Bible Study on Matthew 20, verses 20 to 34, a ransom for many

 

Matthew 20:20 ¶  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24  And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

 

This passage is, of course, one with great sermon possibilities and has been used many, many times to underscore the humility with which we must come to God. It is an honor and a privilege to serve Him in any capacity. We do not get to pick our divine assignment. There is no place for blind ambition in God’s church. We are given roles by God based on our ability and willingness or we try to seize roles that then make us a tyrant or a fraud.

 

I think of a young man who says that he wants to be a Pastor of a large church. But what if God wanted him to clean the bathrooms or mow the lawn or teach Sunday School? What would happen to him if he tried to force his way to the position he dreamed of without God’s anointing?

 

The passage is pretty self-explanatory. The sons of Zebedee, James and John, had a mother who thought she was looking out for them but she put them in a bad place with the other disciples. Jesus gives a prophecy of their martyrdom in this passage, though. His final comment in the passage leads us to think about the word ransom.

 

Exodus 30:11 ¶  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12  When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

 

An important thing to note here is that the ransom for a man’s soul was paid to the Lord.

 

…then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD…

 

The Anglican clerics, Westcott and Hort, who were mainly responsible for the Revised Version of the Bible put forward the error that Satan was such a powerful entity, almost an opponent to God, that Jesus paid a ransom to him at the Cross. This is absurd as you can see as ransoms are paid to God.

 

Job 33:24  Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

 

Psalm 49:7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

 

1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

 

Christians have granted too much power and authority to Satan who is subordinate to God. He can do nothing without God’s permission and the book of Job says he must operate under the limits set by God. In the Persian religion there was a good god and a bad god; Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. This eventually resulted in the heresy put forward by the Iranian teacher, Mani, called Manichaeism of a very clear black and white universe where bad things that happen and good things that happen are clearly separated into the realms of distinct entities.

 

However, the Bible teaches God’s absolute sovereignty throughout. There is nothing that He did not either cause to happen or permit to happen for reasons He shows in Job we may never know on this earth. Our duty is to trust Him. Satan is wholly subordinate to God’s will and can do nothing that God does not permit. This is very difficult for Christians who have grown up in pagan Christianity where non-Christian ideas like Greek philosophy, are mingled in with Bible truth.

 

No ransom is now or was ever paid to Satan. That is heresy and blaspheming God’s sovereignty. Satan does not have a position where he can demand a ransom, nor is he ever said to request one.

 

Matthew 20:29 ¶  And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. 30  And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31  And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32  And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33  They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

 

By calling Jesus the Son of David these blind men recognize Him as the Messiah. They wanted their sight and they believed that He was able to give them their sight. Christ honored their faith and healed them immediately and they followed Him. There are many important things to learn from this passage. To believe that God can heal you is fundamental to Him healing you. To acknowledge who He is, another thing that is most basic, puts you in line to receive His blessing.

Bible Study on Genesis 49, verses 8 to 12, part 1, Jacob speaks of Judah

 

Genesis 49:8 ¶  Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 9  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11  Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12  His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

PART ONE Back in 29:35 it was shown that Judah means, “praise.” Judah is said to be dominant. He is a lion’s whelp or cub, a young lion. A word study of the name young lion is interesting but not necessarily important to the narrative here except that Christ is called The lion of the tribe of Juda.

Revelation 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Judah’s strength is underscored here and none of his weakness. Verse 10 is a prophecy that Christ will come from Judah and will rule the earth. A lawgiver from between his feet refers to the scepter of rule. In verse 10 by way of a parallel lawgiver and sceptre are linked as synonyms. Remember in verse 1 Jacob is referring to the last days. The Jew will be gathered to Israel which extends from the river of Egypt, bordering the southern extreme of Canaan (see Numbers 34:5; Joshua 15:4; 47; 1Kings 8:65; 2Kings 24:7; & 2Chronicles 7:8), to the Euphrates with Christ, from the line of Judah, ruling from Jerusalem.

Genesis 15:18  In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

Now consider verse 11. Israel is referred to as a vine in places.

Jeremiah 6:9  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

Hosea 10:1  Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.

Christ’s kingship is acknowledged as He rides into Jerusalem on a foal, a colt of an ass. First, the prophecy…

Zechariah 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Then, the fulfillment…

Matthew 21:1 ¶  And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2  Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3  And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6  And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7  And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

(Side note: Don’t be afflicted with the modernist’s mental disease of reading this passage like you would read your car owner’s manual. Christ was NOT set astride two animals of different heights at one time, a very uncomfortable if not impossible thing to imagine. Compare the passages regarding this and use common sense. When we say, “He led the soldiers into battle,” we do mean to say that he walked directly in front of every soldier or was even near them. Christ rode these animals, as they were both with him but He was on the colt.)

Mark 11:1 ¶  And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2  And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3  And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4  And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5  And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6  And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7  And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8  And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9  And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10  Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

Luke 19:29  And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30  Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. 31  And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. 32  And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. 33  And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34  And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35  And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36  And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37  And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38  Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

Bible Study on Matthew 20, verses 1 to 19, everlasting life

 

Matthew 20:1 ¶  For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2  And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5  Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11  And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14  Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16  So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

 

Continuing with the thought from the last chapters Jesus goes on to teach by way of a parable that God offers everlasting life to all and whether it is received early in life or on one’s death bed the reward is the same, life everlasting. It is God’s free gift that is His to tender as He sees fit.

 

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.”

 

Matthew 20:17 ¶  And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

 

Jesus foretells His betrayal, His trial, His execution, and His resurrection. Here is a prophecy on the other side of the Cross. See how He did this in Matthew 16:21. Christ reinforces to His disciples what is to be, the foundation of Christianity without which there is no salvation for mankind.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 69, verses 22 to 29, the book of the living

 

Psalm 69:22 ¶  Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. 23  Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. 24  Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. 25  Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. 26  For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. 27  Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. 28  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. 29  But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

 

Paul refers to the first verse in this passage.

 

Romans 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

 

That which should have been for the benefit of David’s enemies, he prays that it go against them. By Paul’s allusion to the verse we see that trap is a recompence by word substitution as I have previously explained. The Holy Spirit uses this method in quoting Old Testament verses in the New to show us the intent of the passage.

 

Paul follows on with an allusion or free reference to the next verse.

 

Romans 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

 

See how the Holy Spirit directs us through fluid meanings as a contrast with bow down their back always and make their loins continually to shake.

 

For verse 24 see a similar sentiment in Psalms.

 

Psalms 79:6 ¶  Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

 

Verse 25 can be also applied to Judas, the betrayer of Christ.

 

Acts 1:20  For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

 

From verse 26 we can see a reference to the Messiah, the torment of the Lord Jesus Christ. For 27 note this verse in a future Psalm

 

Psalms 81:12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

I should think that prophetically the book of the living and the book of life are synonymous in a clear double-reference to the end times with the immediate context being David wanting his enemies to die. In Revelation 3:5 Christ promises not to blot a person’s name out of the Book of Life. All human beings’ names are in the book when their soul was created but based on God’s foreknowledge and if we reject Him our name is removed.

Exodus 32:32  Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33  And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Philippians 4:3  And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Revelation 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Revelation 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:27  And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Revelation 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

When we are saved we are said to be sealed and the Holy Spirit is given to us as a deposit, earnest money, so to speak.

2Corinthians 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

So, it is consistent to believe that God’s Book of Life contains all our names and when we die physically the name is either left there or taken out based on what we have done regarding Christ…

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

If that is not the case then your salvation is not sure, that is, if you can have your name put in and then taken out.

For verse 29 consider;

 

 Psalms 40:17  But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

 

Psalms 109:22  For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

 

Remember for us what we are told in the New Testament.

¹ Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: ⁷ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Bible Study on Matthew 19, verses 23 to 30, the eye of a needle

 

Matthew 19:23 ¶  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? 26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. 27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. 30  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

 

Please note Jesus’ comment to the young, rich man in the previous passage. Jesus says here to His disciples that it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. This has often been distorted in evangelical circles to refer to some kind of door in the gate of a city that a camel would have to get down on its knees to pass through, being unburdened of its load. Unfortunately, there is no proof that the first century Jews called any door a, “needle’s eye,” and this fantasy is based on a 15^th century, or maybe 9^th century, myth about this door.

 

The fact is that a camel cannot pass through the eye of a needle. It is an absurdity. Jesus makes a very important point here. While that is impossible, nothing is impossible with God. The lesson taught here is that wealthy people tend to rely on their wealth and not God. They are not likely to give up their comforts to follow Christ and will typically make excuses that they can have their wealth and be good Christians at the same time. What Jesus is saying here is that nothing can be more important than God or you cannot enter into God’s kingdom, which makes it of a much smaller population than we would normally think.

 

It is Peter then that makes the statement that unlike the young man in the last passage, a wealthy person, he and the disciples have left all to follow Jesus. Jesus’ final statement is that these disciples who have forsaken all they had in the world will receive abundant reward and have everlasting life to enjoy. This can only be referring to the people who were listening to Christ speak rather than to us as to apply this to the church would be a contradiction to the standards for our treatment of our families that the Holy Spirit has given us.

 

1Timothy 5:8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

 

Certainly, then, this is not a warrant for a new Christian to abandon his or her responsibilities to their family and justify it by their new-found faith. Jesus is talking to a select few disciples who are to follow Him to see His death on the Cross and to witness the aftermath of His Resurrection from the Empty Tomb and even to suffer martyrdom themselves.

 

He tells Peter and the other Apostles that they will be judging the twelve tribes of Israel which gives us a hint as to who some of the following people are.

 

Revelation 4:4  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 

What does it mean to inherit everlasting life? We are granted this inheritance by virtue of God making a gift of it to us as we trust and believe in the righteousness of Christ, His deity, and in His resurrection.

 

Those who are first in this world will typically be last in the world to come. The beggar who belongs to Christ is far better off than the rich man who has rejected Him.

Bible Study on Isaiah 1, verses 16 to 20, let us reason together

 

Isaiah 1:16 ¶  Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17  Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19  If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Here is a metaphor for taking a bath in cleansing oneself from wickedness, not a reference to baptism as a saving act in itself. He admonishes the Jews of Judah to stop doing evil in front of God, to stop doing the evil they have been doing, to cease from it.

Isaiah then goes on speaking for God as he tells them in verse 17 to perform the acts of true religion as defined later by James.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Connect these verses to Micah.

Micah 6:8  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?

And we are called to this as Christians.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Verse 18 is a remarkable verse that stands out in our minds even if we haven’t memorized it. Notice the contrast is between the blood scarlet of our sins and the whiteness of snow representing purity. Racists on the right and race communists on the Left have sometimes tried to make this about black and white but it has nothing to do with their political ideology but all mankind’s rebellion against a holy God. Please read Psalm 51

Psalm 51:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.» Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2  Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

    7 ¶  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8  Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13  Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

 

    14 ¶  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15  O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18  Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19  Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Clearly the context in verse 19 suggests obedience to God’s word and that is how the Jews of Christ’s time would understand it as a Targum actually adds, “to my word.” Isaiah, speaking for God, gives a blessing and a warning. Obey and enjoy the fruits of the promised land or disobey and die.

Brief comments on 2Kings 7

 

2Kings 7:1 ¶  Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2  Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

Elisha announces that the end of the siege and famine is imminent and an advisor to the king expresses disbelief. However, this word is from God. Elisha’s rebuke is that this advisor will not eat of the bounty that is coming.

2Kings 7:3 ¶  And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4  If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5  And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 6  For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 7  Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8  And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9  Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. 10  So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 11  And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.

Leviticus 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

These lepers, nobodies, the lowest of the low, are courageous out of desperation and intend to throw themselves on the mercy of the Syrians. It is unlikely that they would be shown any. But when they witness that the Syrians have fled due to a psy-op perpetuated by God which they, of course, don’t know about, they realize that they must tell the good news to the inhabitants of the city. A porter is a gatekeeper or doorkeeper.

2Kings 7:12 ¶  And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. 13  And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see. 14  They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. 15  And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. 16  And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. 17  And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. 18  And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: 19  And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. 20  And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

The king suspects a trap, an ambush. But the miracle is true and the Syrians are gone. There is an abundant wealth of food and goods to end the famine that has plagued them. Finally, the scoffer who doubted what Elisha said died and did not enjoy the bounty as Elisha prophesied in verse 2.