Bible Study on Matthew 11, verses 1 to 6, are you the Messiah?

 

Matthew 11:1 ¶  And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5  The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6  And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

 

Verse 3 reveals a blatant deception in a modern Bible version. I have studiously avoided this kind of controversy as it doesn’t help move the narrative along. However, this is so egregious I just felt I had to comment.

 

3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

 

See how this verse is published in the so-called New King James Bible.

 

Matthew 11:3 (NKJV) “and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

 

There is something odd about this rendering. The New King James Version was published in its entirety in 1982. In the late 1940s a Satanist named Alice Bailey who, of course, is considered a “New Age” writer rather than a Satanist by Satanists who wish to downplay the truth although the Lucis Trust published her works, wrote a booklet entitled The Reappearance of the Christ. Bailey espoused a doctrine of The Coming One, an avatar that would come periodically to teach and enlighten mankind as the Christ simply because the spirit of Christ never left the earth and has always been here in some form. She considered herself a Thesophist which links her to Satanist of the 19^th century, Madame Blavatsky, who in her late 1800s work, The Secret Doctrine, basically said Lucifer and Christ were the same person. This, too, is interesting as the New International Version seems to agree comparing Isaiah 14:12 and Revelation 22:16 in that version.

 

John is in prison and has been for some time. He wants a final assurance from his cousin that Jesus is the Messiah, that there is no other to come. Remember, there were several stories floating around including that there were two Messiahs. Here are my comments from Luke;

 

“John is seeking confirmation that there is no one to come after Jesus. This seems rather odd for us as John the Baptist is the one who announced Jesus first to the people. However, I read in a book entitled A History of Messianic Speculation in Israel from the First through the Seventeenth Centuries by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver that there was an expectation of two messiahs at times, one; Messiah ben Joseph and, two; Messiah ben David. One is a conqueror and one suffers for the people of Israel and dies fighting the enemies of God and Israel. Jewish tradition also refers to, “The Four Craftsmen.”  Whether these rabbinic teachings of multiple messiahs are later interpolations or not it is clear that John is wondering if all of the prophecies will be fulfilled in one man; Jesus Christ. The Dead Sea Scrolls also speak of something like a war-messiah from the tribe of Ephraim dated to the first century before Christ, a suffering Messiah, and a priestly Messiah figure.”

 

Jesus replies with a “see for yourself” statement. When John acknowledges that the requirements are met for the Messiah he must realize that it is, indeed, Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us;

 

Psalm 146:8  The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

 

Isaiah 35:5 ¶  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

 

For verse 6 keep in mind that offended can mean to make to stumble or fall short like a hapless runner who fails to reach the finish line. Many stumble at the word of God due to their wicked hearts and many will stumble and fall because they do not accept Christ.

 

It is a person’s own hard heart that would prevent them from seeing that He is the Messiah, God walking on earth in the flesh, the Redeemer of all mankind. It is your own sinful nature that prevents you from receiving Christ as your Saviour, to be offended in Him.

 

Isaiah 8:13  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 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. 15  And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

 

1Peter 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Bible Study on Genesis 42, verses 1 to 6, desperate for food in a famine

 

Genesis 42:1 ¶  Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? 2  And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. 3  And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4  But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. 5  And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6  And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

Here is an interesting idiomatic expression. “What are you looking at each other for? Get down to Egypt and get some grain!” I remember a boss at a job down in Georgia saying to me when they wanted me to do something right away, “Don’t look at me like a cow looks at a new gate! Get moving.” Or, if you’re more uppity and want to quote Shakespeare you might respond to a blank stare with, “There is a tide,” from Julius Caesar, to stop someone from spinning their wheels, to take action.

Jacob wants his sons to take action so they don’t just sit there and starve to death. All of them except for Jacob’s favorite, his baby boy Benjamin, go down to Egypt to buy grain. Just in case something bad happens Benjamin will be safe. This doesn’t say much for Jacob’s concern for the rest, does it.

Bowing oneself to the earth is one of the postures of reverence and worship.

Sometimes people bow their head to worship God.

Genesis 24:26  And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

Sometimes to the earth.

Genesis 24:52  And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

Even falling down and grabbing the feet of the person worshipped.

Matthew 28:9  And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Sometimes they kneeled.

Psalm 95:6  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

So, it is that there are different postures of acknowledging someone as superior. We Americans are taught to bow to no one as superior so we have a hard time acknowledging God’s power over our lives in a real, tangible way. Americans lack the awe for anything other than something like a fireworks display or a huge bomb going off. Our shallowness of culture does get in the way of our understanding of who God is and of His power over our lives. The weakness of other cultures was that for centuries they acknowledged a king, tsar, or emperor as being God’s agent on earth and were in fear and awe of him but still not seeing, because of the propaganda their government controlled them with, that it was God who controlled every heartbeat and breath and God, not their king, who could save or destroy in an instant. Only God is worthy of our awe and reverence, our worship.

Psalm 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

Hebrews 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

The brothers come to this Egyptian official, mightiest in the land under the Pharaoh himself, to plead for food to buy. They are showing their inferior position and his power over their lives. This is a beautiful image of how we should come to Christ. Let Him lift us up.

James 4:10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1Peter 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 10, verses 16 to 42, Fear not men, but fear God

 

Matthew 10:16 ¶  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18  And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19  But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. 21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. 24  The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. 25  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? 26  Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. 27  What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. 41  He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42  And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

 

Jesus uses three types of animals here, focusing on the commonly held mythologies of their characters. The Apostles are going out physically helpless in a world that has many in it who would do them harm, as sheep among wolves.

 

John 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

 

But they and we, by extension, are to be wise as the proverbial serpent, thought to be clever, plotting, and careful but harmless as doves. We should not be naïve or unaware of the devices of the enemy and so easily taken advantage of but at the same time we should pose no physical threat to others.

 

They are not to be overawed by rulers and kings but God will give them the words to say when the time comes for them to give a defense of the gospel. See how later Paul himself will be commissioned to preach to kings which he does in the latter part of Acts.

 

Acts 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

 

Verse 21 shows that this preaching among the Jews caused division and many families would turn in on themselves giving up their own loved ones to the authorities for upsetting the established order. But Jesus tells the Apostles to stay steady in their mission until it is finished and they shall be protected. His Crucifixion and Resurrection will take place before every city in Israel being visited.

 

Jesus refers to how some have likened Him to the Devil as we would see in Mark 3:22 and later here in Matthew, chapter 12. He states that if He has been likened to the Devil how much more so will His servants receive that condemnation. But don’t worry, guys, be faithful and say what I have told you to say. You are in the Father’s hands. Even the most insignificant creature is in God’s hands and Jesus says that these Apostles are worth more than many of them. Even the very hairs of their head are numbered. Their time on earth is set by God, not by those who hate them.

 

These passages bring up some very important doctrinal points for us to consider. Fear God not man.

 

Isaiah 8:12  Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13  Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

 

There are many verses that refer to the importance of fearing God.

 

Job 28:28  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

 

Psalm 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

 

Proverbs 1:7  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 

Proverbs 15:33  The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

 

Isaiah 11:2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

 

Isaiah 33:6  And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

 

It is not just dread but also an overwhelming awe and reverence.

 

Psalm 33:8  Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

 

Hebrews 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

 

And that even the death of the most seemingly insignificant creature is in God’s control.

 

29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

 

Our days on earth are determined by God.

 

Job 7:1  Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

 

From verses 32 to 39 we see the social disruption and conflict the Apostles faced. They are called to confess Christ before men and women and to face family and society’s rejection for their faith. Their own family was not to be above Christ in their hearts. Theirs was an uphill battle and a very dangerous mission in that world. The world in which they live will hate them because that world, as ours, hates Christ. They must be ready to expect the worst but have faith in God’s protection and blessing on their ministry.

 

Whosoever receives these Apostles receives the one who sent them. Even the smallest act of kindness that is done to one of them will be as if it was done to Christ Himself.

 

Bible Study on Genesis 41, verses 46 to 57, And all the countries came into Egypt to Joseph

 

Genesis 41:46 ¶  And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47  And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48  And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49  And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50  And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51  And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52  And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 53  And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. 54  And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55  And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. 56  And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. 57  And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Note that Joseph is thirty years old when he stood before the Pharaoh. Young Hebrew Levite men began their service to God at thirty years of age (Numbers 4:3). David was thirty years old when he began to reign (see 2Samuel 5:4). Jesus Christ began His ministry on earth at that age, as well when He, the Holy Ghost, and God the Father were all three present together at His baptism (Luke 3:21-23).

Joseph toured Egypt as Pharaoh’s representative, carrying with him the power of Pharaoh over the Egyptians. For seven years harvests were plentiful and there was no end to the amount that Joseph could store up for the coming dearth. Obviously, all the food doesn’t mean he left the Egyptians with no food, now, does it but that he gathered all of the food from the 20% of the land that the government took. Countries in crisis, like England in WWII, did things similar to this in their control of food output for war purposes. His wife, Asenath, gave him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, the meaning of their names found in the text with Manasseh having to do with forgetting and Ephraim being fruitful. The seven years of famine came and in Egypt there was plenty of bread. Finally, when Egyptians began to feel the bite of the dearth they sought for help from the government. Wisely, Pharaoh directed them to Joseph.

This brings us to an important point about reading the Bible. The modern fundamentalist reads it like the owner’s manual for his car and sees And the famine was over all the face of the earth and says there was famine in South America, in the Pacific islands, and in China then, too. But, that is not what this means. The earth, in many places in the Bible, has only to do with the area under concern, the lands of the Near East, what we call the Middle East unless explanatory descriptions like uttermost part of the earth or the four corners of the earth are referring to the entire earth as we know it. This modernistic view of the Bible where we make it mean what we want it to mean and leave no room for question has caused much confusion over the past century, at least. Just remember that when the Bible says;

Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

…it most certainly does not mean that a Roman Emperor had the power to tax the Kalahari bushman of southern Africa or the Olmec kingdom of Mexico. Use some common sense. When you say, “I want everyone to come to my party,” you most certainly don’t mean the entire world without exception.

Thanks to God’s use of Joseph Egypt is now the source of food for the countries around it. All are drawn to it for food as all were supposed to be drawn to Israel for the food that is the word of God had they been obedient. The Old Testament model for evangelism was Israel as a place where men were drawn to know about God as it shall be in the millennial reign of Christ.

Zechariah 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

While under the New Testament model for the Christian the role of evangelism is to go out in the world as we have no abiding earthly country. Jesus told the early Jewish Christians so. Notice in the following how the meaning is to go beyond the boundaries of what the Jew considered his homeland and the command is to go to the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Bible Study on Matthew 10, verses 5 to 15, the Apostles sent out to preach to Israel

 

Matthew 10:5 ¶  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7  And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9  Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10  Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11  And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12  And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13  And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

 

The Apostle’s ministry will be first to the people of Israel. They get the first opportunity to receive the kingdom of Heaven and God. This calling was peculiar to them in this time as they revealed the doctrine of God’s kingdom within the hearts of men and women to Israel. They were to start with a person of good reputation in a town and give them a chance to receive the gospel that Jesus had taught them. This person with a good reputation would be a great beginning to spread the good news. John Gill insists that this doesn’t mean a particularly religious person but a lover of hospitality, liberal minded, the kind of person who would welcome weary strangers and take care of them. The Apostles had great power to do things that Jesus had been doing and were told not to even provide for their basic needs. All would be taken care of.

 

If they were rejected the people of that town in that time would suffer more on the day of judgment than Sodom and Gomorrah because they were given the truth and refused to hear it. This seems to suggest that it is worse for a person if they hear the truth and reject it than if they never heard it at all but are still lost and that there are degrees of punishment in eternity.

 

The town that received them would receive their blessing and it is implied that they would bear fruit in such a place, open to the gospel. John the Baptist has preached the imminent entry into their world of the Messiah and now the Messiah has sent out His Apostles to proclaim the kingdom. No one has any excuse.

Bible Study on Genesis 41, verses 33 to 45, Joseph made second in Egypt

 

Genesis 41:33 ¶  Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34  Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. 35  And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 36  And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. 37  And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38  And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? 39  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: 40  Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. 41  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. 42  And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. 44  And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. 45  And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph made a final recommendation to the Pharaoh, not meaning to suggest himself, a lowly prisoner in the king’s dungeon, a foreigner sold into slavery there. Someone wise and discreet should rule under the Pharaoh’s authority. Here is our first example of government being used to serve the needs of the state apart from war. The Pharaoh is to take 20% of the land so that wheat can be stored up during the good years to prepare for the lean years to come. This tax was for the benefit of the people and the security of the state when the famine would come.

Corn is the British reference to a seed of any cereal grass, notably wheat, and expands to be a reference to the plant itself.

John 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

See how our Bible is written below in this verse’s parallel phrasing defining corn as wheat.

Amos 8:5  Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Government for the welfare of the people is mentioned in Paul’s letters to the Christian in Rome. In fact, it is the only mandate listed in Paul’s letters for human government, to punish evil doers. As said before, evil is usually a reference to malice or malicious, violent intent. Again, here in Paul, taxes are mentioned, paying tribute.

Romans 13:1 ¶  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4  For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6  For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Jesus Himself acknowledged that paying taxes to your government is a good testimony.

Matthew 17:24 ¶  And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? 25  He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26  Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. 27  Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

I assure you that the Roman government referred to in the previous two passages was not a Christian or a righteous government. But government has a mandate and, as we know, the power to tax is the power to govern.

Pharaoh acknowledges that the Spirit of God, the very mind of God, is in Joseph. Here, typology implies that Pharaoh is in type God the Father and here Joseph is a type of Christ, or God in the flesh, issuing from God and possessing His authority.

All ability, power, and authority, even that to do evil, comes from God. Nothing can be done without His permissive will or His direct will.

John 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

But Christ as God in the flesh or the Son of God comes in God the Father’s authority…

John 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

…and in fact, to have seen Him is to have seen God the Father.

John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John 10:30  I and my Father are one. 31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

John 12:45  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

So, in this passage in Genesis we have a picture, a type of God the Father and the Son of God, as Pharaoh gives Joseph his own ring, his own authority and power over Egypt. To see Joseph was to see the Pharaoh and Joseph carried all of the power and authority of Pharaoh. For such a thing to happen this could only have been God’s direct will. Do you see how many things He allowed the men and women of this narrative so far to do and how He molded and shaped those things no matter what their intentions, good or evil, into His plan, His ministry of reconciliation toward mankind?

The priesthood of Egypt was a powerful class whom the Pharaoh would want on his side and having Joseph marry one of their daughters was an astute political move. In this we can speak in type of how God drew Abraham from the Gentiles to create a people for Himself for Joseph’s offspring would be among God’s chosen.

On was a city that became known as Heliopolis, city of the sun. On is said by some authorities to be the birthplace of Egyptian mythology. It was the first capital of Egypt and the place where Egyptian myth said that creation itself took place. It is here that the great sun god, Ra or Atum, self-created god, was to have arisen from the Benben stone in the great temple to light up a dark universe. He was the source of all other gods and people themselves were born from his tears. It is of no little significance that God arranged for a priest’s daughter of this city and this god to be married to Joseph. God drew mankind away from the darkness of paganism and chose Egypt’s greatest god’s priest’s daughter to be the vessel through whom would come two tribes of the Hebrews, Ephraim and Manasseh. We will learn how troublesome they were.

Strong’s dictionary says that Joseph’s Egyptian name means, “treasury of the glorious rest.” We will receive new names from God.

Revelation 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Bible Study on Matthew 10, verses 1 to 4, part 5, James and Judas

 

James, the son of Alphaeus, is also identified as being James the less in Mark.

 

Mark 15:40  There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

 

He is also identified by some as being an actual sibling of Jesus as per this verse keeping him separate from James, the brother of John.

 

Galatians 1:19  But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.

 

It is likely that this half-brother of Jesus wrote the letter of James sometime after Jesus revealed Himself to him post-resurrection.

 

1Corinthians 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

 

Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus, is according to Gill named after the town of Lebba, on the sea coast of Galilee. The surname Thaddeus is derived from the root of Jude or Judah according to Gill and some say he is Jude who writes the letter. I’m not going to go into all of the possibilities and opinions.

 

He is a patron saint, along with Bartholomew, of the Armenian church and there is a Saint Thaddeus Monastery in Northern Iran and a Saint Thaddeus Church in Armenia.

 

Simon the Canaanite is mentioned in another verse;

 

Mark 3:18  And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

 

…but also as Simon the Zealot.

 

Luke 6:15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

 

Acts 1:13  And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

 

So, with the name of Zelotes this indicates he may have been one of that party of Zealots who were basically terrorists in First Century Judea. Some say, though, that this only refers to his zeal for Christ.

 

Traditions on his demise vary with him being sawn in half in Persia or crucified in Roman Britain. We won’t know until we reach Heaven what really happened to him.

 

Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ, has a name that means ‘man of Kerioth’. Kerioth is a town in the territory of Moab.

 

Jeremiah 48:24  And upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

 

He is referred to as the son of perdition.

 

John 17:12  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

 

And so is the Antichrist at the end of history.

 

2Thessalonians 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

Does this mean, as one commentator said, that the Antichrist will be from the area of ancient Moab and be a Jew?

 

Matthew Henry’s comments on Judas are quite interesting and I want to quote them here from his readily available commentary online;

 

Judas Iscariot is always named last, and with that black brand upon his name, who also betrayed him; which intimates that from the first, Christ knew what a wretch he was, that he had a devil, and would prove a traitor; yet Christ took him among the apostles, that it might not be a surprise and discouragement to his church, if, at any time, the vilest scandals should break out in the best societies. Such spots there have been in our feasts of charity; tares among the wheat, wolves among the sheep; but there is a day of discovery and separation coming, where hypocrites shall be unmasked and discarded. Neither the apostleship, nor the rest of the apostles, were ever the worse for Judas's being one of the twelve, while his wickedness was concealed and did not break out.[1]

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[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew 10:4, https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/matthew/10.html. (accessed 12.27.22).