Daily Writing

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. Matthew 12:22

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).

“Then he was brought to Him ‘being demon possessed,’ blind and mute, and He cured him, so the blind and mute speak and see” (CG).

In the previous verse, the quote from Isaiah 42 concerning the coming of the Messiah was finished. Now, the narrative concerning Jesus continues, saying, “Then he was brought to Him ‘being demon possessed,’ blind and mute.”

The record of this account with the accompanying charges that will be seen in the next verse is recorded as occurring at different times in Mark and Luke. A couple of possibilities exist concerning this. The first is that Matthew uses the word “then,” meaning it is chronological, whereas the others are merely recorded as fact at a certain point.

Another possibility is that in this account, it says, “blind and mute.” However, Luke only says “mute.” Mark doesn’t specifically refer to the state of a person being healed in Mark 3. And so, it could be at different times that the surrounding narratives are repeated. Why can it not be that the same charges were stated against Jesus at various times? Rather, it would be expected, just as such charges are brought against people at various times even today.

As it stands, there is no reason to assume the three accounts contradict. Understanding this, a person is blind and mute, something attributed to him being demon possessed. He is brought to Jesus in that state. Next, it says, “and He cured him, so the blind and mute speak and see.”

It is a miracle that exceeds the account in Matthew 9, where Jesus cured a man who was mute and demon possessed. Adding in the blindness is an elevation of the matter, demonstrating that Jesus’ healing capabilities were well beyond anything the people could have imagined.

Remembering that this is recorded directly after the words of Isaiah, it demonstrates the coldness of the hearts of the religious leaders who will challenge Jesus on this. Isaiah proclaimed that the Gentiles would hear of Jesus and trust in Him. Those who are recorded as coming against Jesus in the next verses didn’t have to hear. They were right there to see with their own eyes.

The contrast is purposeful. The words are given to show the immense void that stands between unbelieving Israel, who had sight to complement their own oracles, and believing Gentiles who heard the word in distant lands about the coming of the Christ. The Gentiles accepted its veracity without having seen.

Life application: A constant theme found in Scripture is the answer to the question, “What do you believe?” The majority of the people of Israel had Scripture read to them each week in the synagogues of Israel. They had the stories of the coming Messiah so well memorized that they would have been talked about openly on any given day and in any particular setting.

When Jesus came, He didn’t sell tickets and go into closed halls to cure for a profit for a few select people. Rather, He did it in the open for anyone near to see. At times, He did take people aside and heal them or raise them in a private setting, but there were reasons this was so.

However, He spoke openly, and He cured for the masses to see. All of this was done in perfect accord with the prophecies the people had in their Scriptures. And yet, the nation rejected Him, and many continue to use His name in a derogatory way to this day.

On the other hand, and just as Scripture prophesied, the life and events of Jesus were presented to the nations of the world. People of a seemingly infinite number of backgrounds, cultural preferences, differing languages, and from innumerable pagan influences were told the good news. And yet, in only hearing about Jesus, they walked away from their false spiritual beliefs while maintaining their unique cultural and linguistic states, converting to a full acceptance of Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

By merely hearing the word, belief set in. This is what pleases God. In Christ, He doesn’t care diddly about the cultural choices of the Jewish people. Nor does He care about their Jewishness without their accompanied belief. What He desires is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hear the word, accept it for what it says, and have faith in the God who loved you enough to send His Son to restore you to Himself. This is pleasing in God’s sight –

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

Lord God, help us not to get fixated on things that are not relevant to our salvation in Christ. It doesn’t matter if we are Jews or Gentiles, white or black, intelligent or dummies, or any other such thing. In Your eyes, Your word tells us that You desire us to be people of faith. Help us to be such people, to Your glory. Amen.

Friday, 8 August 2025

And in His name Gentiles will trust.” Matthew 12:21

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 in His name, Gentiles, they will hope” (CG).

In the previous verse, the tender care of Jesus was noted, saying that He would not break a bruised reed, nor would He quench a smoking flax until He had ejected judgment into victory. Matthew’s words were based upon the prophecy of Isaiah 42:4. Matthew next finishes the citation from that verse, saying, “And in His name, Gentiles, they will hope.”

A new word is introduced into the New Testament, elpizó, to expect or confide. As such, it provides a sense of trust. When one is expecting something, he trusts it will come. When one confides in another, he is committing his trust in that person. The word is often translated as hope, but that thought must convey the sense of trusting that the hope will come to pass.

For example, a person may be told to storm a machine gun nest. He might say, “I sure hope I make it.” There is no sense of trust in that. However, if he says, “You take the right flank. When I go forward, you provide cover. I hope your shots are as good as they were in basic training.”

In such an instance, he is placing his trust in the caliber of his buddy’s shooting, feeling assured it will be sufficient to get him safely to the nest so he can take out the commies who have them pinned down. Therefore, Matthew’s intent is that in the name of the Messiah, whom we know to be Jesus, the Gentiles of the world will confidently trust. They will put their anticipation and assured expectation in Him.

As for the original words of Isaiah, notice the difference, as there is a bit of deviation from the Hebrew, which says, “And to His law, coastlands – they will wait” Isaiah 42:4 (CG).

One might say Matthew was misleading in the intent of his citation because the two don’t closely match. However, the difference is not as disparate as one might originally think. First, Matthew is citing his words not from the Hebrew but from the Greek Old Testament, which says, “and in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (Brenton Septuagint).

When the Jews translated the Hebrew, they decided that the name of the Messiah formed its own law. This was probably a result of Jeremiah’s words concerning a New Covenant in Jeremiah 31. If there is a New Covenant, then the Messiah would, by default, introduce a new law. Therefore, the “name” of the Messiah stands for His law.

Secondly, the term, iy, coastlands of the Hebrew, is a term used to indicate remoteness. The Topical Lexicon says the word “evokes the picture of islands and distant coastlands—territories bounded by the sea and, to an Israelite audience, situated at the very edge of the known world. The word carries geographical, cultural, and theological freight: it signals remoteness, the mystery of seafaring peoples, and the universal reach of the Lord’s purposes.”

Therefore, the idea of Gentile nations is, by default, bound up in the use of this word. The non-Jewish people of the world would place their confident trust in the One promised by the Lord through Isaiah.

Life application: In this verse, there is no article before “Gentiles” in Matthew’s words. Unfortunately, many translations insert one there, such as “And in his name shall the Gentiles trust” (KJV). This changes the intent to some degree, making it an all-encompassing statement. There are many Gentiles who do not trust in the name of Jesus.

With the article purposefully omitted by Matthew, which is under the inspiration of the Lord, it gives a broad, but not all-encompassing, flavor to the words. It also more poignantly separates the unbelieving Jewish nation from the believing Gentiles. This can be seen when considering both together –

And in His name, Gentiles (as opposed to Jews), they will hope.
And in His name, the Gentiles (like the Jews), they will hope.

The nation of Israel rejected Jesus. This age, the church age, is now a time of instruction for the Jewish people to learn from. Paul, referring to the Jewish nation, explains this –

“I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. ¹² Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!” Romans 11:11, 12

This provocation is intended to meet a specific purpose that will be realized at some point in redemptive history –

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
²⁷ For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.’” Romans 11:25-27

One can see how the inappropriate inclusion of a single definite article into the translation can change the whole tenor of what is being conveyed. The Jewish people, the nation of Israel, rejected their Messiah. He is not their confident hope and trust. However, He is the confident hope and trust of Gentiles around the world.

Someday, this will change. Israel will discover what it has rejected for so long.

Lord God, we pray for time so that we can engage in Your word, for illumination as we read it, for confidence as we look to its promises, and a daily heightened sense of anticipation as we draw nearer to the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Grant us these things, O God, according to Your wisdom and grace. Amen.

Thursday, 7 August 2025

A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;
Matthew 12:20

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).

“A reed, being battered, not He will break, and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish, until if He ejects judgment into victory” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew continued his citation of Isaiah 42, revealing that the passage prophetically pointed to Jesus and His ministry. That citation continues with his next words, which are comparable to Isaiah 42:3 –

“Reed bruised, not He will break, and flax darkish, not He will extinguish it. To truth, He will cause to bring verdict” (CG).

Matthew’s words of citation begin with, “A reed, being battered, not He will break.”

Two new words are seen here. The first is suntribó, to crush completely, such as breaking into pieces. The next is katagnumi, to rend in pieces, such as cracking apart.

The words of Isaiah, and now cited by Matthew, point to extreme care and attentiveness to being gentle. A bruised reed will collapse with the slightest bit of force because its fibers have been damaged. The analogy is to a person who has been bruised by a life of sin or affliction.

For example, in Luke 7:36-50, we read about the sinful woman who came to Jesus, washing His feet with her hair. The Pharisee would have taken her and cast her out, destroying any faith-fiber left in her. But Jesus allowed her to wash and kiss His feet, knowing she was crushed from her life of sin. Because of her faithful display of love for the Lord, His words to her were, “Your sins are forgiven,” and “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

In a similar metaphor, Matthew next says, “and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish.”

Three new words are seen in this one clause. The first is linon, flax. It is the material (the flax plant) used to make linen. One can see the etymological connection between the two, linon and linen.

The second new word is tuphó, a word found only here in the New Testament. It signifies to make a smoke, as in something slowly being consumed by fire, but without a flame. It is hot enough to burn, but there isn’t enough oxygen for it to turn into a blaze, and so it sits and smolders.

Also, the word sbennumi is used. It signifies to quench or extinguish.

The idea is that a smoldering flax, such as a piece of linen, will go out with the slightest touch. The teeny amount of oxygen that was available to cause the smoldering is removed, and even the smoldering is quenched. The meaning of the words is that of someone with the smallest bit of faith will not have it quenched by the Lord. He will never deprive such, quenching their faith by treating them contemptuously or as if they were unimportant.

And this state of care for His people is, “until if He ejects judgment into victory.”

There are various opinions on the meaning of the words. Each of them, however, finds its fulfillment in the work of Christ. The care of the Lord for those who are bruised or smoldering will not cease until the end. Their judgment will be realized in victory. The direct translation from Isaiah said, “To truth he will cause to bring verdict.”

The judgment of the Lord will be vindicated as a state of truth. The idea seems, therefore, to ultimately point to the Lord’s care of His people until the final victory is realized, such as the state of those who are glorified at the rapture of the church –

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
⁵⁵ ‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’” 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

None shall be rejected who comes to the Lord by faith, even if their faith is comparable to a bruised reed or a smoldering piece of linen.

Life application: Understanding the care of the Lord for His people, we should be careful how we evaluate others. The sinful woman at Jesus’ feet would have been cast out by anyone in the religious circles of Israel. But Jesus understood her faith and was unwilling to quench it merely out of social propriety.

The same will be true with anyone who comes to Him in true faith. Each of us will fail the Lord from time to time. This is inevitable, but it demonstrates the immense grace of God that is found in Jesus. Despite our failings, He forgave us. Despite our continued failings, His grace continues.

The Lord would have us not sin at all, but He is aware of our limitations. Because of this, even when we do sin, He is not counting those transgressions against us any longer –

“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

Heavenly Father, You are aware of our every failing, and yet You still have forgiven us through our faith in Jesus. Help us to be strong in our ability to stand against sin and its many temptations so that we will be pleasing to You. Above all, help us to keep our faith in Christ strong as we live in Your glorious presence, holding fast to Him until that wonderful Day of redemption. Amen.

Wednesday, 6 August 2025

He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. Matthew 12:19

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).

“Not He will wrangle, nor He will clamor, nor anyone – he will hear in the streets His voice” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus was referred to in Matthew’s citation of Isaiah 42. Isaiah’s words that parallel this verse are found in Isaiah 42:2 –

“Not he will shriek, and not he will lift, and not He will cause to declare in the street His voice” (CG).

In the Hebrew, the word “lift” must mentally be supplied with the additional words “His voice.” Understanding this, Matthew continues his citation, stating, “Not He will wrangle.” Matthew uses the word erizó, which signifies to wrangle, as in disputing or quarreling. This is its only use in the New Testament.

While among Israel, Jesus did not possess a contentious spirit. Rather, He stated His case and rebuffed falsities, but the gospels show that He did not get into lengthy arguments with those who came against Him. Next, it says, “nor He will clamor.”

It is a second new word, kraugazó, clamor, as in people shouting vehemently. There are times Jesus is recorded as having lifted up His voice, but it was usually in a petition for reason or a calling of those around Him to come to their senses. There was no sense of violent argumentation in those accounts. The only other time this word is used when referring to Jesus is found in John 11 –

“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” John 11:43, 44

In that instance, Jesus’ crying out was not violently agitating the people, which is the point Isaiah and Matthew are making. Understanding this, Matthew continues with, “nor anyone – he will hear in the streets His voice.”

The idea here is a person who looks to draw attention to himself as a way of gaining popularity. If one went into the streets and started singing or acting, it would mean he was trying to draw attention to himself. Likewise, if he started a public agitation about some leader or against Rome, he would be trying to gain an audience.

Jesus didn’t approach His ministry that way. Instead, He led by His actions, not having a need to distract from them with lofty or manipulative words.

Life application: There are innumerable ways of getting the word out to the people. It would be a sad loss for people to take the words of this verse and say, “Jesus didn’t do XX, and therefore I will not do that as well.”

He has already told His disciples, “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops” (Matthew 10:27). There is no record of Jesus having gone to the rooftops to do this. Jesus set His own example based on His ministry. We are to set our example based on our abilities, culture, situation, etc.

It would be inappropriate for a person to stand up in the middle of his office and start preaching like a street evangelist. It would probably lead to his dismissal. Sometimes, handing out a tract is the right thing to do. At others, getting a permit and going to a town square to preach may draw people to you.

However, standing on a street corner with a megaphone and yelling at the passing people that they are all sinners and are going to hell is a ridiculous approach that many have taken over the years. That will only cause people to close their ears, laugh at the crazy Christian, and alienate those in the crowd from ever wanting to have anything to do with Jesus.

The point of evangelizing is to bring people to Jesus. Understanding the time, situation, location, state of the people, etc., is all necessary to effectively transmit the good news so that it will be heard and accepted.

Remember that the exaltation of Jesus as the One God sent to restore us to Him is the primary thing we are to share with others. This is the point of the gospel. We are in a bad spot. God took the initiative to correct that. He sent Jesus, who did everything necessary to restore us to God. All God wants from us is to believe the good news.

How you communicate this message is important. Consider it and then act accordingly.

Heavenly Father, help us to be aware of the best way to get the message of Jesus out to others. Help us to consider the time and circumstances around us and to then be willing to use them to lead others to a saving knowledge of You. Yes, Lord, give us wisdom in this awesome responsibility. Amen.

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.