Daily Writing

Sunday, 18 October 2026

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.  Matthew 23:23

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint, and the dill, and the cummin, and you left the ‘weightier, the law’: the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith. These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished up His fourth woe to the scribes and Pharisees. He now moves right to the fifth, saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites!” He uses the same opening formula as the first two woes, noting their hypocrisy. He then begins to define it, saying, “Because you tithe.”

Here is a new word, apodekatoo, to give, pay, or take a tithe. It is derived from apo, away or from, and dekatoo, a tithe. The tithe was a mandate of the law of Moses. Like taxes today, tithes were mandated as a part of the society to keep various aspects of the society functioning and to keep the needy from abject poverty.

Greater levies were imposed on the people by kings or by foreign powers, but the tithe of Israel was mandated in the law with specific targeted purposes that were explicitly stated. Jesus singles out certain tithes made by these men, saying, “the mint, and the dill, and the cummin.”

Three new words are seen here. The first is héduosmon, mint. It is derived from hédeós, sweetly, and osmé, fragrance. The two together form a word picture describing mint. The next is anéthon, dill or anise, closely related botanicals. The word is found only here in the Bible.

Next is kuminon, cummin. It is etymologically equivalent to kammon, cummin, found three times in Isaiah 28. The Greek word is found only here in the New Testament. These men did the minimum required by the law, as it says in Leviticus 27:30, “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.”

They were doing what was mandatory and which could be verified by set measurement. But Jesus continues, “and you left the ‘weightier, the law’.”

Another new word is seen: the adjective barus, weighty. Figuratively, it signifies being burdensome or grave. It is derived from the noun baros, weight. There is the sense of the inability to move freely. Jesus’ point is that they did the easy stuff, but neglected that which required true effort.

In other words, the tithe was something that was set and important, but it did not carry the same weight as other precepts mandated in the law. Jesus next notes what those weightier matters are, saying, “the judgment, and the mercy, and the faith.” The words appear to be a loose citation of Micah 6:8 –

“He caused to declare to you, man, what ‘good’.
And what Yehovah ‘inquiring’ from you?
That if doing verdict, and cherishing kindness, and causing to efface,
To walk with your God.” Micah 6:8 (CG)

The final Greek word Jesus uses, pistin, signifies faith or faithfulness based on the context. If Jesus is referring to Micah, faith matches the “causing to efface.” One will only purposefully humble himself before God if he has faith that God cares about those things. Faith looks upward to God as the object of trust. Faithfulness looks outward through actions, obedience, and duty.

Both are understandable, but in Micah, the person being spoken to is being instructed on faith first and foremost. With this stated, Jesus finishes with, “These, also, it necessitated to do – those, not leave!”

The meaning is that the weightier matters (these) were expected, even if they were burdensome. The other matters (those) were always expected to be accomplished as well, even if they were lesser mandates.

Life application: Jesus informed these leaders of Israel that tithing was expected. Does this mean that tithing is required even now? No. The law is fulfilled. Tithing was mandated under the law. The instance of Abraham giving a tenth to Melchizedek is descriptive. It prescribes nothing. Jacob’s promise to give a tenth to the Lord is descriptive. It prescribes nothing.

These cannot be used as examples that must be followed (the made-up and unsupportable doctrine called “the law of first-mention”). Giving within the church is defined by Paul’s words found in 2 Corinthians 9:6, 7 –

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Tithing is a mandate, not a cheerful decision. To understand the full scope of the tithes of Israel and how the mandate is inappropriately abused within the church, refer to the Superior Word sermons on the subject, the main one of which is found in Deuteronomy 14:22-29, entitled The Tithes of Israel.

Lord God, may we always walk humbly with You, glorifying You with our lives, actions, and interactions. Remind us of Your presence so that You are always at the forefront of our thoughts. Be glorified in and through us always. Amen.

Saturday, 17 October 2026

And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. Matthew 23:22

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And the ‘having sworn in the heaven’, he swears in the ‘throne, the God’ and in the ‘sitting atop it’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told the people that he who swears by the temple swears by it and all that is atop it. He next says, “And the ‘having sworn in the heaven’.”

The incorrect thinking of the scribes and Pharisees continues to be highlighted. They might say, “If you swear by heaven, it doesn’t matter. Only if you swear by God in heaven is your vow binding.” Jesus refutes this, saying, “he swears in the ‘throne, the God’ and in the ‘sitting atop it’.”

As heaven is where the throne of God is, it implies that there is a God. You can’t have one without the other. As heaven is where God’s throne is located, then by default both God and His throne are included in the equation.

The law has already instructed in Deuteronomy 6:13 that when an oath is made, it is to be made in the name of the Lord God. This leaves no provision for any other source to affirm an oath. Thus, the fact that this debate even arose shows the incorrect thinking of these men. Jesus laid out in Matthew 5 what should be done concerning such oaths –

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33-37

This doesn’t mean that if a person is challenged to swear an oath in the name of the Lord, that he must refrain from doing so. Rather, swearing an oath in His name is the only allowable way to confirm an oath.

Inanimate objects cannot read the mind or judge a matter. To swear an oath on an inanimate object implies there is some power in it to do such things, thus confirming what has been sworn. Only God can do this. This is why the Bible is so specific on this matter.

Life application: Jesus has taken the most basic oaths that people were making, such as swearing on the gold on the altar as opposed to swearing on the altar, and He has shown that God is ultimately involved in all things.

He is the Creator of the materials, and He is the Sanctifier of the altar by which the articles on it are sanctified. Nothing exists apart from Him. To remove God from the equation elevates a lesser thing to the position of God. This should never be. When speaking to others, we should do so with words that are honest and binding.

If we are compelled to swear, such as during official testimony, our adjuration should only be made in the name of God. Anything else is idolatry and cannot be condoned. If we need to invoke the name of God to ensure what we are saying is reliable, we need to make sure that what is said is accurate. Paul does this in Philippians 1:8 –

“For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”

Let us always take care that the name of God is exalted in our speech. And, at times, it may be necessary to define who our God is. People of other faiths follow false gods. We shouldn’t let them think we are dealing with the same God when we speak. Use thought and care when making your utterances concerning such things, and you will do well.

Lord God, thank You for Your word that instructs us on matters that are important as we interact with You and with others. Help us to always speak and conduct our lives in accord with Your will as is expressed in Your word. Be with us in this, O God. Amen.

Friday, 16 October 2026

He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. Matthew 23:21

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And the ‘having sworn in the temple’, he swears in it and in the ‘dwelling, it’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus said that he who swears by the altar swears by everything on it. He next says, “And the ‘having sworn in the temple’.”

Jesus elevates the matter of sanctification from the altar to the temple. The altar is a part of the temple. The scope of the sanctification of the altar is that which touches it. The scope of the temple was a place of holiness. Different places within the temple allowed only certain people to enter.

Solomon’s temple had an inner court for the priests and an outer court for the people of Israel to gather. In Herod’s temple, there were these, but added in were the court of the Gentiles and the court of the women.

Gentiles could go so far within the complex. The people of Israel could go so far and no further. The priests, depending on their situation (being clean or unclean, etc.), could minister up to a certain area, or they may be restricted from ministering.

From there, the high priest alone could enter the Most Holy Place. But he was restricted to entering once a year on the day of atonement. And he could not enter without the blood of a sacrifice for sin. This is because it was the dwelling place of the Lord within the temple.

Because the Lord’s presence was there, Jesus says that anyone who swore in (meaning by) the temple, “he swears in it and in the ‘dwelling, it’.”

It is the Lord who sanctified the temple. His presence there meant that swearing by the temple meant that the utterance included swearing by the Lord who dwelt in the temple. As such, any such oath had to be considered binding. Jesus carefully schools the religious leaders of Israel on things they were apparently unable to think through properly.

Life application: In Matthew 5, using the same word translated as “swear” here, Jesus said –

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

Jesus is not telling the people in Matthew 23 to swear. He is telling them what it means when they do swear by something. His audience was the people of Israel. In Leviticus 26, the Lord said –

“I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.
¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.” Leviticus 26:11, 12

If the Lord dwelled among the people, then logically, anything they said would need to be considered as binding. Hence, His instructions were that swearing was unnecessary. The words the people uttered were to be truthful, as if each thing they said was a sacred utterance.

Paul cites Leviticus 26 in 2 Corinthians 6:16 –

“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’”

As this is so, our words should be as honest as those expected of the people of Israel, as stated by Jesus in Matthew 5. When we speak, it should be with the understanding that our relationship with God is being evaluated by the truthfulness of our words.

It should be wholly unnecessary for a believer to swear as an attempt to confirm his words. What he or she says should hold up to scrutiny apart from such things. This does not mean that Christians are not to swear when asked to do so, such as confirming one’s words on a legal document or in a court of law.

Those things are externally required. The swearing Jesus and the apostles refer to is the confirmation of the truthfulness of one’s words, as if a swear should be needed to ensure what they say can be trusted. This should be unnecessary.

Lord God, help us always to be truthful in the things we say. May our promises to others be considered as binding, and may we diligently go about fulfilling what our mouths have spoken. May our actions never bring dishonor on Your glorious name. Amen.

Thursday, 15 October 2026

Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. Matthew 23:20

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘therefore having sworn in the altar’, he swears in it and in all those atop it.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus asked the question as to which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift. The answer is obvious. The altar is greater. Jesus next says, “The ‘therefore having sworn in the altar’.”

This refers to the person, identified as “who” in the first clause of verse 18 –

“And who, if he should swear ‘in the altar’, nothing, it is. Who, also, if he should swear ‘in the gift’, the ‘atop it’, he is obligated.”

When such a person swears in the altar, Jesus says, “he swears in it and in all those atop it.” It cannot be that swearing on what is atop the altar is a binding vow while swearing on the altar itself is nothing. The things atop the altar have been sanctified, but it is by the altar that it is so.

The scribes and Pharisees assumed that something other than the altar, maybe the act of giving or some other deed affixed to the process, is what sanctified the gift. This shows a naivete about the precept of the law, a misunderstanding about the source of holiness, and an abuse of the sanctification process.

To further solidify this concept, Jesus will continue to explain how the process of sanctification comes about.

Life application: In Isaiah 65, the Lord explains the type of people Jesus is speaking to right now. The infractions stated may not match the actions of the scribes and Pharisees, but the attitude is what is to be focused on –

“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that was not called by My name.
² I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts;
³ A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
Who sacrifice in gardens,
And burn incense on altars of brick;
⁴ Who sit among the graves,
And spend the night in the tombs;
Who eat swine’s flesh,
And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels;
⁵ Who say, ‘Keep to yourself,
Do not come near me,
For I am holier than you!’
These are smoke in My nostrils,
A fire that burns all the day.” Isaiah 65:1-5

Israel, being led by people like the scribes and Pharisees, had a faulty idea about holiness and sanctification. They thought they were holy because of who they are, not because of the One who selected them to be His people. The thinking is, “We must be holy because God selected us.”

Rather, the Lord told them repeatedly right in the law that they were to be holy because He is holy. Their holiness was only obtainable by doing what the Lord instructed them to do. And the doing was to be more than a tedious, rote thing. Their mindset, and thus their conduct, was to be conscious of the Lord and His presence at all times.

That is reflected in the precept noted in Chapter 22 about loving the Lord God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength. Israel, having the idea of sanctification completely backward, failed to do this. Hence, Paul cites Isaiah 65 in Romans 10.

Those outside of Israel who come to God through the gospel do so because they understand that they are not holy. They hear of God’s righteousness through the gospel and its imputation, and they reach out for it. Israel’s attitude, which continues to this day, is, “We don’t need Jesus to be holy. God selected us, demonstrating that we are holy.”

One who feels he is already holy before God will naturally reject the gospel because Jesus, through the gospel, essentially calls out, “You need to be holy. I can make you holy. Come to me.” The response is, “I don’t need that. I am already a member of God’s holy people. I’m good, but thanks anyway.”

In understanding that they are currently Lo Ammi, Not My People, Israel can deduce that they need something external to make them holy. The tribulation will draw this out of them. When it happens, a change will take place. They will finally get it.

Until then, they are a hard bunch to evangelize.  Some understand the gospel, but for the most part, it is an offensive suggestion to them that they need holiness imputed to them. Keep Israel, the nation, in prayer that their eyes will be opened.

O God, in Jeremiah, it says, “The Lord, Our Righteousness.” Indeed, there is nothing righteous in man apart from You. May we cling to the cross of Christ, understanding the magnitude of what it signifies in our lives. Thank You for the cross of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Matthew 23:19

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Moronics and blind! Which, indeed – greater: the gift or the altar the ‘hallowing the gift’?” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus recalled the unsound teaching of the scribes and Pharisees who said that swearing by the altar, it is nothing, but swearing by the gift on it obliged the person to perform their vow. Jesus next says, “Moronics and blind!”

Jesus’ words indicate that it is as if they were brain-dead blind people. If they were walking toward a chasm, they would continue and tumble over the side. In a spiritual sense, that is exactly what was coming. Because of their teaching, Jesus reminds them of a truth found directly in Scripture, asking, “Which, indeed – greater: the gift or the altar the ‘hallowing the gift’?”

The answer is found in Exodus 29 –

“Seven days you will ‘cover’ upon the altar, and you will consecrate את it. And it will be, the altar, ‘sacred, sacreds’. All the ‘touching’ in the altar, it will be sacred.” Exodus 29:37

It is the altar that sanctifies what touches it. A gift may be of silver, gold, etc. But there are idols made of those things. There are coins made of metals. The substance of the gift comes from the ground and has no intrinsic holiness. But when it is placed upon the altar, it becomes sacred.

Ultimately, it is the Lord who sanctified the sanctuary where the altar was. Thus, through their ridiculous teaching, they not only dishonored what is taught in the law concerning the altar and what touches it, but more to the point, they dishonored the Lord who sanctified the altar in His sanctuary. For example –

“The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 37:28

Israel was in an unclean state among the nations. In their return, they will have a sanctuary authorized by the Lord. That sanctuary will be sanctified because of the Lord. In turn, the people who were previously unclean will be sanctified by the sanctuary which is sanctified by the Lord.

An altar in a pagan temple sanctifies nothing. The altar in Israel was not sacred unless the Lord sanctified it. Once the altar is sanctified, that which touches it becomes sacred. Everything leads back to the Source.

Life application: The Jewish culture has a phrase used during marriage rites that says, “Blessed are You, Lord, Who sanctifies His people Israel through chupah and kiddushin.” The meaning is “through the marriage canopy and sanctification/betrothal.”

The claim is that because they do these things, the Lord sanctifies His people. But if they are not obedient to the law they agreed to, how can they be sanctified? They remain unclean before the Lord. This is the state they have been in since they rejected Jesus, followed by the destruction of the temple.

They have lived among the Gentiles, in a state of being rejected, just as the law proclaimed would happen. They have been regathered to the land of Israel and are being prepared for entry into the New Covenant, but they are not there yet.

The society in general accepts many things contrary to sound morality. For example, the marriage ceremony that claims they are sanctified through it has been adapted (queered) to accommodate same-sex relationships.

Just as in conservative vs. liberal churches, there are branches of Judaism that reject this while others accept it. But this reveals how people claim sanctification without any justification. Churches that ordain women, for example, do so contrary to the clear words of Scripture. And yet, they claim they are led by the Holy Spirit.

But the Spirit cannot condone what He has already determined is unacceptable. Holiness and sanctification must stem from the Lord. As the word is given by the Lord, a state of holiness can only exist when one lives in accord with the word.

To some extent, we all fail in this, and that is where grace is needed, but a direct refusal to adhere to Scripture can never be considered acceptable. Be careful to not get caught up in fancy words that have no substance behind them. The word of the Lord is the substance we are to use to guide our lives and actions. Endeavor to learn and apply this precious word to your lives.

Lord God, may we think clearly and soberly about what Your word says, applying it to our lives in the proper context. May we revere Your word as sacred because it comes from You, the Sanctifier of Your word and of Your people. Amen.