Daily Writing

Tuesday, 5 August 2025

“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. Matthew 12:18

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).

“You behold! My Servant whom I chose, My beloved in whom it approved, My soul, I will place My Spirit upon Him, and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew noted that Jesus’ actions were prophesied by Isaiah. To support this, he quotes Isaiah, saying, “You behold! My Servant whom I chose.”

The word hairetizó, to make a choice, is found only here. It signifies to select as one’s own. The words are a loose rendering of Isaiah 42:1 –

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold.”

The Greek translation of Isaiah rewrites the Hebrew to indicate that Isaiah was speaking of Jacob, saying, “Jacob is my servant, I will help him.” Israel is called the Lord’s servant in Isaiah 41:8 –

“But you, Israel, are My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen.”

This is probably why the Greek changes Isaiah 42:1 to read Jacob.  However, there is a developed thought being made between Jacob (Israel) and the coming Messiah in the words of Isaiah, where the Messiah is given as representative of Israel. As for Matthew’s citation, he continues with, “My beloved in whom it approved, My soul.”

The Hebrew is close, reading, “In Him, My Chosen, it accepted, My soul” (CG). The Lord God is saying that He is fully pleased with the One He has chosen to represent His people. Therefore, Matthew continues with, “I will place My Spirit upon Him.”

The Hebrew of Isaiah 42:1 says, “I gave My Spirit upon Him” (CG). The Lord, looking forward in time, speaks in the perfect aspect, as if it is already done, knowing that the Messiah would perfectly fulfill His will. This event occurred earlier in Matthew –

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ¹⁷ And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” Matthew 3:16, 17

God ordained that Jesus would come and that He would fully and adequately deal with what was necessary to redeem man, restoring him to a right relationship with his Creator once again. Everything given in type and shadow under the Mosaic Covenant would be perfectly realized in Jesus Christ. As such, Matthew continues with, “and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim.”

The Hebrew reads, “Verdict to the Gentiles, He must cause to bring out” (CG). The word verdict, mishpat in Hebrew, signifies the system of law and truth, “especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant’s) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty” (HELPS Word Studies).

A comparable word is given in the Greek cited by Matthew, krisis, a decision. That extends to a tribunal and, thus, justice rendered by such a tribunal.

Isaiah’s words refer to what the Messiah would come to do, including bringing out a verdict to the Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish people. Matthew says that Jesus is the One who fulfilled these words through His ministry. The Pulpit Commentary rightly states –

“The thought here, therefore, is not of Christ’s power to punish and avenge (though he refused to use it as yet), but of his bringing a revelation which should eventually spread, not only to the Jews who now rejected him, but to the Gentiles whom they despised.”

Life application: Because of prophecies, such as those from Ezekiel and especially Daniel, a timeline is set in the Old Testament concerning the timing of the coming of the Messiah. There is a very precise and limited time in which He could have come.

Further, other prophecies give the necessary genealogy of the coming Messiah, such as being from Judah. Israel is still waiting for their supposed Messiah to show up. This negates the timeline provided by Daniel, but it also negates the prophecies of lineage.

This is because it is impossible to prove such a lineage today. There are no existing records to prove from which tribe a person descends. There is a claim that some genetic markers help isolate the priestly class of Israel, but that is not what is necessary to prove a Messiah, because priests descend from Levi, not Judah.

As the timing of the coming of the Messiah is known to have occurred already, and as the genealogical records of those who could be the Messiah were destroyed after a certain point in time, either the prophecies are wrong and the Hebrew Scriptures are not the word of God, or the Messiah has come at the set time and with the proper credentials.

Looking back on history, there is only One who is documented to have met those requirements. And more, there is a written record of His coming found in the four gospels. Comparing what those writers say to what was prophesied before His coming, we can be perfectly confident that Jesus is, in fact, the fulfillment of God’s plans in this regard.

If we believe in Jesus, we have put our eggs in the right basket. Be sure to believe the gospel, the good news, concerning Jesus Christ!

Lord God, with a bit of study, we can be wholly confident that what was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As You sent Him to not only be the Messiah of the Jews, but to be the One who would render right judgment to the Gentiles, we praise You because of Him and through Him. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, 4 August 2025

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: Matthew 12:17

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).

“That it should be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying,” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus was noted as admonishing the crowds not to make Him apparent. Next, Mathew says, “That it should be fulfilled.”

As has been seen several times already, Jesus is the Subject of prophecy. Things were declared concerning Him, His coming, His work, and the effects of His work toward those He was sent to deliver.

Matthew returns to Scripture to provide more insights into the proclamation of the prophets, saying, “the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying.”

As seen above, the last verse from Matthew noted Jesus not wanting to be made openly manifest at the time. Thus, we can conclude that something Matthew will draw from Isaiah will point to that.

Life application: Radio personality Joe Rogan made the news concerning his new idea concerning God. The article said, “he feared God ‘is actually created by human beings creating this infinitely intelligent thing that can essentially harness all of the available energy and power of the universe and create anything it wants.’”

The article also cited him, saying, “This whole idea of Jesus coming back, well maybe it’s real. Maybe we just completely misinterpreted these ancient scrolls and texts and what it really means is that we are going to give birth to this.”

Citing another author, the article said, “Yampolskiy, an author and researcher in AI safety, added to Rogan’s theory, suggesting that reality is just an ongoing cycle of Big Bangs – the explosion that kickstarted the universe – starting and restarting life over and over again.”

It’s a problem when people don’t take the time to think logically. These men are discussing infinites as being created by finites. Further, where is the Creator if something created does the creating? These are problems of logic that should be contemplated from time to time.

What is known as the First Principles will help a person to think logically about God. In understanding these First Principles, we can weed out errors in our thinking. In doing so, we can more fully appreciate the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament as they point to Jesus.

Was there a Creator? Could He tell the future? If so, what does this say about the coming of the Messiah and what He would do? Think about such questions as you study the word. As for the First Principles, a quick review of them is in order –

‎1. Being Is (B is) = The Principle of Existence
To say “There is no being” is self-refuting. One must exist in order to make the claim.

2. Being Is Being (B is B) = The Principle of Identity
   To say “Being isn’t being” is self-refuting. One must be a being in order to make a claim about not being a being.
3. Being Is Not Nonbeing (B is Not Non-B) = The Principle of Noncontradiction
   If being exists (see Principle #1), then it cannot be non-being. The principle is self-evident and undeniable.
4. Either Being or Nonbeing (Either B or Non-B) = The Principle of the Excluded Middle
   If I exist (asking the question means I do), then I am being. If I am being, then I am not non-being. The principle is self-evident and undeniable; there is no wiggle room.
5. Nonbeing Cannot Cause Being (Non-B>B) = The Principle of Causality
   Something cannot come from nothing (and we cannot have an infinite regress in matter (or being) – see Einstein and Relativity). The principle is undeniable.
6. Contingent Being Cannot Cause Contingent Being (B^c>B^c) = The Principle of Contingency (or Dependency)
   This would lead to an infinite regress of causes, which is disproved by Relativity – Time, Space, and Matter came into existence simultaneously and are dependent upon each other. The principle is undeniable.
7. Only Necessary Being Can Cause a Contingent Being (Bⁿ —>B^c) = The Positive Principle of Modality
   A being that cannot Not exist must, therefore, exists if contingent beings exist. The principle is reducible to the undeniable.
8. Necessary Being Cannot Cause A Necessary Being (Bⁿ>Bⁿ) = The Negative Principle of Modality
   The principle is undeniable. Only one Necessary Being can exist. Any being which exists apart from a Necessary Being is contingent and could Not exist. It is self-evident.
9. Every Contingent Being Is Caused by a Necessary Being (Bⁿ—>B^c) = The Principle of Existential Causality
   The fact that there are contingent beings (I think, therefore I am, but I am not necessary) necessitates a Necessary Being. We exist. Therefore, a Being that cannot Not exist must exist. The principle is undeniable in and of itself.
10. Necessary Being Exists (Bⁿ Exists) = Principle of Existential Necessity
    Contingent beings exist (see next principle); therefore, a Necessary Being must exist. The principle is reducible to the undeniable.
11. Contingent Being Exists (B^c Exists) = Principle of Existential Contingency
    The principle is undeniable. To say “I (a contingent being) don’t exist” is self-refuting. I do exist (Principle 1), which is self-evident.
12. Necessary Being Is Similar to Contingent Being(s) It Causes (Bⁿ —similar —>B^c) = Principle of Analogy
    Nothing can exist that doesn’t reflect the nature of the Necessary Being. To state something doesn’t is self-refuting. The principle is undeniable.

Understanding the nature of God, reality, logic, etc., is indispensable in understanding why one religion is false and another may be true. Weeding out what is false through logic leaves us with one possibility concerning God. It is the God presented in Scripture who matches what is logically necessary.

It is our duty to read Scripture and see if what is presented there is an acceptable revelation of God. As fulfilled prophecy shows that the Bible is reliable, we can trust that the message of the Bible is from God, who knows the beginning from the end.

Lord God, help us to think clearly and logically as we approach theology. May our understanding of who You are and what You have done from the Bible give us reassurance for all of our days that what You have promised will, in fact, come to pass. Thank You for Your word, this wonderful word that reveals You. Amen.

Sunday, 3 August 2025

Yet He warned them not to make Him known, Matthew 12:16

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 He admonished them that not they should make Him apparent” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus was said to have withdrawn from the area where the Pharisees had plotted against Him. As He went, it was noted that multitudes followed Him and He healed them all. Matthew continues with, “And He admonished them that not they should make Him apparent.”

There is a new adjective, phaneros, apparent. It is derived from the verb phainó, to shine, which is normally translated as appeared. The meaning is that despite healing all the people, He would tell them not to disclose Him and His deeds openly.

There are probably several reasons for this. The first is based on the conduct just seen concerning the Pharisees. The time for the completion of His ministry had not yet arrived. Multitudes making Him and His works apparent would likely hasten things. Therefore, a balance was maintained as He tended to the people.

Also, being made apparent would hinder the ministry. Crowds would become so large that He would not be able to move freely.

A third closely associated reason is that, in being made apparent, a reaction from the people noted in John 6 was likely to occur anywhere and at any time –

“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.” John 6:15

As such, Jesus determined that those He tended to should not trumpet out His works. Instead, they were to accept His healing hand with quiet gratitude.

Life application: It is not easy to do good deeds without wanting some hint of recognition for having done them. It is human nature to want to be noticed for the things we do. When we are noticed, we can then feel that the people around us have a positive view of us.

Because this is so, we need to evaluate why we do the things we do. If it is to have others see us in a positive light, then was it about the good deed to begin with? The answer may be that it was, but it is nice to have added benefits attached to what we do.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 concerning deeds are good to remember at any time and in any situation –

“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” Matthew 6:3, 4

If we really want lasting added benefit to the good things we do, we just need to do them with a heart for the Lord and in the understanding that He is aware of what we do. He knows our weaknesses, He reads our hearts, He sees our good deeds, etc.

There is no need to try to hide our failings from Him, and there is nobody else whose praise we need when we do a good deed for another. Knowing that God is aware of everything about us, we can be thankful for His mercies and grateful for the rewards He is storing up for us.

Lord God, wherever we are and whatever we do, You are with us. May we remember this and live our lives accordingly. May we do our best to refrain from wrongdoing, press on in right living, and live in faith that You are tending to us as children because of Jesus our Lord. Thank You for the minute care You have for us. Amen.

Saturday, 2 August 2025

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Matthew 12:15

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 Jesus, having known, He withdrew thence. And they followed Him, great crowds. And He cured them all” (CG).

In the previous verse, the Pharisees, not happy with Jesus having healed on the Sabbath, went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Matthew next records, “And Jesus, having known, He withdrew thence.”

Of His withdrawal, Mark adds in the words –

“But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea.” Mark 3:7

Staying where these Pharisees were would only be like rubbing salt on an open wound. There was no reason to stay and have them further challenge Him at this point. He knew His time had not yet arrived, and so He put distance between Himself and them, going to a location where He could still openly speak to the people.

This is perfectly in accord with His words to the disciples from Matthew 10:23, which say, “When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.” Understanding this, it next says, “And they followed Him, great crowds.”

Mark explains the crowds, saying, “And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea ⁸ and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.” Mark 3:7, 8

Therefore, His withdrawal was not in hiding. Rather, it was just to get away from the annoying Pharisees who plotted against Him. With crowds following Him, they would not dare do something to harm Him lest the crowds turn on them. Matthew’s next words say, “And He cured them all.”

Matthew returns immediately to the thought of Jesus’ healing of others. This is what got the Pharisees in a huff. Their analysis of the law did not allow them to see the logic of Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath.

Jesus, however, knew that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, His works were not opposed to Sabbath observance. Rather, they were in accord with it, just as when the priests profaned the Sabbath and yet were guiltless.

Life application: One of the beautiful aspects of being in Christ is what it says in Paul’s epistles. First, he writes –

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:14

Because of this state of grace, Paul further says –

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19

When we, as saved believers, do wrong, God does not impute our sin to us. If He did, we would lose our salvation. As we all do wrong quite often in one way or another, no person would remain saved. But God has placed us under a state of grace where we are free from condemnation.

This is the doctrine of grace. When a person is saved, he is saved forever. His state will never revert to being unsaved. A vast swath of Christianity, however, cannot stomach this truth. They fail to understand what the word grace means. Therefore, they incorrectly teach that one can, in fact, lose his salvation.

That is not grace. That is a continuing state of works. However, these same people, not accepting that they are wrong in their theology, will then accuse those who rightly understand that salvation is eternal, of teaching that it is ok to sin. To them, this must be the case because anyone who would teach eternal salvation must, by default, think it is ok to sin.

This isn’t even close to reality. Paul, who teaches the doctrine of eternal salvation, continues in his very next words after Romans 6:14, saying –

“What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” Romans 6:15

No reasonable thinking Christian would ever assume that being saved means we can willingly sin. If he understands a thing about the judgment seat of Christ, he knows that his eternal rewards are based on NOT SINNING as well as living out lives of faith, because people of faith will do their best to not sin but instead be pleasing to God.

This in no way diminishes the doctrine of eternal salvation. Rather, it exalts God, whose word instructs this doctrine. He has done everything necessary for the believer to be saved and to remain saved forever, despite himself. Such people understand what grace means and are eternally grateful for it.

Lord God, Your grace is seen in how You have saved Your people and then how You have continued to save them, despite themselves. Each of us is living in a body of sin, knowing we were and remain unworthy before You, but You give more grace. Thank You for Your tender, loving care of Your people. Amen.

Friday, 1 August 2025

Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. Matthew 12:14

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 Pharisees, they took counsel against Him, having gone out, how they might kill Him” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus instructed the man with the withered hand to stretch it out. When he did, it was completely restored. With that complete, it next says, “And the Pharisees, they took counsel against Him.”

There is a new word, sumboulion. It is derived from sumboulos, a counselor or advisor. Thus, it signifies advisement, especially that derived from a deliberative body. They were miffed at Jesus for having healed on the Sabbath, and they were certainly still stinging from not being able to accuse Him for the conduct of His disciples as they walked in the grainfields. They had no valid excuse to condemn Him.

His handling of the word was appropriate, and His logic concerning the circumstances in relation to it was impeccable. Despite this, they had presuppositions and biases running through their minds. They couldn’t let go of their thoughts about Jesus and His actions on the Sabbath. Therefore, they took counsel against Him, “having gone out, how they might kill Him.”

This cannot be based on a precept from the law. If it were, they would have presented charges against Him and let the determining counsel decide His fate. But it was apparent that His response to their accusations adequately defended Him. As such, and because they didn’t like how things were going, their counsel was more of a plot to kill than a legal means of pursuing execution.

If they can trap Him in His words or manipulate the circumstances to have Him done away with, this is what they will do.

Life application: The Pharisees were so blinded by their own presuppositions about things that they could not see logic or reason, and they could not accept a different interpretation of the word, even if it was in accord with God’s intent.

In a review of the New Testament epistles, it becomes perfectly apparent that Sabbath observance is no longer required for those in the church. It is stated directly in several ways, and it is implied in many more.

Despite this, when a clear presentation of what these epistles say is shown to a Sabbatarian, he may deny that the words say what they say. This condition, known as cognitive dissonance, can be almost impossible to overcome.

In fact, when a challenge is presented to someone’s beliefs about a matter, even when it is correct, a state of enmity arises in the mind of the person who is being challenged. He may stomp away in a huff, say vile things to the person who has challenged his belief system, or he may even become violent, even to the point of death, over the matter.

This is where the Pharisees mentioned in Matthew were in their minds. Jesus gave examples directly from Scripture concerning the matter in the grainfield. He gave impeccable logic to those in the synagogue concerning the healing of the man’s withered hand.

But more, Jesus simply spoke the words, “Stretch out your hand,” and the hand was healed. There is nothing to be found in Scripture about speaking on the Sabbath Day. The Pharisees could not bring accusations against Him for that! Because of this, they determined that having Jesus killed was preferable to a proper interpretation of Scripture.

When we think we know it all, we will normally find out that we are wrong. This is especially true with proper biblical interpretation. No matter how well we know a particular doctrine, there are almost always things we have not considered in relation to it.

It is always good to put aside presuppositions and acknowledge that our understanding of a matter is probably imperfect. Having humility in our exchanges with others is, therefore, something we should display. Let us be reasonable as we discuss theology with others. Even if we are correct in our interpretation, we can present our side with respect and courtesy.

Lord God, give us patience with others as we consider Your word and debate what the intent in it is concerning its various doctrines. Help us to be open to understanding why others believe as they do. Even if we are right in our thoughts, may we be willing to patiently and kindly instruct others. Help us in this, O God. Amen.