Matthew (Written)

Hanging plant, 1 each.

Saturday, 17 August 2024

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Matthew 2:16

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).

“Then Herod, having seen that he was mocked by the magicians, was exceedingly enraged and, having sent, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all her borders, from two years and under, according to the time which he exacted from the magicians” (CG).

In the previous verse, Matthew quoted Hosea comparing the movement of Jesus from Egypt to that of Israel at the Exodus. Now, the narrative returns to Herod, beginning with, “Then Herod, having seen that he was mocked by the magicians.”

The word translated as “mocked” is empaizó. It comes from “in” and “play.” Thus, it means to sport someone or mock them. Almost every use is a mocking direct against Jesus. However, in this case, it is the magicians who have mocked Herod through their departing to their own country without providing him the information he requested. Because of this, it next says, he “was exceedingly enraged.”

The word thumoó, enraged, is used only here in the New Testament. It signifies to be full of angry passion. Combined with the word “exceedingly,” one can get the mental image of Herod flipping his lid, seething in rage, and turning bright red in the face. He really blew a gasket over being duped. Thus, it next says, “and, having sent, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem and in all her borders.”

This event has been called “the slaughter of the innocents” for eons. The term “innocent” has various nuances. From a biblical perspective in relation to sin, there are no innocents. We have all inherited Adam’s sin. However, these children had done nothing deserving of death. Therefore, they are innocent in the sense that Herod unjustly had them killed.

As tragic as this is, the number of male children that were this age is estimated to be very low. Bethlehem was not a large city. Even though the extended borders were included, the number still would not have been great. However, the fact that Herod did this stands as a witness to his depravity. If the city were much larger, it is clear that it would not have mattered to him if he killed hundreds or thousands.

The account itself has been called into question because there is no extrabiblical reference to it. However, that is both an argument from silence, and it is not unlikely that it is not mentioned if only a small number of children were killed.

It would have been devastating for the families who lost children, but in the larger picture, it would not have garnered the same attention that it probably would have today with media and the internet. Of those killed, it next says they were “from two years and under.”

Only males and only those up to two years of age were killed. Herod simply wanted any challenge to his authority to be stamped out. It didn’t do him any good, however, because his reign only lasted a short while longer, and as Barnes noted in the previous commentary, “he died of a most painful and loathsome disease in Jericho.”

The word translated as “two years old,” dietés, is also only found here in Scripture. It comes from two words indicating “twice” and “year.” Next, Matthew says that this killing of the children this age was “according to the time which he exacted from the magicians.”

Here is the second and last use of the word translated as “exacted,” akriboo. It was seen in Matthew 2:7. It signifies to learn carefully or inquire with exactness. Herod had carefully ascertained the information from the magicians, and he then used that information to kill these innocents in a desperate act of trying to overturn the prophetic word of God.

Life application: As noted above, the word “innocent” has to be taken in the context of what is being conveyed. Little children and babies are innocent in that they have not committed any intentional wrongdoing. They are in need of care for their very existence as well.

Unfortunately, those who need the most care of all are those targeted by the wicked people of the world, like Herod. Today, the Herods of the world are those who support the killing of unborn children through abortion, who target young minds for perverse agendas, like transgenderism, and who abuse little children through sexual perversion.

In today’s world, each of these vile practices is fully supported by those who hold to liberal values in any given country. The democrat party of the United States is fully behind these things. And with each new piece of legislation they pass, another one is quick to follow that is more depraved than the one before.

There is very little hope that they will change their ways, but individually, each still needs to hear about Jesus. It is our job to share the good news. For those who realize the wickedness they are committing, they normally will become staunch supporters of that which is right.

Therefore, even in your anger at the conduct of those on the left, be sure to at least offer them the gospel and tell them there is hope, even salvation, from the wickedness they are so mired in.

Lord God, may we be willing to share the gospel with everyone, even those who are so at odds with You in many ways. Satanists, pedophiles, murderers, and the liberal left in general all hold to stands that are contrary to what You accept, but we were once contrary to You as well. Help us to remember that we were also saved from eternal condemnation. May we be about sharing the good news with all people. Amen.

Bouganvilla.

Friday, 16 August 2024

and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Matthew 2:15

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).

“And he was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled, having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt, I called my Son’” (CG).

The previous verse noted that Joseph arose from his sleep and took the Child and His mother and withdrew to Egypt. The narrative now continues with, “And he was there until the death of Herod.”

In these words, is a word found only here in Scripture, teleuté, translated as “death.” It signifies a finishing or an end. In this case. It is the termination of Herod’s life. As for the event itself, there is a problem with the dating that is explained by Albert Barnes –

“Herod died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign. It is not certainly known in what year he began his reign, and hence it is impossible to determine the time that Joseph remained in Egypt. The best chronologers have supposed that he died somewhere between two and four years after the birth of Christ, but at what particular time cannot now be determined. Nor can it be ascertained at what age Jesus was taken into Egypt. It seems probable that he was supposed to be a year old (see Matthew 2:16), and of course the time that he remained in Egypt was not long. Herod died of a most painful and loathsome disease in Jericho.”

Because of the unsurety of the matter, a general timeframe of a few months to a couple of years is the general consensus. As for the time in Egypt and their return to Israel, Matthew next says, “that it might be fulfilled, having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet.”

Matthew is stating that God foresaw the events and spoke of them in advance, using the prophetic word to provide His people with assurance that what came to pass was a part of His unfolding plan.

In other words, the dream that Joseph had, the flight to Egypt, and then the return from Egypt wasn’t something that occurred on the spur of the moment. Rather, it was intended to occur so that God could fulfill His own word concerning certain matters. As for what was spoken through the prophet, He was “saying, ‘Out of Egypt, I called my Son.’”

The words are a general citing of Hosea 11:1 from the Hebrew text –

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.”

Matthew saw in the verse from Hosea a parallel to what happened to Jesus. None of the surrounding text follows this thought, and yet, it is repeated by Matthew because of the understanding that what happened to Israel as a type is fulfilled in Jesus, who is the Antitype.

Israel went down to Egypt (Genesis 46:3). Israel was called out of Egypt by the Lord (Exodus 3:8). Israel is the Lord’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22).

Likewise, Jesus went down to Egypt. He was called out of Egypt by the Lord. Jesus is God’s only begotten Son.

The parallels between Israel and Egypt are seemingly innumerable. As one travels through the Old Testament, Israel is given as a type of the coming of Christ Jesus again and again. They are equated to a vine, while Jesus says He is the true vine. They were to be a sort of light to the nations, while Jesus says that He is the Light of the world. The temple was the place where God would dwell among His people. Jesus is the true Temple and dwelling place of God. On and on throughout Scripture, such patterns are seen.

But not all of them are explicitly highlighted in the New Testament. Rather, in citing the words of Hosea as Matthew did in this verse, it is a call for those who read Scripture to look for other such connections as well. Christ Jesus is thus the fulfillment of what Israel anticipated. In understanding this, and in looking for types and pictures from the Old Testament Scriptures, we can gain a fuller understanding of the Person and work of Jesus as detailed in the New.

Life application: One of the things about properly elicited typology from the Old Testament is that it helps settle what is to be considered sound theology in the New. In other words, it is argued in the church whether there is still a role in the world for Israel the nation or has the church replaced them, thus becoming “spiritual Israel.”

In properly understanding types and pictures from the Old Testament (such as Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Esther, etc.) it becomes perfectly clear that Israel the nation has a future role in redemptive history. Are dispensations a valid interpretation to be derived from Scripture or are they later-derived false machinations of incompetent scholars? The answer can be found in the types and pictures of the Old Testament.

Again and again, types are given to help us to understand what is considered proper concerning New Testament theology. The obvious question may be, “Why don’t we just get that from the New Testament?” But the answer is obvious. How many denominations are in agreement on almost any major doctrine? Very few.

This is because of biases, a lack of discernment, a lack of applying proper context, and so forth. Unfortunately, these differences exist, not because God’s word is confused but because we are. In every aspect of theology, there is one correct avenue. Old Testament typology, when rightly considered, will help clarify which avenue is proper.

Lesson: Read your Bible – both testaments. Read it often, meditate on it always, and consider what you are reading. It is a unified whole that has been given to us to know our Creator and what is pleasing to Him. Read your Bible.

Lord God, give us the wisdom and the desire to want to know You more. We have a short span in this life to pursue You and to refine our thinking concerning You. Forever is a really long time, and that is how long we will have to be in Your presence. And so, help us to strive for the eternal now, even while we are living out this temporary, trying existence. Amen.

Plumeria.

Thursday, 15 August 2024

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, Matthew 2:14

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).

“And having arisen, he took the Child and His mother – night, and he withdrew to Egypt” (CG).

In the previous verse, Joseph had a dream where the Lord’s messenger told him to flee to Egypt and stay there until he was given word, noting that Herod would seek the Child to destroy Him. Now, in compliance with those words, it next records, “And having arisen, he took the Child and His mother.”

The words are like those of the previous verse, where the Child is the main subject of the action. Only after He is mentioned is Mary included. With that stated, it continues with the word “night.” There is no article or preposition before the word. Either Joseph was asleep at night and had the dream, whereupon he got up and started the journey, or he may have had an afternoon nap and immediately determined to leave that night.

Either way, they made their departure at night in order to be kept from any eyes that may otherwise see them, “and he withdrew to Egypt.” The verb is in the singular – “he withdrew.” The focus is on the obedience of Joseph as he acts on behalf of the Child and His mother.

Life application: A couple of points of consideration can be gleaned from these few words. The first is something that was seen in the previous verse as well. Jesus is the focus of the action taken. Mary is included only after that. This is not how such things are usually stated. Rather, the norm would be to say something like, “Ron took Shannon and their son to the movies.” However, that is not the case here.

Even though a very young child at this time, the text places the primary focus on Jesus. How different that is than what occurs in the Roman Catholic Church. They place an inordinate amount of attention on Mary. When someone does wrong and goes to a confessional, it is common to hear that they had to say a certain number of Hail Marys, pleading for her intercession.

This is completely unscriptural. In fact, it violates several verses of Scripture. We are told there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. We are also told to fix our eyes on Jesus. Mary is dead. She will remain in her grave until the Lord raises her someday. It is unthinkable that we should pray to the dead for anything.

Another point is that Joseph heard the word, and he immediately complied with what was said. Today, we have the completed word recorded in the pages of the Bible. Are we as willing to comply as Joseph was? The same Lord who spoke to Joseph through His messenger is speaking to us today through His word.

Is it any less important to comply with the Bible? Absolutely not. We are given our directives for right living there. Those things that are required for us to do have been recorded and compiled. However, we cannot comply with the word if we don’t know the word. Let us heed the word of the Lord and put that word into action in our lives!

Heavenly Father, help us to realize the importance of knowing and applying Your word to our lives. It is given as a manual for humanity to be right with You, and so may we treat it as such. Help us to always consider the importance of Your word in the conduct of our lives. Amen.

Plumeria.

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” Matthew 2:13

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 they having withdrawn, behold, a messenger of the Lord – he appears in a dream of Joseph, saying, ‘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’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the magicians had been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod. Therefore, they returned home by another route. Now, Matthew continues with, “And they having withdrawn.”

With the departure of the magicians behind them, another dream will now be recorded. As such these dreams did not occur on the same night. Whether this is during an afternoon nap, the next night, or some period of time later isn’t stated. But the time would not be too long. Herod would have deduced rather quickly that the magicians intentionally did not come back. However long it was, the narrative next says, “behold, a messenger of the Lord.”

It is the same three Greek words as in Matthew 1:20 when Joseph was informed concerning the state of Mary and that he should not be afraid to take her as his wife. As before, “he appears in a dream of Joseph.”

The words are most literally translated as, “he appears in dream the Joseph.” The article is unnecessary in the English and the brevity of the Greek necessitates some minor insertions to make sense. The intent is that Joseph had a dream in which he is again being given divine instruction.

When this happened before, the subject was Mary, but the main focus of the words concerned the Child. The same is true concerning the main focus this time as well. Thus, the messenger was “saying, ‘Having arisen, take the Child and His mother.’”

The priority is the Child who is placed first in the divine instruction. He along with Mary are to be taken by Joseph “and flee to Egypt.” The fact that this instruction comes only after the magicians had left shows us that this was not done by their advice, nor did they have any idea about this plan of God to secret Jesus away to Egypt.

Instead, their part in the unfolding drama was completed, and then the next step began. As for the distance they would have to travel, it all depends on where in Egypt they traveled to. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate where they went. Thus, to assume it was Alexandria, where there was a large Jewish settlement, is just speculation. Albert Barnes, however, gives a reasonable commentary on this journey –

“Egypt is situated to the southwest of Judea, and is distant from Bethlehem perhaps about 60 miles. It was at this time a Roman province. There were many Jews there, who had a temple and synagogues, … and Joseph, therefore, would be among his own countrymen, and yet beyond the reach of Herod. The jurisdiction of Herod extended only to the River Sihon, or ‘river of Egypt,’ and, of course, beyond that Joseph was safe from his designs. … It is remarkable that this is the only time in which our Saviour was out of Palestine, and that this was in the land where the children of Israel had suffered so much and so long under the oppression of the Egyptian kings. The very land which was the land of bondage and groaning for the Jews, became now the land of refuge and safety for the new-born King of Judea. God can overturn nations and kingdoms, so that those whom he loves shall be safe anywhere.”

Barnes’ note about this being the only time that Jesus was outside of “Palestine” is incorrect. He also visited the regions of Tyre and Sidon and the Decapolis. However, his thoughts about the ironic safety provided by Egypt are well stated. As for their time in Egypt, the messenger’s words continue, saying, “And you are there until if I should tell you.”

They were to remain until they again received divine instruction. As for the word translated as “if,” it is left out of most translations, and it does not mean that it might never happen. Rather, it is a disjunctive particle “denoting supposition, wish, possibility or uncertainty” (Strong’s).

There was no uncertainty on the part of God, however. Instead, it is a condition placed upon Joseph, whose uncertainty would remain until the time of God’s choosing. Understanding this, the messenger next explains why this trip was necessary, saying, “For Herod is about to seek the Child to destroy Him.’”

Herod, though an Idumean by ancestry, was a Jew. Thus, the irony of a complete contrast to the narrative so far shines through. It is the Gentiles who welcomed the Messiah of Israel, while the leadership of the Jewish people rejected Him. This pattern will continue throughout the biblical narrative, and it continues to this day. It is the very reason that Jesus spoke these words to Israel’s leaders later in Matthew –

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁸ See! Your house is left to you desolate; ³⁹ for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37-39

Jerusalem represents the seat of power in Israel. Thus, it extends to mean the leaders themselves. Jesus told the nation by speaking to Jerusalem (meaning its leaders) that He will not return until they, as the leaders of the people, acknowledge Him as Yehovah incarnate, as implied in citing the psalm which speaks of Yehovah.

While Israel has gone after two millennia of chasing falsity, the Gentile world has openly embraced Israel’s true Messiah. However, despite being a bit slow on the uptake, Israel today is beginning to embrace their long-rejected King.

Life application: The wisdom of God is seen time and again in the minute details found in Scripture. Egypt was the crucible from which Israel was brought in order to mold them as a people in the desert of Sinai. And yet, it took a return to Egypt by Israel’s Messiah to explain to us other truths concerning redemptive history.

It cannot be truthfully said, even if it is at times claimed, that Jesus was only taken to Egypt because of Herod, but if there was other leadership, they would have accepted their Messiah. This is borne out in the rest of the gospel accounts and Acts. At every turn, the leadership of Israel saw Jesus as a threat, and they continuously rejected Him, meaning they rejected the wisdom of God that had already been prophesied in the word they were the stewards of.

That word continues to reveal Jesus today, and the people of the world, like the people of Israel, continue to reject what it proclaims. It is true that the Gentile world openly embraced Jesus, but the scale of converts, in comparison to the total population, is not overwhelming.

People seem to want anything other than what God offers. And an actual understanding of what the word grace means is almost completely lacking, even in the church. And yet, it is a key point of a right relationship with God. It is not by our efforts that we are saved, and it is not by our efforts that we continue to be saved. God has done the work. We believe and are saved.

But what God has done is then fully sufficient to carry us all the way through to the end. Let us not diminish the significance of the cross. It is all that is needed for our return to glory as God’s people.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord. We know that through what He has done, we have complete and eternal restoration with You. May we never presume that it is we who must work to save ourselves or continue to retain our salvation. It is Your gift, and it is all-sufficient. Hallelujah and Amen.

Hibiscus.

Tuesday, 13 August 2024

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. Matthew 2:12

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 having been admonished in a dream not to return to Herod, through another way, they withdrew into their country” (CG).

The previous verse noted that the magicians had appeared before the Child, worshipped Him, and presented gifts to Him. With that done, they apparently spent the night in the same area. Their charge from Herod in verse 8 was that they were to learn the location of the Child and then return to him with that information. However, Matthew next records, “And having been admonished in a dream.”

Without being certain, it appears to be the same night they appeared before Jesus. After they did, they eventually slept. While sleeping, they were given an admonishment, obviously from God, “not to return to Herod.”

Unlike some other dreams recorded in Scripture, nothing of what was said is conveyed. It thus smacks of a true narrative. They probably arose, returned to the location where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were, and told them they had been admonished not to return to Herod. That was sufficient for Mary to remember and later tell Matthew this basic information. Due to the divine word, it next records, “through another way, they withdrew into their country.”

As we don’t know what country they came from originally, it is hard to know which way they would now return. They may have even traveled the same route that brought them to Israel in the first place, but they had gone out of their way to visit Jerusalem. Thus, the words “another way” would simply mean “not through Jerusalem.” Whatever the case, Herod was denied the information he desired.

As a useful point for considering commentaries on this verse, various scholars say that the verb translated as “admonished” means to give a response to one who asks. Following the uses of the verb in the New Testament demonstrates that this is not necessarily correct. It may be the case, but it is not the usual meaning. Further, because the verb is passive, it is then claimed that this admonishment is the answer to consultation.

In other words, it is claimed that these men sought God’s counsel, and He then responded to them. There is nothing to suggest this. The Greek middle/passive form simply reveals the subject (in this case, the magicians) as receiving or benefiting from the verb that is being expressed.

They went to bed, fell asleep, and in a dream, they were divinely admonished to not return to Herod. There is no need to go beyond this.

Life application:  Many people claim to have divinely inspired dreams or visions. This is not unique to Christianity either. One can go to YouTube and see hundreds and hundreds of such claims lined up for the gullible viewer to waste his time over.

A recent one claimed that a person had a vision of a particular political figure being shot and the bullet just missing his ear, but the noise from the bullet blew out his eardrum. A few months later, the political figure was shot in the ear and his eardrum did not blow out. Despite the obvious inaccuracies (along with others in the video), the person has been proclaimed a prophet.

However, the old saying, “Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes,” certainly applies here. The prophecy is inaccurate. God does not provide inaccurate anything. Hence, this person has made a false prophecy. He should be disregarded and rebuked openly for claiming something that was false, not coddled to, and put on a pedestal.

Be wise and discerning. There is no reason for God to speak to us apart from His word today. The believer is told that he lives by faith and not by sight. To have visions and dreams from God would negate this. What we need to do is to read the Bible, contemplate what we have read, and ignore people who make fanciful claims that place the attention on them and not on the Lord.

Lord God, what do we need in our walk with You today? We need to know Your word! That is what You have left for us to know You, to see what You have been doing and are doing, and to see what lies ahead for Your people. Help us to stay focused on Your word and not to be distracted from that noteworthy task. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.