Bible Study on Matthew 21, verses 28 to 32, the parable of two sons

 

Matthew 21:28 ¶  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

 

On one level this could clearly be a reference to Israel. The obedient Jew may have resisted at first but eventually did what God wanted. I think of Moses himself. The disobedient Israelite said I’ll obey and did not.

 

Exodus 3:11 ¶  And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

 

But he did go, didn’t he?

 

Exodus 24:3  And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.

 

And they didn’t obey.

 

But on a more important level, based on the context, it is also clearly a reference to the outcasts of society who seem, at first, to be as far from God as they can get and yet when they come to Christ they are accepted as if they were always His. The argument Jesus is making here is that the chief priest and the elders who are attacking Him pay lip service to God but disobey Him by rejecting His Messiah while the outcasts will come into God’s kingdom before they will because the elite are not receptive to God’s ministry of reconciling mankind to Himself.

 

The religious elite here, at their best, are farther from God than the prostitutes and tax collectors who receive their Saviour. God’s ministry of reconciling mankind to Himself reaches its most important point when the Messiah makes Himself known to the people of Israel and;

 

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

Bible Study on Genesis 49, verses 22 to 27, Jacob speaks of Joseph and the future

 

Genesis 49:22 ¶  Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23  The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24  But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25  Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26  The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren. 27  Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Joseph has two sons, one Ephraim and the other Manasseh.

41:52  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

Joseph was a fruitful bough, not only in his progeny but in his career in Egypt and in delivering his family from the famine. A bough is a branch.

Judges 9:48  And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.

Isaiah 17:9  In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

Christ is referred to as the Branch in prophecy regarding His first appearance and His millennial reign.

Jeremiah 33:14  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.  

Zechariah 3:8  Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

Zechariah 6:12  And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

Regarding the branch, the bough, and a well, notice this statement by Jesus and, in fact, read the context of His encounter with the woman by the well.

John 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Notice the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile that Christ overcame.

Ephesians 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Joseph’s brothers, likened to archers, tried to kill him but God made him strong and he overcame. Joseph has truly been blessed and used by God.

An interesting thing to note is that Ishmael, considered by Muslims to be a prophet and an ancestor of Mohammed as well as the father of the Arab people having links to Mecca and the construction of the Kaaba, was an archer.

Genesis 21:20  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

Note the symbolism with the great conqueror at the end of human history, enemy of Christ and Christians…

Revelation 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Verse 24 gives us a prophecy of Christ. Christ is ultimately the shepherd, the stone of Israel and cornerstone of the church.

John 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Ephesians 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

He is the spiritual Rock that followed Israel in the wilderness. Notice as you read Exodus and Psalms the importance of the rock.

One example in the wilderness journeys of the Hebrews would be;

Exodus 17:6  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Isaiah 8:14  And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

1Corinthians 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.

The everlasting hills presents us with an interesting point. Ezekiel will use Joseph and Ephraim as an example of all Israel in a prophecy that can only come true during the millennial reign of Christ with Christ as a type of David, who represents God’s king (2Samuel 23:3 for the quality of a king.)

Ezekiel 37:15 ¶  The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 16  Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18  And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19  Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20  And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21  And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22  And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: 23  Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24  And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25  And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26  Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27  My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28  And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Benjamin had Ehud the judge and Saul the king from his tribe. Also, from Benjamin came Mordecai and Esther. Paul, the great minister to the Gentiles in the New Testament, was also a Benjamite. Truly, this tribe will play a great part in God’s ministry of reconciliation toward mankind. In Judges we see that Benjamin comes near to being wiped out and are a very warlike tribe. Jacob’s prophecy of his beloved youngest son’s progeny shows that this goes beyond just speaking of the future of his child.

Regarding Paul, Matthew Henry makes the point that he devoured the prey or prosecuted Christians in the beginning and divided the spoil, gathering Christians for Christ, as a preacher, later. This brings to mind a parable Christ told about how He spoiled, took, Satan’s goods, people, by those He drew to Himself.

Matthew 12:28  But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29  Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30  He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

This is not to say I have written the definitive word on these prophecies but that these are things to consider. There are many more connections to be made and literally hundreds of sermons to be gleaned from these Biblical cross-references. There is more to preach on than attendance, giving, and soul-winning most certainly.

Bible Study on Matthew 21, verses 18 to 27, the fig tree

 

Matthew 21:18 ¶  Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19  And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

 

Notice that the fig tree that Christ curses represents the fallen state of Israel in their failure to live up to God’s laws but creating their own rules to go by and claiming piety and righteousness by following their man-made rules and not God’s. They bore no fruit acceptable to God. This is made clear in a number of contexts.

 

Notice the comparison made in the Old Testament with Israel;

 

Hosea 9:10  I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

 

Jesus then uses a figure of speech that hyper literalists and skeptics stumble over that basically all things are possible with sincere prayer. However, you might be considered foolish if you knelt before a mountain and prayed that it fall into the sea after telling people to watch the power of prayer. This hyperbole, much like the one about the eye of a needle, underscores the power of sincere faith and prayer in our lives and God’s response to it. It is not a call to rearrange geographical features.

 

Of all the fig trees Jesus must have seen He chose this one to make His point. This fig tree represented the entire nation of Israel in its history and at this point in time when the Messiah came and was not believed by the religious elite of God’s people.

 

While a Christian is not cursed by God for not producing fruit the evidence we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us is the fruit we produce.

 

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

We are promised that things asked according to His will He will grant it;

 

1John 5:14 ¶  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

 

Matthew 21:23 ¶  And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25  The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? Andthey reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26  But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27  And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

 

Here the very political religious elite are stumped by Christ as they dare not answer His question. They fear the people but wanted to respond to Jesus teaching in the temple. He was not part of the religious elite accepted by the Jewish authorities. He knew their weakness and their wickedness. Like Pilate, as revealed later, they are political creatures not so much as concerned about truth as about their position.

Bible Study on Genesis 49, verses 13 to 21, Zebulun through Naphtali

 

Genesis 49:13 ¶  Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon. 14  Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15  And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. 16  Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17  Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18  I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD. 19  Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last. 20  Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. 21  Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

Zebulun’s border of Zidon, also spelled Sidon, was an ancient Phoenician city, north of the famed Tyre, that led a nearly worldwide trading empire. Controversial authors have claimed that the Phoenicians of trading fame were Jews. Later, in Exodus we will explore the origin of words written with letters rather than pictures as being delivered to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. History tells us that the so-called Phoenicians spread the alphabet.

Sidon was a son of Canaan in Genesis 10:15. Tyre and Sidon are mentioned together several times in the New Testament. Is it possible that the glories given to the ancient Phoenicians for a trading empire that finds hotly contested authors claiming that Phoenician coins were found in Brazil, tin mines in England, and that they circled around Africa in their quest for markets should be attributed to Hebrews or at least a Hebrew influence rather than Canaanites? Does not the accolades given to Phoenicia as a trading empire go along with our stereotypes regarding the Jewish people as excelling in business? Carthage, Rome’s mortal enemy until destroyed, saw 300 babies sacrificed to Baal’s superheated arms in one day to try to placate the Devil and end a Roman siege while musicians blared drums and horns to drown out the screams of the agony of the infants. Carthage was a colony of Phoenicia. Could there have been a strong Hebrew influence? We know that many of the Hebrews would eventually descend into Baal or Devil worship from the Bible.

Issachar is linked with Zebulun’s trading efforts later by Moses.

Deuteronomy 33:18 ¶  And of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out; and, Issachar, in thy tents. 19  They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.

Perhaps Issachar’s people will work with Zebulun in selling goods imported by the latter tribe. Zebulun goes out but Issachar stays on land. It is also suggested that Issachar will be an agricultural laborer in a fruitful land and have the burden of tribute or taxation. Perhaps the two burdens mentioned have to do with their subordinate position as a laborer and taxpayer. It is interesting to note that the laboring classes in England suffered heavily under the rigors of taxation. The working class has always been the one carrying the greatest burdens. But, there are many opinions on the meaning of these verses regarding Issachar.

Dan is likened to a lion cub in Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 33:22  And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.

The tribe of Dan falls into idolatry as we will see in Judges 18. Some commentators have spoken of this as a reference to Samson, the judge, who was of that tribe and made trouble for the Philistines not through open battle but through the vexations he caused them, like a poisonous serpent biting a horse and causing its rider to fall.

Judges 16:30  And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Matthew Henry said that verse 18 is interjected by a dying Jacob and is not part of the prophecies of his sons. This verse has special significance, though, as the words of a dying man.

Hebrews 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Let us remember that these fallible, sinful men have their names inscribed on the gates of that city.

Revelation 21:12  And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13  On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And what is Jacob waiting for in verse 18?

Isaiah 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Psalm 79:9  Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.

Psalm 130:7  Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8  And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Matthew 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Gad became a warlike tribe, some underscore, but weren’t all the tribes warlike? Yet, there seemed to be something peculiarly fierce about this tribe.

1Chronicles 12:8  And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; 9  Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10  Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11  Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12  Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13  Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh. 14  These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand. 15  These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

Asher is said to become a provider of gourmet food items for the kings. And, after all, the king was served from the field in an agricultural society.

Ecclesiastes 5:9 ¶  Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

Naphtali’s promise, John Gill wrote, was a thinly veiled reference to the events of Christ’s time. He referred to;

Matthew 4:12 ¶  Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; 13  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, 15  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; 16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. 17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Which contains a reference to this passage;

Isaiah 9:1 ¶  Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

In any event, these prophecies given by Jacob are obscure to us, in the main, and subject to much varying interpretations which must not slow us down as we move forward. But, clearly they will become apparent and obvious when we are instructed by our Lord directly upon our meeting with Him in Heaven.

Bible Study on Matthew 21, verses 1 to 17, the house of prayer

 

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.

 

Matthew quotes Zechariah as fulfilled by this event in Christ’s ministry;

 

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.

 

See how they strew branches in Jesus’ path, a token of the Feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23:40 and garments in his path as in 2Kings 9:13.

 

Leviticus 23:40  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

 

2Kings 9:13  Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

 

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem causes quite a stir and a multitude acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah to come. Several declarations are made here. He is the Son of David who comes in the name of the Lord. He is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth.

 

Matthew 21:12 ¶  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17  And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

 

The event that starts this passage is said by John, or so it appears, to have happened earlier than Matthew shows. It is not unusual for memories of events in the past shared by different people to have some small differences. In fact, eyewitness testimony that is a hundred percent identical would be suspicious. Of course, there could have been two separate instances of this happening as well.

 

Jesus, in purging the temple, quotes Old Testament passages.

 

Isaiah 56:7  Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

 

Jeremiah 7:11  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

 

In response to the complaint of the chief priests and scribes Jesus will allude to the following;

 

Psalm 8:2  Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

 

Jesus is not acting as a politician, nor is He acting as a revolutionary. He is asserting God’s intentions by what He has established, which the religious leaders have ignored in creating their own edifice upon which to justify their power.

 

He roots out corruption, helps the helpless, and reproves the religious elite for their unbelief as the people call Him the Messiah.

Bible Study on Genesis 49, verses 8 to 12, part 2, prophecies about Christ

 

PART TWO These proclamations of Jacob refer to not only Christ’s presentation to the Jews in the early first century but to the end of human history when Christ returns to rule from Jerusalem seizing the kingdoms of the earth, including what is left of America, from Satan, who rules them now through the lowest sort of individual. Shiloh, here meaning, according to Strong’s, “He whose it is or tranquility,” a reference to the Messiah’s coming to rule the earth.

Isaiah 63:1 ¶  Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. 6  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Daniel 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Luke 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

2Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

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.

Revelation 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

You cannot separate the return of Christ to the earth from His rule on earth and the destruction of the world system.

Verse 12 is a short description of Christ’s frightening appearance as He returns to take control. Eyes that are red like wine and teeth white as milk. Here is another description.

Ezekiel 1: 26 ¶  And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27  And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

…and another.

Revelation 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

…and yet another.

Revelation 19:11 ¶  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

            Verse 12, according to some commentators like Gill, refers to abundance and fruitfulness, the blessings of joy and plenty.

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.