Matthew (Written)

Orchid.

Monday, 29 July 2024

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: Matthew 1:22

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 this all has come to pass that may be fulfilled that having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying…” (CG).

In the previous verse, the messenger noted to Joseph that the Child’s name was to be Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. Now, the narrative continues, saying, “And this all has come to pass that may be fulfilled that having been spoken by the Lord.”

Matthew will now cite an Old Testament prophecy. It is one that was uttered by the Lord, Yehovah, to King Ahaz in Isaiah 7. The words of prophecy, as recorded by Matthew, are said to be fulfilled (has come to pass) in the coming of Christ Jesus. And yet, it was a prophecy given to Ahaz about a matter that would be fulfilled at his time.

As such, it is a prophecy with a dual significance. This is not a stretch by Matthew, looking to shove the coming of Christ Jesus into an obscure and already fulfilled verse. Rather, it is a prophecy that was understood all along to be messianic in nature.

That is evidenced in the words of the coming verse. That we can know this was anticipated to refer to the Messiah will be explained then. For now, Matthew continues by saying that the prophecy was spoken by the Lord “through the prophet, saying…”

The Lord spoke to Israel, but He did so indirectly through Isaiah. The words that lead to the prophecy say –

“Moreover the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying, ^11 ‘Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.’
¹² But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord!’
¹³ Then he said, ‘Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?’” Isaiah 7:10-13

The Lord first spoke to Ahaz directly. The words are in the second person, singular. When Ahaz punted and refused to ask for a sign, the Lord, through Isaiah, responded to the “house of David.” Though Ahaz was the king, the address by Isaiah is made in the second person plural.

The meaning is that not only will there be an immediate fulfillment of his words to Ahaz, but the words are intended to extend to the House of David in a more relevant way. This is only implied, but the implication was understood to be there, nonetheless.

Life application: When reading the Bible, there are themes that may repeat, even if it seems that what was prophesied was already fulfilled in the past. For example, the prophets speak of the fall of Babylon in the Old Testament, something that actually occurred in the past.

Babylon came against Israel according to prophecy. The Babylonians destroyed the land and took the people captive to Babylon. Eventually, Babylon was destroyed according to the prophecies stated in the Old Testament.

One could wipe his hands and say, “Wah-lah, that’s the end of that.” However, the New Testament also refers to the destruction of Babylon, even citing the Old Testament. For example –

“‘And look, here comes a chariot of men with a pair of horsemen!’
Then he answered and said,
‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen!
And all the carved images of her gods
He has broken to the ground.’” Isaiah 21:9

“And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’” Revelation 14:8

The Lord is repeating themes and historical events to show that there is a system by which things are accomplished. Nothing is random or haphazard. The Lord works out events in a physical realm while also repeating these things in the spiritual realm.

A way that this occurs is through typology. To understand this more fully, you can go to the sermons from the Superior Word and see where typology from one story directs the flow of events in future accounts. The Lord explains this through Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes –

“That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9

Things will repeat so that when they occur, we can know that the directive hand of the Lord has brought them to pass.

Lord God, help us to see the wonderful things that You have laid out in Your word, even things that are still hidden and waiting to be uncovered. May we look for Your guiding hand in the unfolding of history by looking back to what has been. In doing this, we can know that You are directing us and all events according to a wise and detailed plan. All is well because You have it all under control. Amen.

Hasta la vista, Wyoming…!

Sunday, 28 July 2024

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

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 she will bring forth a son, and you will call His name JESUS. For He will save His people from their sins” (CG).

Joseph was just told that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit. The messenger continues, saying, “And she will bring forth a Son.”

The words not only demonstrate the presence of God in the process, but more, they also reveal the directive hand of God. The Child will not merely be opening Mary’s womb, but the Lord is directing what type of child will be born, a Son. Understanding that, it next says, “and you will call His name JESUS.”

The words of this verse are similar to what was said to Mary –

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:31

Mary was told this, and even if she then told it to Joseph, it is still right that the messenger would repeat it to him now. His words confirm the words of Mary, or they establish the matter for Joseph if she had not yet told him. Either way, he is informed what will come to pass concerning the Child, and he is told what the Child’s name will be.

This is not a unique event in Scripture. The names of Isaac and Ishmael were given before they were born. Josiah’s name was prophesied before he was born. Also, the name of Cyrus, King of Persia, was stated in a prophecy before he was born. In the New Testament, John the Baptist had his name designated before he was born.

Though the name of Samson was not given before he was born, details concerning him were described. Such events as this show that God is in control of the redemptive narrative, and He intervenes at key points to continue having history unfold according to a set plan.

The name Jesus in Hebrew is Yeshua. It is a shortened form of Yehoshua, Joshua. Whereas Yehoshua means The Lord is Salvation, Yeshua means Salvation, or He Will Save, coming from the verb yasha, to deliver or save. Joshua anticipated the coming of Christ through his name.

In the coming of Christ, the type is fulfilled: the Lord, Yehovah, is Salvation. Therefore, the messenger provides the reason for the selection of the name, saying, “For He will save His people from their sins.”

Thus, as happens so often in Scripture, a pun is formed, “You shall call His name Salvation, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The implication of the messenger’s word is that Christ has a group of people that will be saved. It is also implied that some will not be saved because they are “not His people.” What is also explicit is that people have sin from which they must be saved. Without this process, they remain in a state of condemnation. Jesus has come to correct this in His people.

Life application: It is not uncommon for people to argue over the name of Jesus. Some argue that His name is originally a different Hebrew name than Yeshua, deriving their opinion from one Old Testament passage or another. However, it is most commonly accepted that His name is either Yehoshua or Yeshua.

As He is the Lord, Yehovah, in human flesh, it makes less sense to call him The Lord is Salvation (Yehoshua). Rather, He is the Lord who is Salvation (Yeshua). However, fighting over this is not necessary.

Another way people argue over Jesus’ name is to insist that we should use the Hebrew name only because that is His “real” name. As Jesus isn’t the way a Hebrew would speak, it seems somehow bad to them that we would say “Jesus.”

This dismisses the fact that the vast majority of people don’t pronounce any other biblical name as it actually is. Some translated names are so far from the Hebrew that when the Hebrew is heard, we don’t even know who is being referred to. To say we must pronounce Jesus’ Hebrew name would necessitate that we do so with all biblical names. It is unreasonable to hold to this view.

Languages were developed by God. They continue to change as time passes. As they do, we accommodate to the general use of names within a language. The name Yeshua is transliterated into the Greek as Iésous (ee ay soos). If God wanted us to say Yeshua today, He wouldn’t have had the New Testament given to us in Greek.

From Iésous, the English language developed through the Germanic languages. Iésous eventually became Jesus (Yesous). Germans don’t have the hard J, but pronounce the J like a Y, (think of Johannes Kepler). The name then moved to the English people as Jesus with a hard J. Within English, this same name is actually pronounced quite differently depending on where you are. If you go to a southern church in the U.S., it sounds like Jayzuz. And so forth.

There are YT videos that give the name of Jesus in many languages throughout the world. Different people groups will pronounce the name differently. But in the end, our Jesus is the Christ of the nations as well as the Messiah of Israel. However you pronounce His name, do it with respect. He is our Lord. He is our JESUS.

Lord God, we stand in awe of what You have done. You have come to us in the Person of Jesus our Savior. May You be eternally praised for Your goodness to the sons of Adam for redeeming us unto Yourself. All hail the name of Jesus. Amen.

Wyoming done.

Saturday, 27 July 2024

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20

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).

“And him, having pondered these, behold a messenger of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, you should not fear to receive Mary your wife, for that having been begotten in her – from Holy Spirit is’” (CG).

Joseph was considering putting Mary away secretly. Because of this, Matthew now writes, “And him, having pondered these.”

Joseph was considering how he could protect Mary despite her seemingly obvious transgression. She was pregnant, and he was not the father despite her being betrothed to him. The timing, location, and circumstances of how to divorce her probably weighed heavily on his mind. But while he was considering these, it next says, “behold a messenger of the Lord.”

There is no article before “Lord” in the Greek. However, in the English it would be cumbersome to leave it off because there is one God who is the Lord. Therefore, the article is rightly supplied in italics. The Lord sent a messenger to reveal what had transpired. This messenger “appeared to him in a dream.”

The Lord appears in various ways to His people. In the case of Joseph, he may have been pondering letting Mary go while tossing and turning on his bed. In order to soothe his troubled mind, the Lord appeared in his dream.

This word, onar, dream, is found only six times, and all six uses are by Matthew. It refers only to a sleep dream. In this dream, the messenger appeared, “saying, ‘Joseph, son of David.’”

The words clearly identify Joseph as a son of David. He is being instructed on why things have transpired as they have. In other words, Mary was selected to be the mother of Jesus because she was the betrothed of Joseph. It is his relationship to King David that precipitated the events that transpired.

If this same Mary was betrothed to a descendant of King Saul of the tribe of Benjamin, she would not have been selected to bear Jesus. However, in order to establish the male line of ancestry leading back to David for the rights of inheritance, his betrothed wife was selected to be the human receptacle through whom would come the Messiah. Therefore, the angel continues, “you should not fear to receive Mary your wife.”

Some translations say something like, “to take Mary as your wife.” This is incorrect. She is already betrothed to him and is considered his wife, even if the marriage is not yet consummated. He is not to fear to receive her, meaning to complete the union, because she is his wife. This is obvious because he was planning on divorcing her, something one can only do with a wife.

Joseph will not sin in having a woman who has conceived in the manner she has. He should not feel as if she was unfaithful to him or forced by someone else. Rather, God Himself was directing the events that took place. The messenger explicitly reveals that with the words, “for that having been begotten in her – from Holy Spirit is.”

Again, no article precedes “Holy Spirit.” The construction in the Greek bears emphasis. Joseph is being given the absolute assurance that Mary’s pregnancy is of God. Rather than being from that which is unholy, it is a birth that is Most Holy. Such are the magnificent workings of God in Christ.

Life application: The Roman Catholic Church, in particular, has an obsession with Mary. This is so extreme in some circles that Jesus isn’t even a secondary thought in their religious lives. Mary is elevated to the highest point of their idolatrous beliefs.

Entire websites are constructed to exalt her and to detail the basis of worship to her. And yet, as this verse in Matthew reveals, it is because of Joseph that Mary was chosen to be the mother of the Lord Jesus. It is Joseph’s genealogy which directed the choice to be made. Mary was blessed to have been betrothed to a son of David.

From there, she was blessed to be selected by God to be the human instrument by which Jesus would come into the world. Even if Mary descends from David in her own genealogy, it was through Joseph that the right to the throne was established.

The focus, therefore, is to be on Jesus, not Joseph or Mary. These were participants in God’s unfolding plans, but they are in no way to be considered as the objects of adoration, much less idolatrous adoration. No hint of this is to be found in Scripture. All eyes on Jesus!

“Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy 2:8-10

Lord God, to You alone, we owe all of our praise and thanks for what You have done. In the coming of Christ Jesus, we can now behold You in His face. Glory to You in the Highest, O God. Amen.

Jesus Truck, Wyoming Capitol.

Friday, 26 July 2024

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. Matthew 1:19

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 Joseph, her husband, being righteous and not willing to expose her to disgrace, intended to send her away secretly” (CG).

In the previous verse, it noted that Mary was betrothed to Joseph but that before they came together, she was pregnant. Matthew noted that the Child was from the Holy Spirit, but Joseph was obviously unaware of this or didn’t believe it. Therefore, Matthew now continues with, “And Joseph, her husband, being righteous.”

This is the first of many comparative verses in the New Testament that must be considered in the proper context. Paul, using the same Greek adjective, dikaios, says –

“As it is written:
‘There is none righteous, no, not one.’” Romans 3:10

Matthew, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, calls Joseph righteous. And yet, Paul, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit says that there is none righteous. Thus, one can deduce that because God is not fickle, that Matthew is speaking in a comparative sense in relation to other humans and within the standards set forth for them in a particular context. However, Paul speaks of the defect of sin in man and compares him to the ultimate standard, which is God.

Of Joseph and his being righteous, Matthew next says, “and not willing to expose her to disgrace.”

This is an explanation of his righteousness. He understood the fallen nature of humanity, including Mary, and he did not want her to be publicly exposed as a harlot. Rather, he was willing for her to save face by taking her shame of infidelity upon himself. With the child reckoned as his, he could find another reason for divorcing her. As it next says, he “intended to send her away secretly.”

It cannot be that Mary told Him that she was pregnant with the Holy Spirit, that he believed it to be true, and that he then wanted to keep the perception of a blight off of the mother of the Messiah. It is not until the coming verse that he will know the truth of that matter.

Rather, he is simply a tender man with a righteous disposition who wanted to protect Mary from the harm of the actions he believed she had been a part of (See Deuteronomy 22:13-27). As such, at some point, he would seek a petition for divorce for some particular reason (see Deuteronomy 24:1).

Joseph’s actions, however, bring about a sort of dilemma. If the punishment for Mary’s actions was to be stoned (Deuteronomy 22) as required in the law, and yet he determined to put her away secretly, then how could he be deemed as a righteous man? The answer follows the same logic as Jesus displayed in John 8. The law clearly demanded that the woman caught in the act of adultery was to be stoned, and yet, this did not happen.

Joseph knew that he had failed to uphold the law in his own life, and yet, the law allowed for the atonement of sin. If Mary had failed, and yet the law could provide a covering for her actions (as was certainly the case with David and Bathsheba – see 2 Samuel 12:13), then Joseph chose to follow that course of action and have Mary spared. Thus, his righteousness is demonstrated in his actions.

Life application: As noted, the comparative example given in this verse must take into account the context of what is being said and done. For example, Jesus said –

“Why do you call Me good [agathos]? No one is good [agathos] but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17

And yet, Jesus says elsewhere –

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out [agathos]of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 12:35

As in the example above, one must consider the context of what is being said. Jesus was making a point about going around calling people good. The thought of goodness implies a standard. Therefore, a standard must be considered when making an evaluation and stating a claim about being good.

A great example of this is Joseph of Arimathea who is called a good [agathos] and just [dikaios] man in Luke 23:50. The same word for good is used to describe him as is the same word concerning being righteous used by Paul in Romans 3:10. Just as in English, there are different contexts in what we are referring to when making statements. Considering the context will help us to understand what is being conveyed.

Too often, Christians get legalistic or self-abasing when the term “good” is used based on Jesus’ words of Matthew 19:17. But if the context implies that a person is good, such nonsense can and should be avoided. Getting caught up in semantics can be harmful to rightly considering the overall concept of what the Bible is telling us. So, consider the context when evaluating what is said, and you will do well.

Lord God, may we use wisdom when considering Your word so that we will properly apply the context in what is being said. In this way, we will not make errors in our thinking. We desire to properly consider Your intent, so help us to do so. We pray this to Your glory. Amen.

Buffalo. Wyoming Capitol.

Thursday, 25 July 2024

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18

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).

“And the birth of Jesus Christ was thus: For his mother Mary, having been betrothed to Joseph, rather before they came together, she was found – from Holy Spirit – having in womb” (CG).

The previous verse explained the number of generations from Abraham to David, from David to the Babylonian exile, and from the Babylonian exile to the coming of Christ. Now, it says, “And the birth of Jesus Christ was thus.”

Matthew immediately begins with an explanation of how Christ Jesus was conceived. He has just carefully detailed the line of Jesus, demonstrating that with all certainty He descended from Abraham and then David in a legal manner. This established His right to the Davidic throne. However, there is more to be considered, and so Matthew next says, “For his mother Mary…”

Mary is a human being. As all things produce after their own kind, she will have a human child. This is the pattern set in Genesis 1. It has remained without exception since creation. Mary’s life was a typical one in regard to marriage at that time, as Matthew next notes with the words, “having been betrothed to Joseph.”

Marriages were often arranged in Israel. For example, in Judges 14, Samson saw a girl he wanted to marry, and he told his parents. They accompanied him to her home and Samson then spoke to the girl, liked her, and a marriage was agreed upon. Something like this was probably the case with Joseph and Mary.

She was now his in a legal sense, which was protected by the Law of Moses. However, in the case of Mary, it next says, “rather before they came together.”

Though most translations skip the word é, which is translated as or, rather, than, etc., it is an important thought. It is a conjunction used disjunctively, distinguishing things or thoughts which either mutually exclude each other or where one will take the place of the other.

In this case, Matthew is noting that Mary is betrothed, and so she is the legally espoused wife of Joseph, but rather, something else is brought into the relationship before they actually united in marriage: this but now this. The thing that occurs is that “she was found – from Holy Spirit – having in womb.”

Said plainly, Mary was pregnant. Joseph has a legal right to Mary, but he has not yet consummated the marriage, and yet she is pregnant. In the normal course of events, a man must lie with a woman in order for her to conceive.

Should this have been the case, it would be considered adultery. In the Law of Moses, he had a right to have her stoned. At his discretion, he could divorce her and be done with the matter. But Matthew clearly stated that the child in her womb was “from Holy Spirit.”

The words bear no article in the Greek. This is the same as Luke 1:35. It was understood that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Yehovah, this is seen, for example, in Psalm 51:11 and Isaiah 63:10, 11. In Daniel, the term “Spirit of Holy God” is used several times.

In other words, the Spirit Yehovah has generated a Child in the womb of Mary. As all things reproduce after their own kind, this means that this Child is, in fact, Yehovah, the God of Israel.

Life application: What is recorded in Matthew is unmistakable in its meaning. Jesus Christ bears the right to the Davidic throne because of the genealogy of Josep and that Of Mary. Joseph had the right of marriage to Mary through their betrothal. Mary is a human. Before Joseph’s marriage to Mary was consummated, she was found to be pregnant by Yehovah’s Holy Spirit.

Thus, this God/Man, Jesus Christ, is being clearly represented as having the right to the Davidic throne. This is what Matthew’s commentary is unmistakably revealing to us. With this set forth, the ongoing narrative will use this thought to continue through its pages. The Lord God has united with humanity and has come to redeem His people. Praise God for what He has done!

Lord God, what Your word tells us is simply astonishing. We stand in awe of Your workings in the stream of time and human existence as You fulfill every promise that You have made to Your people. Thank You for allowing us the honor of seeing it laid out in Your word and having it realized in our lives through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory to You, O God. Amen.