Bible Study on Matthew 22, verses 34 to 40, two commandments

 

Matthew 22:34 ¶  But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35  Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

Here is a great summation of the Law given to Moses. Here, God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ, gives this lawyer the essence of God’s intention for the Law. This makes it so simple to understand that it is an amazing set of verses. Love God with all your being and love your neighbor as yourself. This is something we most certainly all fail at. This will stun the Pharisees as Christ has dealt with all parties, political and religious, that He is facing. What God expects from His people is unquestionable.

 

Deuteronomy 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

 

See how the Holy Spirit substitutes one word for understanding with mind and might indicating that this is a spiritual command. In no way could one confuse this with killing anyone in the name of Christ.

 

Again, I do not want to make this a harmonization of the gospels so we won’t compare the gospels. They each have their unique memories and takes on the things Jesus said that are worth studying in context. I thought this was interesting in Mark, chapter 12.

 

  Mark 12:28 ¶  And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32  And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou

hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34  And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

 

And then from Luke;

 

Luke 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

 

Notice also further instruction in Deuteronomy on this subject.

 

Deuteronomy 10:12 ¶  And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

 

Deuteronomy 30:6  And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

 

Verse 39 is also a reference to the Law;

 

Leviticus 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

 

James 2:8 ¶  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

 

Luke, chapter 10, shows us that whomever we come in contact with, even one of those we don’t approve of, is our neighbor in God’s eyes. This is very troubling for us. Think about what it means to be like Christ.

Bible Study on Genesis 50, verses 7 to 14, Jacob is buried

 

Genesis 50:7 ¶  And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8  And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9  And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. 10  And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11  And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. 12  And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: 13  For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14  And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

Joseph took quite an entourage of officialdom with him to Jacob’s burial. The respect and gratitude this Egyptian Pharaoh and his government had for Joseph was immense and justifiably so. He literally had been their savior and deliverer, although only on a temporal level. This is also an expression of power, an extension of power that the Egyptians displayed in the land of Canaan. One can imagine that there were Egyptian garrisons already in the land and with a sort of Egyptian peace that ensured trade and travel could go on safely. It is easy to picture how dependent the kings of Canaan would be on Egyptian power and how in awe they would be of this assembly.

The phrase chariots and horsemen will play a very important part in places in the Old Testament and be a source of contention. One thing missing in scholarship and Bible exposition is the common sense understanding of chariot warfare. A chariot was a mobile fighting platform as well as a ceremonial vehicle whose weak link was also how it was delivered to the forefront of the battle so quickly; its horses. Logic tells us, logic and common sense, that the horses would be what the infantry would go after first. Kill the horses and the chariot cannot move and respond to the battle. So, with chariots there needed to be a string of horses and horsemen to accompany them. Like the pit crew at a NASCAR event these teams needed to be able to replace dead and injured horses or, in a fierce battle, the chariot would have been rendered useless and even helpless quite quickly, as the driver would not be able to remove to safety in the event of being overwhelmed, with dead horses.

1Kings 4:26  And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

2Chronicles 9:25  And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

So, in these two verses which have been the source of much disagreement it is very obvious to me that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for chariot horses and 4,000 stalls that were big enough for the chariot and the horse team that drew it. This would be necessary for maintenance and preparation before training and battle. This also implies a string of 10 horses per chariot as the primary team and backup. These backup teams would have not only needed protection by cavalry but perhaps were a capable fighting force all their own. There is no contradiction, just common sense and reading comprehension needed here.

In verse 11 we have something very interesting. The phrase Abelmizraim combines the name Abel with the name Mizraim. We were not told Abel’s name’s meaning early in Genesis but here, with the founder of Egypt, Mizraim, (see comments on 10:6) we have the meaning of the phrase as grievous mourning to the Egyptians. As Mizraim refers to Egypt so Abel refers to sorrow or mourning. Define your words by the context or you will be hopelessly lost in the maize of scholars debating over root words, meanings, and usages in documents outside of the Bible.

Bible Study on Matthew 22, verses 23 to 33, the Sadducees question Jesus

 

Matthew 22:23 ¶  The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24  Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25  Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26  Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27  And last of all the woman died also. 28  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29  Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30  For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31  But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32  I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 33  And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

 

The essence of God’s marriage for mankind, on a purely physical level, is a man and a woman uniting together for life to produce and raise children through the act of sexual intimacy. Any other definition of marriage might be civil or lawful but has no part with the God who created us. What Jesus states here is that there will be no need for sexual intimacy in Heaven. Most likely what we experience in Heaven as we spend eternity with our God will be much more fulfilling and intense than any earthly demand from our flesh.

 

Genesis 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

 

Anthropologists call the cultural custom where a widowed woman is married by her dead husband’s brother or brothers a Levirate, if I remember correctly. This is to carry on the dead husband’s line within his family.

 

Genesis 38:8  And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

 

The sect of the Sadducees follow the Herodians and the Pharisees in trying to trip Jesus up. These liberal people that comprised the ruling elite only believed in God for this life, not in the resurrection or in angels or any other unseen thing.

 

Acts 23:8  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

 

Jesus makes an important point here in that a resurrection, which the Sadducees do not believe in, is absolutely essential because God is a God of the living.

 

Exodus 3:6  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Bible Study on Genesis 50, verses 1 to 6, Jacob is embalmed by the Egyptian custom

 

Genesis 50:1 ¶  And Joseph fell upon his father’s face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2  And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3  And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. 4  And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5  My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. 6  And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear.

Remember God’s promise to Jacob earlier. Joseph would see his father die and cover his eyes with Joseph’s own hand.

Genesis 46:4  I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Most of us have heard about the ancient Egyptian’s practice of embalming the dead through news stories of mummies uncovered.  We have a forty day period of embalming and a seventy day period of mourning.

From one authority we have this information as part of their description on the Egyptian embalming process. “The process lasted for a period of 70 days…The corpse was to be dried for a period of 40 days.”[1]

Here we have God’s man being subjected to the death and funerary customs of the land in which he lived. No one is saying that if Jacob’s body is disposed of in the Egyptian manner that he cannot go to be with God.

The Pharaoh, this Pharaoh, whom I said before was, in my estimation, not a native Egyptian, was quite sympathetic to Joseph’s mourning of his father and his father’s insistence that he be buried in the land of Canaan.

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[1] “Process of Embalming,” http://www.ancientegyptianfacts.com/ancient-egyptian-process-of-embalming.html. (accessed 7.1.2017).

Bible Study on Matthew 22, verses 15 to 22, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars

 

Matthew 22:15 ¶  Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. 16  And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17  Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19  Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20  And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21  They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 22  When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

 

The Pharisees, the religious conservative elite, want to trip Christ up so that He can be lawfully taken out of circulation. The Herodians were a pro-Herod and his dynasty political party. They seem be in concord with the Pharisees in their wish for Jewish independence from Rome. Taking a piece of money minted by the state and bearing Caesar’s image they attempt to trick Christ into some seditious speech against Rome suggesting independence.

 

This obvious ruse doesn’t faze Christ in the least. This money belongs to Caesar even though it is used in transactions. God separates the things of this world from the things that He wants from His people as He divides the spiritual Day from the Night even before the sun was created in Genesis, chapter one. In chapter 17 He used supernatural methods to provide tax money to pay to the Romans. “Render unto Caesar,” has become a phrase we use to delineate the differences between our civic responsibility to the state, as in government, and our religious responsibility toward God.

 

Notice how the Herodians call Him Master, as if they were disciples of His. Master can mean teacher or Rabbi.

 

Malachi 2:12  The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

 

John 1:38  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

 

Coming up, Jesus will say;

 

Matthew 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

 

We know that all money, as all things, belong to God. But the point being made here by Jesus is that He calls His people to spiritual things. Don’t elevate the temporal to that level.  In America, founded on the principle that the people are king, it is our government that prints the money but the money is ours to do with as we see fit. Still we are under laws of taxation which we would do well to obey all the while fighting for a just tax system, which we don’t have at the present. We give freely to support God’s work but we also must understand that what He wants from us is more important than money.

 

Jesus amazed His questioners with His wisdom and careful speech. There is another scene where Jesus denies that He is the civil authority.

 

Luke 12:13 ¶  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

 

Jesus is not a revolutionary. He is confirming what the Father wanted from His people all along. He is not in competition with a king or an emperor. God’s authority over us and the king is absolute but we are called to honor earthly rulers in their due.  Read Romans 13 to see our responsibility and the limitations of governmental authority. Understand that our calling is greater than mere obedience to the state.

 

Acts 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

 

But when He returns He will assume control over all kingdoms and nations.

 

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.

 

Remember though, for now;

 

John 18:36  Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

 

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 69, verses 30 to 36, I will praise the name of God with a song

 

Psalm 69:30 ¶  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31  This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs. 32  The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. 33  For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners. 34  Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. 35  For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. 36  The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

 

Psalm 28:7  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.

 

We should all have this praise that David speaks of and be thankful always.

 

1Thessalonians 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

God is more pleased with a thankful heart than he is with animal sacrifices. In fact, every thing that flows from a thankful heart is more pleasing to God.

 

Micah 6:6 ¶  Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7  Will the LORD be

pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

 

The humble, the meek, and the lowly will rejoice as those who submit to His will.

 

Psalm 25:9  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

 

Being humble here is linked to poverty but we can also interpret it as being humble toward God.

 

1Peter 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

 

Every created thing praises God.

 

 

Psalm 96:11  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

 

Psalm 98:7  Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 8  Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

 

Psalm 148:1 ¶  Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2  Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3  Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4  Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 6  He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. 7 ¶  Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: 8  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word: 9  Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: 10  Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: 11  Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: 12  Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: 13  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 14  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.

 

Psalm 150:6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

 

A promise is made to bless the people of Israel. This can clearly be a prophecy of His millennial reign over the world from Jerusalem as well.

 

Psalm 102:16  When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 17  He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 18  This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

 

Psalm 22:30  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

 

David’s prayer for deliverance from his enemies also appears to be fraught with prophetic references that perhaps David knew nothing about. The Holy Spirit guides the writers even when they are unwitting secretaries.

Bible Study on Matthew 22, verses 1 to 14, many are called, but few are chosen

 

Matthew 22:1 ¶  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

This parable could be a reference to the promised marriage supper of the Lamb in Heaven where the bride of Christ, the church, the body of believers, is called.

 

Revelation 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God..

 

As Paul refers to the church as Christ’s bride.

 

2 Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

 

This union with Christ was offered to the Jews first but they refused. As the passage here in Matthew underscores they even murdered some of the prophets God sent.

 

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

 

And the call to enter into God’s kingdom was extended to the farthest reaches of the earth.

 

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. 12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

In this passage we see God’s wrath on those who would reject His offer of amnesty.

 

John 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

Prophetically we also possibly see a reference to the tares, the false Christians, who will be rooted out of God’s kingdom at the end which we saw in the previous parable of the tares and the wheat. Please look over the parable of the tares and the wheat in Matthew, chapter 13.

 

First, Christ is our righteousness;

 

1 Corinthians 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

 

Note this verse in Revelation;

 

Revelation 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

 

This person who is not clothed properly is either a type of the false Christian or a type of the Beast of Revelation, as some say. I think it is a prophetic reference to the false Christian. But it also could be a reference to Judas as a false follower of Christ, as some would put it. I’m sticking with a type of the false Christian who will be ripped out at the end with the more immediate context being a foretelling of Judas, the betrayer of Christ.

 

For verse 14 there are several references that bear investigating. Note the contexts of the following;

 

Matthew 7:13  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

Matthew 20:16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

 

I had noted in my comments on that passage;

 

“Some are called in youth and some at various stages of life but all are called, and few will receive Christ and everlasting life. Those who will are chosen. God’s foreknowledge knows everyone that will accept Christ as their Saviour and God chooses those who will. On one side of heaven’s metaphorical door it could say, ‘whosoever will’ and on the other side, ‘Chosen from the foundation of the world.’”

 

In this context, though, it appears to be Christ choosing only the genuine convert and not someone just mouthing a 1-2-3 repeat after me prayer with no root of belief and faith in their heart of hearts.