Leviticus 13:38-59 comments: more regulations regarding malignant skin diseases

 

Leviticus 13:38 ¶  If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots; 39  Then the priest shall look: and, behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white; it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean. 40 And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean. 41  And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, he is forehead bald: yet is he clean. 42  And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43  Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; 44  He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head. 45  And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 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.

 

A person with freckles or a bald head is not necessarily unclean. But a person who is pronounced as having Leprosy must protect other people from any chance of contagion by covering his mouth and shouting, “Unclean, unclean!” That person must also live apart from the others, clearly for their protection making this a public health issue.

The modern notion of Leprosy is mildly contagious and passed from person to person over long periods of contact by what comes out of the nose and the mouth so covering the upper lip is important.

Leviticus 13:47 ¶  The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment; 48  Whether it be in the warp, or woof; of linen, or of woollen; whether in a skin, or in any thing made of skin; 49  And if the plague be greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a plague of leprosy, and shall be shewed unto the priest: 50  And the priest shall look upon the plague, and shut up it that hath the plague seven days: 51  And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day: if the plague be spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in a skin, or in any work that is made of skin; the plague is a fretting leprosy; it is unclean. 52  He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in woollen or in linen, or any thing of skin, wherein the plague is: for it is a fretting leprosy; it shall be burnt in the fire. 53  And if the priest shall look, and, behold, the plague be not spread in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; 54  Then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more: 55  And the priest shall look on the plague, after that it is washed: and, behold, if the plague have not changed his colour, and the plague be not spread; it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire; it is fret inward, whether it be bare within or without. 56  And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be somewhat dark after the washing of it; then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof: 57  And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp, or in the woof, or in any thing of skin; it is a spreading plague: thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire. 58  And the garment, either warp, or woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash, if the plague be departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and shall be clean. 59  This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of woollen or linen, either in the warp, or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.

 

Leprosy is like sinful flesh that contaminates our soul. We wear it in this life covered with the contagion of sin. I thought there was an interesting comment in Jude’s letter, just before Revelation.

Jude 21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22  And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

 

In Isaiah treasured garments will be removed in judgment as our flesh will be destroyed.

 

Isaiah 3:18  In that day the Lord will take away the bravery [bravery in 1611 also meaning fine clothes carrying on a former meaning of pretentious and showy] of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 19  The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20  The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, 21  The rings, and nose jewels, 22  The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23  The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. [When we get to Isaiah I will define some of these words more clearly.]

 

We must be wary about treasuring the garment of our flesh. In the context of Peter talking about wives influencing their husbands disobedient to God’s word, assuming they are unbelievers, a topic which Paul talked about at length he wrote;

1Peter 3:3  Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

 

But, in Revelation the righteousness offered through Christ is likened to fine linen.

 

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

 

Diseases can be contracted through contact with infected clothing or reusable grocery bags and the like today as evidenced by two papers I read recently about a soccer team who all become infected with a stomach illness and airline staff who become infected by clothing worn by infected people. My point is that infected clothing can make a healthy person sick. Sources I have read said that even what we call Leprosy today, Hansen’s Disease, can be contracted indirectly through contaminated clothing.

Warp and woof are threads in a woven fabric with warp being threads running lengthwise and woof with threads running crosswise. The phrase has come down to us from the 1800s meaning the basic structure or foundation of anything.

Main service at Lake Marburg Baptist Church this morning; Luke 16:1- 17:10 - The parable of the steward and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus

 

Luke 16:1 ¶  And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3  Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4  I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5  So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6  And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7  Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9  And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11  If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? 13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16  The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. 17  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. 18  Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

 

Jesus has finished talking about the joy in Heaven over repentance and return.

 

First, before I give my general thoughts on this passage, let me define a steward and a debt and what they can mean beyond the literal.

 

The elder, whether it be a pastor/teacher, a bishop, which is what we call a pastor today, a deacon or some other function in the church, is called a steward of the mysteries of God.  They must handle God’s word, not deceitfully, or for gain, to make merchandise of the church, but faithfully.

 

1Corinthians 4:1 ¶  Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2  Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

 

In literal terms, a steward is a manager of a house, what we might today call a butler or, if they had more responsibility, even an estate agent, as the one in this parable.

 

A debt cannot only refer to a financial obligation it can refer to sin debt, the debt one owes God that they can never repay and the debt one owes to a person they’ve sinned against. See the example of prayer Jesus gave on two separate occasions.

 

Matthew 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

 

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

 

The steward here had wasted his master’s goods, not stolen them. He is not in prison but being terminated in his employment. The coins that Jesus used were Roman. This passage represents the non-monetary part of this society which we have seen all through the Bible where wealth was measured in goods and produce. Throughout history, from the serfs of the Medieval world to the sharecroppers of the Southern United States rents were often paid at least partly in produce and goods made.

 

A current Turbotax website makes this pertinent statement regarding taxes; “Most landowners contract with farmers under a crop-share arrangement, in which ‘rent' is paid in crops or livestock produced by the farmer. Form 4835 only recognizes income to a landowner in the year that these crop or livestock shares are converted to cash.”

 

The master demands that the steward make an accounting, to see the books so to speak. He apparently is not getting the rents he expects and the steward has failed in his job. The steward, being afraid of what will become of him, knowing he’s too old to do common labor and doesn’t want to be reduced to the level of a beggar, thinks to forgive some of his master’s debt to get at least partial rents in, hoping to not only please his master but to perhaps have one of the tenants hire him out of appreciation.

 

Jesus says in verse 9 to forgive the sin debt to you and to God as this failure of a steward has done. A friend of mammon, the mammon of unrighteousness, or the unrighteous mammon knows how to handle it. Jesus’ Jewish followers under the Law have spiritual wealth to dispense, forgiveness, and to collect, the repentance of the wayward Jew who has not been forthcoming in his responsibilities to the Lord who created him. Those you have forgiven of the sin debt owed to you and to the Lord, and we all know that the person who truly forgives receives less from the debtor than he deserves to receive but is willing to accept what he gets, but those who have been forgiven by the Jew are a currency that prepared the Jew for eternal life. Forgiveness is very important to Christ. In this passage He is starting with a worldly scene and transforming it into a spiritual meaning.

 

Forgiveness was essential to salvation, as far as Jesus was concerned. How can you be faithful in great spiritual matters when you are faithless in such a basic component to obedience to Christ as forgiveness? There is also a warning here to be diligent in worldly matters. How can a Jew who is careless with worldly wealth be trusted to handle spiritual wealth? Be liberal and free with your money in dispensing it to those in need and do not be covetous. Be faithful in your obligations and handle money wisely. Do not worship mammon but use it rather in the way God would approve.

 

The insertion of the verse on putting away one’s wife is not the context of the same thought in Matthew, chapters 5 and 19 and Mark 10 as they are about marriage and divorce specifically. God doesn’t value the things we do in the way we do. But He does value forgiveness and unjustly divorcing one’s spouse is included in this passage to give us a personal reference. Let us remember Paul’s admonition.

 

Colossians 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

 

There was a school of the Pharisees, according to some sources, that believed you could divorce your wife for any reason as the Romans did. Our representation of Christ, our expression of faith, begins at home. If we cannot be trusted to show Christ in our most intimate relationships we cannot be trusted with His spiritual riches in public. For instance, a man who is cruel at home, unyielding, implacable, unmerciful in speech or deed at home, is a roaring hypocrite when he smiles and shakes hands at church with a pious grin on his face in the love of the brethren.

 

Think about this when you absentmindedly purchase a pack of gum at the convenience store. Are you as free with God’s spiritual wealth such as forgiveness as you are in how you use money? You think nothing of making an impulse purchase, some doo-dad you want, but how miserly you are with forgiveness and mercy to those closest to you.

 

Of course, there are many sermons to be made out of this regarding faithfulness with money as all of what you own is God’s etc. etc.

 

Luke 16:19 ¶  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

 

Jumping right from the story of the steward and the link to putting away one’s wife Jesus goes into the effects of a hard heart. Also though, Jesus, continuing with the sin of covetousness and greed the Pharisees were apparently known for, describes the end destination for those who would depend on and worship their wealth. It is a warning to those who would listen. In this passage it is clear that Hell is a real place of suffering. Hell is spoken of as a place of fire early on.

 

Deuteronomy 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

 

It is commonly understood among conservative Christians that before Christ’s resurrection that Hell, the place of suffering, was next to Paradise, the place of joy and peace. Here, it is said that there was an unbridgeable gap between them. The Greeks, who were represented as traders and mercenaries throughout the Ancient Near East from the earliest times and even fought on the side of Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh Necho at Carchemish as mentioned in Jeremiah 46:2, were often the hired men of Jeremiah 46:21. They took many slaves as spoils of war including many Jews.

 

Joel 3:6  The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

 

It is very possible that Greek versions of Hades, their word for Hell, were formed by what they heard from their Hebrew captives just as later Greek writers would say, during the Christian era, that Greek mythical heroes were amalgamations of Bible characters. For example, Hercules may be a combination of Samson and Jonah due to the experiences he supposedly endured some have thought. Even Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian who lived hundreds of years before Christ supposed that the Greeks lifted their mythologies from Egypt. Archaeologists, linguists, and mythographers have concluded that the Greeks got their mythologies from the Ancient Near East, which the Bible confirms in part.  The Greek view of Hades as a place that contained not only suffering but a place of joy and rest confirms this view.

 

Hel, in Norse mythology, is not a good point to start with as virtually all we know about the Norse gods was written by Christian writers during the 13^th century and beyond, presumably from older sources but who can say for certain. It has been noted that early writers said even their mythology came from the Near East.

 

We have the Bible, given by inspiration of God to its writers and copyists and translators which is wisdom and understanding rather than word-for-word dictation as I have explained and referenced previously from Job 32:8; 2Peter 3:15; and 2Timothy 3:16 with the original autographs not ranked as high as the words we have to read. See Jeremiah 36:32. It is the doctrine of preservation from Psalm 12:6, 7 and Psalm 119:89 that works alongside of the doctrine of inspiration to give us the Bible we have today.

 

Hell is in the heart of the earth but Paradise, like the ark of God, has been removed to the New Jerusalem after Christ preached to the spirits there.

 

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

 

Luke 23:43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

 

1Peter 3:18 ¶  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

 

2Corinthians 12:4  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

 

Revelation 2:7  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 tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

Revelation 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

 

Here, in this passage, just as the rich man wants to enforce the social status he enjoyed over Lazarus during life in Hell, so Abraham foretells that the wicked will not be influenced by Christ’s resurrection and even His preaching to them in their deplorable and abhorrent state will not impact their evil-focused minds. This is the result of a hard heart.

 

I want to address another issue having to do with words in the Bible. In Hebrew the word Sheol is translated as either the grave or Hell, based on the context. In the New Testament, the suffering of Hell can be expressed by the Greek word Hades. With a million words in English we can be very specific in our naming of things. And yet, words like love and hate are often used with many different definitions understood by the context as in, “I love my mother,” versus, “I love pizza.” In Hebrew and Greek the meaning of a word, too, is dependent upon the context. Do not be deluded by skeptics who criticize the word Hell from Sheol or Hades. It would make no sense for God to start a fire in the lowest grave as per the verse quoted above from Deuteronomy or to mix Hades, where torment or joy could be experienced, with Hell, a place of only torment until the final Lake of Fire consumes those who have rejected God’s mercy. The words those people had were used to describe things God put on their minds.

 

A similar mistake is made by modernists who take compound words like Theopneustos in 2Timothy 3:16 and transliterate it as God-breathed rather than the correct given by inspiration which I’ve defined previously. Compound words mean more than their component parts run together. You would say you were going home to watch football on your television, not your far-off seeing, now wouldn’t you?

 

Luke, chapter 17

 

Luke 17:1 ¶  Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2  It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. 7  But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8  And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9  Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10  So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

 

Again from the importance of forgiveness to the effects of a hard heart to the victory through faith and just how little and how reasonable what God is asking that we do Jesus proceeds to illuminate.

 

An offence is something that causes someone to stumble in confusion or their faith, that harms their faith.

 

As the Jewish rejection of Christ caused their confusion;

 

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.

 

Which is an allusion to the passage in Isaiah;

 

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.

 

So, see that an offence can cause one to stumble, to fall, to be broken, and snared, and captured. This is what happens with unbelief, one falls into the snare set by the king of terrors himself.

 

2Timothy 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

 

Someone who belongs to God, who is mature in His care, and loves His word should never experience such a thing.

 

Psalm 119:165  Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

 

In the Early Modern English of the era of the King James translators to offend could mean, not just to displease or insult someone, but to injure one’s conscience, to deceive them, to commit a wrong, to cause damage to, and an offence was a crime, a sin, or a trespass, an injury done to someone.

 

Offences against God and humans will come, they will happen. It is the nature of things in this dispensation. But, woe to that man or woman through whom they come, who permits themselves willingly to be a vehicle for sin against God and their fellow men and women.

 

Little ones can be a reference, of course, to children.

 

Matthew 18:1 ¶  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

 

    7 ¶  Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! 8  Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. 10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13  And if so be

that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14  Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

 

But, in this context, in this particular sermon given by Christ, He seems to be saying that offences must come but it is a sad day for the person through whom they come. Do not give cause or reason for a new believer, a little one in the faith, to stumble and fall, and to forgive graciously and abundantly if your brother or sister repents of their deed against you. Do not feel a sense of self-righteousness by your getting out of your comfort zone and doing what Christ has commanded in the realm of forgiveness but accept it as the least you can do considering what He has endured and what He has done for you.

 

Luke 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

 

Peter and Christ had this interaction;

 

Matthew 18:21 ¶  Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22  Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a

certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25  But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that

he had, and payment to be made. 26  The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27  Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28  But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29  And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me,

and I will pay thee all. 30  And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31  So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32  Then his lord, after that he had called

him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35  So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

 

Next to trusting God in the painful circumstances of life for which we are given no explanation, like Job, forgiving is the hardest thing for a Christian to do. Some of the great causes of mental illness are a refusing to forgive and a refusing to be forgiven. Refusing to forgive as Christ commanded can be the source of great offence to the faith of not only another but yourself. Discouragement is a powerful tool of Satan.

 

2Corinthians 2:10  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; 11  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

 

I suspect there are many out there who cannot find it within themselves to forgive one who has caused offence to you or to forgive yourself; perhaps even just for failure in this life to meet the expectations of your youth. But, forgiving is a fundamental of the Christian faith, of far more importance than your political or historical beliefs. Keep in mind that it is called for when the other party is repentant and is not only sorry for their sin against you but has turned from it, the meaning of repentance. Sometimes it takes time to forgive because we need to see that repentance is real. These are the facts of living.

 

Paul gave a warning about offending weak brothers and sisters. Read Romans 14. With regard to forgiveness, there may be a person in your life; a parent, a spouse, a friend, who regrets what they did to you and, if that is so, it is incumbent upon you to forgive them. You, too, have regrets for what you’ve done. You are sorry for your sin against God. Receive His forgiveness. Do not remember what God has forgotten.

 

Another take on this passage is that it represents a few of the sayings of Christ for which we would have to cross-reference to uncover the more complete doctrine the sayings are referring to. For instance, there is verse 2 opened up by the passage in Matthew 18:1-14. There is verse 4 further explained by Matthew 18:21-35. Verses 5 and 6 are further illuminated by Matthew 17:14-21 if you take this tack on the passage.  But, I don’t think it is correct to do that particularly. I believe that this passage represents a coherent message given by Christ in its entirety to be understood by the context in which it is written, cross-referencing for contrast and understanding.

Sunday School at Lake Marburg Baptist Church this morning; Genesis 24:1-67 - Abraham sends his servant on a mission

 

Genesis 24:1 ¶  And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things. 2  And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 3  And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: 4  But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5  And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? 6  And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. 7  The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. 8  And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. 9  And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

Abraham was well-acquainted with the religious practices and the character of the Canaanites. Ham’s grandson’s descendants were very carnal and impulsive, prone to the most awful religious practices like temple prostitution with both female prostitutes called whores and male prostitutes called sodomites, a reference to Sodom once under control of Babylon, and the source of that early God-defying religion. The slang dog is also used as a derogatory term for them.

Deuteronomy 23:17  There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. 18  Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

There was also child sacrifice to Baal where, with trumpets blowing and drums beating, the infant was thrown into the super-heated arms of a statue of this devil. The noise was so that the screams of the infant could be muted because it was not pleasing to this devil for parents to mourn. In this way, on one occasion, 300 babies were slaughtered in the city of Carthage, a colony of Phoenicia, much later in history during war, to appease Baal’s wrath.

Sex with animals as evidenced even today on an Indian temple in carvings and other sexual practices under the guise of religion and for any reason as banned by the Law given to Moses were also common. It was a wicked world without even the superficial layer of pretended morality we have today.

Abraham wanted nothing of this world to have polluted the wife he desired for his son. Unfortunately for Solomon, later king of Israel, he did not feel that way much to his shame.

1Kings 11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Nehemiah 13:26  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

The Christian is warned not to be unequally yoked with an unbeliever.

2Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

Many marriages made by Christians with cynical unbelief have either turned out unhappy or, even if physically happy, have borne no faith and a lack of regard for God in both parents and children is the result. It is a terrible mistake to encourage a son or daughter who has been a faithful Bible-believing young person to marry someone who does not believe or trust in Christ, someone whom they met in the public school you sent them to or the university you thought they must attend.

There are two things, two trends, in American history that have killed faith in later generations. One of them is the hyper-Christianity, the self-righteousness of conservatives and liberals who believed they were bringing in the kingdom of Christ on earth without Him. The other is Christian youth marrying unbelievers and creating confusion and then unbelief in their families.

Here we see an odd custom of putting one’s hand under the upper leg of a person superior in rank to swear an oath. The thigh in the Bible refers to the leg down to the knee as in this description of breeches, the underwear of the Hebrew priests.

Exodus 28:42  And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

This steward the eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had is identified by name as Eliezer of Damascus in 15:2. It has been said that if Abraham is a type of God the Father, then Eliezer is a type of the Holy Ghost going into the world to gather the church, the Bride of Christ, for Isaac, who is a type of Christ. Verse 8 underscores the free will nature of this church as God forces no one to follow Him.

One fact of God’s perfect will be completed in His way successfully is His angel, or appearance, going before. When you are doing God’s will and in obedience to Him He has already prepared the ground ahead of you, make no mistake of that.

Genesis 24:10 ¶  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 12  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 13  Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 15  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17  And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 18  And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19  And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 20  And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21  And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23  And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? 24  And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. 25  She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26  And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren. 28  And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

Much can be said about the significance of the Eliezer, a type of the Holy Ghost, bringing ten camels. There are many sermons to be had out of this passage exhorting people to believe on Christ. For one example of prophetic interpretation, the phrase And God said is repeated ten times in the first chapter of Genesis. Perhaps, in symbolic, typology these ten camels, brought by a type of the Holy Ghost to a type of God’s church represent God’s word in Abraham, a type of God the Father, sending the Holy Ghost to gather His church for Christ, who in type is Isaac, already sacrificed in type and resurrected in type, based on how the church responds to the words of God. What is happening here is then telling us in shadow what has happened in the spiritual world since before creation.

Ephesians 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

The part played by the bride-to-be for Isaac, the church for Christ, is laid out by the servant of Abraham, or the Holy Ghost, as one who when approached by the Holy Ghost, responds. The Holy Ghost makes the truth of the gospel brought by the Holy Ghost on ten camels, in a manner of speaking, representing what God has said, apparent and the bride-to-be responds. The bride for Isaac waters the camels as the church glorifies the gospel of Christ by its response to that gospel, confirming that the church is indeed chosen, but chosen by her response. Below, Paul expresses his wish to present the church as pure to Christ as His bride.

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

And this marriage will be complete at the end of human history.

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

Verse 16 defines a virgin; a virgin, neither had any man known her. This will be important in talking about the miracle of Mary carrying Jesus in the gospels. Verse 22 gives us an important point about understanding the Bible. Bracelets, which go around wrists, are said to be for hands, which clearly includes the wrist. So, an earring is said to go on one’s face in the next passage.

Genesis 24:29 ¶  And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well. 30  And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. 31  And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32  And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.

Laban’s excitement is obvious as this stranger has dispensed some valuable items to his sister. This must be someone important. When Laban invites Eliezer into his house we see the practice of former times when the shelter for the animals was part of the house. People in the ancient world up through the Middle Ages generally shared part of their home with animals which were provided shelter and in return provided heat at night and in the winter.[1] This is acknowledged in several authorities who study the history of shelter. At one time and for several thousand years herding peoples shared their dwellings with at least some animals. Modern people prefer a more sanitary existence apart from nature so even any sight of a bug sends some into a fit and while a cat, dog, or bird are welcome companions they are often cast aside if their care becomes too much of a chore for inside dwellers. I think it is important to understand that these people were much different than we are in their manner of living.

Genesis 24:33  And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on. 34  And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35  And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 36  And Sarah my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. 37  And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: 38  But thou shalt go unto my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. 39  And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40  And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house: 41  Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath. 42  And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43  Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink; 44  And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son. 45  And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee. 46  And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47  And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48  And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son. 49  And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 50  Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 51  Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the LORD hath spoken. 52  And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. 53  And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

Genesis 24:54 ¶  And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master. 55  And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. 56  And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 57  And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. 58  And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. 59  And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 61  And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Eliezer insisted upon relating his mission before he would eat and there is an attempt to delay him. Perhaps they were hoping for even more bounty to be given to the family than was given. In the end everyone acknowledges that it is Rebekah’s decision to make and she chooses to leave with Abraham’s servant. It is curious that she is given a choice in that culture but that is important typology considering the importance of choice in salvation. Here is the blessing also from her mother and brother wishing her to be the mother of billions of people. On a literal level this would mean that the Jews, the name that we now call the Hebrews, will grow in numbers on this earth much, much greater than the 15 million or so that now exist. Rather than go on speculation about Gentiles who may be descended from Jews or follow a metaphor of how the Christian faith sprang from the faith of the people of Moses therefore accounting for billions of descendants I am first taking this passage literally as it stands for Rebekah to be the literal mother of billions who self-identify today and in the future as Jews, descendants of Abraham through Isaac. This also predicts their eventual victory over the peoples of the earth who hated, despised, and persecuted them. There are many prophecies concerning God’s restoration of them to a special place. From a literal perspective, not denying metaphor but focusing just on the literal words, Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 25 is one example of how nations who have despised the Jews will suffer in the end.

But there are always at least two applications of any Bible passage; the literal as to whom it is speaking to or about directly in that context and the spiritual which can be prophecy or involve a greater, more enduring meaning such as Ezekiel’s description of the kings of Tyre and Babylon also describing Satan. One explanation is literal and one is spiritual with a deeper meaning. Spiritually it is easy to equate this huge number with the Christians who choose to believe and follow God as the spiritual descendants of Abraham although they are accounted as being born of Christ. The following verse from the Psalm that Christ begins from the Cross is very important.

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

Understand that a generation can be a class, a distinct group of people in history, and not just a group of individuals physically being born and physically dying in a specific time frame issuing from a biological father and mother. This will help us understand the following words of Christ.

First, this generation as a group of people living and dying in a timeframe, of the same or similar ethnicity and culture. This is a reference to the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70AD, with generation including the religious leaders of Christ’s day.

Matthew 23:13 ¶  But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater

damnation. 15  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16  Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24  Ye blind guides, which

strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of

extortion and excess. 26  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

 

    34 ¶  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

 

    24:1 ¶  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 ¶  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6  And ye

shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

 

Then, Jesus goes on to the end of history in Revelation unless you believe He returned physically in 70AD, which would be a disturbing thought and, I believe, an error.

 

24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16  Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25  Behold, I have told you before. 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Then comes a reference to a generation that must refer to the Elect of God.

32 ¶  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth

come. 43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

One might ask, why in Matthew 23 and 24 would there be two different definitions of generation? Well, Christ had already done that with two definitions of Master in one passage.

 

Matthew 23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9  And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be

abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

 

One definition of Master in this same passage is Rabbi or teacher. (see a contrast between teacher and student in Malachi 2:12) The other definition is lord or superior in the context.

 

As far as objections to a split prophecy in the same passage regarding events thousands of years apart starting in Matthew 24:14 from the time before that verse, Jesus already did this in Luke 4:18-21 where he quoted Isaiah 61:1,2 with a gap between acceptable year of the LORD, and and of at least two thousand years.

 

Isaiah 61:1 ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

 

Luke 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Regardless of interpretation, spiritual or physical, Rebekah’s offspring, as a group, will now play an important role in God’s ministry of reconciliation for mankind and will not be forgotten by God no matter what their failings.

Her spiritual descendants will stand before God in Heaven.

Revelation 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

 

Genesis 24:62 ¶  And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country. 63  And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming. 64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 65  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself. 66  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done. 67  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

According to Strong’s dictionary Lahairoi is the well of the “Living One seeing me.” Isaac spent time in the evening in meditation. Now, meditation is not that of emptying one’s mind in this sense but filling it. He is meditating on something. It is good for us to meditate on the Bible.

Joshua 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Covering one’s face with a veil is mentioned outside of the Bible later than this incident, in around 1300BC, as scholars guess. It is found in an Assyrian legal text that restricts its use to noble women and forbids prostitutes and common women from using it, although noble women were not punished for not wearing a veil while prostitutes and common women were punished for wearing one.[2] This reference, of course, in the Bible, comes from a few hundred years before that, in the time of the patriarchs, before the Hebrews entry into Egypt.

There is no mention here made of the wedding feast that we see later with Jacob. One possible sermon that could be made out of the literal events is how the servant, representing the Holy Ghost, brings the bride to Christ, and I am sure there are many more possibilities from this.

Finally, becoming a wife or a husband is a matter of intent and commitment before God, not of ritual. The ritual wedding celebration of any country is meaningless if there is no intention to unite as one for life. It becomes simply another party to celebrate in one’s life and there may be several such celebrations without God having anything to do with them.

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[1] Tim Lambert, “A Brief History of Houses,” http://www.localhistories.org/houses.html. (revised 2016).

 

[2] David Graeber, Debt: The First 5000 Years (New York: Melville House Publishing, 2011), 184.