Comments for March 11

19:23 we should remember that when these words were spoken at Sinai those who heard these words would have been expecting to enter the land of Canaan shortly. They did not know that it would be another 38 years before the land was taken and that those who heard these words – most of them – would not enter the land themselves.

Lev 19:28 We are not subject to the laws of God gave to Moses, God established principles from which we can learn today. Leviticus 19:28 God told the Israelites they were not to make marks on their flesh by cutting or by printing marks on their skin. Also, see Deut 14:1-2. Sacrifices offered to God were required to be without spots or blemishes. 

The Passover lamb had to be without blemish (Exo 12:5). Jesus sacrifice, that is his life and death, was with our sport or blemish (1Pet 1:19). The followers of Jesus, his bride, washed by the word of God are described spiritually in this way, they should be without sports wrinkle or blemishes (Eph 5:25-27). Putting external markings on our bodies is not supported anywhere in the Bible. What we should strive to do is to build up our faith “the inner man” (Eph 3:16-17). Jesus condemned the Pharisees for concentrating on the outward appearance. Matthew 6:16, “…they disfigured their fate faces…”. Matt 23:5 they dressed to impress others.

19:18 An occasion when David put the command in this verse into practice is when the Ziphites betrayed him to Saul. There is no record of David seeking vengeance on either occasion but in a Psalm related to the first time this happened David says he will leave things in God’s hand –Psa 54:5

17:10-11 This aspect of the Law of Moses is the basis for the injunction in Acts 15:29 which was to be followed by gentile believers in the first century. The question for us is “does it still apply?” In deciding on or answer we might consider whether any of the other injunction sin the letter apply and if some do why, from a scriptural perspective, can some be disregarded?

19:18 This command, it seems, was in the mind of Abigail as she spoke to David when he was planning to take revenge against Nabal – 1Sam 25:21

19:17 Jesus seems to be using this teaching when speaking to the disciples about how to treat their “brother” – Matt 18:17

vv 9,10 God purposely does not give exact measurements in the commands to not "reap your field right up to its edge" and "you shall not strip your vineyard bare".  For example: what does "bare" mean? If I leave one grape per tree or even per vineyard, I can very pedantically claim that the tree/vineyard is not bare, thereby "fulfilling" this command. But this is little comfort to the poor people patiently waiting for hours for the harvesters to move on, only to pick the remaining grape from the vineyard!

A compassionate vineyard owner will, during harvest, purposely leave many of his vines with a plentiful supply of unpicked grapes so that the poor can be fed.  Notice too that this preserves the dignity of the poor person. The compassion is performed without making the poor person feel small or degraded. And the poor person needs to act - he must pick the remaining grapes. He has worked so that he can be fed.

Similarly, a compassionate landowner will instruct his harvesters to leave a sizeable buffer between the harvest and the edge of the field so that poor people can enter and  be abundantly fed. Work preserves dignity.

The Lesson: God engages our hearts and our minds oftentimes by not giving us all the precise details - the letter of the law is purposely imprecise so that spirit of the law can fill in the missing space. 

19:2 Fellowship can only exist between individuals that share the same values. This is true both in secular and religious circle. So, it we want fellowship with God, we have to share His qualities. We know what they are as He has revealed them in His son Jesus.

19:1“holy” means separate, disconnected from those things which are not holy. The obligation on us  is quite simple. Our holiness (separateness from sinful thinking and action) is a consequence of that quality in God. We might enumerate various “doctrines” to highlight the call to holiness but the fundamental point is that we are to strive to be like our Creator.

v.81-86 - In a fascinating way this fits with what we were saying about Leviticus 19 above. David here (v.82) claims to be blind - blind to the understanding of the time scale of God's coming comfort. In v. 85, the proud have digged pits for him - that he, in his blindness might fall into them. This is exactly the situation we find ourselves in - waiting (blind to the knowledge of the day or the hour) for God's comfort. And yet we must not fall into the many pits that the proud have digged for us, but be watchful, so as not to miss that time when it comes. This human problem is mentioned in several places. v.123, Ps.69:3, Deut.28:32, Prov.13:12 - but we are not left without hope, in the current Psalm, or anywhere else in this context - Ps.86:17, 90:13-15.

vs 92-93 again show how David survived the trials of life by having respect to the word of God.

v.92, along with verses 24,77 and 143, show us that our faith can be a real comfort for us when things go wrong. Let us remember that ready for the next chastening God sends us.

:83 the bottle in the smoke is not a glass bottle becoming discoloured. Rather it is an animal skin which, on exposure to smoke would become hard and brittle and soon develop cracks and be useless. So David is saying that he is wasting away but still continues his service to God. Age and infirmity is no bar to service of God.

:81 The fainting soul should be the mind of the bride of Christ - Song of Solomon 5:6

119:75 And so David acknowledges that it is a faithful God that afflicts him. It is so easy to ask ‘why me?’ when things do not go as we would like them to go.

Once again to day, we would like to look at one aspect of the Psalmist's devotion to the Law.

David wants to show us that every part of his life, and by implication every part of ours, may be lived by recourse to God's word. He demonstrates it in spectacular fashion by writing 176 statements proving it! Testimonies, testament, commandments, statutes, judgements, precepts, ordinances, Gods word, and His law appear in just about every verse, yet every verse is different!

I think v89 is key to what David is getting across. Many of the verses talk about earthly things or people passing away, whilst David trusts in, and is anchored by, the word of God. Many verses talk about choosing that word, though mocked and despised because of it (e.g. 19, 23, 39, 42, 46, 51). David is showing that he will hold onto the word, no matter what tempts him away from it, or whatever difficulty he is in (e.g. 78, 85, 95, 110, 115, 116). The reason is in v89 "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven". God's word is everlasting, and abides in heaven (i.e. with God). If one takes in the word of God, loves it, meditates on it, does it, then he too will last forever. There is no greater reason to hold onto something than that! This is largely what the difficult teaching of Jesus is about in the gospel of John. We can be begotten (born again) by the word of God. If we are born of it, then we too will last forever, and we will be heavenly creations. If we live and breathe the word of God, then we are sons and daughters of His. God wants such to be with Him for eternity. His family. His heritage. His offspring.

Psa 119:12 says that the psalmist had inclined (turned, or stretched out) his heart to do what God wanted. He had done it always in the past, and he fully intended to do it in the future.  What a man!

119:72           Are we so anxious to read Scripture as it seems the Psalmist was?

V.33,44,97,98,99,100,101,102,110 - these verses along with others in the chapter perhaps have a messianic application.

119:92-93 Whilst it might be thought that keeping God’s word is restrictive the Psalmist explains that there is a saving relationship between keeping the word and overcoming affliction. How do we feel? Does Scripture help us deal with difficulties in life?

119:85-86  There is a powerful exhortation for us in the contrast between the wicked and God’s law. We either imitate the wicked or live a life consistent with God’s law. The wicked as self seeking – overthrowing others. God’s law is faithful – seeking the good of others.

DIRTY WINDOWS

The group New Song sings a song called "Fingertips and Noses." It talks about a school for kids with special needs and how

"Their teacher, Mrs. Jones, tells them all about Jesus
How in the twinkling of an eye He's coming back to get us
About streets of gold and pearly gates
How they want to go, they just can't wait
And she can't keep them in their seats
They're all at the windows straining to see

And it's
Fingertips and noses pressed to the windowpanes
Longing eyes, expectant hearts for Him to come again
All they know is that they love Him so
And if He said He'd come, He's coming
And they can't keep their windows clean
For fingertips and noses"

This is the attitude the psalmist had as he looked for God's salvation. He couldn't keep his windows clean either! "My soul faints with longing for your salvation, but I have put my hope in your word. My eyes fail looking for your promise; I say, 'When will you comfort me?'" (Psa 119:81-82)

It is not just for the psalmist and the kids in Mrs Jones' class that Jesus is coming back. He is coming for us too. How much do we long for his return? Can we keep our windows clean in our anticipation?

119:92 It was an understanding of the Law of God which helped David to understand his afflictions. Do we use the Bible to measure our daily experiences?

V.83 Bottle (KJV) is better rendered skin (as in wineskin). The containers for liquid in the Ancient Near East were made out of animal skins. Imagine a skin being hung in the smoke. It would soon become dry and start to shrivel. The psalmist is using this figure to show his mental and physical exhaustion, and his drooping under the weight of sorrow. Nevertheless, even in that state, he does not forget Yahweh’s laws.

V.105 The Word should illuminate our paths too; until the day we receive that perfect light (2Pet 1:19).

119:103 The idea of the word of God being sweeter than honey is a point that David has made before – Psa 19:10

119:87 So we see that David’s antidote to being consumed by the things of this life was to not forsake God’s precept. Do we see Scripture as a help to overcome the trials of this life?

119:84 When we feel despondent that the ‘wicked’ seem to prosper and we suffer we should remember that our lot is exactly that of faithful King David. For this is his comment here. Of course also it was the experience of Jesus during his life.

1. Psa 119:81-84 - Christ's life was ended or accomplished for God to deliver or rescue but Christ put his hope in God's word, in verse 81 the word "fainteth" uses the same Hebrew word as used for "fail"<3615> in verse 82, in agony on the cross Christ waited for God to comfort him, Christ's exterior became ugly like a skin-bottle dried out and shrivelled but he kept his Father's statutes and was beautiful on the inside, Christ was God's servant and his mortal days were few but those who persecuted him will receive their just rewards.

2. Psa 119:85-88 - the arrogant plotted pitfalls (and ultimately a literal pit) for Christ in contrast to the teachings of the law (Matt 22:36-40), all God's commandments are faithful and Christ was persecuted with dishonesty, Christ was almost consumed upon earth but he didn't forsake God's precepts, Christ was restored to life by God's lovingkindness.

3. Psa 119:89-92 - God's word is settled in heaven (John 1:1,14,29), all generations of the Godly shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5), God's faithful servants (does this also include all the worldly kings? Dan 4:17), if God's law had not been Christ's delight there would have been no resurrection after his death on the cross.

4. Psa 119:93-96 - Jesus always followed his Father's precepts and as a result God restored his life, Christ is God's and was saved/freed by his Father as Christ sought His Father's precepts, the wicked waited for Jesus so they could destroy him, after the perfection is completed God's commandment is wide ranging and freeing.

5. Psa 119:97-100 - Christ loved God's law and meditated on it all day, Christ's enemies were always with him but God with His commandments enabled Christ to be wiser than his enemies, Christ had more understanding than all his teachers (Luke 2:40-47;John 7:15,44-46), Christ understood more than the elders because he kept God's precepts.

6. Psa 119:101-104 - Jesus restrained his feet from every evil way and kept God's word, Christ has not turned aside from his Father's judgments for God taught Christ, how pleasant are God's words to Christ's taste, through God's precepts Christ got understanding and therefore he hated every false way.

7. Psa 119:105-108 - Nun means 50 (as in the jubilee of freedom) or fish or fisher of men, God's word is a lamp to Christ's feet and a light to his path, Christ accomplished it and kept God's righteous judgments, Christ was revived from his affliction as per God's word (Gen 3:15), Christ's offered prayer was accepted by his Father.

8. Psa 119:109-112 - Christ's life was in continual danger but he didn't forget God's law, the wicked laid a snare for Christ yet he did not go astray from God's precepts, Christ inherited God's testimonies forever and they are the joy of his heart, Jesus inclined his mind to perform God's statutes forever even till the end.

9. Psa 119:113-116 - Christ hated ambivalent divided half-hearted thoughts but he loved God's law, God is Christ's covering or hiding place and shield and Christ patiently trusted in God's word, Christ wanted to avoid good for nothing types but he kept the commandments of his God, Christ rose from the dead as God's word prophecied.

10. Psa 119:117-120 - God held Christ up so he would be safe and he had regard for God's statutes continually, God has rejected those who stray from His statutes, God rid all the wicked of the earth like metalic refuse therefore Jesus loves his Father's testimonies, Christ perhaps trembled before the sheer idealism and purity of God's law (perhaps does not refer to the Day of Judgment - Psalms Studies Volume Two by George Booker, 1990).

11. Psa 119:121-124 - Christ was judged righteous and his ultimate fate was not left to his oppressors as he was bruised on the heel not head (Gen 3:15), God guaranteed the safety of Christ His servant, when Christ was sacrificed his eyes failed briefly for God's salvation, God dealt with His servant Christ according to His mercy in an ultimate sense.

12. Psa 119:125-128 - Christ who is God's servant asked for understanding that he might know God's testimonies, "It is time" suggests Christ eager to see God act (Matt 6:10) as the law he loved was made void, Christ loved God's commandments above gold and fine gold, Christ esteemed all God's precepts concerning all things to be right and he hated every false way.

119:88 Do we desire strength so that we can do His will or are we more concerned in reserving our strength to do things which please us? We can measure this in reflecting on our attitude to attending things organised for us in contrast to our involvement in things that are our preference.

119:99The claim to have more understanding that his teachers is prophetic of Jesus – Luke 2:47– where we find Jesus confounding the scholars of his day with his understanding of the Scriptures. 

119:95-96   When David was persecuted, he tells us, that it was only a remembrance of God’s goodness in the future fulfilment of His promises which kept him faithful.

119:85   The law makes it clear that open pits should be covered for the protection of animals. In this Psalm we see one occasion where the principle of the law is appealed to and commented upon with respect to the way in which men snared other men in violation of the principle laid out in the Law of Moses

Psa 119:83

“For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes.”

A bottle in the smoke used by peasants and nomad peoples were simple animal wineskins and would strikingly contrast the splendid wineskins used by the upper class, some of which were formed of gold and silver. They were in common use in ancient times (cf. Gen 21:19; Josh 9:4; 1Sam 25:18).

The peasants used to suspend such skin bottles from the roof inside their tents over smoke from fires which they lit. They had no chimney, but would have a hole through which the smoke could escape. These skins would absorb the smoke and hung till the bottles become quite black and hard. When the parched wineskins were emptied, they shriveled up and became useless. This fact gave rise to the parable Jesus used about old and new wineskins (cf. Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37). These primitive wineskins also contained anything from water, milk, butter and cheese.

The Psalmist used this striking emblem of his own state. David was exposed to calumnious reports of evil-minded men, and to the hot persecutions of his relentless enemies. David saw himself at the brink of ruin and used this illustration of how he felt. David described his state of degradation, affliction, sorrow and persecution. How striking that through it all, he could still state that he did not forget God’s statues! David remained faithful to God. His faith did not shrivel and dry up.

We all at some time or other have encountered our enemies; the worse kind being those in sheep’s clothing unmasked. As with David in the case of Ahithophel (2Sam 15:7-14,31; 16:23; Psa 41:9) and Christ in the case of Judas (John 13:18), we too feel the pain when we learn our own familiar friend has lifted up his/her heel against us. Yet through it all, as David and Christ’s memory of love glows through the pages of time; their victory becomes our victory and their faith, our faith. Fire cannot consume it, and smoke cannot smother it.

119:88  God is not obligated to teach us. It is because of His righteousness that He is willing to instruct us. We should be for ever grateful that he wants a relationship with us and as a consequence we should regularly read His word that we might understand Him.

119:82 In speaking of his eyes failing we can conclude that David did actually read God’s words as well as think about it.

119:89-90 Notice the way that the reliability of God’s word is associated with the Creative act of God when He made everything.

119:97-112 The Hebrew for “manna” (<4478>) is mn, the two letters, mem and nun. The two sections in Psalm 119 whose sayings begin with these letters occur together, in this order, in the psalm (mem, vv. 97-104 and nun, vv. 105-112). In the middle of these verses, God’s Word is likened to honey: “How sweet are Thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v. 103). The manna, which represented “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4), was also like honey: “and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31). The sections mem and nun in Psalm 119 are like a piece of manna, with the taste of honey at its centre.

119:123Is David overstating his feelings here? Should we have the same feelings if we are unable to read scripture?

119:84 a rare occasion in this Psalm when God’s word is not mentioned in one form or another. However the verse reflects the feelings of a Godly man who both trusts God’s word and wonders about how his life is going to open out before him when he is being persecuted as David was by Saul.

119:98 Life is full of challenges. We have to make decisions, often that relate to how we respond to  the people we meet on a daily basis. Rash words can cause irrevocable damage, destroying relationships. The believer who has learnt the principles of the gospel is better equipped to deal with life’s challenges than the wisest man who is not instructed in the ways of God.

119:83 David, making the analogy of a bottle made of skin damaged by smoke and himself, says that even though he is in difficulty he will turn to God’s word. Is that how we feel? Is scripture our ever ready source of comfort?

119:82  What do we think is involved in trusting God’s word? The first thing that it means is that we take what God has said at face value. We do not try to modify what we read to fit in with our own pre-conceived ideas. It is all too easy to read His word and minimise its force in our lives by denying the literality of things like Creation or the uniqueness of Adam as God’s only created human being. Once we modify these fundamental issues we minimise the force of Jesus’ teaching.

Psa 119:107

ACCORDING TO THY WORD

“TO rectify a man’s actions, you must affect the springs from which they come. Sorrow will be useful to him if it set him on the right way to do this. There is but one right way. It is indicated in those well-known words of the 119^th Psalm: ‘Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word’ [Psa 119:9]. The whole Psalm seems devoted to the purpose of holding up and extolling the Word of God as the means of enlightenment and sanctification. In this it agrees with the sentiment of the Scriptures generally, and with reason and experience.”

Robert Roberts, Seasons of Comfort, p. 87

1John 2:6 reads: “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked,”

“But if we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1John 1:7). The operative phrase is “as he walked.” Our walk in the Truth is to walk in the light and if we walk in the light, we cannot walk anywhere else. Our standard is Christ’s standard and how did he walk? He did always those things that pleased the Father: his words, his ways, his thoughts, his affections, his actions always pleased the Father (John 8:29; 1John 3:22).

This is the example Christ set before us while walking in this world, but not as one of it (John 17:14-18). When we do, we have fellowship not just with Christ and one another, but also with God, for God is Light (1John 1:3,5; cf. John 15:10).

Psa 119:105, cf. 128

THE LIGHT OF LIFE

“IS it not the essential condition of even human friendship that enlightenment should be a thing of normal habit? But enlightenment is not native: darkness is. Enlightenment to be attained or retained must be kindled by external appliance, and there must be renewal. Light the lamp and leave it, and it will become dark again. It is so on all subjects, especially the knowledge of God, for which the mind has the least affinity. Dress the lamps every morning. Read the Bible every day. This will keep you supplied with oil that will cause light. ‘Thy word is light:’ it is the light. ‘Thy word is truth:’ it is the truth. Any other truth is darkness for the highest purpose of life, as all men will feel when suddenly confronted with the glory of God at the coming of Christ. Knowledge of mines: knowledge of metals: knowledge of countries: knowledge of languages or of physical elements—is all very well in its place: it is the knowledge of God and His ways and His intentions and His will that constitutes the true light of life.”

Robert Roberts, The Law of Moses, p. 192

v. 11 - Just a small point from this very familiar chapter. Note here our 'Zion' theme that we keep returning to. Jesus here is born 'in the city of David' - in Zion. This makes him a fulfilment of Ps.87:5, as a type of firstfruits for those that would later be born in him and therefore enjoy the same state through his atonement and God's grace and mercy. 'Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God.' - Ps. 87:2,3, Gal.4:4,5, 2Tim.1:9,10

v.12 The phrase 'young child' as translated here only occurs in the following places Matt 2:8,9,11,13,14,20,21 and is always used to speak of Jesus in the context of the 'wise men'. Whereas the word 'babe' is used at the time of the visit of the shepherds at Bethlehem. Luke 2:12,16 implying that by the time the 'wise men' arrived the 'babe' had grown to be a 'young child' indicating a time gap between the two events.

Simeon's Use of Scripture - Luke 2:25-35
v.26 'Lord's Christ' - Psalm 2:2 'Lord anointed'
v.30 'seen thy salvation' Gen 49:18 'waited for thy salvation'
v.32 'light to lighten the gentiles' Isaiah 42:6 'light of the gentiles'
v.32 'glory of thy people Israel' Isaiah 45:25 'Israel be justified and shall glory'
v.34 'sign spoken against' Psalm 22:6 'a reproach of men'
v.35 'a sword shall pierce' Psalm 42:10 'with a sword in my bones'

2:2 In tying the 'taxing' to a specific event - when 'Cyrenius was governor of Syria' Luke lays himself open to scrutiny and accusations of inaccuracy. A little detail which, when conformed, highlights the historical accuracy of his gospel. If his history is accurate we should be able to accept the veracity of the rest of his writing.

2:13 Just a little point. We think of the angels singing praises. This understanding is a consequence of the Christmas story, not the Scripture record. Luke says that they were 'saying'

V.40-52 Jesus was 12 years old at this time. We are told nothing about the next 18 years of His life. Youth is a time of preparation. We know that Jesus was no ordinary youth, but lets us not allow that fact to blind us to the fact that He is our example. Though the Son of God, He was also the Son of man, and did not develop in this way without great effort on His part. It is essential that like Jesus, like the other characters in the Scriptures, we see youth as an opportunity for preparation for the life and the work that lies ahead. 

V.8  indicates that the time of year was spring (lambing season, Feb./Mar).  That is the reason the shepherds were in the field at night, protecting their flock.  This refutes the nonsense that Dec. 25th. (The Roman pagan feast day of Saturnalia) was the birthday of Jesus.

2:4 The parenthetic comment 'of the house and lineage of David' coupled with 1:27  links both Mary and David into the line of David. The genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 go even further demonstrating that Joseph was the rightful one to sit on David's throne if the kingdom was still operating.

V.25-26 Simeon had been provided with a rare and special blessing. In some manner, even before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit rested upon him. That same Comforter had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

2:5-7 Doubtless Joseph and Mary felt that the taxing and the constraint it put on them to return to Bethlehem would have been seen as a problem - or did they see it as the way that the prophet Micah's words would be fulfilled?

The young Jesus' remarkable knowledge and understanding (vs.46,47) is a direct reflection of what we have just read in Psa 119:97-100.

a) Both Jews and Gentiles came to honour the newly born King. The shepherds were Jews, and probably the Wise men (Matt 2:1-12) were Gentiles.
b) Both a man and a woman came to honour the baby when Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple. But have you noticed that Simeon’s words are recorded (Luke 2:28-32), but Anna’s are not (Luke 2:38). Is this speaking of the law in the new church that this Baby was to start, that women do not speak in the church? (see 1Tim 2:12).

2:8-11 The shepherds were taken from caring for the sheep in the field to see the ‘lamb of God’.

V.51 Jesus after he had shown at the age of twelve his appreciation of his mission to be about his Father's business, returned to Nazareth and was subject to his parents. This tells us a lot about Jesus' preparation for the life that followed. It would have been during these years, being subject to his parents that qualities that would effect the rest of his life were developed. We see through out scripture the necessity of parents involvement with children in the raising of young people. We are aware that it was part of the Law. (Deut 6:6-9). Joseph lived with his parents, until the time came for him to be separated from them. Timothy was raised by his mother and grandmother. The list can go on, but we must remember that children must remain subject to their parents until the time comes for them to leave home.

2:1  ‘all the world’ was to be taxed. At the end of the ministry of Jesus Luke records – Acts 1:8 – that the gospel went out to all the world – ‘the uttermost parts …’

2:7 Clearly Jesus was Mary’s ‘firstborn’ however we should appreciate that God’s ‘firstborn’ had been prophesied before – Psa 89:27 and the record here is highlighting that link.

V.4 It is not likely that Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem very long before Jesus was born.  After the birth, Mary would have had to perform her days of purification according to the Law. The sequence would have run:

-eight days after birth, Jesus was circumcised (v.21 cf. Lev 12:3).

-Mary had thirty-three days of purification (v.22 cf. Lev 12:4).

After the days of purification, a burnt offering had to be made at the tabernacle (Lev 12:6-8).  In the case of Mary, that meant at the temple in Jerusalem (v.22).  Note that her offering of two birds, rather than a lamb, signified her state of poverty.

And so, from the time of Jesus' birth to the time of the departure to Jerusalem was 41 days.  During that time, Jesus was visited by the shepherds (vs.15,16) and the wise men (after Herod tried to recruit them for the young child's destruction) (Matt 2:1-9). Herod's attempts to kill Jesus, of course, were thwarted (Matt 2:12).

V.4 fulfils Mic 5:2

V.25 The consolation of Israel is a phrase that meant the redemption of Israel through its Messiah, which was long awaited by pious Jews. Simeon is derived from the Hebrew word shama which means hear.  The message about the Messiah had been heard and understood (vs.30-32).

V.32 See Isa 60:3.

V.36 Anna is a contraction of Hannah which means grace.

V.32 Yahweh's grace would be extended to the Gentiles.  True believers would become adopted Sons of Israel and, therefore subject to their promises (Rom 11:17).

Every Christmas the apostate churches go gaga over the birth of Christ with their crèche displays of the nativity scene. They love to cite and sing about v.14 without understanding its meaning. They naively believe that somehow this baby has brought peace to the world. The Lord, himself, denies this: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matt 10:34 NIV). Much bloodshed has been wrought over the centuries, in the name of Jesus, by the apostasy. The Lord will ultimately bring peace when he returns, puts down His enemies, and reigns in His kingdom (Isa 9:6,7; 1Cor 15:25,26). However, most churches deny the scripture because they do not believe in the kingdom on earth, but rather have given themselves over to the pagan notion of immortal souls. A corner stone of the true Gospel is the kingdom (Acts 8:12), and true believers should hold on tenaciously to its hope. True believers also should never engage in any pagan rituals associated with Christmas as their significance runs counter to the tenets of the Truth.

2:11 ‘unto you is born’ is one of the many refrains of Isa 7:14 that are found around the birth narrative of Jesus in the gospel narratives.

2:15  Notice having heard the ‘heavenly host’ the shepherds decided of their own volition to go and see Jesus. They were the first to respond to the wonder of his arrival. So we may say that they were the first that responded to the gospel – the good news.

2:20  The shepherds, now returning to their flocks, pass off the scene. We never hears of them again in the gospel narrative. Their witness is complete.

Luke 2:7

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

The Greek word for “inn” is kataluma, Strong’s # <2646>, and actually means a “guest chamber,” or guest room, and should have been translated as such. Kataluma is the same word is used in Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11, the guest chamber being the upper room where Jesus had his last supper with the apostles.

Inn is misleading and inaccurate because it would leave one to think Joseph was looking for a Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn, or a Red Roof Inn, as we associate inns and do when we travel. Families in those days stayed with family, especially pregnant family members. They were not looking for a hotel, but were seeking a room at one of Joseph’s relatives. Because of the census, it is far more likely that none of his relatives had any room in their guest chambers. These guest chambers were typically in front of the house, or upper room, while their animal shelters were in the back of the house, or lower room. So Joseph and Mary were lodged in the back of a house where the family animals were fed and protected at night from thieves and other predators.

Luke does not use the Greek word pandocheion, Strong’s # <3829>, “a public lodging-place.” Here Luke speaks of a paid establishment as in Luke 10:34, about a certain Samaritan.

Despite these two very different words, many translators chose to use the word, “inn” – a paid establishment, rather than the true word, a guest chamber! The result of this mistranslation leads us to a different understanding of what really happened, and feeds into the tradition of the holiday nativity scene, which originated from “St.” Francis of Assisi in 1220!

Summary of Luke

2:1-7       Because of the taxing Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem and Jesus is born.

2:8-20     Angels speak to the shepherds who visit Mary in Bethlehem

2:21-24   Mary offers a sacrifice according to the law in Jerusalem

2:25-35   Simeon speaks to Mary

2:36-38   Anna speaks to Mary

2:39        Mary and Joseph return to Nazareth with Jesus

2:40-50   Summary of Jesus’ development and visit to Jerusalem when he was 12

2:51-52   Jesus subject to Mary and Joseph in Nazareth

 Luke 2:49-50

2:6    the precision with which God works out His plan is amazing. We cannot predict with certainty the day a child will be born. However God was so in control that He could ensure that His promises, for example in Mic 5:2, would be fulfilled to the letter. 

v35 has a very similar wording as Gen 6:5, and I suppose broadly the events are comparable. At the time of Noah, every thought of mankind's heart was evil, and only Noah and his family were found to be right before God. Likewise, during the ministry of Jesus, those who seemed righteous were shown to be corrupt in their hearts, but also those whom society assumed were corrupt (Zacchaeus, the woman labelled "a sinner" etc) were found to have hearts that were right. Just as in the time of Noah, he had the chance to preach and save the people before the people were judged, so in the time of Jesus he preached and saved many before the great judgement on the Jews in AD70.

2:5     We know – verse :7– that there was no room for them in the “inn”. Doubtless there were many people in Bethlehem who had returned for the taxing which might provide an explanation of the problem. But consider, how would you react to the plight of a heavily pregnant woman? Surely your bowels of compassion would have moved you to find more suitable accommodation than a stable.  Probably in this narrative we learn something of the way in which Mary and Joseph were ostracised by their own families who both came from Bethlehem.

2:11-15      In the whole narrative about the angels appearance to the shepherds we do not read of a command that they should go and see the baby. Having been provided with the information they spontaneously respond with a desire to see the child. Do we have to wait for a command before seeking the good things of God in His word or do we spontaneously look for them?

Luke 2:35

“… (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also)…”

The question was raised if I thought this verse was literal, that Mary, the mother of Yahshua, literally was stabbed in the heart? My reply to this was that it is a metaphor to describe Mary’s deep anguish of heart as she watched her son being tortured to death and die on the tree (John 19:25). That would pierce any mother’s heart.

Then the question was raised since God allowed Jesus to be killed, it is possible that He allowed it for Mary too. To this I responded that it was not a question of allowing, but rather Yahshua’s death was pre-ordained from the foundation of the world to be so. This was not the case with Mary. He responded that, “… since there is no proof one way or the other, there is always the possibility she was stabbed.”

My final reply to which I received no answer was: It was not customary to stab a woman through the heart in Biblical times. It is in fact a Catholic teaching, a tradition carried through to this very day. It is pure fable! This teaching began with Epiphanius from Salamis, an ancient Greek city, during the 4^th century. The church fathers of both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches made him a saint and kept this tradition alive!

Nothing is mentioned of Mary after Acts 1:14. Most biblical scholars believe Mary stayed with the disciples and died of old age. But, “there is a tradition that says otherwise. That tradition is kept alive by the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches who maintain that Mary had a much more significant role after the death of Jesus. For one, Ambrose (a church writer of the fourth century) wrote that Jesus appeared to his mother before he appeared to anyone else. Though this is not mentioned in scripture, nor any other writing before Ambrose, this became an accepted account by the church.
Following the resurrection and the Pentecostal mention in Acts, tradition asserts that Mary lived either in Ephesus or in Jerusalem and that she may have been buried in Ephesus (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., III, 31; V, 24, P.G., XX, 280, 493). On the other hand, the Bishop of Jerusalem asserted that Mary's tomb resided in Jerusalem. Indeed, there are numerous works that suggest a number of burial sites for Mary including the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives.
However, there is another tradition that has prevailed at least since the fifth century and was made church dogma for the Roman Church in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. This tradition holds that Mary died between three and fifteen years after Jesus' ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9,10). St. Juvenal, the Bishop of Jerusalem, asserted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 that Mary had died in the presence of all the Apostles. He also stated that after she was placed in her tomb, Thomas, one of the apostles, requested the tomb be opened and they discovered her body gone. Because of this reportedly the apostles assumed Mary had been bodily assumed into heaven, much as her son had.
The bodily assumption of Mary has its root firmly in tradition of both the Greek Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church, but the Bible itself is silent as to Mary's life and death following her brief mention in Acts 1. Indeed, nothing is written prior to the fourth century about her life or death, save for the biblical accounts. ...we really know nothing for certain about Mary's post Pentecostal life-only the speculative writings of men some 300 years after Jesus." http://www.hcna.us/columns/mary.html

Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels – (This is a Catholic commentary).
[Yea, and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also.] Thy soul, i.e. thy life. It is a prediction that the blessed Virgin should suffer martyrdom: "This child of thine shall be set for a sign, which shall be spoken against; neither shalt thou escape in the contradiction that shall be given him, for thou shalt die by the sword." Epiphanius gives some countenance to this exposition.
"Whether the holy Virgin died and was buried, her death was crowned with infinite honour; she made a most chaste end, and the crown of her virginity was given her: or whether she was put to death (as is written, 'A sword shall pass through thine own soul'), she is possessed of glory and a crown amongst the martyrs."

2:46   In seeing the leaders “sitting” we have one of the contrasts between this passover when Jesu was in Jerusalem and the next recorded occasion when the leader are “sitting” conducting transactions selling animals.

2:47    The “understanding” that Jesus at such an early point in his life was prophesied – Isa 11:2

Luke 2:41-52

“‘Pope’ Francis gave a homily on December 27, 2015 at the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. In his homily, that being a commentary read after a Scripture, we read, “We know what Jesus did on that occasion. Instead of returning home with his family, he stayed in Jerusalem, in the Temple, causing great distress to Mary and Joseph who were unable to find him. For this little ‘escapade’, Jesus probably had to beg forgiveness of his parents. The Gospel doesn’t say this, but I believe that we can presume it.”

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20151227_omelia-santa-famiglia.html/

To beg or ask for forgiveness implies an awareness of wrongdoing, that sin has been committed! Jesus equated forgiveness with the canceling of a debt (Matt 18:23-35), to wipe the slate clean, to pardon. We ask for forgiveness in order for the relationship to be restored and be forgiven by the Father. Not only did ‘Pope’ Francis commit the sin of Presumption, he is also guilty of Blasphemy! Jesus did nothing of the kind; he was fulfilling the will of the Father (vv. 48,49).

2:31 “all people” stressed that the gentiles would be included in the work of Jesus – again we will see this in  3:6 “all flesh …”

2:20 the returning shepherds wondering is rather like Cleopas and his companion –  24:14 – returning to Jerusalem after they had seen the risen Jesus

2:8 an incidental point might be deduced from the fact that there were shepherds in the fields at night. This indicates that the birth of Jesus was not in December as it would be too cold for the shepherds to be outside at night, even in the land of Israel.

2:20 the returning shepherds wondering is rather like Cleopas and his companion – 2:14 – returning to Jerusalem after they had seen the risen Jesus

2:13 We know that the angels desired to look into things concerning messiah – 1Pet 1:12 – On this occasion the angels praise God as the unfolding story of redemption moves a stage further on and they are privileged to see it.

2:46 they found [Jesus] in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions

I wonder whether these teachers later set about to kill Jesus about 20 years later. Annas and Caiaphas may have been among these teachers. 

2:10 The good news is for all people – both Jew and gentile. Just like all people went to be counted for taxation purposes – see how the idea of “all” is seen in :3-4

2:1 The Romans were very efficient in their administration of their dominion so, from time to time, they would conduct a census. Unlike any we experience the registering was organised so that everyone returned to their home town. Doubtless records were kept that were updated. We might consider this to be a very inefficient and disruptive way of counting the number of subjects in the dominion. However the very nature of man’s administration is used by God  so that His word was fulfilled to the letter. So “in control” is the Creator that His will is always fulfilled.