Bible Study with Fred # 402, The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 9: 32-43

Bible Study with Fred # 401, The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 9:23-31

Matthew chapter 15 comments

 

Matthew 15:1 ¶  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 

It is Jesus’ way to answer a question with a question and rabbinical tradition of the time had to be dealt with here. I don’t often quote other gospels as I am not trying to harmonize them but in this case I think this might be helpful;

 

Mark 7:1 ¶  Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2  And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6  He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10  For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

 

Jesus alludes to verses in Isaiah, Esias from the Greek language. Here is a larger part of the passage He is alluding to;

 

Isaiah 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

 

Matthew 15:10 ¶  And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12  Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

 

This passage begs a comparison with the wheat and the tares. The religious elite, it is explained, are not from God and will be rooted out at the end. In this we have one of our common sayings in English about the blind leading the blind.

 

Look at the contrast with other statements the Holy Spirit and Christ make about words and thoughts.

 

Matthew 9:4  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

 

Matthew 12:37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

We know so much devastation from sin has started in the thoughts and hearts, the mind of man and woman. Fussing about a petty rule regarding ritual hand washing is relatively trivial to Christ.

 

Matthew 15:21 ¶  Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22  And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23  But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25  Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26  But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27  And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 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.

 

Here is a point to note. Jesus is the Jewish Messiah in one aspect but as the Messiah Gentiles will flock to Him and faith in Him will become a world religion because God has ordained it so. Gentiles demand, cry out for, and plead for salvation. Jesus acknowledges the woman’s faith after challenging, or so it seems, her very right to seek His help. Notice these verses, too;

 

Matthew 8:11  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.

 

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.

 

The kind of humility that this woman expresses is fundamental to faith in Christ and God. Remember the Sermon on the Mount. We must come to Christ in humbleness of heart and brokenness of spirit to truly seek His mercy. Christianity is not a religion for the proud. Christ responded not to her ethnicity but to her faith.

 

Matthew 15:29 ¶  And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30  And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: 31  Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. 32  Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33  And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 34  And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36  And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38  And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 39  And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

 

In Matthew 14 five thousand were fed after Jesus learned of John the Baptist’s murder. Here is another task for those of the mystical mind set who look at numbers. This time there are seven baskets left, the traditional number of completion in the Bible.

 

 

Bible Study with Fred # 400, The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 9: 10-22

Heaven

World History notes # 341; Thoughts and my opinions on the Cold War: Rom...

Bible Study with Fred # 398, The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 8:26-40

1Samuel chapter 2 comments

 

1Samuel 2:1 ¶  And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2  There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3  Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4  The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5  They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 6  The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7  The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon them. 9  He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10  The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

 

Note Hannah’s prayer. Here are just a couple of comparisons to verse one for us.

 

 Psalm 13:5  But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

 

Psalm 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

 

Verse two brings to mind these among others;

 

Exodus 15:11  Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

 

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

 

Isaiah 45:5  I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

 

Verse 3 is a warning and a declaration of God’s sovereignty and that He is the ultimate judge, not man. See some cross-references;

 

Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

 

Psalm 94:7  Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. 8  Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9  He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10  He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?

 

Psalm 147:5  Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

 

Jeremiah 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

 

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

In verse 4 Hannah emphasizes that the powerful fall before God as part of a prayer of praise that goes beyond just being grateful for a child. We can think of evil empires in our recent history that seemed unstoppable for a time; the British Empire, the German, the Japanese, and the Soviet Russian all strong and mighty and well-prepared but unable to stem the tide of God’s overwhelming power and were laid low.

 

Verse 5 shows the weak are made strong. Verse 6 gives expresses God’s ultimate power over everything, even death itself.

 

Deuteronomy 32:39 ¶  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

 

Psalm 68:20  He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.

 

Verses 7 and 8 deal with social status and prosperity showing what we know from experience that God can raise people up from poverty and obscurity to be powerful and famous because all things and events and outcomes belong to God. I am reminded of these verses in James.

 

James 1:9  Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10  But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

 

And the repetition of this statement by King David in Psalms.  Perhaps Hannahs prayer was known to David or perhaps this was a common expression among the Israelites.

 

Psalm 113:7  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

 

Verse 9 is an acknowledgment that those who obeyed God would prosper as it was clear they were promised under the Old Testament Law given to Moses. Here are some contrasting verses on the positive side;

 

Psalm 37:23  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

 

Psalm 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 

1Peter 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

And on the negative side;

 

Proverbs 4:19  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

 

Psalms 31:17  Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

 

Verse 10 has some clearly end-times applications. First from Psalm 2 and context;

 

Psalm 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

 

And then Revelation;

 

Revelation 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

 

Revelation 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

 

Clearly before there was a king in Israel this foretells of Christ in His return to earth in Revelation to judge and rule the nations. This should be included in any discussion on the last book of the Bible.

 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever…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.

 

And so this wonderful and very prophetic prayer of Hannah’s comes to an end.

 

1Samuel 2:11 ¶  And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. 12  Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13  And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14  And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15  Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16  And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17  Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. 18  But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19  Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20  And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. 21  And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. 22  Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23  And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24  Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress. 25  If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. 26  And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

 

While Samuel ministered faithfully to the Lord in this wonderful passage Eli’s sons were wicked men, truly unbelievers even in God. They knew not the Lord. I’ve heard of faithful Catholics and a Hindu priest that followed the dictates of their religion without even believing in God or gods at all as a cultural expression. One Catholic I heard was asked if he believed in God and he said no. The questioner asked him why he was having his child baptized. He said he was doing that because he was a Catholic and that’s what Catholics do. I argued with one atheist whose father, a Hindu priest, officiated at weddings and funerals but was also an atheist. It’s just a cultural thing to them. But Eli’s sons were nasty pieces of work as we saw here while Samuel grows in favor with God and men.

 

1Samuel 2:27 ¶  And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28  And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29  Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30  Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31  Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32  And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33  And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34  And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35  And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36  And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

 

Verses 27 through 29 declaration and a question have been used similarly by God previous to this in His indictment of the behavior of the people He created.

 

Judges 2:1 ¶  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

 

Judges 6:8  That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9  And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10  And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

 

From verse 30 onward we see a difference in promises God makes. Some promises are absolute decrees while some are conditional. Here is an example of an absolute decree that did not depend on the actions of the beneficiary of the decree.

 

Genesis 9:11  And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 ¶  And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13  I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14  And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15  And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16  And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17  And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

 

There is nothing mentioned in this promise that conditions it to certain behavior. It is all God. Here is a promise to us that is only conditioned on our belief.

 

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

God makes a conditional promise to Moses and the children of Israel.

 

Deuteronomy 11:26 ¶  Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27  A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28  And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

 

Deuteronomy 12:1 ¶  These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

 

God then goes on the lay out the conditions of this promise and the consequences of disobedience.

 

Here in 1Samuel we can look back at Exodus 28:1 and context;

 

Exodus 28:1 ¶  And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons…43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

 

Verse 35 and onward foretells of faithful Samuel’s rise to the priesthood as we transition from the time of the Judges to the eventual kingdom of Saul and David, with the high point of Israel’s glory, the reign of Solomon, coming up.

 

Eli’s family will beg Samuel for a priest’s office which underscores how important he will become after the judgment spelled out in verse 34 is fulfilled.

Bible Study with Fred # 397, The Acts of the Apostles; chapter 8:14-25

Matthew chapter 14 comments

 

Matthew 14:1 ¶  At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2  And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3  For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. 4  For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5  And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6  But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7  Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8  And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. 9  And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10  And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11  And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 12  And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

Judaea was ruled by Herod the Great until his death at which time it was divided between three of his sons and his sister as a tetrarchy, with Judea as a Roman province until Rome assumed complete control later in the first century. This Herod was one of his sons.

 

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.

 

Here is the story of the death of John the Baptist. He was murdered, executed by a spineless, lascivious, and morally bankrupt Herod, son of the so-called Herod the Great, murderer of children. Remember his father’s slaughter of the innocents.

 

Matthew 14:13 ¶  When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14  And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15  And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16  But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17  And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18  He said, Bring them hither to me. 19  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21  And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

 

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, needed to get away by Himself when He heard of His cousin’s murder, the death of the one who directly foretold His arrival.

 

But the multitudes who followed Him moved Christ to compassion. Here is the feeding of the 5,000. We can’t help but ask ourselves if the 12 baskets represent the 12 tribes of Israel. There is so much symbology in these passages.

 

I am reminded of Sewall Smith’s sermon, “What are you going to do with YOUR 5 and 2?”

 

Jesus met immediate needs of healing and also fed those who followed after Him in a world that had neither insurance or government welfare and food stamps. These people were totally dependent upon themselves and their own efforts and in their poverty and in the uncertainty of living with few medical remedies compared to us today were blessed immensely by Jesus as their benefactor, healer, provider, and Saviour.

 

Matthew 14:22 ¶  And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23  And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24  But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25  And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26  And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28  And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29  And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31  And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32  And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33  Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

 

Immediately, the meaning of straightway, Jesus ordered His disciples to get into a boat and sail to the other side of the sea. See Matthew 13:1 for the general location of where they were as the seaside. He finally got His alone time to commune with God the Father. Between 3am and 6am in the morning while a storm was battering His disciples Jesus went to them, walking on the rough seas.

 

It is here that always questioning Peter asks that if the apparition is really Christ that Peter, too, can walk on the wind-tossed waves. He does, but with his faith wavering, he begins to sink. This is the way it is with our weak faith. We call upon God, if He is real, to save us, and then we doubt, no matter what miracles we’ve seen in our lives, and we begin to sink. But Christ will lift us up.

 

The declaration in verse 33 reminds me of verses in Psalms.

 

Psalm 89:9  Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

 

Psalm 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

 

Matthew 14:34 ¶  And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35  And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36  And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

 

The land of Gennesaret is said by most sources to be on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Here, in this quiet and brief passage, it is noted that Jesus healed many sick people. In such a small statement is great power especially if you lived in a part of the world today where common sicknesses that are curable in modern countries can strike you down. I just can’t imagine what these people thought and felt as this man could just touch them or they might only touch a piece of His clothing and were healed.

Psalms chapter 28 comments

 

Psalm 28:1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2  Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. 3  Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. 4  Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. 5  Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

 

We’ve seen in several places where God is likened to a rock, steady, trustworthy, and unmovable in His promises, His mercy, and His guidance. Here are some examples.

 

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

 

1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

 

David wants to hear, needs to hear from God. To not feel God’s presence in his life is like him feeling dead. This underscores the temporal nature of the Israelite’s relationship with God and their dependence on that relationship in the land of the living.

 

Psalm 143:7 ¶  Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

 

Regarding verse 2, remember what David said previously;

 

Psalm 5:7 ¶  But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

 

Strong’s says that in 16 places oracle refers to the Holy of Holies.

 

David’s plea here continues with a cry to separate him from the wicked who are hypocrites and liars. See these cross-references;

 

Psalm 12:2  They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

 

Psalm 26:9  Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

 

Psalm 55:21  The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

 

Psalm 62:4  They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

 

In verses 4 and 5 David asks that they get their just deserts. Compare this with Christ’s statement regarding those who crucified Him to see the extreme contrast between the dispensations.

 

Luke 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

 

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

 

Verse 5 is a stark contrast to God’s desire under the Covenant of Grace after Christ’s resurrection.

 

1 Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

Psalm 28:6 ¶  Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. 7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 8  The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. 9  Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

 

David praises God for hearing him.

 

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 116:1 ¶  I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

 

Psalm 118:5  I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

 

David then goes on to declare how God is his strength. Remember Psalm 18;

 

Psalm 18:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,» I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

 

…and that David trusts in God to help him…

 

Psalm  25:2  O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

 

Psalm  31:6  I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

 

Psalm 52:8  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

 

Psals 143:8  Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

 

Psalm 144:2  My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

 

…and that this is a cause of great rejoicing…For the following verse remember that 99% of the time salvation is mentioned in the Bible it is about deliverance from a temporal danger.

 

Psalm 13:5  But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

 

Then there are these Psalms about rejoicing!

 

Psalm 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

 

Psalms 33:21  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

 

Psalms 68:3  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

 

…and this prompts David to praise God which is something he has done quite often previously. It is a great example to us and to how we might devote at least some of our time if we truly love God and are Christ’s.

 

Psalms 7:17  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

 

Psalms 9:1  «To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.» I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2  I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

 

Psalms 9:14  That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

 

Psalms 21:13  Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

 

Psalms 22:22  I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23  Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel…25  My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

 

Verses 8 and 9 are a prayer for the children of Israel. I believe that we can appropriate these prayers and apply them to the Christian if we don’t take the doctrinal too far. Every Christian themselves is like the children of Israel as a whole. He is our strength and our salvation. The church, the body of Christ on earth, asks to be lifted up for ever. I think of the translation of the church sometime during the end times.