Matthew (Written)

Bromeliad.

Thursday, 22 August 2024

Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. Matthew 2:21

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 arisen, he took the Child and His mother and came to the land of Israel” (CG).

In the previous verse, the messenger of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream. His words were, “Having arisen, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel.” Now, in exacting obedience to that word, it next says, “And having arisen, he took the Child and His mother.”

As in the previous verse, the verbs are in the singular. Joseph was given the instruction, and he followed through with it as spoken. Matthew continues to place the Child before His mother in the narrative as well.

From this point, Mary will not be mentioned again in Matthew until near the end of Chapter 12, when she is included in a general statement about “His mother and brothers.” She will not be mentioned by name until the end of Chapter 13 in another general statement, saying, “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary?”

At the same time, Jesus will be mentioned by name over forty times by then. He will be indirectly or directly referred to many more times as well. Above all else, the entire biblical narrative, from Matthew 1:1 forward is completely focused on Jesus.

As for the minimal references to Mary, this is consistently the case throughout the four gospels. In Acts, she will be mentioned once along with other women. There is no additional importance placed on Mary. Rather the narrative is focused on Jesus. In fact, apart from the birth and infancy narratives, it may be that a comparable amount of detail is given concerning two women named Mary in the gospels other than Jesus’ mother.

With Joseph’s arising and gathering Jesus and His mother, it next says, “and came to the land of Israel.”

Just as he was instructed, so he accomplished. It can be inferred from the coming verses that he probably intended to go back to Bethlehem. However, that will not be where they will wind up.

Life application: Hebrews 12:2 has clear words for us. There, it says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” (BSB). There are many reasons for this that we could consider. Jesus is God incarnate. As such, He is our Creator (see Colossians 1:16, etc.). Jesus gave His life so that we could have restoration with God, forgiveness of sins, and so forth.

By looking to Jesus, we will not be looking elsewhere. Thus, we will avoid idolatry, immorality, etc. By looking to Jesus, we will be thinking about Jesus and all that He means to us. When actively looking, our mental attention is also actively directed at what we are looking at. Thus, we will be thinking about the Source of all goodness, righteousness, and so on.

When Scripture is rightly considered in its proper context, the admonition to keep our eyes on Jesus will keep us from theological error. For example, by considering Mary in relation to Jesus, right from Scripture, we can see the grossly exaggerated, unbiblical stand of the Roman Catholic Church, which places a high stress on Mary.

Because of this, their theology is flawed in relation to Jesus. The importance of the cross is diminished. The importance of prayer to and through Jesus is obliterated. The importance of the return of Christ is obfuscated. Even our understanding of Israel and its importance in the future is diminished.

Let us be wise and obedient to the word. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!

Glorious Lord God, Your word has instructed us to fix our eyes on Jesus. How often has it been said that if our attention to Jesus is too great, we are not giving honor to You? And yet, if Jesus is God, how can we honor You if we do not fix our eyes on Him? Help us to think clearly and to understand that You are in the Son, and the Son is in You. There is no favoritism in the Godhead. But You are One. May we understand this and be obedient to Your word. Amen.

Big bromeliad.

Wednesday, 21 August 2024

saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” Matthew 2:20

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).

“saying, ‘Having arisen, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for they have died – those seeking the soul of the Child’” (CG).

In the previous verse, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt. This occurred after the death of Herod. In the appearance, he was “saying, ‘Having arisen, take the Child and His mother.’”

The words are addressed in the second person singular. Rather than, “All of you arise and go,” the angel is speaking to Joseph about what he is to do. Once he is up and about, he is to take the Child and His mother. As in verse 13, the focus is on the Child, while Mary is of secondary attention. Understanding this, the narrative continues with, “and go to the land of Israel.”

In verse 13, Joseph had been told to flee to Egypt. Now, he is told to go to the land of Israel. There is no rush or urgency in the words, something that must have been quite reassuring to Joseph. He bore a great responsibility, and he would have probably been quite happy in receiving these words. From there, the angel continues with, “for they have died – those seeking the soul of the Child.”

The words bring about a lot of curious speculation. First, note the differences between verse 13 and verse 20 –

“Having arisen, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt. And you are there until if I should tell you. For Herod is about to seek the Child to destroy Him.”

“Having arisen, take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for they have died – those seeking the soul of the Child.”

It was Herod who intended to kill the Child. But now, the angel speaks of “those” who sought to destroy Him. There are several views on what the words are saying –

“The plural is very often used where the conception of a species is to be expressed, and then denotes the subject, not according to number, but chiefly according to the category to which it belongs.” Meyers NT Commentary

That is supported by the words of Bengel, saying, “The plural concisely signifies, that Herod is dead, and that there are not any others who entertain evil designs.”

Cambridge says it is a euphemism, the reference being Herod alone. Barnes concurs and adds a second possibility. He says, “This either refers to Herod alone, as is not uncommon, using the plural number for the singular; or it may refer to Herod and his son Antipater. He was of the same cruel disposition as his father, and was put to death by his father about five days before his own death.”

Numerous others suggest it is given as a parallel to the words of the Lord to Moses in Exodus 4 –

“Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.’” Exodus 4:19

Whichever option is correct, it is a notable statement that Joseph would have understood and accepted.

Life application: In Exodus 2:15, only Pharaoh was noted as seeking to kill Moses. However, the text says “all the men” later in Exodus 4:19. Only speculation can be made as to who any others may have been, and we can’t go inserting things into the Bible to form a conclusion. The same is true with this verse in Matthew.

The possibilities for what is meant have been set forth, and there may be others as well. But each of these is only a possibility and should be noted as such. As seen above, Joseph would have known what the intent was. Even if he didn’t at first, he could have asked, and that part of the conversation was simply not recorded.

The important point to remember is that the story bears all the marks of a literal historical account, and it is detailing to us information about the life of Jesus. Therefore, let us consider it as such and revel in what God has done. He is making marvelous parallels between the calling forth of Israel from the bondage of Egypt and the calling forth of Jesus as well.

Moses and those with him stopped and received the law on the way to Israel. Jesus is being drawn directly back to Israel to fulfill the law that Moses received. In doing so, He will usher in a New Covenant and a new plan and direction for the people of God. Great is the Lord who has done all these things!

Lord God, Your word is a glorious treasure trove of wonder and delight concerning the track of man back to You through the redemptive process that You have set forth. One step at a time, we are being instructed on what You have done and are doing to accomplish that. And it is all centered on Jesus. Thank You for our beautiful Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Staghorn fern.

Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Matthew 2:19

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 Herod having died, behold, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appears to Joseph in Egypt” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew cited Jeremiah 31:15 concerning the prophecy about Rachel mourning for her children. With that now complete, he next records, “And Herod having died.”

Herod’s death was recorded by Flavius Josephus and others in antiquity. The Expositor’s Greek Testament, citing several sources, says –

“Herod died in 750 U. C. in his 70th year, at Jericho, of a horrible loathsome disease, rotten in body as in soul, altogether an unwholesome man.”

As for the timing, it is debated how long this period was, but most agree it was only a few months after the killing of the children in Bethlehem, though some argue as much as six or seven years. Regardless of the exact time spent there, eventually, Matthew next records, “behold, a messenger of the Lord in a dream appears to Joseph in Egypt.”

This is now the third time a messenger of the Lord has appeared to him. This time, however, it is outside of the land of Canaan. This should not be remarkable as the Lord can appear anywhere and at any time, but it demonstrates that the Lord does, in fact, speak to His people outside of Canaan. This is in contradistinction to some claims over the millennia that the Lord does not do so.

The Bible is filled with such instances, and such ridiculous claims should not ever be entertained. As for the departed Herod, Albert Barnes shares the following –

“Herod left three sons, and the kingdom was at his death divided between them. To Archelaus was given Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; to Philip, Batanea and Trachonitis; to Antipas, Galilee and Perea.

“Each of these was also called Herod, and these are the individuals who are so frequently referred to in the New Testament during the ministry of the Saviour and the labors of the apostles.”

Life application: Translation of Scripture involves more than just conveying words or expressions between languages. It takes careful consideration, consistency, and a watchful eye to ensure that each word or phrase is actually translated. Eyes can skip easily over words or phrases, something quite common when similar words are used within a single verse.

As for consistency, when the context is the same, words should be similarly translated. Otherwise, a false sense of what is being conveyed can come about. However, this is not something that is always possible. There are multiple words that can have similar meanings, and there are many possible meanings for some individual words.

Moreover, when there are translation committees that handle individual portions of Scripture, the biases and preferences of each committee will often show through. It may be that one committee may have a book to translate, but individuals within a committee may be responsible for one or two chapters.

This can lead to real inaccuracies slipping through the cracks. For example, the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary says –

“Our translators, somewhat capriciously, render the same expression ‘the angel of the Lord,’ Mt 1:20; 2:13; and ‘an angel of the Lord,’ as here.”

The exact term in Greek is aggelos kyriou, or “angel Lord.” Notice what JFB is referring to in the KJV –

1:20 – the angel of the Lord
2:13 – the angel of the Lord
2:19 – an angel of the Lord

The first two instances insert a presupposition, “the angel of the Lord.” In the Old Testament, that generally is referring to the Lord. In the third instance, an unnamed angel representing the Lord is signified.

The first two have inserted words without italicizing them to indicate they are not in the original and they are clearly wrong. The KJV is famous for this willy-nilly type of inconsistency in both testaments, and so the reader can be led down incorrect paths of thinking about what the text is saying.

Someone could come to the unfounded conclusion that “the angel of the Lord” appears to Joseph only in the land of Canaan, but then He directs one of His subordinates to appear outside of the land. That would be a ridiculous assumption, but this is what happens when faulty translation occurs.

Be sure to not get caught up in reading one translation and assume it is the only God-inspired translation. Be studious and diligent to check things out before making final conclusions about matters of theology.

Lord God, help us to be wise and studious concerning Your word. It is so very precious, and so may You be with us as we read it, contemplate it, and tell other people things that we have learned from it. Above all, thank You for Jesus our Lord who is the One Scripture is pointing us to. Yes, thank You for our precious Savior, Jesus. Amen.

Jade Plant.

Monday, 19 August 2024

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.” Matthew 2:18

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).

“A voice – it was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, and a wailing, and a mourning – great.
Rachel sobbing – her children.
And she would not be comforted,
For they are not” (CG).

The previous verse introduced the idea of the fulfillment of that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet. Now, Matthew cites that prophecy, beginning with, “A voice – it was heard in Ramah.”

The words of this prophecy come from Jeremiah 31:15, which says –

“Thus said Yehovah,
A voice in Ramah heard
Lamentation, a weeping – bitternesses
Rachel weeping upon her children
Refused to sigh upon her children
For he naught” (CG).

Of the entire verse, the Expositor’s New Testament rightly says, “It was poetry to begin with, and it is poetry here.” The voice is that of Rachel of the third clause. She is being used by Jeremiah as expressive of the woe that had come upon the people of Israel who were being deported to Babylon. The reason for this begins in Genesis 35:19 –

“So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).”

Rached died on the way to Bethlehem. That is then explained in 1 Samuel 10:2 where it notes that Rachel’s tomb is in the territory of Benjamin. This is confirmed by Joshua 18:25 where Ramah is listed in the cities inherited by Benjamin. It is in this location that the captives of Jerusalem were taken before they were deported to Babylon –

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.” Jeremiah 40:1

Therefore, the voice is being expressed as being in Ramah which is “Lamentation, and a wailing, and a mourning – great.”

The first word, translated as lamentation, thrénos, is found only here in the New Testament, and it is found only in some manuscripts. It signifies a wailing or a lamentation. Each word used is descriptive of real mourning, one word being added to the next to convey the agony of the situation.

As for the final word “great,” it answers to the Hebrew plural noted above, “bitternesses.” There was a great mourning of the exiles (the children of Israel) as they were readied for their long trek to Babylon. Likewise, Matthew poetically takes the death of the children of Bethlehem in this same fashion. There is the voice of the people raised as one over their slaughter. This is then equated to the wailing of Israel in the land of Rachel (meaning Benjamin, her son), saying, “Rachel sobbing – her children.”

There is no “for” as inserted by translators. Rather, it is left out to highlight the situation. It is as if while she is sobbing, the writer gasps and calls out “her children.” It is a mournful expression. The parallel to the Babylonian exile is seen. Those who leave will not be returning. It is as if they are dead. Rachel mourns the loss of the people. Likewise, these children slaughtered by Herod are mourned over poetically by Rachel, who died “on the way to Ephrath (that is Bethlehem)” (Genesis 35:19).

It is as if Rachel is reaching forward in her place of burial toward Bethlehem, mourning for the loss of those as if they were her own children, “And she would not be comforted.”

The Hebrew uses the word nakham, to sigh. The context determines the exact meaning, but it is as if a person sighs in whatever way is being expressed. One can sigh over regret, one can sigh in a state of being comforted or not being comforted, one can sigh in pity, one can sigh in exasperation or sorrow, etc.

There is a strong, heavy breathing that conveys human emotion. In Rachel’s case, she would not sigh in comfort as if “I have come to accept the situation, and I will move on.” Rather, she would not be comforted because it next says while referring to her children, “For they are not.”

The children were slaughtered by Herod, and they would not return to their mothers. Rachel, emblematic of this situation, is poetically used to describe the matter. It is from Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Lord, through Matthew, makes this woeful connection, noting that it is fulfilled not only in the past, but it carried through to the time of Christ’s coming.

Life application: As noted in the previous commentary, we must be careful when taking verses out of their intended context and applying them to our own situations. The five main rules of biblical interpretation are:

Is this prescriptive (does it prescribe anything)?
Is this descriptive (does it merely describe a matter)?
What is the context?
Be sure of the context!
Don’t stray from the context!!

If a verse merely describes a matter, it means that we are being given information, but it is not instructing us to do something. If it is prescriptive, certain people are being told to do something. But who are those certain people? For example, it says this in Malachi 3:10 –

“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.’”

Is this merely descriptive, or does it prescribe something? The answer is that it prescribes something. What is the context? It is the Lord speaking through the prophet Malachi to the people of Israel under the law of Moses. Are we sure of the context? Does it apply to the church? No. Tithes are never mandated to the church. There is no prescription for this. Therefore, do not apply the words of Malachi to the church.

Malachi 4:10 is for our understanding but not for our conduct. The law was a tutor to lead us to Christ. We are not under the law. The law is done away with in Christ. Therefore, when you hear Malachi 3:10 quoted by a televangelist or your local preacher – wrongly requiring tithes – and have evaluated it with the five basic rules, you can ignore their mishandling of Scripture.

Be wise and discerning. The Lord determined that Jeremiah’s prophecy would be used by Matthew, but we cannot use it ourselves if our own children die. That would be inappropriate. Let us endeavor to always maintain proper context when evaluating Scripture.

P.S. The tithes of Israel were only brought into the storehouse once every three years. The other two years, the people ate their own tithes. But you will never hear a televangelist (or most preachers) tell you that.

Lord God, help us to have a clear and proper understanding of what applies to us in Scripture and what is only there for our knowledge in particular matters, even if it doesn’t apply to us directly. May we stand approved by holding to the proper context of what is being conveyed. Amen.

Bromeliad.

Sunday, 18 August 2024

Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: Matthew 2:17

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).

“Then it was fulfilled that having been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying” (CG).

The previous verse detailed the massacre of the children of Bethlehem by Herod. As tragic as that was, God knew that it would occur. This is evidenced in the next words, where Matthew records, “Then it was fulfilled.”

Matthew is saying that the event of the killing of these children, which was just recorded in the previous verse, fulfilled a prophecy concerning the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem. The words were then a prophecy from “that having been spoken.”

The verse that Matthew will cite is from Jeremiah 31:15. That passage concerned the removal of the exiles from the land of Israel and into captivity in Babylon. It was recorded and its immediate fulfillment concerned those at that time. The prophecy was “through Jeremiah the prophet, saying.”

Matthew is setting the stage to cite a quote from the prophet, but ultimately it is a word from the Lord through Jeremiah. He was the instrument by which the Lord would speak out the prophecy.

Life application: There are quotes from the Old Testament in the New which make connections that others may not have even considered because they seem so unconnected. And yet, the statement that a particular verse or passage is fulfilled in an event in the New Testament is claimed.

Because of this, it is not uncommon for people to take other verses or passages and try to make some type of prophetic connection to an event in their own day. For example, it says in Isaiah 30 –

“There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.” Isaiah 30:25

In 2001, Islamic terrorists used jet planes to bring down the Twin Towers in New York. Within a very short time, Isaiah 30:25 was being bandied about as a “fulfillment” of the words from Isaiah that pointed to the destruction of the Twin Towers.

This is not a responsible way of handling Scripture. And yet, it happens pretty much every day. Somebody finds something in the Bible that matches an event in their own sphere of existence, and he then claims that the Bible predicted the event. It happened with quite a few verses from the Bible at the time of a recent assassination attempt on a former US president.

But removing a verse out of its intended context is not a healthy way to handle one’s theology. Despite this, people could argue, “Yes, but what Matthew cites in several passages doesn’t really fit with the context of what he is citing.”

The difference is that Matthew was an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was guided by his knowledge of Scripture, his understanding of events at the time of Jesus, and – most importantly – by the Spirit of God who is the ultimate Author of Scripture. What God has determined to be within His word is up to Him.

It is our job to rightly handle what He has now completed and given to us. There are future prophecies that will come to pass that deal with the church, the tribulation period, and so forth. But not everything that happens in our short span of life needs to find some type of prophetic match in Scripture, even if a few of the words seem similar.

A proper thing to do with Scripture is to not manipulate it for personal agendas. Instead, use Scripture to find Jesus and His workings in redemptive history. Read it to find historical information, moral guidance, renourishment of your soul, and so forth.

Just because something sounds exciting or prophetically connected to your life, don’t just run with it. Think it through, check the context, and you will normally find that someone made an unacceptable leap in making the connection.

Having said this, there is an event that lies ahead that will affect you directly. The timing of it is unknown, but it is coming. Take time to read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. If you want to be intimately associated with Bible prophecy, that is a certain passage that will include you if you are a saved believer in Jesus Christ. And it will happen… maybe today.

Lord God Almighty, help us to be reasonable in our interpretation of Scripture. May we not try to force our lives and circumstances into the pages of Your word. Instead, we are passing through time and awaiting the final fulfillment of the prophetic word. It will come about as prophesied. Everything else is just us living out our lives. May that be done according to Your will. Amen.