| The LIfe of Christ - Lesson 28:Teaching in the Temple |
|
|
|
| Written by Richard S. Thompson | |
| Thursday, 08 October 2009 | |
|
The Life of Christ - Lesson 28 Time -4/2/30 AD, 13 Nisan Tuesday Teaching in the Temple As we noted last time, the events which took place on Tuesday morning and early afternoon are all recorded in the same order in all three Gospels, although some of the lessons in one Gospel are left out of others. Last week we covered the lesson of the Fig Tree, the Jewish leaders question Jesus' authority, the Parable of the two sons, the parable of the vineyard and the rejected stone, and the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. This week we pick up where we left off, with Jesus teaching in the Temple. The Question of the Seven Husbands. Luke 20:27 Some of the Sadducees,[a] who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 20:28 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.[b] 20:29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 20:30 The second 20:31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 20:32 Finally, the woman died too. 20:33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 20:34 Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 20:35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 20:36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection. 20:37 But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'[c] 20:38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living,[d] for to him all are alive.[e]" 20:39 Some of the teachers of the law [f] responded, "Well said, teacher!" 20:40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
As you will conclude from my footnote on Matthew 20:27 that the Sadducees are posing a question to which they don't believe there is a right answer. They don't believe in a resurrection. Their political opponents in the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, did believe in a resurrection, and this was a point of bitter controversy between them. The Sadducees knew full well that Jesus believed in the resurrection. In His most celebrated miracle, the raising of Lazarus, just a few months before in nearby Bethany, He had proclaimed: John 11:25-26 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." It seems to me that the Sadducees had discovered that the question they asked had stumped the Pharisees, who though they believed in resurrection, saw God as a God of a rulebook and regulations, and therefore could never see the forest for the trees. Jesus amazes them with His simple irrefutable answer from the writings of Moses. The accounts in Mark and Luke are very similar as you can see.
Mark 12:18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 12:19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 12:20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 12:21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 12:22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 12:23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 12:24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 12:25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 12:26 Now about the dead rising-have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
Matthew 22:23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 22:24 "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him. 22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 22:26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 22:27 Finally, the woman died. 22:28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?" 22:29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 22:30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 22:31 But about the resurrection of the dead-have you not read what God said to you, 22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
The Most Important Commandment Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of the law [g] came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 12:29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[h] 12:31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'[i] There is no commandment greater than these." 12:32 "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 12:33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Here, a Pharisee, pleased that Jesus had destroyed the Sadducees' argument against the resurrection asked Jesus a question. Jesus answered by quoting scripture including the "shema Israel." These are verses Jesus had referred to before in His ministry (Luke 10:26-28). The first commandment ("love the Lord your God") encompasses that which energizes the plan of God in our lives, beginning with salvation. Jesus took on Himself humanity and the form of a servant to illustrate to God's creatures why He is truly worthy of our love and worship. The second commandment refers to the working out of God's plan in our lives when we understand what the one we love is like. Philippians 2:5-6 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!" This Pharisee responds to Jesus with understanding and whole hearted agreement. Jesus tells him "You are not far from the kingdom of God." I cannot help but believe that this was one of those Pharisees who later believed in Jesus (Acts 15:5). This was not the way most of the Pharisees wanted the questioning of Jesus to go, so they didn't ask Him any more questions. The less comprehensive account of Matthew is attached.
Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 22:35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 22:36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 22:37 Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[j] 22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 22:39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 22:40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Psalm 110 - Who is David's Son Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. 22:43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord'? For he says, 22:44 "‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'[k] 22:45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be his son?"[l] 22:46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day [m] on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Since both the Sadducees and Pharisees were now afraid to question Jesus, Jesus himself asks the question they had been asking before. When Jesus had gone to the Feast of Tabernacles six months earlier, they had tried to stone Jesus for saying "before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58) They didn't consider it blasphemy when Jesus was acclaimed the "son of David," and "the prophet," but they had never considered all the passages in scripture which indicate that the Messiah (or Christ) would also be the son of God.[n] So here, Jesus takes the occasion to teach one of those passages to those who would listen. The accounts of Mark and Luke are more compressed although Mark 12:37 comments on how the crowd was delighted at the discomfiture of the "experts."
Mark 12:35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? 12:36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' 12:37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Luke 20:41 Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? 20:42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 20:43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' 20:44 David calls him ‘Lord.' How then can he be his son?"
The arrogance of the leaders Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 23:2 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 23:3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Here Jesus makes clear that He is not challenging the legal authority of the Pharisees, which was the main pretext they were going to use to justify the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. He is challenging their accuracy and way of life.
Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to
According to Edersheim "move" should be understood "alleviate." It was a general principal that the Talmud never made the burdens of the law lighter, but ever heavier. This should not be understood that the Pharisees did not attempt to meet the burdens of Tradition. In fact, they were motivated to make the burdens ever heavier in the arrogant supposition that as they alone could carry the heavy burden, it would separate them from the "common herd."
Matthew 23:5 "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries [p] wide and the tassels on their garments long;[q] 23:6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 23:7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.' 23:8 "But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,'[r] for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 23:9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.[s] 23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.[t]
Here Jesus sets a general standard for the Church. Sadly, it seems to be a standard that has been almost uniformly ignored by the organizations who have set themselves up as the "Church." Of course, the real Church has nothing to do with ranks, titles, and uniforms, only gifts.
Matthew 23:13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence you make long prayers: therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.[u] 23:15 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,[v] and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 23:16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 23:17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 23:19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.[w] 23:23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness.[x] You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 23:24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.[y] 23:25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 23:29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 23:31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants [z] of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 23:33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 23:34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 23:35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,[aa] whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"[bb]
Mark 12:38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 12:39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 12:40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Luke 20:45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 20:46 "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 20:47 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
The widow's mite. Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 12:42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 12:44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on."
Luke 21:1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 21:2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 21:3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 21:4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on." A Relevant Old Testament PassagePsalm 110 Verse 1 is quoted in all three synoptic Gospels by Jesus. He used them when refuting the Pharisees who attacked him for claiming to be David's promised son and the Son of God. Matthew 22:41-44 "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord'? For he says, "‘The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' The only answer to this was that David's greater son was also Lord and God. The Pharisees, of course, would not answer the question. They did not seek to kill him for claiming to be the Messiah (although they brought that charge before the Roman Governor unsuccessfully). However, that charge would not have served their purpose in front of the Jewish masses who were looking for a revolutionary leader. What they needed to charge Jesus with was not a political crime, but a religious crime. In their own court the only religious "crime" they could establish was that He said He was the Son of God. If they had read Psalm 110 (and many other passages) honestly they would have had to admit that the Messiah had to be the Son of God. This episode is also recorded in Mark 12:35-37 and Luke 20:41-44. Also, in the New Testament, in Hebrews 1:13, verse 1 is quoted as an argument for the supremacy of Jesus Christ: Hebrews 1:13 "To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"? Hebrews 5:6 also quotes verse 4 ("You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek") as being addressed to Jesus Christ: Hebrews 5:5b-6 "But God said to him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' And he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.'" Thus, we can say with assurance that this short Psalm is incontrovertibly Messianic. It speaks of His ascension, His death on Mt. Zion, His priesthood, and His return in triumph.
Psalm 110 Of David. A psalm.
110:1 The LORD [cc] says to my Lord:[dd] "Sit at my right hand [ee] until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." 110:2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter [ff] from Zion;[gg] you will rule in the midst of your enemies. 110:3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn [hh] you will receive the dew of your youth.[ii] 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever,[jj] in the order of Melchizedek."[kk] 110:5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 110:6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.[ll] 110:7 [a] What Josephus tells us about the Sadducees - Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 1, Paragraph 4: "But the doctrine of the Sadducees is this: That souls die with the bodies; nor do they regard the observation of anything besides what the law enjoins them; for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent: but this doctrine is received but by a few, yet by those still of the greatest dignity. But they are able to do almost nothing of themselves; for when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them." Wars of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, Book 2, Chapter 8, Paragraph 14: "But the Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades. Moreover, the Pharisees are friendly to one another, and are for the exercise of concord, and regard for the public; but the behavior of the Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them. And this is what I had to say concerning the philosophic sects among the Jews." [b] Deuteronomy 25:6 "If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her." [c] Exodus 3:6 [d] The Sadducees not only rejected resurrection, but they accepted only the Books of Moses as authoritative. The Pharisees who believed in resurrection, had never been able to successfully argue a case for resurrection from the Pentateuch. Jesus argument for resurrection stunned the Sadducees because they had never heard it made, and it came from the Pentateuch (Exodus 3:6). There are still large groups in modern Judaism who hold the view of the Sadducees. [e] In other words, though those who have passed away are dead to us, to God they are still in His sight because they still exist. [f] No doubt these were Pharisees who could not help appreciating how Jesus had proved their position on the resurrection. [g] The "teachers of the Law" were almost exclusively Pharisees. This is born out by the account of Matthew 22:34-35. [h] Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Because the first two words is the Hebrew שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל {shema`yisräāl'} or "hear Israel." It was, and is, tradition that all Jewish prayers end with quoting this verse. [i] Leviticus 19:18 [j] Here, in Matthew, the first part of Deuteronomy 6:4 is omitted. Perhaps because it was so familiar to Jews (Matthew focuses on Jewish readers) that it was unnecessary to quote it. [k] Psalms 110:1 [l] Jesus here proves from scripture that the Messiah, the "son of David," was also the "Son of God." The Pharisees were willing to tolerate the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, but they were not willing to tolerate the idea that He was the Son of God. It was on this point that they finally convicted Him to be crucified. Matthew 26:63-64, Mark 14:61-62, Luke 22:70. [m] An argument could be made that the words "from that day" implies that there were other days the Sadducees, etc. might have challenged Jesus in the Temple. This would might imply that there were other succeeding days that Jesus appeared in public. This, in turn, would call into question the view that this day (Tuesday) was the last day before Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. However, even those who argue the traditional Friday crucifixion, agree that this was the last day that Jesus taught in the Temple. It might also be argued that the subsequent occasion which Matthew might be referring would be the trial of Jesus early the next morning when they refrained from questioning His doctrine as well. The comments of Mark and Luke do not make any implications like Matthew. (Mark 12:34b "When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.' And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions."; Luke 20:40 "And no one dared to ask him any more questions.") However, the Greek in Matthew could be translated "from that time." [n] Matthew 26:63-5 "But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' ‘Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'" Mark 2:5-7 "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.' Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'" Also Luke 5:20-21, Luke 14:61-64a [o] Also Luke 11:46. [p] Phylacteries - from the Greek phulakteria which means "defenses" or "protections," They consisted of strips of parchment on which were inscribed these four texts and which were enclosed in a square leather case, on one side of which was inscribed the Hebrew letter shin, to which the rabbis attached some significance. This case was sometimes worn on the forehead just between the eyes. Sometimes it was worn on the left arm near the elbow. The "making broad the phylacteries" refers to the enlarging of the case so as to make it conspicuous. The four texts were : Exodus 13:1-10 - The commandment for the Passover Exodus 11-16 - The Passover, the law of the sacrifice of the Firstborn Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - The Shema "Love the Lord your God" the greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 11:18-21 - "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds." [q] These tassels were in accordance with the command of Numbers 15:37-40: "The LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.'" [r] Rabbi means "my master." [s] 1 John 2:27 [t] Ezekiel 21:25 [u] Some contend that Matthew 23:14 a spurious addition to Matthew - "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence you make long prayers: therefore you shall receive greater condemnation." Even if this is true, it was part of Jesus comments on this occasion as recorded in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47. [v] Edersheim comments, I think rightly, that this refers not to converting Gentiles to Judaism, but converting Jews to Phariseeism. [w] The Pharisees had lost sight of the meaning of the Temple and the Altar, which was the important thing and had become blinded by the things themselves. They were tied up in mere formalism, with no true love of God. [x] Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Zechariah 7:9-10 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'" Isaiah 58:6-7 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?" [y] The gnat was their careful observation of giving a tithe of their spices, and the camel was their total lack of mercy and compassion. [z] Though the Pharisees meant physical descendants, Christ says they are Spiritual descendants as well, as they will soon prove by murdering the one at whom all the prophets pointed. [aa] This Zechariah, I believe was the brother of Asaph, the Psalmist who was killed during the reign of Solomon. There is no evidence that the other Zechariah, son of Berechiah who was the post-exilic prophet was murdered. [bb] From the Messianic Psalm 118:6. In other words when they acknowledge that He is the Messiah. [cc] The Hebrew word here for LORD is hwhy {yeh·ho·vä'} here and is speaking of the Father. [dd] The Hebrew word here for Lord is ˆ/da; {ä·done'} and is speaking of the Son. [ee] It is Jesus who will be seated at the Lord's right hand (Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62, Mark 16:19. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:33, many others). [ff] The Hebrew word translated "scepter" here is the word hF,m' {mat-teh'} which is the word used for staff or rod. It is the same word used for Moses staff, which is was a powerful symbol of the Cross in the Old Testament. [gg] Mt. Zion is where the Lord was crucified, so this is a prophecy of from where His power would come. It is the power of love. That spot on Mt. Zion is also where the Lord will reign and from which the River of Life will flow. [hh] The east. The Lord will come from the East like the rising sun. Habakkuk 3:4, Ezekiel 43:1-4, Malachi 4:2 [ii] See Psalm 133:3 where the dew is associated with Mt. Hermon where the Lord's kingdom was revealed. Also remember that when the Lord was on Mt. Hermon, a cloud (dew) enveloped Him. [jj] Quoted in Hebrews 5:6 [kk] Melchizedek is described in Genesis 14:18. [ll] This verse speaks of the Lord's second advent, "the day of His wrath." [mm] The word translated "brook" here can be translated "flood, river, torrent, or stream." A brook on the other hand speaks of a small gently flowing stream. [nn] The Hebrew word here is µWr {rüm} which is more on the order of "to exalt by lifting up." In English "to lift up the head" is often taken to mean "to encourage." [oo] There is no "his" in the original Hebrew or in the Greek of the Septuagint. About half the English versions have put in "his" instead of "the." I can't help thinking they have done it that way because it would conform with what they think the verse should be saying. [pp] This verse seems to speak of the Lord's first advent. The NIV translates it "He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head." Translated this way it would seem to speak of the fact that because He shared our humanity (thirst) He is qualified to encourage us. However, if we correct the questionable translations of the three words noted, the verse looks like this. "He will drink from the flood on the way; therefore he will exalt the head." The flood is often used to speak of judgment. His drinking of the flood might well be speaking of His decision to drink the cup of judgment for the sins of mankind. Because of this, He, and all of us in Him have our heads exalted. The concept of drinking of the Flood was graphically presented at His baptism in the River Jordan. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
