Comments for February 19

v.34 - Here we have the spices that are used to make up the incense for the altar, which should burn perpetually (v.8) throughout their generations. It had to be the right incense as any other was classed as strange incense(v.9). Stacte is from a root meaning "to distil," and it has been by some interpreted as distilled myrrh. Others regard it as the gum of the storax tree, or rather shrub, the Styrax officinale. Onycha is the claw or nail of the strombus or wing-shell, a univalve common in the Red Sea. Galbanum is a gum, probably from the Galbanum officinale. Lastly frankincense an odorous resin imported from Arabia (Isa 60:6, Jer 6:20) yet also growing in Palestine (So 4:14).

v.12 - It seems that the whole concept of numbering is quite unacceptable to God. Throughout the Old Testament, it seems it was a sin to count people, and yet by the time we reach the time of Jesus and the establishment of the early church, there are quite a lot of numbers given. Is this just a change in social acceptability or is it a deliberate change of reporting by God?

:12 Provision was made for numbering the people. Because the people belonged to God and not the king or other human leader they were not to be counted to enable him to say that he ruled over so many people. Therefore a requirement was made that a 'ransom' 3724 was to be paid to God. The ransom was to be a 'covering' So when David numbers the people and the people are punished with a 'pestilence' 2 Samuel 24:13 the 'plague' Exodus 30:12 of this provision under the law is operating.

:18-19 The laver for washing is typical of the Word of God - we are washed by the Word - Ephesians 5:26

30:10 The altar was used daily for the offering of incense. However this detail ‘once in a year’ highlights one detail of the way that things had to be done on the day of atonement.

You know how clean and special a chemist’s shop usually smells? God’s house, and God’s priests had to smell special, too. But God’s recipe for the anointing oil, and the holy perfume was to be unique. Israel would therefore only associate "that smell" with the Holy Place, and the Holy Priests.

Exo 30:15  Rich or poor, all paid the same price. Christ our atonement (sin covering) paid tribute money. Matt 17:24-27  Christ speaking to Peter."For me and thee"  

Incense should be burned perpetually (v.8). Perpetually comes from the Hebrew word tameed meaning always. Tameed is translated continual in Exo 29:42. Continual means constant; often repeated and is not to be confused with continuous which means without cessation or interruption.

Thus, the practice of offering incense was to be done only morning and night (Exo 30:7,8).  Also the lamps were to be dressed in the morning and be lit in the evening to burn oil only during the night. These practices had to be carried out daily without fail.

FAITH IN TIME OF TROUBLE
 
The Christian life isn't always happy, happy, joy, joy.  Sometimes there are days when we find ourselves depressed or in trouble when nothing - not even prayer or praise - will cheer us up.  One of those occasions was the inspiration for this Psalm.  It is one of the few Psalms that does not end on a more positive note that it began.
 
It must have been a dark day for the Psalmist because he speaks about his life being like the living dead and being put in the lowest pit.  He cried to God for help and it seemed like God would never answer.  He felt rejected by God, as if God was hiding from him.
 
When it happens to us we can learn two important lessons from this Psalm.  Firstly, no matter how bad things get, we can pray.  God is always available to listen when we need to talk to him.  He is always there.  Even though it may seem like he is not listening, we can have the same confidence as the Psalmist that God does hear our prayer and that he will respond.
 
Secondly, many are tempted to give up on God at times like this.  In their despair they throw out their faith in the only thing that is worth trusting in.  Even though the Psalmist felt rejected we know that he did not reject God.  Like him we need to keep our faith strong and never lose it.

v.4 - The engineering skill must have been very good here, as the wooden altar would not be light and these gold rings had to be strong enough and fastened on well enough to bear this weight on the staves for carrying.  Gold is not strong - it is quite a soft metal.  One wonders what had to be done to make this a viable construction.

V.7 - incense could be symbolic for prayers Rev 5:8

30         A pre determined amount of  anointing oil had to be made (30:23) but there is no specific amount of incense that had to be made.  This indicates that whereas the Mosaic order was for a limited period but the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:4) were not to be limited.

30:23 The exact quantities of the ingredients are given for the anointing oil, as if there was only to be one anointing. There was only one calling by God and so a finite quantity of oil was required.

It is ironic that the laver of bronze (v.18) was made from women's mirrors (Exo 38:8). The laver was a vessel used in making priests ritually clean (spiritually acceptable to the LORD by symbolically washing away the flesh) (v.19). It was made from mirrors which are instruments that cater to vanity, a fleshly trait.

30:34 Notice the contrast with the anointing oil. Whilst a specific quantity of anointing oil was to be made there is no such instruction for the incense which represents prayer. There was no limit to how much prayer could be offered.

V.34 The ingredients for the perfume were largely made from botanicals. The exception was Onycha which is part of a shell-fish found in the Red Sea. Shell-fish were deemed unclean under the Law as a source of food. But, obviously they could be used for non-dietary purposes.

30:13 This ‘half shekel payment is the basis for – Matt 17:27 - where, in response to the question as to whether Jesus paid taxes Peter found a coin in the fish’s mouth. The coin was equivalent to one shekel – ‘for thee and me’ Jesus said.

Vs.23,24 500 shekels = 48lbs. 4oz (22kg.); a hin = approx. 5 quarts (5.7 litres).

30:15 Redemption is according to need not ability to pay. No man could give a ransom to God to redeem himself - Psa 49:7 - so this fixed amount marks the point that no matter how wealthy one was redemption was at God’s decree.

Why was money involved?

Why did they have to atone for themselves with money each time they were counted (v11-16)? Was it because God had promised to make them as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and therefore to count them would be to doubt the promise?

Whatever the answer, when it came to David numbering Israel it appears Joab didn't obtain all the ransom money, which is possibly why the plague warned about in v12 happened (see 1Chron 21:6-8).

30:19  Of course this is not simply so that they are physically clean. The washing in the laver of God’s provision served to show them that they were not ‘clean’ except it be by God’s provision.  Similarly we are ‘clean’ through the words Jesus and by implication other men of God spoke – John 15:3

THE SMELL OF GOD

It is interesting how particular smells will unlock certain memories almost instantaneously. The people advertising perfumes and perfumed deoderants work on this principle where the smell of a perfume causes an instant stirring of a man's romantic notions, or to produce random acts of kindness for people he has never even seen before.

Perhaps this is how God intended the special perfumes to be used the the service of the Tabernacle. One of the instructions given about its use was that these particular recipes should not be used by anyone else. "Do not make any oil with the same formula," and, "Do not make any insence with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD. Whoever makes anything like it to enjoy it's fragrance must be cut off from his people." (Exo 30:32,37-38)

What this meant was that God's special insence and the perfumed oil worn by the priests would only produce one sort of memory - of God and of his holiness. In turn this should have prompted those who smelt it do the right things and to live God's way.

As we live our Christian lives, we should aim to be like God's perfume to the people around us. Wherever we are, our presence should radiate the message that God is holy. Paul put it this way: "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life." (2Cor 2:15-16)

30:6 Incense represents prayer – Psa 141:2 the ‘vail’ separated the offerer from the presence of God. We, by contrast, can go ‘boldly unto the throne of grace’ – Heb 4:16 – through faith in Jesus. This separation by the vail is part of the structure of the tabernacle that teaches that under the law the way into the most holy place was barred to all but one man, and that annually.

Exo 30:1-3 - The incense offered on the altar of incense typifies the prayers of the saints. (Rev 8:3-4).  The alter from which the incense was to be offered is described (Exo 30:3) as having a “top” (Strong’s,<1406>. “Roof”) and “sides” (Strong’s, <7023> “walls”).  It was made of shittim wood (v.1) and overlaid with pure gold.  Wood covered with pure gold (v.3) symbolizes flesh covered with the righteousness which is by faith.  The altar had horns and a crown of gold around the top pointing forward to power and victory.  The altar was “foursquare” (v.2) like holy Jerusalem (Rev 21:16).  This detailed description of the altar suggests it typifies a building, the house of prayer for all nations.  Read, Isa 56:7; Mark 11:16.

30:1  A point made earlier this year, but worth repeating. Shittim wood is difficult to work with. Sacrifice to God requires effort on the part of the offerer. Israel – and we – are taught that sacrifice is hard work.

30:18  That the laver was to be placed between the alter and the tabernacle teaches the principle that animal sacrifices were not sufficient to allow access into the presence of God. It required the “death” of the offerer. 

30:3  The incense alter is described using words that one would associate with building an house “top” = roof, “sides” = walls. The whole of the tabernacle was to focus Israel’s minds on the fact that God wanted to dwell with them. This is woven into the details of the incense altar.

Exo 30:11-16 - Jesus paid the full price with his life offered as a sacrifice, and believers are bought with a price (1Cor 6:19-20), but believers are to be living sacrifices (Rom 12:1) if they want to be counted in the book of life.

30:4 We almost exclusively in scripture, see frankincense associated with worship. However there are three – Song 3:6, 4:6,14 – where frankincense and its smell is associated, in its first use,  with the bridegroom. It is the smell of a consecrated and dedicated man whose first thoughts are for his bride.

Exo 30:12-13  When Israel were to be counted, ransom money was to be given for every soul, from 20years old and upwards. A half a shekel (after the shekel of the sanctuary) was to be given to the Lord.  From Exo 38:25 we learn that the shekel was silver.  So silver was a symbol of redemption.  The penalty for failing to do this was that Israel would suffer a plague. 

David recognised his sin when he failed to do this when he numbered Israel, so a plague fell on Israel (2Sam 24:10,15).  The end did not justify the means. We also must do things decently and in order (1Cor 14:40), 

30:30  Whilst Moses was being given all these instruction about consecrating Aaron the golden calf was being planned and made by Aaron at the foot of the mountain!

30:34   The penalty for imitating the incense was severe. As incense represents prayer – Psa 141:2 – we are being taught the importance of having a correct way of approaching God.

30:6 The whole, elaborate, structure of the tabernacles was designed as the place where God would meet with His people. In a similar way the body of believers is the “place” where God should be seen in the earth. This will be achieved when the body of believers is correctly joined together and shows His glory to men and women. Jesus taught this – John 17:21

Exo 30:34-38  Constituents of equal weight (v.34) were to be used in the composition of the perfume. The “perfume” or “incense” same word, (H7004) was to be used in by Aaron when he entered within the vail on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:11-12). The sweet spices were stacte, onycha and galbanum They were to be “tempered” (<4414> salted) with this fifth ingredient. The preparation of the perfume required careful, diligent work, it was to be beaten very small” (Ex.30:36). This would ensure that it readily vapourised when sprinkled on the burning coals to produce a cloud of incense to cover the mercy seat (Lev 16:13). The offering of this carefully prepared perfume (incense) is symbolic of the prayers of the saints. Therefore our prayers must be offered in an acceptable way to our heavenly Father (Rev 8:3-4) upon the “golden altar” of the Lord Jesus Christ.

30:36-38 the beating of the incense “very small” indicates careful and time consuming preparation. The people might have thought that they could made similar perfume themselves. But they were barred from doing that. Worship to God had to be done exactly as He commands.

Exo 30:16- Money or rather silver is as its translated.

Silver can make our burden light. How?

Cp Deut 14:24-26 and Matt 11:28

30:9 Incense equates to prayer – Psalm 141:2 – the prohibition of offering “strange incense” teaches that prayer should be offered according to how our Father expects we will speak with Him.

30:8 During the hours of darkness inside the tabernacle there were seven lamps burning, even though no one was present or went into the tabernacle. They were a sing that God’s light lit the darkness of the night. In the dark no one case see our actions and certainly cannot read our thoughts. However showing forth His light – ye are the light of the world – Matt 5:14, must be our focus whether anyone can see the “light” we are showing or not.

30:20The washing required is not for physical cleanliness. It is to represent spiritual cleanness. The punishment for a casual approach to God was death.

Do we see our approach to God, though generously offered to us as a privilege, as something that requires a certain way of thinking and behaving?

We should not think that this is restricted to clothing – it speaks of our mind and thinking.

30:7-8 Here we get the clearest indication that the lamps were to burn through the night but be extinguished in the morning. The lamps then being prepared (dressed) in readiness for the evening lighting.

30:5 the altar(s) all had staves to carry them.

The tabernacle was designed to be transported. Just like the way we are on a journey – from Egypt to the land of promise.

Exo 30

THE DAILY INCENSE

“SO, with the incense, which is ‘the prayer of saints’ (Rev 5:8; 8:4). It is a daily obligation: a daily benefit—a pleasure of God and an advantage to His people. I have known men argue against its necessity. They say, ‘God knows, without being told.’ This is true but is not a good reason for the neglect of prayer, in view of the great help it is to us in gendering the habit of expansion of mind towards God, in view of the pleasure it affords to God, and in view of its inculcation by this Mosaic lesson.

‘The Lord taketh not pleasure in fools.’ He taketh pleasure in the righteous.’ ‘The prayer of the righteous is his delight.’ All these things are testified; and it was shown in unmistakable parable when the high priest every morning put sweet-smelling incense in his censer on the fire taken from the altar and waved his censer before the Lord in the holy place.”

Robert Roberts, The Law of Moses, p. 193

Psalm 87 - In this Psalm we have a fulcrum of our Zion studies that we have already undertaken. Here we have Jesus (v.2) portrayed as the gate by which we are able to enter the holy city (Rev.22:14). Our hymn that is based on v.3 of this Psalm also draws heavily on Revelation (eg. 2:17). Here is a Psalm of the time of the end. And what do we find then? v.5,6. May it be said of us that we were born there. May we be among those that are written in God's book of life. Luke 10:20, Phil.4:3, Rev.13:8, 20:15

Psalm 88 - It seems that we have the Psalmist here in a very depressed state. The man who we are constantly reminded is a man after God's own heart, is nevertheless suffering just as we do. Suffering is not a consequence of specific sin - it is an experience we all have and from which there is the potential to learn great things, as the Psalmist clearly did.

87:5 Being 'born' in Zion does not relate to physical birth. The place of our nativity is of little consequence. However how we view Zion really does matter. If we view it as our spiritual 'home' then we might say we were 'born' there. If we have this view then we will mourn for Zion [Isaiah 61:3] and will eventually be comforted.

88:10 Whilst we might use this verse to prove that death end consciousness this is not why the Psalmist says this. Rather he is telling God that if he dies then his ability to praise Him will end. He sees death as the destruction of the fellowship that he has with his God and the end, therefore, of his praise of Him. By contrast continuing to live will enable him to praise God. Is this how we view our lives? As an opportunity to praise Him - not just in hymns but in the way that we live.

87:2 It is clear that Zion is the 'place' of God's choosing. It was David's desire to bring the ark there (Psalm 132:4-5) Is the concept of God dwelling in Zion the driving force in our lives?

88:1, 9, 13 On three occasions the Psalmist says that he has called upon God - but this is not 'vain repetition. The Psalmist is desperate for God to work. Notice it is three times (2 Corinthians 12:8)

Psa 88 - THE THING TO DO IN TROUBLE
There is only one thing to do and one place to turn when trouble comes in our lives. We must follow the example of the psalmist by turning to God and pouring our heart out to Him in prayer.
We need to begin by trusting that God can and will save us. The Psalmist had complete confidence that God would save him even right at the beginning of this prayer. He addressed the Psalm to the "LORD the God who saves me."
Then we must tell our burdens to God. I once learnt Philippians 4 v 6 - 7 off by heart (thanks to Bob Lloyd) from another translation. It goes like this, "Don't worry over anything whatever. Tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends all human understanding will keep constant guard over your minds and hearts as the rest in Christ Jesus." When we pray let us tell God all the details of our feelings, needs and burdens. This is what the Psalmist did.
And lastly, keep praying. The Psalmist prayed every day and every morning. Do these things and they will be the best things you can ever do in trouble

Psa 87 - Those who are ;in Christ’ are the children of Zion for ‘ Jerusalem … is the mother of us all.’ (Gal 4:26) so we are amongst those who are ‘born there’ (Psa 87:4-5)

88:8 There were times when David’s friends forsook him. When Saul sought to kill him and the time he was fleeing from Absalom are two. Notice David sees these times as being when God turned his acquaintances from him.

Psalm 87  This Psalm extols Jerusalem and her spiritual citizens.

Psalm 88  This Psalm is a prayer depicting great personal affliction. (V.15)  and pleading for an answer from God. (V.1;9;13.)

87:4 Rahab is descriptive of Egypt in the same way as Ephraim is descriptive of Israel.
 
In the spiritual sense Jerusalem is the city of our birth.
We are sojourners here and look forward to our permanent home which is the New Jerusalem (Heb 13:14, Rev 3:12).
 
88:2 continues yesterday's observation of the merciful ear of Yahweh.

88:1 In this Psalm there is exhortation for believers of all ages. We must take our burdens unto the Lord through prayer. What a blessing we have been provided with in being able to come to our Heavenly Father in prayer, What a comfort to each one of us to know that they are heard.

If this Psa 88is speaking of Christ, it gives a wonderful insight into His troubles.  Psa 88:15 says that He was surrounded with troubles from His youth up.  The Lord knew he had to die, but how hard it must have been for Him to come to terms with it. "Remove this cup from me," He prayed, "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." (Luke 22:42)

Psa 88:13- The word here for 'prevent' is <06923> which is also translated before, met, come and disappoint.  This last gives us a clue to the way the Psalmist is thinking.  He has concluded that he is himself standing personally in the way of his own prayers.  He is convinced he is cast off.  Let us try to learn not to get to this point without doing as Ethan the Ezrahite does (as the title of this and the next Psalm tell us wrote them) and bring the thinking round full circle to the praise of God (89:1)

87:3    ‘Glorious things are spoken’ of the city of God.  Isa 60 – the whole of the chapter – speaks of glorious things that will be done in Jerusalem which is the ‘city of God’ Isaiah Isa 60:14.

88         The word ‘Maschil’ in the title means instruction. So this is a Psalm specifically to instruct people. Maybe it was used as a specific teaching document.

87:4-5 The idea of being born in Zion is developed in  where Jerusalem which is ‘above’ is contrasted with the bondage of the law of Moses Gal 4:26

88:5‘Free among the dead’ is hardly a state to be in. Many may feel that death frees them from the travails of this life, especially the old and frail. However without hope the freedom is an illusion. Rather it is oblivion. Thanks be to God that death is but a sleep for those who have put on Christ.

In Ps. 88, the psalmist expresses anguish at his troubled state.  The heading gives the understanding of the nature of this psalm.  Mahalath Leannoth means concerning sickness.  Perhaps the psalmist is speaking of a person shut away because of leprosy (v.18). However, the psalm is not just intended as a complaining tale of woe.  Maschil signifies that the psalm is intended as a lesson to its readers or hearers.  Usually that lesson is one of wisdom or piety.

ECHOES OF DISPAIR

Psa 88: Not every prayer has a happy ending. We tend to think that if we have a problem and we pray about it, everything will turn out alright. But God did not promise that everything we pray for will turn out the way we want it, instead he has said that he will do what is best for us.

I have known people, and have been in the same situation myself, where trials seem to go on for years. During that time prayer is offered up like never before, pleading to God to take away the pain or take away the trial, but it doesn't happen. God knows best. During my time of testing I remember telling God that I was sure I had learned my lesson, but unknown to me, there was still more to be learnt.

It is not that our prayers are offered up with a lack of faith, it's that God has different plans to the ones we have. The prayer of Heman the Ezrahite confirms this. The fact that his prayer was recorded for our example, and the trust and faithfulness he shows toward God, tell me that he was one of God's faithful men. Yet the end of his prayer echoes with the same despair with which it began.

God is not interested in today's comfort. He is interested in our eternal future. So let's never give up or think that we don't have the faith to pray, but like Heman, show your faith and trust in God and pray anyway.

88:2,3,11,12,13,14 - V2 Here we have a man asking God to hear his prayerful cry. V3 his "soul" (Hebrew word "nephesh" (5315) which in its primary meaning stands for creature, a breathing creature man or animal. It is rendered variously: life, person, self, creature, soul, etc.) is full of trouble and his life draws near the "grave" (Hebrew word "sheol" is rendered variously: grave, pit, hell) demonstrating that "hell" is where prayerful people go when they die - as it is one with the grave; v11 can one praise God in the grave (Hebrew word "keber" (6913) is used which means sepulchre) which is a place of destruction? V12 death is described as a place of darkness and forgetfulness - Psa 6:5; Psa 115:17; Psa 146:4; Isa 38:18; Ecc 9:5,6,10. V13 references to crying out for God's help and morning prayers which leads us to v14 where it is asked why ["castest" KJV or "reject" NIV from Hebrew word "zanach" (2186) which means reject, forsake, fail, cast away] thou off my "soul" (5315)? - all souls of the righteous and unrighteous are mortal and thus will ultimately get cast away - this person would appear desiring more time to be alive so he might give more to God.

88 The tenor of the Psalm where David’s friends avoid him and he is alienated from his god is similar to the time of his committing adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent problems with the uprising of Absalom.

88:14-16 The early part of the Psalm showd David lamenting the loss of his friends but notice his bigger concern is that his God is afflicting him.

88:4-6 The Psalmist’s concern is that he may be like the dead who are not remembered. Being dead is not a problem if God remembers the dead person.

Jonah's Psalm

Have you noticed how similar Psalm 88 is to Jonah's prayer? (Jon 2). How many links can you find? Do you think the Psalm was written with Jonah in mind?

Like Jonah, the Psalmist knew God would hear his prayer even from the lowest pit of the earth (Psa 88:6,9,12). That applies to us too. No matter how low we get (in any way you wish to interpret "Low") God will still hear, and answer, if we pray honestly and contritely. Is Psa 89:1,9 this Psalmist's answer?

88:11    The ‘lovingkindness’ <2617> is the same word found in 2Sam 7:15 where it is translated as ‘mercy’. The Psalmist reflects that the promises to David of a seed to reign on the throne of David forever cannot be fulfilled whilst the Messiah is dead.

Psa 87:1 - "His foundation" - could this have application to Jesus? (Matt 21:42;Acts 4:10-11;Eph 2:19-22).

Psa 87:2-3 - Zion is the city of God (Christ will return to rule Zion/Jerusalem - Acts 1:9-11;Rev 21:10-14,21-24).

Psa 87:4 - Rahab (Rahab refers to Egypt - Isa 51:9;Psa 89:10) and other Gentile nations will attain an understanding of God's plan and purpose (Isa 2:1-4).

Psa 87:6 - "when he writeth up the people" (perhaps this has application to those in the book of life - Rev 20:12;3:5).

Psa 87:7 - "all my springs are in thee" - living waters symbolize the Word of Life (Isa 12:3;John 4:14;7:37-38) and out of Christ, the smitten rock, flowed water (Exo 17:6-7;Isa 53:5;John 19:34;1Cor 10:4).

Psa 88:1 - "O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee" (Psa 22:1-2;69:3) - perhaps this has an application to Jesus needing God to save him.

Psa 88:3-6 - perhaps this has a messianic application - V4 "man" <1397>.

Psa 88:8,18 - "Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me" (John 6:60,66).

Psa 88:9 - "Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee. I have stretched out my hands unto thee" (perhaps this has application to Jesus praying daily despite his suffering).

Psa 88:13 - "in the morning shall my prayer prevent (<6923> "prevent" is not the only definition which could entail "anticipate, come to meet") thee" - perhaps an awakening to praise and petition.

88:2-3  David saw that the only solution to his problems was to cast himself, in prayer, upon the mercy of God. Is prayer to God our first line of defence against trouble or is it a last resort?

A COMMON INTEREST

"The LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."(Psa 87:2)

One of the things that helps us build a relationship with other people is having common interests and experiences. Sharon and I enjoy walking and talking about the Bible and how to apply it. With my children I enjoy kayaking, bike riding, building projects, gardening, music and family activities. We have common interests and experiences that grow our bond as a family.

We might think it strange, but the same needs apply to our relationship with God. We need common interests if we want to have a close relationship. There are many things we could choose from, but the fact that the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, is a good place to start. God has Israel, both the people and the land in his heart. We should too if we want to develop a relationship with God. In another place we are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that those who bless Jerusalem will prosper.

So let's grow our love for God by growing our love for his people and his land.

88:18    Certainly David’s friends and supporters forsook him when Absalom sought to take the throne. So maybe this is the historical basis for this Psalm . 

87:6  Notice that this verse ends with the word Selah – that means weigh, value. Do we weigh and value the assurance that we who are amongst those who God will count when He establishes His kingdom on earth?

Psalm 87

This Psalm is about being born in Zion. It tells us that God prefers Zion above every other place (v2). It is even called the city of God (v3). While Zion sometimes appears to be used interchangeably with Jerusalem, it is important to understand that they are not one and the same. In 2Sam 5:7 we see that Zion is the City of David, the stronghold where he lived, and in 2Chron 5:2 we see that Solomon actually brought the Ark away from that place to situate it in the Temple. So, incredibly, the point is being made that God does not ultimately desire to dwell in the Jewish temple that Solomon built. God desires to dwell in a place called Zion, the city of David -- among those who have responded to Jesus Christ in answer to the promises given to David in that place.

In the promises to David in 2Sam 7 God gently rebukes David for wanting to build Him a house. If you read through it with this Psalm in mind, you will notice that God implies he is already satisfied with where He is, living with David. The Ark was in the house of David, in Zion. God wants to dwell with men and women of faith, like David, and like Jesus, and in this respect Zion has come to mean dwelling within the lineage and family of Jesus the son of David.

87:5   When the Psalmist speaks of Jerusalem being established he is using a word associated with the promises to David. 2Sam 7:12,16 and David’s response 2Sam 7:25,26.

87:4      Rahab is, in fact, Egypt as can be seen from Isa 30:7 where “strength” is the same word and the verse  is talking about Egypt.

88       Reading the Psalm reminds us of Jesus’ experience, especially at the end of his mortal life at the time of his trial and crucifixion.

88:6   A Psalm of the sons of Korah draws on the events of Korah’s rebellion.  Korah was swallowed up when the earth opened and swallowed him up. What happened to him is used as a lesson in the New Testament a number of times. Jude 1:6 seems to draw on the darkness in the deep when he speaks of Korah’s rebellion.

88:1,9,13             the repeated crying to God of the Psalmist seems to be because he feels that God is not responding to his prayer. How often do we feel God is not listening and so give up praying to Him? Such a response to seemingly unanswered prayers is actually pointless. If we feel our prayers are not being answered maybe we should reflect on what we are asking for and possibly modify our requests.

88:10 We noted in a previous post that the Psalmist saw death as a constraint on his ability to praise God. We should notice also that he sees death as preventing him seeing God’s majestic acts. Is this how we see death? An end to both praising Him and seeing His majesty?

88:6,7,8 David recognised that the troubles he had in life were not chance events. Three times he recognises that they were “of God”. Rather than complaining when our lives are difficult maybe we should appreciate that God is in control and we should acknowledge that.

88:10     Whilst we might use this verse to prove that death ends consciousness this is not why the Psalmist says this. Rather he is telling God that if he dies then his ability to praise Him will end. He sees death as the destruction of the fellowship that he has with his God and the end, therefore, of his praise of Him. By contrast continuing to live will enable him to praise God. Is this how we view our lives? As an opportunity to praise Him – not just in hymns but in the way that we live.

87:6 The Psalmist is not speaking of physical birth as if only those born in Zion will be counted by God. It is all about focus. Where is our heart. The Apostle Paul was inspired to speak of Jerusalem as our “mother” – Gal 4:26 – which is the principle developed in the Psalm.

Mark 15:32 - The reviling that occurred here is taken from the few words that Jesus did say during the time of his trial period - Mark 14:61,62- while talking with the high priest. Maybe it helps us to see why he said nothing - knowing that what he said would be thrown back in is face in this way. And yet we know that he withstood these insults for us, and let us rejoice in that. Zech 9:9

15:21 Alexander and Rufus are names which are found in the rest of the New Testament. Romans 16:13 Rufus, Alexander Acts 19:33 1 Timothy 1:20 2 Timothy 4:14 If this Alexander is the one mentioned in the Gospel then we see two sons going in opposite directions. One followed in the steps of his father 'carrying his cross' the other opposed the cross of Christ.
15:33 The darkness from the sixth hour was the fulfilment of Amos 8:9 Amos is a powerful prophecy of the death of God's only son. The mourning for an 'only son' Amos 8:10 uses a rather unusual word to speak of the 'only son'. It is the word used of Isaac Genesis 22:2 and is the basis for the mourning Zechariah 12:10 and is the 'darling' of Psalm 22:20 35:17
16:7 he goeth before you to Galilee This is why the disciples went to Galilee Matthew 28:7 Though they did not go to Galilee until after the appearances in Jerusalem and so were in Jerusalem for at least another eight days. John 20:26
16:19 In common with Luke Mark seems to collapse the events of the remaining forty days together. If all we had was Mark and Luke we would know nothing of the appearances of Jesus in Galilee. The occasion mentioned here must be the time after the Galilee appearances when Jesus met them in the city and took them as far as Bethany, as Luke describes it. Luke 24:50 From where he was [near to] when he ascended to heaven, on the mount of Olives.

14:61 15:2, 5 'answered nothing' should remind us of the prophecy of Isaiah - 'as a sheep … so he opened not his mouth' [Isa 53:7]
:16 'led' continues to echo the sacrifice language.
:39 Consider how often in the New Testament centurions are cast in a good light. How many centurions were impressed by the gospel? How many responded to the gospel? May it be that we are being introduced to one centurion in different locations who eventually accepted the gospel?

16:9, 12, 14 present a threefold 'appeared' 'that in the mouth of two or three witnesses …' [Deuteronomy 19:15]. This powerful testimony to the resurrection of Jesus is developed [1 Corinthians 15:3-8]. We should not underestimate the power of these eye witness accounts. The fact that we are now 2,000 years on from the event does not make the testimony of eyewitnesses any less credible.

16:15 In commanding the disciples to preach to 'every creature' we have the origins of the language [Colossians 1:23] where Paul informs us that the words of Jesus actually have been fulfilled. So, without wishing to say that we no longer need to preach, the work has been done. It is not as if our preaching is doing a work that the apostles did not do. They completed the job in their day and we are repeating the work, as far as we are able without the Spirit gifts. Therefore we cannot reason that Christ will not come until Christadelphians have preached in all the world'.

15:36 The way in which 'one ran …' is quite different from the mocking which had occurred earlier in the crucifixion. Maybe the fact that it was now dark - a most unexpected event at mid day - caused the change in attitudes and response to Jesus' situation.

15:34 - Modern day Hebrew: "Eli, Eli lamah Sabachthani" (some of the watchers at the scene said he calls for Elijah etc.) One wonders why a person had that thought.

It is helpful to know the Hebrew grammar rule: personal pronouns like me/my, your/yours, his/hers etc. have the last letter of each pronoun tacked onto the end of nouns. In this case, 'Eli' equals 'El' =God and 'i' =my, because the personal pronoun for my ='li' therefore cross off the letter 'L' and put the last letter i on to the noun God, it then translates into Eli.

Lamah =why, and Sabachthani =abandon, use the same grammar rule as above, which means Sabachthani translates as 'abandon me'

Note also: in the AV of the Bible, 'why' is spelt 'lama', but because very very few Hebrew words end with a vowel, many many times the letter 'h' is tacked onto the end of a word, so-in-this-case it is correct to spell 'why' as 'lamah'

15:15 There is so much in 'Pilate willing to content the people'. A man's life hung in the balance and the Roman ruler in the land was more concerned with his own status in the eyes of the people than in ensuring that Roman justice was done. He might well have asked 'what is truth?' John 18:38

Mark 15:4-5  "Yet answered nothing" On four separate occasions during the last several hours of His life Jesus " opened not His mouth." Before Caiaphas, (Mark 14:60-61) before Pilate, (Mark 15:4-5) before Herod, (Luke 23:9) and again before Pilate. (John 19:9) These silences spoke louder than words. They were in reality condemnations of His tormentors. They were also proofs of His identity as the Messiah, fulfilling the words recorded by Isaiah.Isa 53:7

15:15 Pilate had Jesus scourged. Scourging was a procedure whereby a prisoner was lashed with a whip containing several long tails.  These tails were embedded with jagged pieces of metal or bone.  The whipped tails would strike, wrapping themselves around the body while they ripped the flesh. 

The purpose of scourging was to elicit a confession of guilt from the prisoner.  A Roman official would be close to the prisoner being scourged ready to record the confession when it came.
 
15:39 I wonder if the centurion who confessed Christ was Cornelius.
 
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. Members of the Sanhedrin comprised a very rich and powerful club.  Joseph's taking of Christ's body publicly proclaimed him as his follower (15:44,45).  As such, he would be alleviated of his position in the Sanhedrin together with the wealth and connections which accompanied it. Joseph was willing to forfeit his worldly status for something greater (Mark 10:29,30).

16:14-16  - Let us bear in mind that these words are spoken (as we see from v.14) by Jesus after his resurrection and after reprimanding the disciples.  This was a very special occasion that they would not easily forget, ever.

Pilate was not convinced that Jesus was a threat to either the Jewish or Roman powers.  But, as a Roman administrator, he had to be politically expedient.  Thus, he acceded to the wishes of his Jewish subjects for the sake of political peace.  And if that meant sending an innocent man to be crucified, so be it.  To absolve himself of the obvious injustice of this act, he publicly proclaimed his virtue over the matter (Matt 27:24).  Is it not ironic that Pilate means firm in Latin.  By his actions, he showed anything but firmness in moral conviction.  

15:38    The rending of the veil of the temple would mean that when the  priest went into the temple to trim the lampstand he would have been able to see into the most holy place.

15:47 The two Marys took note of exactly where their master was laid, but, we note earlier (V.40) that they were afar off. They were watching, were observing, carefully, intently. Their focus on what was happening, was an example of their concern for Jesus' body, that it be properly prepared for burial. Truly an example for us, as we watch for the return of him who will reign from Jerusalem in righteousness. We see from John's account that they were first to find the empty tomb. Mark tells us that it was very early in the morning, (16:2)

While the Firstfruits were being cut from the field and brought to the temple (see my comment on yesterday’s readings), Jesus rose, and became the firstfruits of them that slept. Later that morning Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). We are not told about the Lord casting out 7 devils, but we can assume that she had either been very ill, or something else bad. But she was healed and restored to normal life, and now she was so privileged to be the first person to whom the immortal Christ appeared. God obviously made a special choice in allowing this to be Mary Magdalene.

15:7 It is ironic that Jesus was charged with insurrections - it was said that Jesus opposed the Roman control of Israel. But the person released unto them was charged with the same crime - ‘insurrection’.

15:28 is a quote from Isa 53:12 and is included in the KJV. Modern versions either do not include v.28 or include it with a qualification that the verse is not found in many manuscripts.

15:21 The service which Simon of Cyrene rendered, though initially ordered, or forced, turned out to be a genuine blessing for himself and his family. It appears that Simon, born in Cyrene, was at Jerusalem to keep the feast, as commanded in the Law, latter lived in Rome. He became a follower of Jesus. It appears that Mark, as he wrote this record is saying to the Romans that they would have known Simon and his sons Rufus and Alexander. Paul in his letter to the believers to the Romans wrote "Greet Rufus:" (Rom 16:13), Paul also specifically asks the believers to greet Simon's wife (Rufus's mother). This indicates that she at one time must have been of great service to Paul. Not only Simon became a follower of Jesus, but also a part of his family. 

15:39  In saying ‘truly this man was the Son of God’ the centurion is demonstrating that the words that were spoken at Jesus baptism – Mark 1:11 – were in fact true. Jesus’ mission to declare God to the people had been successful, despite the fact that he was dead.

V.17 In the Diaglot, the crown of thorns is described as an acanthine wreath.  The acanthus is a plant with large thistle-like leaves.

15:2-5 That Jesus answered Pilate ‘nothing’ is significant. Charges had been laid at Jesus feet by the religious leaders. Pilate was trying to establish the veracity of those charges in order to decide whether the trial should proceed. If Jesus had said anything he would have had to highlight the falsity of the charges and so the trial would not have progressed and Jesus would not have been found guiltless by Pilate on the basis of his own understanding of the matter.

Baptism

I. belief, baptism and obedience are necessary steps toward eternal life.

II. the prerequisite for baptism is belief (Mark 16:16) which in the Grk denoted understanding.

     A. "baptise(d)", Grk "baptizo" (907) or immersion (burial with Christ) for the remission of sins - Acts 2:37-38,41; Col 2:12;Acts 16:30,31,33.

     B. we are to worship the Lord in the proper spirit and in truth - John 4:24;John 17:17;1Thess 5:21;2Tim 2:15;Acts 8:12.

     C. dangers of lack of knowledge and distortion of truth - Hos 4:6;Gal 1:6-9;Rom 10:2.

III. Baptised into a union with Christ, his death and his resurrection - Gal 3:27,29;Rom 6:3-6;Col 2:10-13.

IV. only one type of baptism is valid - Eph 4:5-6;Acts 19:1-5;Acts 8:26-39 (came out of the water implies complete immersion).

V. baptism is essential - John 3:3-5;1Pet 3:20-21 (baptism is a symbolic but necessary step like marriage vs unmarried relationships and remembering Christ and his sacrifice in the appointed manner by taking the bread with wine); Eph 2:12-13;Acts 9:17-19.

VI. baptism washes away sins - Acts 22:12-16.

VII. Jesus was baptised, shouldn't we be? - Mark 1:9.

VIII. can't wilfully sin without restraint - Heb 3:12-14;Heb 6:4-8;Heb 10:26-29.

     A. importance of obedience: 1.) faith w/o works is dead James 2:17.  2.) many are called but few are chosen Matt 22:14.  3.) truth will set you free John 8:32.  4.) obedience 2Pet 2:20-21;James 4:17.  5.) endure till the end Matt 10:22;Gal 6:7-9.

IX. in the first century even if they received the Holy Spirit they still had a water baptism - Acts 10:44-48; Acts 9:17-19.

15:15  It is ironic that it was Barabbas who was released in exchange for Jesus, the Son of God.  Barabbas means son of the father. 

15:21 Was Simon known to the apostles, and did he later preach to the Greeks (Acts 11:20)?  Were Simon's sons also mentioned in later writings (Acts 19:33; Rom 16:13)? 

In Amos 8 we have a prophecy fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st century. There was a dreadful loss of life, and thereafter there was not again a nation of Israel until its miraculous appearance last century. When we personally struggle with the magnitude of God's punishment on the Jews, it is worth looking at the Biblical context of Jesus' death. Reading 15:29-32 gives us an idea of the evil minds behind Jesus' death, borne of envy. Who would mock and scorn an innocent man in his death throes while his loved ones looked on? Had they no pity?

Verse 29 is phrased "those who passed by blasphemed him" and in Amos 8:2 God says "The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more". In other words, this was the last provocation God was willing to endure. God would not forget what these did to his son (Amos 8:7) and the darkness over the land signalled the start of His time of mourning (2Sam 19:4, Amos 8:10, Mark 15:33)

JUST PREACH

Jesus told his disciples, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16) A little later we read that the disciples did just as they were told. "Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." (v.20)

Note that all Jesus asked his disciples to do was to preach the good news. They just had to tell people about the saving work of Jesus and the coming kingdom of God. There was no need for them to prove anything, argue it out in a court of law or even to do special things to show that what they said was right. Jesus was going to do the proving and confirming.

It is just the same for us. We, like the disciples have been told to go and preach the good news. Paul described it as sowing the seed. We are not expected to make it grow. If we are preaching the good news as Jesus has asked us to, he will confirm his word in whatever way he chooses to the people that hear the message. So let's not worry about arguing or convincing, instead let's just do as he says and preach the good news, letting Jesus take care of the rest.

THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD
We have a wonderful faith expressed in the women who followed Jesus. Mark 16:1
* They couldn't speak before the Sanhedrin in Jesus' defence
* They couldn't appeal to Pilot
* They couldn't stand against the crowds
* They couldn't overpower the Roman guards
BUT THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD
* They stayed at the cross when the disciples had all fled
* They followed Jesus' body to the tomb
* They prepared spices for his body
* They took advantage of what they could do for Christ
INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD NOT DO ... THEY DID WHAT THEY COULD
Therefore, they were the 1st witnesses to the resurrection

Summary of Chapter 15

15:1-15    Jesus sent to Pilate and Pilate spoke with Jesus, trying to release him

15:16-20  Jesus taken by the soldiers to Praetorian

15:21-22  Jesus taken to be crucified – Simon carried the cross

15:23-41  Jesus is crucified

15:42-47  In the evening Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body and buried it

Summary of Chapter 16

16:1-8      Mary, Mary and Salome arrive at the tomb early in the morning after the Sabbath to anoint Jesus body – they see an angel

16:9-18    Summary of the appearances of Jesus and his instructions to the disciples

16:19       Jesus ascends to heaven

16:20       Disciples go into all the world preaching

Mark 15:34 - Jesus on the cross quotes the words of Psalm 22:1.  The heading for this Messianic, Psalm is also included in the inspired text.  The full text of Psalm 22:1 
“To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” 

The “…Aijeleth Shahar”” or, see the margin of the King James Bible, “hind of the morning” was prophetic of Jesus who was to suffer as a sacrifice for sin.  See Mark 15:1, Jesus was handed over in the morning to Pilate.

Jesus was not actually forsaken by God.  Jesus said he was not alone because he always did the things that pleased his Father (John 8:29) and that his Father would be with him even when he was deserted by the disciples (John 16:32).  When Jesus prayed to his Father who could deliver him from death, we are told that he was heard in that he feared, yet he learned obedience through his suffering (Heb 5:7-8).

Mark 15:39

“And when the centurion, which stood over against him (Jesus), saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost (fell asleep in death), he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.”

A centurion was a career soldier. He was the highest officer within reach of an ordinary soldier, and the backbone of the Roman military. A centurion commanded 100 men.

This centurion, whether active or passive, was compliant and cooperative with Pilate and, therefore, just as responsible for Jesus’ death by crucifixion as was Pilate, the Jews, and the Roman soldiers.

This centurion was in charge of the soldiers that scourged Jesus, that clothed him in purple, put a crown of thorns on his head, and mocked him, smote him with a reed, spat on him and bowed in mock worship, took off his purple robe and led him to be crucified (Mark 15:15-21) after which they parted his garments casting lots (Matt 27:27-35). It is the centurion who orders the legs broken to expedite death, and in the case of Jesus, the lance to spear his side. These things were all done under the authority of the centurion!

It was only after Jesus’ death when the sky was darkened and there was a great earthquake that the centurion and they that were with him – the soldiers (Matt 27:54), feared and acknowledged Jesus’ innocence in identifying him as being, “righteous” (Luke 23:47) and the “Son of God” – a barren confession, at best, on their part.

With this in mind, I find it hard to connect this centurion with Cornelius who was a Gentile proselyte stationed in Caesarea, a righteous man (verse 22), to whom Peter was sent to baptize him (Acts 10). Without doubt, he had to have heard of the mighty deeds Jesus did in Judea, and of his disciples. Here was a centurion who proved his devotion to God in his compassionate and benevolent love for God and for his neighbours, and received good accounts among all the nation of the Jews (Acts 10:22). It is recorded in Acts 10:1-5, that he “feared God with all his house,” that he, “gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always,” and that his prayers and alms came, "up for a memorial before God." It is highly unlikely such a man would have banded up with a group of rebellious Jews against the Messiah and crucify God's Son in such a cruel manner. His character, as recorded in Scripture, is totally incongruous with the centurion's at the cross.

15:6   Pilate’s releasing of a prisoner at Passover seems, in some sort of perverse way, to reflect the significance of the Passover. The Passover marked the deliverance from death of the Jewish nation – the firstborn of Egypt being slain. But Pilate’s actions was to release a wicked person – not a righteous person.

Mark 16:9.

Matt 16:6,12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1

In these passages, Jesus warned us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and of Herod. The Parable of the Leaven teaches that the mixing of false doctrine with the doctrine of Christ will eventually lead to total apostasy and corruption because leaven penetrates and is diffusive. Christ warned, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees...”  “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”  Leaven is a symbol of sin and speaks of that which puffs up and of corruption. Leaven works stealthily, completely undetected at first, and works best in lukewarm conditions.

The Pharisees believed the Scriptures, but did not obey it, they had religion, they had laws, they crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s, outwardly they appeared very righteous, they had a good head knowledge, but their hearts were full of sin. They put on a façade of holiness so the people would look up to them and be impressed. They were hypocrites. They split hairs and argued over minor doctrinal issues. The leaven of the Pharisees was the loveless leaven of Legalism (cf. Matt 23:29-33).

The Sadducees did not know the Scriptures or the power of God, and greatly erred in their teachings (Matt 22:29). They may be equated with the Theologians. The word theology comes from two Greek words, Theos, God, and logos, words. It literally translates God words. The Sadducees knew neither the word nor the power or character of God. They were like the cereal, Grape Nuts – neither grapes nor nuts! Their faith in science was placed above God. They were a group of intellectuals who discounted the supernatural aspects of the things taught in the Bible, and developed an entire doctrinal system to explain them away! The leaven of the Sadducees was Liberalism, and the liberal ‘Christianity’ we see today has been aided by Biblical criticism robbing the text of its authority and power.

Christ said that we are to have “salt” in ourselves. Salt prevents corruption and decay and is the antithesis of fermentation and putrefaction of leaven. But, if the salt lost its savour, it was good for nothing (Mark 9:50).

Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee. His character was fermentative and destructive in nature. Herod broke marriages, was covetous, deceitful, dishonest, hateful, lacked morals, malicious, murderously cruel, politically crafty, sly, vain and vengeful. Herod loved popularity along both political and social lines. He championed licentiousness and worldliness. The leaven of Herod was Secularism.  Secularism champions human rights above religious demands. It does not seek to challenge the tenets of any particular religion or belief, and does not seek to impose it on anyone. It is politically correct. Public opinion is placed on a higher plane than the will of God. It is interesting to note that the verses recording the death of Herod is immediately followed by “... the word of God grew and multiplied” (Acts 12:18-24).

In view of the warnings of the three types of leaven: Legalism, Liberalism, and Secularism, let us be vigilant and alert. Let us prayerfully examine ourselves that we may ever live to please God first. Our lives will be a lot better by having a clear conscience, by having a strong faith, by seizing every opportunity to correct sin through a clear understanding of Truth, to have the moral courage to do what is right, and to face all the problems of human experience with love for God and fellow man.

16    With respect to the resurrection of Jesus the emphasis is on 'very early in the morning on the first day of the week' (:2,9). Jesus is the second Adam - so does this give some indication as to the time of day that Adam was made from the dust of the ground?

15:5  In answering nothing Jesus leaves us an example that, at times, it is wise to follow. It is all too easy to try and defend ourselves when there is little point. Silence can be the most effective response to accusations.

YOU'VE GOT YOUR LABEL

Jesus didn't even have the dignity of being crucified by himself on his own merits as'The King Of The Jews'. He was surrounded by thieves. One on his left hand and one on his right hand. Anyone looking could have thought that because the two on either side were thieves, the one in the middle must be a thief also. They would have bunched him in with the same sort of criminals and formed the same opinion of Jesus as they did of the low-down thieves.

But if you looked closely, like the centurion did, to see, not just another man on a cross, but to see Jesus for who he really was, you would say, like he did, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" (Mark 15:39).

Just as we look at certain people and put them into mental boxes depending on the circumstances in which we see them, so we get put into similar boxes by other people. They will judge us for what they think we are. But like Jesus, no matter where we are, no matter who we are with, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, let's never let down our guard. Even though others may misjudge us, let's make sure that if they watch closely they will know that we are a son or daughter of the Living God.

15:14 How easy it is to be carried along by a crowd. We see it all the time. Individuals who would not even be noticed if on their own will cry out and shout in a crowd at a demonstration of football match. Emotion takes control over reason. We might think we are not like this. However reflect. How often have you done something or agreed to something because those around you do?

15:37-39  A Disjointed Narrative?

Mark’s record of the final moments of the crucifixion of Jesus raise an interesting point. Mark 15:37 records Jesus final action. He “cried with a loud voice” (Mark 15:39) records the reaction of a centurion to  Jesus’ cry. He said “truly this man was the son of God”. Mark 15:38 adds what may appear to be an interjection when he writes about the rending of the veil of the temple. In fact omitting verse38 does not appear to alter the sense of the record. Indeed it might be thought that the text would flow more easily without the comment about the veil of the temple.  The cry of Jesus in verse 37 prompts the response of the centurion to the cry of Jesus.

However Mark’s gospel record is an inspired account. The words used were given by God. They all form part of the inspired record. There must, therefore, be a reason why our Father has recorded the comment about the rending of the veil of the temple. There must be a reason why it is where it is in the record.

In fact the way in which the three verses flow highlight two connections with the baptism of Jesus and mark the effectiveness of the life and death of Jesus in proving his Messiaship.

In Mark 1:10, at the baptism of Jesus the heavens were “opened” RV rent asunder. At the time of Jesus’ death the “veil of the temple was rent in twain” The Greek word used is the same on both occasions. As the Greek word is only used in Mark on these two occasions the connection between the two events is highlighted.

When the centurion (Mark 15:39) says “truly this man was the son of God” he is repeating the import of what God said at Jesus’ baptism “Thou art my beloved son” (Mark 1:11)

Therefore we see that the way in which he Holy Spirit has constructed Mark 15:37-39 purposefully demonstrated the effectiveness of Jesus’ life and sacrifice. The apparently disjointed narrative is actually purposefully constructed to highlight the connection between God’s words at Jesus’ baptism and the centurion’s recognition of that truth.

15:12  Notice Pilate speaks of Jesus as the ne that the leaders called king of the Jews.  Clearly making the point that there was no evidence that Jesus made the claim. So Pilate is putting the responsibility back onto Jesus’ enemies.

Mark 16:16

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…”

This is such a straightforward and simple command, that it is very difficult to comprehend why it would cause so much controversy. We have the Universalists who don’t know what it is they have to believe, yet claim everyone will be saved regard of whether they are baptized or not. Atheists claim nobody is going to be saved; death is for eternity for all, which contradicts Matt 7:13,14. Various other names and denominations practice infant baptism, which does not meet the criteria of needing to believe. Still others claim faith only saves, it doesn’t matter what we believe, and baptism is not necessary for salvation! They use Eph 2:8,9 as proof and claim those who believe baptism is essential for salvation are mistaken and guilty of Negative Inference Fallacy! The words of Christ are what we are to believe because it is by his words we will be judged (John 12:48). These all ignore the second half of this verse, which says, “but he that believeth not shall be damned”!

Our Saviour is the author of our salvation to all them that obey him (Heb 5:9). Obedience begins with baptism, but it does not end there. Our obedience requires not only a theoretical assent, but a practical recognition of it. Our cross has to be taken up daily and the commandments of Christ obeyed. To know what we are to believe, we need to study, study, study the Bible. Just doing our daily readings is not enough, especially if done superfluously in that by the time we get to the last sentence of the last reading, we don’t even remember what we read, but we did our daily readings  (cf. James 1:22-25)!

We have the injunction, “Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb 6:1,2), which carries the idea that spiritual growth is necessary (Matt 5:6; Eph 4:19,20; Col 1:9,10; 2Tim 2:15; 2Pet 3:18). To grow spiritually requires a lot of discipline. We need our daily manna, bible study and prayer, in order to be able to bear lasting spiritual fruit (John 15:16). It requires work, time, patience and perseverance (cf. James 5:7-11). After baptism, the emphasis in the Bible is on spiritual growth and accomplishments. We are to abide in Christ by learning and applying what we have learned, and praying for help (John 15:6-10). This qualifies us as Christ’s disciples and to be saved (John 15:1-8; cf. Matt 7:19-21; Luke 13:6-9).

Often overlooked while teaching the First Principals is how essential it is they be taught about the journey they may wish to embark on. So many do not realize it and are ignorant of bearing fruit, or have fostered false ideas in regard to the difficulties of overcoming, and so stumble and fall. They were not made to realize the necessity of counting the cost before baptism – the price of following Christ, and his terms of discipleship (Matt 6:24; Luke 14; 1John 2:15-17).

Mark 15:34

“… Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?”

This saying is attributed as the fulfillment of Psa 22:1. It is difficult to phantom, though, that Christ would utter these words in the context of abandonment. Was it the manifestation of God’s hatred of sin, that in some unexplained way, Jesus experienced in that terrible hour? I was taught this viewpoint.

These words that Jesus cried out as he was hanging on the tree have been a source of much confusion and debate. Some teach that Jesus became sin, that God cannot look on sin, and thus God forsook His Son (cf. 2Cor 5:21). To use Isa 59:2 and Hab 1:13 is an insulting conclusion about our Saviour, who is Yahweh’s Son and our Saviour! In 1John 3:5, we read: “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” Christ became our suitable “sin-offering” being of the same human nature as us, yet not having committed sin. (Please refer to notes on Rom 8:3). Christ sacrificed himself once for all as a sin-offering. His human nature made him the suitable sacrifice for us.

 “Cried” In Matt 15:39 and Matt 27:50, is the same word, krazo, # <2896>, “to cry aloud, scream, to intreat.” The difficulty with Mark 15:34 and Matt 26:47 is due to an error in translation. "Forsaken" is the wrong choice made by the Greek translators, as we shall see.

“Forsaken” in Mark 15:34 and in Matt 27:46 is the same word, egkataleipo, # <1459>“(in a good sense) let remain over, or (in a bad sense) to desert:-forsake, leave.” The Hebrew equivalent word is sabachthani or sabachtani, # <4518>, and means “thou hast left me; a cry of distress.” It is # <7662> in the Hebrew, shebaq, “to quite, i.e. allow to remain:-leave, let alone.” It comes from the root, # <7733>, showbeq, “to leave, forsaking.” The Greek word translated forsaken can mean to leave in a sense of forsaking, or to leave in the sense of sparing or allowing to remain. Jesus would never have used the word, forsaken in a bad sense! Besides, how would we reconcile John 16:32, “I am not alone, because the Father is with me,” if Christ truly said these words of abandonment (cf. Heb 13:5)?!

It is claimed that Christ fulfilled the words as read in Psa 22:1, but forsaken - sabachtani is not in this Psalm! David used a different word, azab, # <5800>, “to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit… forsake, help, leave.” David here was referring to himself while other passages are a direct reference to the Messiah.  If Christ wanted us to believe he was forsaken in quoting Psa 22:1, then why did he use a different word from David? Different words are not without their significance! Did Jesus misquote the Psalm? Did Mark and Matthew misquote Jesus? Did the Greek translators use the wrong word? The answer to these questions are NO! An affirmative answer would impede the integrity either of Christ or of Scripture. The Greek and Hebrew words presented have multiple meanings, and the translators’ interpretation in choosing “forsaken” was the wrong one.

When observing the different wordings, the most viable reading would be something like this: “My God, my God, why have you spared, or left me this long [on the tree]?” or, “My God, My God, how much longer will I remain [on the tree]?” The thought is the same. Jesus knew the reason for his death, he knew his Father would not abandon him by his own admission, and simply wanted to hasten his death rather than remain on the tree much longer. His crucifixion by this time was for six hours! With all the scourging, carrying such a heavy tree, thorns imbedded in his skull, the pain of the crucifixion all made him very weak and exhausted. He, therefore, entreated or pled very loudly to the Father asking Him to finish it (cf. John 19:30). Shortly, thereafter, he again entreated the Father and died right after (Mark 15:34,37; Matt 27:46,50), validating this context.

15:14 Pilate’s “why, what evil hath he done?” is exactly what should be aske din a court of law. Such a question should have brought a reply detailing the crimes. Instead all they could reply was “crucify him”. This was now no longer – if it ever was – a fair trial.

15:44 That Pilate “marvelled” that Jesus was dead already indicates that Jesus must have been rally exhausted by the time he was crucified. He truly had “poured out his soul unto death” Isa 53:12

15:33 the disciples had been told that the sun would not give its light – 13:24 – so we might wonder whether they thought those words of Jesus were being fulfilled before their eyes at that time.

15:43 God describes Joseph of Arimathaea as “honourable” even though he had not spoken openly about Jesus’ innocence when he was in the council of the Jews seeking to put Jesus to death. However now his response is amazing – going body to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus.

There may be times in our lives when we shrink into the background when we should be out in the open. Our saving may well be a willingness to come out into the light – maybe when others have fled.

Mark 16:18

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them…”

In the Appalachian Hills of southeastern U.S., we will find a few groups who in their religious fervour will literally take up serpents and drink strychnine as part of their Sunday ritual services! It is meant as proof of their unwavering faith. There were incidences of death. They misapply this verse and promise it won’t hurt them, but this is contrary to what Christ taught, as shown when “Satan” tried to tempt Jesus with the promise of protection and was rebuked for misapplying Psa 91:9-14.

“Take up serpents” is an idiom for, “Handle an enemy; overcome opposition.” It was so understood in their day and was never intended to be taken literally.

IDIOMS IN THE BIBLE EXPLAINED, George M. Lamsa, p. 56

15:7 Barabbas was the sort of person that the nation wanted to give them freedom! However the vast majority of them did not recognise that freedom of a greater sort was on offer! How often are out minds so focussed on the immediate time that we do not see the large picture?

15:11 The people had, only a few days earlier, hailed Jesus as he entered the city as the one that cometh in the name of the Lord –  11:9 – but now they, at the instigation of the high priest, want Jesus killed. Thus we see the stranglehold that the authorities had on the people. They had already learnt that anyone that confessed that Jesus was Christ was cast out of the synagogue –John 9:22. We should not underestimate the fear that the common people were under from a group of men who should have been making their lives easy and relaxed.                                                                                                                                     

15:1    The “whole council” would have included Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. There is no record of what they might have said on that occasion. However only a few hours later –less than 18 hours – they both showed their true colours in requesting and burying the body of Jesus. We might consider the turmoil in their minds at this time when the rest of the council were clamouring for the death of Jesus.