Matthew (Written)

More orchids.

Thursday, 26 September 2024

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 people sitting in darkness, it saw Light – great, and sitting in a country and death-shadow, Light – it arose upon them” (CG).

In the previous verse, Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the coming great Light began. That now continues with the words, “The people sitting in darkness.”

The words explain the situation described in the previous verse. The Assyrians had come in and conquered the land, removing the northern ten tribes for their faithless conduct before the Lord. In place of them, pagans from around the Assyrian empire were brought in. They worshiped all the gods of their homelands, bringing great spiritual darkness when they did.

Many of these false religions partly continued, being intermingled with the customs and religion of the Jews, as it said in 2 Kings 17:33, “They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.”

This lack of properly worshiping the Lord continued throughout the years. And notice the use of the present participle, sitting. Those translations which render it as “sat” do a disservice to the intent. They were sitting and continued to sit in it.

The light of the worship of the Lord under the law did not permeate the darkness in which they sat. Something greater was needed to pull them out of the state of darkness in which they were stuck. But when Christ came, of this area of darkness, “it saw Light – great.”

It is referring to Jesus and His ministry. This is the area of His main focus for an extended period. And it wasn’t just to the Jews, even though that was the primary calling. An example of His bringing light to others is found in John 4 where Jesus was presented as the Messiah to the Samaritans in Sychar.

Throughout the region, there was only darkness. And this included the religion of the Jews in the synagogues. They had been taken over by the religious leaders who misdirected the people with their false, self-centered, teachings. These received the greatest rebukes from Jesus.

As He said to them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

Thus, the words of Isaiah continue, referring to the masses of this region, “and sitting in a country.”

The people were sitting in darkness and the darkness is now equated to the country. The area is within the original borders of the land of Israel, and yet there was only darkness. Something greater than the law was needed to move them into a right relationship with the Lord, as the words of the prophecy next note, “and death-shadow.”

The Greek is two separate nouns: skia, a shadow, and thanatos, death. Taken together, they translate the single word found in the Hebrew of Isaiah, tsalmaveth – “death-shadow.” The death referred to carries a double connotation. It is the spiritual death that results in the physical death of humanity.

In other words, without the spiritual life of Christ, man is destined to die. This is what Jesus came to change. He came to give light and life to His people, bringing them out of the spiritual death in which they lived and from the physical death that all suffer because of it. In His coming, the words of the prophecy thus say, “Light – it arose upon them.”

The words are beautifully explained by John as he opened his gospel narrative –

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:4-9

In Jesus’ appearing, the words of Isaiah are fulfilled. He is the Great Light that came into the world and who appeared in the spiritual dark lands noted by Isaiah.

Life application: In John 7, we read these words –

“Then the Pharisees answered them, ‘Are you also deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’
⁵⁰ Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ⁵¹ ‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?’
⁵² They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’” John 7:47-52

These religious leaders had the words of Isaiah right before them, and yet they refused to accept what he had written because it would not fit their presuppositions about Jesus, and they failed to check things out.

This is still the case today. Why are there some who follow the doctrines of Calvinism and some who completely reject Calvin’s main points? Why are there people who accept that you can lose your salvation while others teach salvation is eternal? Many believe in a rapture while others reject the notion as silly. And even among those who accept the premise of a rapture, there are disagreements on the timing of the event.

This is a teeny portion of various disagreements within Christianity over doctrine. In fact, it is an infinitesimally small portion of them. Why is this so?

There are several reasons. One is that people are arguing from different viewpoints about the source of what they believe. Some hold to Scripture alone, but they may hold to a single source text of the Hebrew or Greek or to a single English translation.

Some think that the church has been given ongoing authority to set doctrine while others accept that the Bible is the sole source of doctrine for believers. But the latter again goes back to “which source text or translation.”

Even if a standard is agreed on, if one fails to take the Bible in its proper context, there can be no agreement on how doctrine is presented. If Jesus speaking to Israel under the law is used to make a doctrinal point in the church, and if that conflicts with what Paul says in his epistles, then there will be a disagreement on a particular doctrine.

And, of course, there are those who simply pull doctrines out of nowhere and teach them as if they are biblically correct. These may be based on emotions, sensational events, or desires for power or money. In using those as the basis for instructing others who are uneducated in proper theology, people are captivated and brought into often disastrous situations.

We each must decide what standard we will accept as authoritative. As God has said His word is authoritative, that is the safest place to hang one’s hat. From there, each step of the way, we should consider our next step carefully while fixing our eyes on Jesus, whom the Bible says is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

If we do this, we should at least have our priorities right as we continue our walk before our God. Let us do this above all else as we seek His face in the Great Light of the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Heavenly Father, Hallelujah to You for having sent Jesus to lead the way out of the darkness of this world and into the magnificent light of Your glory. Thank You for what You have done for us. Hallelujah and Amen.

Coconut with new sprout coming out of it. Soon it will be a huge palm.

Wednesday, 25 September 2024

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles: Matthew 4:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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).

“Land Zebulun and land Naphtali,
Way of the sea, beyond the Jordan –
Galilee of the Gentiles” (CG).

The previous verse gave an introduction to Isaiah’s words, saying “That it might be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet.” Now, the specific words of prophecy are cited by Matthew, beginning with, “Land Zebulun and land Naphtali.”

The words come from Isaiah 9, the first seven verses of which are filled with descriptions of the coming Messiah. Matthew’s citation is not directly from the Hebrew or the Greek. Rather, it appears that he was writing from memory and giving the substance of what he knew.

Isaiah’s words are directed to the area of two tribes that sat north in the land of Israel. Naphtali extended to the northern border of Canaan. Its eastern border rested along the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Zebulun’s border ran next to Naphtali in approximately its southwest area. Isaiah’s words are addressed to this particular area, next noting, “Way of the sea.”

The sea is speaking of the Sea of Galilee. There is a route that leads to these areas by going around the sea, but so close to the sea that it is considered a sea highway. The next words of Isaiah, “beyond the Jordan,” are usually ignored or completely misunderstood.

The word is peran. It means over, on the other side, beyond, etc. It answers to the Hebrew noun ever, the region across or beyond. Both give the sense of a location that is opposite to the point of reference. However, Naphtali and Zebulun are within the borders of Canaan. Therefore, it seems like the thought is erroneous.

Why would a prophecy about these two tribal inheritances be given as if from across the Jordan when Isaiah was clearly in Jerusalem on the west side of the Jordan? Because of this, the words are ignored at times. Some say that they are speaking of the two areas as a base for Jesus’ evangelism on the other side of the Jordan (something not indicated by the words of Isaiah). Others will note it means something like what Albert Barnes says –

“This does not mean to the east of Jordan, as the phrase sometimes denotes, but rather in the vicinity of the Jordan, or perhaps in the vicinity of the sources of the Jordan.”

Such a notion is incorrect. The word means the other side, beyond, etc., and it is used here as if from the area east of the Jordan. It does not mean “in the vicinity of.” The answer comes from looking at the fuller words of Isaiah in the surrounding context. Isaiah 8:1-10 refers to the invasion of Assyria. For example –

“Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, ‘Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; ⁴ for before the child shall have knowledge to cry “My father” and “My mother,” the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.’” Isaiah 8:3, 4

The rest of Isaiah 8 will then describe the state of the people within the land, ending with the words, “Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.” It is from this springboard that the majestic words of hope come forth in Isaiah 9.

Therefore, the words “beyond the Jordan” refer to the area of the land of Israel’s northern kingdom, which included Zebulun and Naphtali, but they are spoken from the perspective of Assyria which is east of the Jordan. It is in this area that hundreds of years later, the Messiah would bring hope to a land that had been through so much anguish and darkness at the time of Isaiah.

It is a land that still languished spiritually at the time of the coming of Christ Jesus. Understanding the reference to Isaiah’s words clears up the otherwise seemingly incomprehensible words. From this springboard, Matthew continues with, “Galilee of the Gentiles.”

This area contained land given to the Gentile king of Tyre, Hiram as recorded in 1 Kings 9. It was later invaded by Assyria, and the people of the northern kingdom were taken into exile. From there, the Assyrians took Gentile people and moved them into the area as noted in 2 Kings 17:24, 25.

Because of problems within the land, one of the priests of Israel was sent back to instruct these new inhabitants how to live there properly (1 Kings 17:27, 28). From there, the account says –

“However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. ³⁰ The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹ and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. ³³ They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” 1 Kings 17:29-33

The pagan practices never really departed from the area and it always remained a place without the light of the Lord. This is why the Jews of Jesus’ time who lived in the north, and who would travel to Jerusalem, would avoid Samaria. It was a place that developed its own worship of the Lord with its own modified version of the writings of Moses known as the Samaritan Pentateuch.

It is to this land of spiritual gloom that Isaiah’s prophecy is directed.

Life application: Studying the Bible, contemplating its difficult passages, and keeping things in context can be fun. Be sure to study your Bible, carefully contemplate passages that are difficult, and consider the context of what is being said. If you do these things, you will have fun while rightly learning what the Bible is telling you.

How marvelous it is to learn the wonderful word You have given us, O God. Help us always to consider the context of what we are reading so that we don’t form erroneous conclusions about what is being said. Your word is far too important to mishandle it simply for the sake of convenience. Give us wisdom in its mysteries, O God. Amen.

Pink Orchid.

Tuesday, 24 September 2024

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: Matthew 4:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 might be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying,” (CG).

The previous verse noted that Jesus had disregarded Nazareth and had come to Capernaum at the seaside which is in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali. With that having been explained, Matthew next records, “That it might be fulfilled.”

In other words, the movement of Jesus to Capernaum in the regions of these two tribes of Israel was actually seen to be a fulfillment of prophecy in Scripture. Concerning where the prophecy is, Matthew next begins to tell us with the words, “the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying.”

Matthew says that something had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah that foretold this. As noted in the Matthew 2:23 commentary, Nazareth is a town located within Naphtali. However, some place it in the tribe of Zebulun. The ancient borders are not completely known.

It is rather certain that Capernaum was located in the territorial allotment of Naphtali. Between the two places He lived, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words, as will next be described, is certainly realized in Jesus’ life and ministry.

Life application: There are many literary styles in Scripture. One of them that is really proof that God’s hand is behind the word is prophecy. Things are stated by Him and then they come to pass. Many prophecies have been fulfilled. Others are in the ongoing process of being fulfilled (such as God’s promises to keep Israel as a people). And yet others are still future to us now.

Because of the innumerable prophecies that have already been fulfilled, we can be sure of several things:

The word is reliable. God has spoken and what He says faithfully comes to pass. Thus, it proves that He is fully in charge of the future as it unfolds.

Jesus is the Messiah. God promised a Messiah. He has given prophecies in His word that tell of when He would come, what would be the situation with Israel at His coming (and afterward), what family He would descend from, what His birth would be like, the things the Messiah would do, etc. Only Jesus qualifies concerning these prophecies. Also, no person can ever fulfill them in the future based on the way God has arranged things.

Past performance assures us of future results. Because the word is so trustworthy in the fulfillment of prophecy, we can be certain that those things which have not yet been fulfilled will be as well. And this isn’t just true with exacting prophecies, but also of general and specific promises.

In the word, we are told that there will be a rapture and we can rest in that promise, being assured that it will come to pass. We are told that those in Christ who have died before us will be raised to eternal life. We should not worry one iota that it will not be realized. God has promised us eternal life in a state we cannot yet understand, one without pain, fear, or death. We should not fret that it might not happen.

God’s past performance is a reliable testimonial that His promises about the future for His people will be realized.

Do not fret, fear, or be uneasy about where life is taking you. Rest in the truth that God’s word will stand. Jesus has prevailed, and we will, too. Hold fast to this as the world around us continues to spin out of control. It really isn’t out of control at all. God is allowing man to take the course he chooses until the time when He will set things straight.

Lord God, we can stand firmly on Your word and have no fear or trepidation about what lies ahead. For sure, we shall trust You each step of the way because You have proven Yourself through Your word in the coming of our Savior, Jesus. We know that all You have said will come to pass. Thank You for our ability to trust and for the blessed assurance we possess. Amen.

Bromeliad flower.

Monday, 23 September 2024

And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, Matthew 4:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 having disregarded Nazareth, having come, He dwelt in Capernaum, the seaside, in borders Zebulun and Naphtali” (CG).

The previous verse noted that when Jesus heard that John was arrested, He withdrew to the Galilee. The narrative next continues with, “And having disregarded Nazareth.”

The Greek spelling of Nazareth here is Nazara. It is only spelled this way here and in Luke 4:16 when the people of the town heard Him speak, were offended by His words, and even tried to cast Him off a cliff. Matthew speaks of a visit to Nazareth in Matthew 13 which seems to parallel Luke’s account. This identical spelling between the two is a clue that the two accounts are, in fact, referring to the same event.

Some people think there were two visits. Others think the visit recorded in Luke 4, Mark 6, and Matthew 13 each refer to the same visit. As noted in the previous commentary, Matthew is not necessarily presenting a chronological narrative, and so the thought that all three visits are the same appears likely. However, pretty much every translation here says “left,” “leaving,” “having left,” etc., as if He was there and then departed from there.

The word, however, is kataleipó. Literally, it means “to leave down.” Thus, it signifies to abandon, forsake, neglect, leave, etc. Thus, here in Matthew 4, it probably means “passed by.” In other words, Jesus was in Nazareth, as recorded in Matthew 2:23. It is where He grew up. In verse 3:13, it noted that Jesus came from the Galilee to John. One would assume that means He left Nazareth, which is in the Galilee, and went to John to begin His ministry.

Now that He is returning to the Galilee (4:12), one would expect Him to return to Nazareth. However, instead of that, He passes by, or disregards, Nazareth, forsaking it as His base and dwells in Capernaum instead. The word is used this way in Acts 21:3 –

“And having sighted Cyprus, and having disregarded it on the left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre. For there the ship was to be unloading the cargo” (CG).

Properly translating the word in this manner resolves the difficulty presented by all translations. Understanding this, it next says, “having come, He dwelt in Capernaum.”

The name is derived from the Hebrew word kaphar, a village, and Nakhum, the Hebrew name of the prophet Nahum. His name comes from nakham, to sigh, meaning to breathe strongly. As such, it is a word signifying to console, comfort, reconsider, etc. Each case is determined by the context.

Thus, his name means something like Compassion, Comfort, or Consolation. Hence, the name of the location is Village of Compassion or something similar. As the base for Jesus’ ministry, it is a beautiful parallel to Him and His work. Of the location, it next says, “the seaside.”

The word is found only here in Scripture, parathalassios. It is derived from para, beside or by the side of, and thalassa, sea. Thus, “seaside” is a literal translation. A search on Wikipedia concerning Capernaum will provide you with a great deal of information in it. In short, it is according to Wikipedia –

…a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500 in the 1st century AD. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. A house turned into a church by the Byzantines is held by Christian tradition to have been the home of Saint Peter.

The village was inhabited continuously from the 2nd century BC to the 11th century AD, when it was abandoned sometime before the First Crusade. This includes the re-establishment of the village northeast of the earlier location in c. 700, during the Early Islamic period.

It was rediscovered in 1838 but not identified as the same location until later. Of this location, it next says, “in borders Zebulun and Naphtali.”

Zebulun means Glorious Dwelling Place. Naphtali means My Twistings or My Wrestlings. As will be seen, this move to Capernaum in this particular inheritance of the tribes of Israel is made by Jesus to fulfill prophecy.

Life application: Because of the way translations are made, it becomes almost a herd mentality to continue to translate things the same as everyone else. Otherwise, a variation by one translation may seem completely out of place and might even be a source of derision. But if Jesus only made one trip to Nazareth, there must be an explanation as to why He didn’t actually go to Nazareth and then depart from there in Matthew 4.

The word used to explain this, when properly translated, will provide that explanation. So, it is best to not get stuck in the herd mentality but to go where the narrative actually leads. In Matthew 19:5, the same word as used here in Matthew 4:13 is used when citing Genesis 2:24. A man will depart, kataleipó, from his father and mother and be united to his wife.

This does not mean that he has to physically depart from them. In fact, throughout history, such has not been the case. Rather, a man is to depart from them in the sense of his top priority. His primary allegiance to them is disregarded for the sake of the wife. His duties to her are to become the main priority.

Never stop considering what the word is telling you. Don’t reject anything off hand when it may be correct, but also don’t be duped by those who claim to have a new or secret knowledge that nobody else has. Rather, take everything with a grain of salt until you have personally checked things out. This is wise. It is the prudent way of avoiding many pitfalls in your theology and in your walk with the Lord.

Lord God, we could spend the rest of our lives reading, considering, and learning Your word. And so, why don’t we? What is it that we should be doing to fill our time? If we really care about our relationship with You, the answer should be obvious. May we carefully research. Your word each and every day. Amen.

Red bromeliad with a little flower.

Sunday, 22 September 2024

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. Matthew 4:12

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “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 heard that John – he was surrendered, He withdrew into the Galilee” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew noted that the Traducer left Jesus and then messengers came and ministered to Him. With these temptations behind Him, it next says, “And Jesus.”

Some manuscripts, and thus some translations, do not include the name Jesus here. For example, the Berean Literal Bible says, “And having heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.” As always, there are those who claim one text or another is correct, but the context is completely understandable either way. Jesus is the Subject of the words. Of Him, it next says, “having heard that John – he was surrendered.”

The word is paradidómi. It gives the sense of giving or turning over. Thus, it can be putting someone in prison, entrusting someone with goods, betraying someone, etc. The word simply means to surrender. John was arrested or surrendered to the prison. Of this event, the timeline is not necessarily chronological. Matthew presents things in more of a categorical manner. Charles Ellicott notes the following:

“Between the 11th and 12th verses there is a great break, and it is well to remember what passed in the interval: (1) the return to the Baptist, and the call of the six disciples (John 1:29-51); (2) the marriage at Cana, and the visit to Capernaum (John 2:1-12); (3) the cleansing of the Temple; the interview with Nicodemus, and the last testimony of the Baptist (John 2:13 to John 3:36). At this stage comes in the imprisonment of John (mentioned here, but not narrated till 14:3-5) and the consequent journey through Samaria to Galilee (John 4:1-42). The verse now before us may be noted as implying a ministry in Judæa, which for some reason the writer does not narrate.”

Jesus continued His ministry. Eventually, He heard of John’s imprisonment, and so it next says, “He withdrew.”

The word is anachóreó. It has been seen four times already in Matthew 2. Strong’s notes concerning it, “underlying idea perhaps of taking refuge from danger or of going into retirement.” In other words, Jesus is withdrawing to the Galilee. This would keep His ministry from overexposure in Judea until the right time for His ministry to come to its completion. As for where He withdrew to, it next says, “into the Galilee.”

Most translations do not include the article. Rather, they simply say Galilee. But even in the Hebrew, the location is normally preceded by the definite article. It is a region, the Galilee, first noted in Joshua 20:7. It signifies a circle or circuit. In 1 Kings 9:11, it included twenty cities that were given to Hiram, king of Tyre, by Solomon.

Because it designates an area, “the Circle,” inclusion of the article more appropriately defines the area when it is included in the Greek text.

Life application: Of this verse, the Expositor’s Greek Testament says, “In a few rapid strokes the evangelist describes the opening of the Messianic work of Jesus in Galilee. He has in view the great Sermon on the Mount, and the group of wonderful deeds he means thereafter to report, and he gives first a summary description of Christ’s varied activities by way of introduction.”

This statement is somewhat misleading. As noted above in Ellicott’s commentary, Jesus carried out His ministry for some amount of time in the area of Judea. However, at this point, Matthew’s focus is more categorical than chronological. It is good to remember this when evaluating the gospels in order to avoid theological misunderstandings.

At times, the actual chronology of when Jesus said things can be difficult to determine because of how the gospels present their narratives. Therefore, it is better to have a side-by-side comparison of the content of the gospels before jumping to erroneous conclusions. With such a side-by-side comparison, the events of Jesus’ life make a much fuller and more understandable picture from a chronological perspective.

Such comparisons can be found right online, so when you are trying to sort things out, do a search and you can explore things in that manner.

Lord God, Your word is big, detailed, and complex. Help us to study it carefully and with a view to understanding it more fully. May we not jump to erroneous conclusions about things until we have taken the time to search them out in a complete way. And, Lord, thank You for those people who have already done so much to help us understand this precious word. Amen.