daughter asking for time to bewail her
virginity, not her impending death.
37 And she said unto her
father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go
up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
This brings up an important point. Are we bound to God by a vow
that if we complete it goes against the very things God commands or forbids?
Can you legitimately make a vow to tithe of stolen money when God has told you
not to steal?
Historical commentators are divided about whether the girl was
condemned to death and then offered as a burnt offering or whether the
consignment to virginity for life, denied of the pride of value of producing
offspring, particularly a man-child in that culture, was the substitution for
her death, as if she had been a bull or a lamb.
We may disagree but verse 39 explains it for me with the phrase
after the colon defining what went on before.
39 And it came to pass at
the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according
to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in
Israel, 40 That the daughters of
Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days
in a year.
It is not wise, I don’t think, to compare Abraham willing to offer
up his son, Isaac, at God’s command in Genesis 22 to this because Hebrews tells
us why Abraham was willing to obey such a command which seemed to counter the
promise made to him by God earlier in Genesis.
Hebrews 11:17 By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, 18
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up,
even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
And Genesis itself tells us of Abraham’s confidence in God.
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham
said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they
went both of them together.
So, in my opinion that argument is dead in the water. Whatever you
think happened pray about it and be sure in your mind but open to the Holy Spirit’s
leading. This brings to mind an important point about our reading and
understanding of the Bible in the 21st century.
Modernism, since that event so humorously called The Enlightenment
by secular scholars, would lead us to take the Bible so hyperliterally that we
fail to understand its nuances and subtleties. But, when we consider situations
in the Bible from the perspective we would have if we were writing to a friend
about some event or thought rather than writing a textbook or some kind of instruction
manual we see things a little differently.
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Monday, November 14, 2022
Sunday, November 13, 2022
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Friday, November 11, 2022
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Tuesday, November 8, 2022
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Saturday, November 5, 2022
Matthew, chapter 8, comments: power over the spirit world and over disease
Matthew 8:1 ¶ When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Chapter 8 of Matthew is the one that calls into question my belief
that the sermon in Luke 6 is a different sermon rather than a differently
remembered account of the one here in Matthew. Here is Matthew, before Jesus
encounters the Centurion’s sick servant he heals a leper. In Luke 7 He goes
right to Capernaum and His encounter with the sick servant of the Centurion.
So, if it is true that the Sermon on the Mount is the same event
in Matthew and in Luke then we come to a very important point of Biblical
interpretation. These writers are going on memory of the importance and meaning
of what Jesus said. We can never know what the originals were, at least on
earth. We have the meaning, the points made, here in Matthew and Luke’s
memories.
But different events are emphasized and different conditions are
explained. When things happened in reference to others is not as important as
the teachings given to us. Still, I am inclined to believe that these sermons
were given at different times, even if only slightly different, due to the
details. Think about that and pray. Most evangelicals believe they are the same
sermon, just different recollections. Just remember you cannot read the Bible
like you would your car owners’ manual.
We are reminded in this discussion that given by inspiration
does not mean word for word dictation and even uses, not only the writing
skills of the men who wrote, but their all too human memories. Keep in mind
what God has said about inspiration.
Job 32:8 But there is a
spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
2Peters 3:15 And account
that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother
Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
Keep in mind also that Matthew, an exacting collector and recorder
of taxes, relates a very spiritual message while Luke, recounting eyewitness
accounts he has gathered together, relates an almost social sermon.
What do you think? Do you believe they are the same sermon, just
two different versions, or are they different sermons given at different times
to different audiences?
Jesus is willing to heal the leper and the leper is willing to be
healed. This is very important for us. We ask for healing, spiritual and
physical, but are we willing to be healed? I remember a book by a
pop-psychiatrist named M. Scott Peck. I think it was People of the Lie. He
said, if I recall correctly, that he was amazed at the number of people with
severe mental illness who clearly resisted the efforts to heal them. The leper
was willing to be healed and Christ was willing to do the healing. Perfect
arrangement. What about us?
Jesus tells the healed leper to go to the priest and follow the
Law to be a testimony to the priests. See Leviticus, chapter 14. As one sermon
possibility when we follow the rules and are not rebellious as Christians we
testify to God’s power before those over us in authority. However, that is
difficult in reality in today’s world where outright communists rule over us
using a twisted definition of democracy as a cloak for their evil designs.
Another possible sermon illustration is that the Jews looked upon
someone with leprosy as a shameful recipient of God’s particular displeasure,
much like poverty was sometimes looked at in the past.Jesus was willing to heal
even the outcasts of society as He is willing to save even the bottommost part
of the social web.
Matthew 8:5 ¶ And when
Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching
him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant
lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and
heal him. 8 The centurion answered and
said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having
soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to
another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he
marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not
found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and
shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall
be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go
thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his
servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
A centurion was an officer in the Roman Army, the commander of a
century, about 80 legionnaires. Centuries were grouped into cohorts under senior
centurions.
The palsy is a reference to a form of paralysis (we
saw in Matthew 4 and will see in Mark 2 instances of this.)
The Roman officer declares an important point about God’s
sovereignty. God created the universe by a word, His Word, capital W, even, and
controls the universe, the one spoken sentence, by His words. It is by Him that
all things are held together.
Colossians 1:17 And he is
before all things, and by him all things consist.
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Christ’s authority and power is underscored elsewhere;
Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at
his doctrine: for his word was with power…36
And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a
word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits,
and they come out.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in
earth.
The centurion’s declaration leads Jesus to make an important point
of prophecy for all of us Gentile Christians whose ancestors at this time were
worshipping the dead, some of them practicing human sacrifice, worshipping
trees, fire, water, and all manner of diverse vanities, living in utter and
complete darkness.
Jesus declares that such faith is not found in Israel. This
becomes one of the statements that open up the gospel and salvation to
Gentiles, as in all of the people of the earth, not just the Jews.
Genesis 12:3 And I will
bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall
all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 22:18 And in thy
seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my
voice.
Genesis 28:14 And thy seed
shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west,
and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Psalm 22:27 All the ends of
the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the
nations shall worship before thee.
Psalm 98:3 He hath
remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of
the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow unto it.
Luke 13:29 And they shall
come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south,
and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.
Acts 11:18 When they heard
these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God
also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Verse 13 has its parallels also. Here are a few examples. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy
way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was
healed in the selfsame hour.
John 4:50 Jesus saith unto
him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had
spoken unto him, and he went his way.
Matthew 9:29 Then touched
he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus
answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even
as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Matthew 8:14 ¶ And when
Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a
fever. 15 And he touched her hand, and
the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him
many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his
word, and healed all that were sick: 17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet,
saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Here is a reinforcement of the last passage with Jesus healing
with a touch and a word and casting out devils. Peter’s mother-in-law is
healed. Matthew tells us that this confirms and fulfills Isaiah when he writes;
Isaiah 53:4 ¶ Surely he
hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
This confirms as well that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah
explained in Isaiah.
Isaiah 52:13 ¶ Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he
shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was
so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings
shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall
they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
53:1 ¶ Who hath believed our report? and to whom is
the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he
shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him. 3 He is
despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and
we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried
our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have
turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of
us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was
afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his
mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and
from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of
the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
9 And he made his grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was
any deceit in his mouth.
10 ¶ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he
hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD
shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall
see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall
my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with
the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath
poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and
he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
See how Peter alludes to Isaiah 53:5;
5 But he was wounded for
our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
1Peter 2:24 Who his own
self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Matthew 8:18 ¶ Now when
Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other
side. 19 And a certain scribe came, and
said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have
holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head. 21 And
another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my
father. 22 But Jesus said unto him,
Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
This scribe swears that he will follow Christ anywhere and Christ
replies with the fact that He, as the Messiah of the Jewish people, indeed of
the world, has no home. This suggests that the scribe better think of the cost
before he writes a check with his tongue that his actions can’t cash. Here is
the cost of following Christ in another passage;
Luke 14:25 ¶ And there went
great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any man come to me,
and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and
sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,
and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the
foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and
was not able to finish. 31 Or what king,
going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth
whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with
twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the
other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions
of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he
be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 8:22 is a significantly important statement about how the
Jews of that time were spiritually dead. This is a stark condemnation of their
spiritual state. According to John Gill, who preached in Spurgeon’s church a
hundred years before him the Jews counted the sinner as dead and spoke of them,
even while alive, as dead.
Matthew 8:23 ¶ And when he
was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in
the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
25 And his disciples came to him,
and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O
ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there
was a great calm. 27 But the men
marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea
obey him!
Notice this Psalm;
Psalm 107:23 ¶ They that go
down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his
wonders in the deep. 25 For he
commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, they go
down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken
man, and are at their wits’ end. 28 Then
they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a
calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30
Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their
desired haven.
Christ, God in human flesh, has power over the elements. He is
present in the storm but He is not the storm. See the following also;
Psalm 65:7 Which stilleth
the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
Psalm 89:8 O LORD God of
hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about
thee? 9 Thou rulest the raging of the
sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
Matthew 8:28 ¶ And when he
was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him
two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that
no man might pass by that way. 29 And,
behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son
of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there was a good way off from them an
herd of many swine feeding. 31 So the
devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the
herd of swine. 32 And he said unto them,
Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold,
the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and
perished in the waters. 33 And they that
kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and
what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. 34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet
Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out
of their coasts.
In this chapter Christ’s authority over disease and natural
occurrences like storms is made apparent. Here He will show His power over the
spirit world. Matthew reports that there were two men possessed of devils. Matthew
was an eyewitness. Mark gives a variant spelling of Gadarenes with Strong’s
saying they are the same and John Gill saying they are different towns near
each other and Mark only mentions one possessed person but Mark, supposedly
John Mark, is writing based on testimony of others. Only one possessed man is
focused on in Mark’s account in chapter 5 of his gospel. The difference is
completely irrelevant. I’ve seen many historical accounts that focus on one or
a few when many more were participants. If you have ever seen Band of
Brothers on HBO you certainly didn’t believe that they were the only
soldiers in the U.S. Army during WW2, did you? John Mark was writing, according
to tradition and the testimony of early church fathers, from sermons and
writings of Peter. I’ve discussed that previously and will again in my study on
Mark’s gospel.
Possessed people having a fascination with tombs and graveyards is
nothing out of the ordinary for us as we have a cult of death in this country
that associates everything from satanic rites in graveyards and horror movies
to abortion to a mass-die off of the human race to “save the planet” as being
good things. Gill wrote that the Jews had many myths about how the deads’
spirits hovered near their bodies for a period of time resulting in some people
trying to speak to them like the witch of Endor in 1Samuel 28. He also noted
that these tombs were large enough that you could find shelter in them.
The violent aspect of possessed people is attested to in other
places;
Mark 5:3 Who had his
dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with
fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the
fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the
mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Acts 19:14 And there were
seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
15 And the evil spirit
answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
16 And the man in whom the
evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them,
so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
The devils acknowledge that Jesus is the Son, uppercase S, of God,
or God in the flesh, and has authority over them. What they plead with Jesus to
do, understanding that He will do something, is very interesting.
We know that swine are forbidden as food for the Jews. Pork was a
big part of the Roman soldier’s diet and there were probably many Gentiles in
this area who may have owned the swine. Let’s suppose for now that it was Jews
who owned and cared for these swine, whether their intent was on selling to the
Romans or not. Jews throughout history have been keen and, indeed, have made a
lot of money pandering to the desires of the Gentile. From banking in the
Middle Ages to something as unseemly today as peddling pornography they have
had a tremendous influence in satisfying the desires of the Gentile populations
around them. It would not be impossible to imagine Jews herding swine they
could not eat to make money off of the Gentile occupiers.
Here in the first recorded instance of “hogicide” or “deviled ham”
as Dr. Ruckman jokingly noted. Here is a characteristic of devil possession in
animals. They will destroy themselves. This small fortune for the owners is
lost and as a matter of good business practice the owners ask Jesus to leave.
This is a very easy to understand situation. Can you imagine a
revival you were instrumental in causing in a bar and how the owners would want
you to leave and stop damaging their livelihood as their clients left? Some
commentators say it was out of fear for a greater judgment coming on them.
Whatever the reason, this situation caused quite a stir and much evangelism was
accomplished as the city knew about Christ’s power over the spirit world.
Psalms, chapter 21, comments
Psalm 21:1 ¶ «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. 3 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. 6 For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
David gives thanksgiving to God. Notice in the first verse that
David’s salvation like most of the time salvation is mentioned in the Bible it
is a reference to physical deliverance from enemies and from trouble. I once
did a word study on saved and salvation throughout the Bible and
more than 90% of the time it had to do with deliverance from a temporal problem
or person. But, in reading this passage is this really only about temporal
salvation?
David declares that God has given him what he has asked for. Verse
3 gives us a tough word, preventest, used only here. It comes from prevent,
which can mean to go before another at the time of this translation. Think of
pre-event. See the following;
Psalm 59:10 The God of my
mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
Psalm 79:8 O remember not
against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for
we are brought very low.
Psalm 88:13 But unto thee
have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
Psalm 119:148 Mine eyes
prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word.
1Thessalonians 4:15 For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
Note Psalm 21:4;
4 He asked life of thee,
and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
Is David declaring that God has given him eternal life as we are
promised as Christians or is for ever and ever just a long time, perhaps
a lifetime only? Again in verse 6 the phrase for ever is used.
Preacher and Bible commentator from the 1700s, John Gill, says
this is indeed a reference to everlasting life while Matthew Henry notes that
this is a reference to David’s kingdom as lasting his lifetime and beyond and
then he gives a more prophetic twist.
Prophetically, Matthew Henry notes that this points forward to the
salvation offered by Christ alone and also notes how Christ continues the
kingdom of David into eternity as a type of David.
Ezekiel 34:23 And I will
set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David;
he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 24 And I the LORD will be their God, and my
servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have
given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall
dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for
ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the
days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and
a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the
earth.
This brings up a rather controversial point of Biblical interpretation.
In Biblical Christianity we are not called to believe absolutely on things we
cannot see. The Israelites saw the miracles of the Red Sea and their nation was
founded on signs. We have God walking in flesh like our own on the earth. We
sort of have Him in written form in the Bible. The Israelites see the record of
David as a righteous king and can imagine Christ in His return as a righteous
king ruling over mankind for a thousand years. We are told in the Psalms that
the Heavens declare the glory and handiwork of God. We see the proofs of God’s
existence and His love all around us just as we see the consequence of our sin
nature, death itself, all around us and we drive our cars and fly our
airplanes, regardless of what the communists fantasize, on the remains of the
pre-Flood biological life that has been compressed in the earth for thousands
of years. David is a type of Christ and that idea is used by the Holy Spirit in
several places.
For us, personally, notice this;
Revelation 1:6 And hath
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion
for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:6 ¶ And I
beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the
midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the
right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty
elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden
vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain,
and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation; 10 And hast made us
unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death
hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign
with him a thousand years.
This can be a prayer of thanksgiving for us for through Christ we
have the victory in eternity.
Psalm 21:7 ¶ For the king
trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be
moved. 8 Thine hand shall find out all
thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the
time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire
shall devour them. 10 Their fruit shalt
thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against thee:
they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to
perform. 12 Therefore shalt thou
make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows
upon thy strings against the face of them. 13
Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and
praise thy power.
In this part of Psalm 21 we have the reason for David’s confidence
in the Lord God. It is because he trusts in God and in verse 7 the other side
of this coin is presented in that because of God’s mercy David shall not be moved
from a word that suggests being shaken or falling down. We might even say
troubled.
Psalm 10:6 He hath said in
his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
Psalm 15:5 He that putteth
not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that
doeth these things shall never be moved.
Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD
always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psalm 62:2 He only is my
rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:6 He only is my
rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
Psalm 112:6 Surely he shall
not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
David makes this statement in the third person and this passage is
about his confidence in what God will do for him, the king. Notice that it is
God whose hand finds all of David’s enemies and deals with them. This is a
statement of the confidence in David’s assurance that God is blessing his rule
and his kingdom. Literally, this passage is a song of praise and thanksgiving
about God’s protection of David’s kingdom.
However, that being said, in prophecy this can be applied to
Christ and to the end of His millennial reign. Read the prophets Ezekiel, Joel,
and also Zechariah as these passages may have references to the end of the
millennium and also see Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians and Revelation and
read the contexts surrounding the following verses;
Ezekiel 39:6 And I will
send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and
they shall know that I am the LORD.
Joel 2:3 A fire devoureth
before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape
them.
Zechariah 14:12 And this
shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have
fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon
their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue
shall consume away in their mouth.
2Thessalonians 1:7 And to
you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Revelation 20:7 And when
the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which
are in the four quarters of the earth,
Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of
whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And
they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints
about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them. 10 And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and
the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Personally, for us now, we can’t take this to mean that God will
destroy our human enemies. We are not told to think that way toward those who
hate us and hurt us.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto
you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Luke 6:27 But I say unto
you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
Remember, Jesus’ correction of His disciples;
Luke 9:51 ¶ And it came to
pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set
his face to go to Jerusalem, 52 And sent
messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the
Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go
to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples
James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to
come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye
know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
But our human enemies must sleep at some point and we have enemies
who are more hurtful and cruel than mere flesh and blood. They are spiritual
enemies and our warfare against them is part of our sanctification.
Ephesians 6:12 For we
wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places.
2Corinthians 10:3 For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness
to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.