Comments for January 10

v. 16 - God's mercy here stretches to offering that last little push required for us to walk away from worldliness. This chapter already contains two examples of similar urging - v.3 v.8. The angels led them out - God wanted them - the four of them - to be saved. No-one else in the city was worthy of salvation. This is a true calling of God. John 6:44 Ps.86:15 Lam 3:22 Mic.7:18,19 Eph.2:4-7.

v.10-11 - Here we see a wonderful picture of the way God deals with us. He pulls us in through the door (Jesus - John10:1-11) into the fold, and leaves those who are without and blind where they can do us no harm. Should any one of them recover their 'sight' and find the door, then doubtless it will open to them as it did to the apostle Paul.

From the record it would appear that Lot went to Sodom and became a judge in the city - v9 as he was sitting in the gate v1 - the place of judgement - Ruth 4:1,10-11. In this position he 'vexed his righteous soul' 2 Peter 2:8. From this we learn that the servant of God has no place trying to solve the world's ills.

DON'T LOOK BACK

There was no time to waste. Lot and everyone he could persuade to come with him had to flee the city. The LORD was about to destroy the city and if there was any delay, they would be caught up in the destruction that was to come on Sodom and Gomorrah. There was no time to pack their bags, collect their belongings, take souvenirs or memoirs - it was run or die.

It all came down to a choice of what was more valuable - life or possessions.

We have the same choice to make today. Our decision may not be so urgent but it is just as important. We can choose to live for Christ and gain life or we can choose to live for our possessions and everything that makes life what it is now, and reject the offer of life. The decision is clear cut. Choose Christ and live or choose the world and die.

Lot, his two daughters and his wife chose life when the rest of the city chose to stay and die. But the attraction of what she had left behind was too great for Lot's wife and, we read, she "looked back and became a pillar of salt." When we have chosen Christ, let's not look back at what we have left behind, but "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3 v 14).

:17 'Escape to the mountains' is quoted by Jesus (Matthew 24:16) in the Olivet Prophecy - likening the situation in Jerusalem before the Roman invasion AD 70 to Sodom before it's destruction.

Genesis 19:1 - "and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom" - the last step in Lot's steady decline, is now here noted. Six fatal decisions had brought Lot, and the ecclesia with him, finally right into the city of Sodom.

1. Genesis 13:10 - "Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan" - When Abram lifted up his eyes, he was shown "the world" - Romans 4:13 - and the Father promised him the earth for an inheritance - Galatians 3:16,29.  Poor Lot lifted up his eyes and looked down into the valley of Jordan, and was persuaded to move down into the "world" that God would one day destroy.
2. Genesis 13:11 - "Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan" - As the previous verse explains, Lot chose an area of the land that was similar to the country from which he had travelled, "the garden of the Lord" in Ur of the Chaldees; which was not unlike the delta region of Egypt, from which they had just returned. Some suggest the "Zoar" here should really be "Zoan" of the Nile Delta.
3. Genesis 13:12 - "Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain" - While Abram continued to "dwell in the land of Canaan," Lot is moving his family, and the Ecclesia that is with him, back into city life. Given that we know the end of Lot's wife, is it too harsh to conjecture that the pilgrim life was not for her, and her constant petitions to her husband wore away at him, until finally she ends up where she really longed to be.
4. Genesis 13:12 - "and pitched his tent toward Sodom" - Every step is bringing this family closer to disaster. It is with good reason the next verse begins with one of the Bible's BIG little words.  "BUT the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly!"  What a dreadful description Heaven has given us here of the inhabitants where Lot was leading his family. Does this description sound familiar of the world in which we live? So where does our heart dwell? In the land with Abram? Or in things of this "world" with Lot and his family?
5. Genesis 14:12 - "Lot... who dwelt in Sodom" - Oh, Lot! What have you done? Why are you here? If you chose Sodom because of it's safety, then why are you now captive to marauding kings? If you chose Sodom for it's advantages, then you must also share Sodom's miseries. The pilgrim life may not be as exciting, but it is not nearly as dangerous either.
6. Genesis 19:1 - "and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom" - Lot's spiritual descent is not unlike the decline noted in Psalm 1.  "Walking in the counsel of the ungodly,  standing in the way of sinners, sitting in the seat of the scornful." Perhaps Lot believed that he could change the character of the city by having a hand in it's government. Not likely! For the hearts of the sons of men was fully set in them to do evil, and no amount of exposure to this one lonely man was going to change their [collective] lives. Their thinking is revealed in v9.

Genesis 19:9 - "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge" - Roth. 'and he must always be acting the judge.' Ungodly men do not welcome the "interference" of Godly principles in their lives. 2Peter 2:7-8 tells us that "righteous Lot was worn out with the lascivious life of the wicked; (For their lawless deeds were torture, day after day, to the pure soul of that righteous man -- all that he saw and heard whilst living in their midst)" [so Weymouth translates]. Do we find the world we live in "torture" and petition our Father daily to bring on the changes He has promised will surely come with His Glorious Kingdom?

The filth which was in Sodom had to go. There is no room for such behaviour in God's land

The horror of the events in Abram’s day is personalised to speak of a ‘man’ in the days of the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.

Gen 19 As we read the account of the life of Lot, we often wonder if there is something we are missing. The two main themes we pick up are: (1) The errors of Lot's life. (2) The mercy of our Heavenly Father. Lot like each one of us made many foolish decisions, and it was only through the mercy of God that he was delivered from Sodom. Once again we realize that it is only through the mercy of God that any one of us will be granted immortality and a place in His Kingdom. With this said and done, we are all aware that Peter identifies Lot as a righteous man.2Pet 2:7-9  Was Lot comfortable with the wickedness of Sodom? Are we always comfortable with the things we are surrounded with? We live in a country that approves of same sex marriages, do we? Is it wrong that we live in such a society? Lot in many ways, we would suggest found himself in similar conditions as we do in the 21st. century. Let us all continue to pray for God's mercy to be continually extended to each one of us.  

Two men (angels) visited Sodom and Lot invited them to stay at his house.  Lascivious homosexuals surrounded Lot's house demanding to have sex with these two visitors.  Lot urged the Sodomites not to do this wicked thing, but offered his two virgin daughters as substitutes.  Fortunately, Lot's daughters were spared any degradation.  Vileness cannot be counteracted by another sin, and Lot's hasty offer would have consequences.  He would become the victim of incest with the daughters who he was so quick to proffer.  From those unions would come two idolatrous nations, Ammon and Moab. These would both cause Israel much trouble. 

Jesus recalls the incident at Sodom to urge readiness for AD 70 and His second coming (Luke 17:28-32).  Remember Lot's wife is a reminder that we have been taken out of sin and death and are journeying towards safety (the Kingdom).  If we look back, it is because we have a hankering for the world, which makes us unfit for the Kingdom (Luke 9:62;12:34). 

v.1 - Just like Abraham at the beginning of ch.18, Lot is able to determine that these men were angels, and worship them.  However, the events of the chapter make it clear that they did not look special in any way, as they are clearly seen simply as men. (v.5)

19:29 That ‘God remembered Abraham’ is like the way in which He remembered Noah – Gen 8:1. It is not as though God had forgotten. The record now turns to the aftermath of the destruction and moves on in a positive way with His purpose.

v32 was the daughters' incestuous behaviour the result of the morals they had picked up in Sodom? We have to make sure that we keep our principles based on the Word of God, and teach the same to our children.

The angels told Lot to Flee to the mountains (v.17).  He, instead, chose to escape to Zoar (v.23).  After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot became afraid and left Zoar to flee to the mountains (v.30).  He ended up where he was initially told to go.  This episode is reminiscent of Jonah. Jonah was told to go to Nineveh, but chose not to go.  He ended up in Nineveh anyway.  The lesson is to obey Yahweh's commands without question because the will of Yahweh shall always be done.

19:2  In inviting the angels in Lot was ‘entertaining strangers’ – Heb 13:2 – and what a blessing – deliverance from the punishment upon Sodom.

V.5 In the KJV, the word for know in Hebrew is from the root yada. In an intellectual sense, it has many shades of meaning referring to the acquisition and manipulation of knowledge. But, it is often used as a euphemism for engaging in sex. Consider Gen 4:1: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain. The word for knew comes from the same root yada.

V.28 Sodom and Gomorrah were situated at the south end of the Dead Sea.

The area is not only saline, but it contains a lot of sulphur. Sulphur is found, commonly, near hot springs and volcanic regions. It burns hot, emits a blue flame, and is reduced to a blood-red liquid when burned.

Imagine that Yahweh activated the hot sulphur around the region and it burst out of the earth. Great blobs of burning sulphur reached skyward, then rained down as fire bombs on the two cities. Nobody could escape those divinely orchestrated incendiary missiles. Unfortunately, Lot’s wife caught one of them when she looked back. The red sulphur bomb, mixed with the saline content from the surrounding earth, engulfed her where she stood. Rapid cooling would have left a blood-red saline statue. This is a sobering reminder of the fate of those who disobey Yahweh.

Sulphur is commonly known as brimstone. When Gog and companions invade Israel, in the not too distant future, Yahweh will destroy them with divinely directed natural phenomena. Among these will be brimstone (Eze 38:22).

19:14  Lot’s sons seemed as if he ‘mocked’. Doubtless this was not the first time that Lot had told these men that the city was full of evil people. Doubtless he told them that God would not tolerate such behaviour – but nothing happened. So when Lot spoke, doubtless with greater urgency than ever this time the boys ridiculed Lot thinking that Lot was just on about his ‘favourite’ topic again. We should not be discouraged that our testimony about the return of Jesus Christ is ignored or ridiculed. It will happen one day. The reactions of others to the message should not cause us to stop speaking about it

Gen 19:3 - Only Lot prepared the meal. Perhaps there was a lack of co-operation or harmony in the home.

Gen 19:4-5 - Sodom was full of wickedness (sin); Gen 19:11 - they couldn't find the door (only those in Christ can find the door John 10:7,9); Gen 19:15 - Wickedness and sin is defeated at dawn (Matt 28:1-6); Gen 19:17 - once led in the right direction we must look away from the former way of sind and not backslide (Prov 26:11;2Pet 2:20-22); Gen 19:29 - the wicked will be destroyed (Rom 6:23;Psa 145:20); Gen 19:21,32,3 - reminds us of Christ having an unnatural childbirth plus we have mention of wine and unleavened bread prepared by the father (echo of Christ's offered body and poured out blood ?), 3 survive (the number 3 is sometimes associated with Christ's resurrection when he defeated sin and death); Gen 19:36-38 - "Moab" means "from father" while "Ben-Ammi" means "son of my people" (similarly, Christ was the Son of God and the son of man). 

19:3 The baking of ‘unleavened bread’ shows the urgency of the situation in Sodom. There was no time to lose that night. God was going to destroy the city.

19:5    The way that the ‘angels’ of Gen 19:1 become 'men’ in this verse shows how God’s angels appear to men and women. Indistinguishable from other humans

19:13   The utter destruction of the wicked is shown by Abraham seeing smoke rising as a furnace. This idea is echoed – Rev 19:3 – when salvation is come to the earth.  Salvation cannot come to the earth in its fulness whilst wickedness is still present.

Gen 19:26

"But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

In the Book of Jasher 19:50-53 it is written: “…Ado the wife of Lot looked back to see the destruction of the cities, for her compassion was moved on account of her daughters who remained in Sodom, for they did not go with her…” While the book of Jasher is not considered an inspired book, it is an excellent history book. Joshua quoted from the book of Jasher 88:63-64 (Josh 10:13), and so did David, Jasher 56:9 (2Sam 1:18). Two witnesses testified to the accuracy of the Book of Jasher (see Deut 19:15; 2Cor 13:1).

The fact that Lot’s wife, “looked back from behind him” does not necessarily mean she didn’t want to leave Sodom and so was lagging behind. It was customary in those days, as it is in a lot of Middle Eastern countries today that women walk behind the men. Furthermore, “looked back” is, nabat, # <5027>, and contains a variety of meanings: “scan, look intently at, to look back with pleasure.” Now I ask you, how does one look back in pleasure at a city that is being destroyed with your family in it? Still, it may be argued that we may come out of Sodom, without taking Sodom out of us, which can be true.

Jesus warned in Matt 10:34-39, “…He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” Then in Luke 17:32 Jesus said, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Jesus could have said: “Remember Nadab and Abihu”- they offered strange fire before the LORD, and died instantly (Lev 10:1-2); Jesus could have said: “Remember Korah, Datham, and Abiram” – they rebelled against Moses and died instantly (Num 26:9-10; Psa 106:17). Jesus could have said: “Remember Uzzah” - he was struck dead for touching the Ark (2Sam 6:7). But, no, Jesus said: “Remember Lot’s wife”! This has a particular application.

When our angel comes to take us to the Judgment Seat of Christ, will our faith be strong enough to leave our possessions behind? Will our faith be strong enough to be able to leave our family, children, and grandchildren behind; will we look back in desire for what we long for, or just leave without ever looking back (see Matt 24:17; Mark 13:15-16)? These are gut-wrenching decisions for which we must prepare ourselves now. The right action on our part requires a lot of faith!

What an opportunity was given to Lot’s wife! She failed because she had no faith in God and in what the angels said (Gen 19:17). She regarded her family more than she regarded her obedience to God. We have been given the opportunity too, to escape the calamities that will soon befall the earth; we have been warned repeatedly not to repeat the sins of Sodom and to “remember Lot’s wife”! “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find the faith on the earth” (Luke 18:8)?

19:6-8  Lot took his life in his hands when he ‘shut the door’ before trying to reason with the men of Sodom. So not only did he ‘vex his righteous soul’ 2Pet 2:8but was willing to speak openly about their behaviour which is maybe the reason that the men of Sodom complained that he sought to be a judge Gen 19:9

Comparing Lot with Abraham

We could talk all day about what happened in this chapter. It is the most stark and sobering warning to us about the nature of God and the way He expects men and women to behave in the world He created. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is now the second judgment we read about in Genesis, with the first being the flood. Given the way populations increase, it's quite possible that as many people died in this judgment as died in the flood.

In order to learn from this terrible event, the chapter asks us to look at it jointly through the eyes of Lot and Abraham. We know this because in v28-29 the viewpoint of the account moves from Lot to Abraham, and we see it though his eyes. In fact, we learn that Lot was saved because of Abraham:

"And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt." Gen 19:29

Some contrasting examples

So let's look at some of the contrasts between the two men, living at the same time, who had the same knowledge of God and same opportunity to serve Him. These are not criticisms of Lot, but a way of looking at two righteous men, one who was wise and stayed separate from godless society and the other who was foolish enough to dwell in the midst of it.

Sodom and Gommorah... Here was its problem Eze 16:49 Every nation from the earliest of mans record that is succesful  tom the point it has fulness of bread becomes proud and idle and eventually fall into sexual depravity, the Egyptians and the Romans etc. We live in these times today of "anything goes"!

Notice those words in Ezekial about leaving the poor and needy to suffer. We now live in an age where TV programs mock the afflicted by way of reality programs, X factor etc.

Not only is homosexuality being pushed and pushed into being considered normal it is becoming part of every TV programme and education it is now longer something to be shy about but to be proud of, Just as in Sodom the evil things that went on there were considered an act of pride! Jer 23:14, Isa 3:9 We may face a crisis soon as TV and sport continually try and make Homosexuality normal i belive at some point ALL religous denominations will be required to change their views or be labelled as a cult! Lets hope our master returns soon.

19:9    The way in which Lot had moved into Sodom and gradually became integrated himself into their society – becoming a judge – even though he was a righteous man should warn us about the dangers of involvement, if only casually, with this world’s activities. Lot had got caught up in their society and doubtless wished he had kept clear right at the start of his sojourn there.

19:32-38          Doubtless Lot’s daughters thought that, because of the devastation they could see, that they might well have been the only ones alive. However their subterfuge shows a lack of appreciation that God would take care of them. So, again, we see human reasoning bringing about a long term problem.

19:22  Notice how the angel’s actions are constrained by Lot’s slowness to heed the warning. This is an indication of God’s tolerance of the weakness some of us show.

19:29 The way we are told God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out of Sodom shows that God takes account of the feelings of His friends. There was no need to save Lot but God did save him because of Abraham’s feelings.

19:2   the way in which Lot encourages the angels to make their stay in Sodom short indicates that he had no idea what they were there. However he clearly realised that Sodom was not a good place for men to linger for long.

Gen 19:17 The LORD was merciful to Lot and his family, they were told not to look back. This theme continues throughout scripture to remind us to examine our priorities.  How materialistic are we?

“Israel turned back from the LORD wanting the return to Egypt.

“…our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,”  Acts 7:39.

King Saul turned back from obeying the LORD and forfeited his place as ruler over the Kingdom of Israel.

“…, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned backfrom following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel...”  1Sam 15:10-11.

King Hezekiah at the beginning of his reign said of there forefathers,

“…done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and haveturned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.”  2Chron 29:6.

In direct contrast, Jesus fulfilled prophecy in that he did not turn back from obeying his heavenly Father.

“The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Isa 50:5-6.

“Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Where do we stand? Do we look back in our hearts to the of way of life we forsook at our baptism?.

Paul writing to believers gave this warning.

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turnedunto fables”. 2Tim 4:3-4.

At the time of appearing of the Son of Man God’s the judgements of the LORD will fall on this world. Isa 26:10.  Where will we stand? If we seek now to serve the LORD in spirit and in truth, (John 4:23) then by His grace there is mercy there for us. We must answer the question for ourselves, which direction is our heart taking us? To Egypt, to Sodom or is our first priority to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Matt 6:33-34. 

“Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Remember Lot's wife.” Luke 17:30-32.

Gen 19:1 - Sitting in the gateway of the city perhaps Lot was well established, if not a judge.

Gen 19:2-3,32-35 - could this be an echo of the later fellowship meal of bread and wine.

Gen 19:4 - Sodom was even spiritually worse than Abraham had imagined in the previous chapter, no one in Sodom was righteous other than Lot's family.

Gen 19:4-10 - God didn't allow harm to Lot's two virgin daughters, but there is a similar story (Judg 19:22-30) where a virgin daughter lives on (more pure, not in bondage, reminds us of Christ living on) but a concubine (symbolically in bondage to sin just as Christ's tempted in all points as we are flesh was sacrificed).

Gen 19:9;Exo 2:14;Acts 7:27-29 - Moses was also considered an alien who wanted to play judge and then fled and had children.

Gen 19:10 "door<1817>"; Gen 19:11 "door[<6607> this word for door could also have a spiritual application referring to Christ ]" (John 10:7,9).

Gen 19:11 - literally and spiritually blind.

Gen 19:23,24,29 - Lot was rescued and we can be too (Luke 1:74;Rom 7:24;2Cor 1:10;Col 1:13-14).

Gen 19:26 - Lot's wife represents the less spiritual elements who are drawn to for sin and materialism. Nothing can grow in salt.

Gen 19:28;Luke 17:29-32 - the world will be much like Sodom when Christ, the Messiah, returns.

Gen 19:29;Psa 145:19-20- God will destroy the wicked.

Gen 19:37-38 - Both son's "Moab<4124>" and "Ben-Ammi<1151>" echo Christ as one refers to the Son of God and the other the son of man -- the daughters (perhaps tainted by the corruption of Sodom?) had children through unnatural means (incest) while Christ was also born unnaturally. The Moabites and Ammonites became bitter enemies of Abraham's descendents (1Sam 14:47;2Chron 20:1)

19:16 we might remember that Lot’s wife “looked back” and was turned into a pillar of salt – Gen 19:26– but we notice here that Lot “lingered”. He did not seem to see the urgency of the angel’s command. I suppose that is not surprising as he had never seen such a thing as a group of cities being destroyed as he was told was going to happen. The return of Christ will be a unique event. We will need to be willing to leave all behind immediately.

19:29 Four times – Gen 8:1, Gen 19:29, Exo 2:24– we read that “God remembered”. It is not that God had forgotten and all of a sudden these things came back into His mind. Rather He was constantly thinking about the individuals concerned but there now arose a time when He actually intervened on their behalf. This should give us assurance that He will remember all of His faithful servants when He finally rises up to judge the world.

19:9 In taking the position of a “judge” in Sodom Lot had clearly made a bad choice. However God was still willing to see him as “just” – 2Pet 2:8. Herein is encouragement. Our Father is looking for perfection in us but does overlook shortcomings.

19:2-3 The response of the “two angels” that they would not accept Lot’s hospitality by sleep in the street was not a display of Eastern cultural norms. Rather it was a challenge to Lot’s faithfulness.

It would appear that Lot had four or more daughters in Sodom. Some were already married and two were at home and unmarried. Lot went out of the house to get his married daughters and their husbands to leave the city, but them didn't believe his warning and so it was only Lot,his wife and his two unmarried daughters that came out of the city.

19:10 Whilst Lot was endeavouring to reason with the men of Sodom the angles inside the house were well aware of the state of mind of those men. So they drag Lot back into the house and smote the men with blindness.  They were actually blind to the laws of God and so not only was the blindness a precaution to save Lot from immediate danger. It is recorded here to highlight the blindness of this kind of man to the instruction of God.

Further to Bro. Richard Snelling's comment above:

Ever since I first started reading the Bible over 50 years ago, I had assumed Lot only had two daughters, yet verse 8 clearly records Lot had two daughters who were still virgins and living at home and verse 14 clearly records Lot had at least two married daughters who were not living at home and verse 14 specifically records that 'Lot 'went out' of his house (presumably to their houses) to try and persuade them to leave Sodom with him, but tragically, they thought he was mocking them.. Verses 15-16 record that Lot eventually took his two daughters 'which are here' i.e. those two virgin daughters mentioned in verse 8 who were still living with Lot in his house before he left Sodom.

If this interpretation is correct, Lot must have lost at least those two married daughters, two sons-in-law and any grandchildren his daughters families may have had who were not living with him in his house when Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed.

Furthermore, it may well have been concern for the welfare of his two married daughters and their families that resulted in Lot being so reluctant to leave Sodom: with the angels almost having to physically drag him, his wife and his two unmarried daughters out of the area before it was destroyed.

19:11 And they struck them with blindness ... so that they wore themselves out groping for [Lot's] door.

Despite being smitten with blindness, the men of Sodom still tried to find and break down Lot's door. This suggests that their depraved lust was so inflamed that not even sudden blindness would stop them in their depravity. It may be that they were fuelled by narcotics that inflamed their depravity even when they were blinded.

19:14 But [Lot] seemed to his sons in law to be jesting.

Surely the sons-in-law were aware of what had just taken place at Lot's house. After all, "the men of Sodom, both young and old, ALL the people TO THE LAST MAN, surrounded [Lot's] house" (19:4). Yet the sons in law did not reflect on any of this, but saw Lot as a deranged man to be mocked. This is a sad state of affairs in the ecclesia at Sodom (assuming the sons in law were part of it). Lot was an embarrassing nutcase, not to be taken seriously. Indifference to the signs of the times and mockery of those who try to warn others of the urgency of the times, may be part of the times just prior to Christ's return. 

v.9,10 - We think it is our decision don't we? We turn to God and are baptised - it is our free choice - and so it is - but God knew about that choice from the moment we were born (and before that, since the beginning of time) so we were always chosen ones, which gives lifelong (and eternal) protection - from cradle to grave and on to the kingdom - Isa.46:3,4 Isa.49:1 Jer 1:5 Gal 1:15.

v.26 - This is an interesting observation of David's. It certainly isn't this current body that will live for ever, as we will be given a new one, so David says it is our 'heart' - see also 69:32

Whilst v1 might cause us to think that the Psalmist thought that he had been forgotten by God it is clear that as the Psalm proceeds that he did not think like this because he observes [v21] that he knows that God has heard his prayer.

:4-5 To help him to be confident that God will take care of him the Psalmist remembers that God has taken care of His people in the past. We should have the same confidence based on our own experience of God's care for us and the knowledge of how He has worked in the past.

Psalm 22 - Again the heading that appears to be attached to this Psalm, actually belongs as a subscription to Psalm 21. The words "A Psalm of David" signal the true beginning of Psalm 22. This Psalm is part of a group of three Psalms that link together around the theme of the shepherd.

Psalm 22:27 - "and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee" - The word "kindreds" is the same as the word "families" used in the promises to the Patriarchs Gen 12:3, 28:14. It describes that 'circle of relatives' who have become related to Christ out of every nation on the earth because of the work that was accomplished through His death.

22:16 David elsewhere (Psa 59:6,14) speaks of his enemies as dogs. This was when Saul encompassed his house to take and kill him. Maybe when David wrote Psalm 22 he had in mind his experience at that time – Psalm 22 was probably written around the time of the Absalom uprising.

Psalm 22  This is one of the great Messianic Psalms. It is broken down into two parts. (1) Christ's trials. V.1-21 (2) Christ's triumphs. V.22-31 . 

Further breakdown:

v.1,2 - It is not the first time David has felt this way (10:1) and it is a feeling to which we can relate.  Our human frame is such that in times of distress it seems God is so far off, and yet we see, with the development of this Psalm, that this is never the case.

There are several occasions in the Psalms when the word "declare" is used. One is in today's reading, Psa 22:22, where David is to declare to his brothers.  Another use isPsa 19:1, where the heavens speak of God's glory. Another one is Psa 96:3, where the psalmist is to preach to the heathen. All three of these are the same Hebrew word. Therefore our preaching can be thought of as just the natural thing. We must talk about God, both inside and outside the Truth.

V.1 - Why was Christ forsaken by God? In v.24 we read that the Lord was not indifferent to Christ's suffering. It was necessary that Christ be sacrificed Isa 53:12. In Mark 15:34 we find that Christ was not questioning or lacking in understanding but with his dying words made reference to both Psa.22:1 and Gen 22:13 where Isaac, a type of Christ, was being offered and the ram which took his place was caught in a thicket thus Christ actually used the word "sabachthani" which means "(hast thou) entangled me" in place of the Psa.22:1 word "azab" (5800) meaning "relinquish, permit, commit self, forsake, leave, refuse",etc. He wanted people to note the Old Test prophecies regarding his sacrifice.

22:12   The bulls answer to the ox of Exo 21:29 and speaks of the Jewish leaders in the days of Jesus. Their very actions against Jesus made them like the ox that had pushed before – they had been doing this all through the ministry of Jesus.

22:2 ‘thou hearest not’ indicates that David, at some time, felt that his prayers were not answered. It may be that this Psalm was about the son that was born to Bathsheba which died. If so then David did not get his desire even though he later accepted God’s answer – 2Sam 12:22-23

The title of this Psalm is Aijeleth eth shahar which means as best as we can determine The hind of the morning or dawn. We have not been able to think of a reason that this Psalm is so titled. We have read of suggestions, but they do not seem to make sense. Any thoughts?

v6  The Strong's word for "worm" is 08438 "towla", & Strong's quotes this from "Biblical Basis for Modern Science" 1985 by Henry Morris (pg 73) :

"the worm "coccus ilicis"...when the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly & permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched & able to enter their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body & the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. What a picture this gives of Christ, dying on the tree, shedding his precious blood that he might "bring many sons unto glory" (Heb 2:10) He died for us that we might live through Him. "

When Jesus was dying on the cross, He voiced aloud the opening words to this psalm (Matt 27:46). Thoughtful Jewish listeners would understand to what He was referring. They could then reflect on the rest of the psalm to understand that He, indeed, was the promised messiah.

Jesus and His Father always had an uncommonly close relationship (John 5:19-21; 10:30; 14:11). Could it be that the Father withdrew His presence and left Jesus to suffer his final moments on the cross alone?

22:17    In saying ‘they look and stare’ David is speaking, in spirit, of the crucifixion of Jesus – Matt 27:36

V.29 - none can keep alive [his own "soul" KJV or "themselves" NIV - the Hebrew word used here is "nephesh" (5315) and its primary meaning stands for creature, a breathing creature  man or animal. It is rendered variously : life, person, creature, self, soul] - The soul is mortal - nowhere in the Bible do you find the words "immortal soul" together.

22:22   This verse is quoted – Heb 2:12 – as Jesus’ own words that he could express because of  his resurrection. We become Jesus’ ‘brethren’ because of his willingness to die for us. It is not a natural right we have. It is a wonderful privilege that we share.

V.23 Those who heard Jesus reference this psalm would remember this appeal to Israel.

They would also be assured that Yahweh would never abandon His Son (v.24).

They would know that Yahweh would resurrect His Son (v.25).

Perhaps their thoughts would have also been directed to Psa 16:10.

There were some, having watched and heard Jesus, who believed (Matt 27:54).

Christ was prophetically mocked and insulted - Psa 22:7-8,17;Matt 27:39-43.

Christ prophetically thirsted - Psa 22:15;69:21;John 19:28.

Christ's hands and feet were prophetically pierced - Psa 22:16;Matt 27:31,35-36;Luke 24:36-40.

Soldiers prophetically cast lots for Christ's clothing - Psa 22:18;Matt 27:35;John 19:23-24.

22:3 The idea that God ‘inhabits’ is ‘enthroned’ RV margin is an interesting concept. God’s dwelling is, so to speak, made more comfortable by our praise. Does that motivate us to praise our Father.

Though this Psalm is a prophecy of Jesus, it is derived from David's own life. Which time in David's life do you think it could refer to? There are some clues in the text:

v6 a reproach and despised by the people

v7 being ridiculed

v14-15,17 a serious illness?

v20 in danger from the sword

If you have any answers, please could you let me know by clicking "reply to" below?

22:8    This verse was on the lips of Jesus’ enemies – Matt 27:43 – when he was crucified. Little did they know that they were fulfilling elements of the Psalm which Jesus took great comfort from.

22:30-31        Jesus’ resurrection produces “brethren” – Psa 22:22– and these “children” are the “seed” and because of their preaching of God’s work of salvation even more will join the family of God.

Psa 22:1,24;Gen 22:3,4,9 - neither God or Abraham would forsake or abandon their sons.

Psa 22:2;Heb 5:7 - God heard His son's prayers and cries.

Psa 22:12;Gen 41:51 - Bashan was in the territory of Manasseh, Jesus was encircled by those who had forgotten his Father's house.

Psa 22:22;Heb 2:11-12;Rev 19:4 - Christ will declare God's name to his brothers and in the congregation will praise God.

Psa 22:23;Rev 19:5 - those who fear the Lord will praise him.

Psa 22:25;Rev 19:6 - there will be praise in the great assembly (i.e. future worshipping and praise in the kingdom of the Lord); sounded like a great multitude.

Psa 22:26;Rev 19:7,9 - meek shall eat and be satisfied; marriage supper of the lamb.

Psa 22:27-28;Rev 11:15 - there will be worldwide worshipping of the Lord when the Lord's kingdom is on earth.

Psa 22:30;1Pet 2:9 - posterity will serve the Lord and future generations will be told about him.

Psa 22:31;John 19:30 - in these two verses we have the fulfillment of the memorial name - "he has done it"; "it is finished". 

22:7      To add to the other occasions when we have noted how the words of this Psalm are seen in the crucifixion of Jesus we can add “they shake the head” which we see in Matt 27:39

22:18     The statement about his garments being parted speaks of what would happen to Jesus as can be seen in Matt 27:35

22:7    The laughing to scorn is prophetic of the way that Jesus was treated as can be seen in Mark 5:40

22   One of the many verbal links which connect Psa 22 and Psa 32 is the use of “roaring” here.

22:8-9 When the Jewish leaders cast the words of verse :8 at Jesus we can imagine him finishing their response, in his heart, with verse :9.

22:16 the pierced hands and feet is further prophesied in Zech 13:6 where, clearly, Jesus’ crucifixion is spoken of.

22:7-8 Our confidence in God can be shaken when we find that our prayers seem to be herd and then others start to cast doubt on God’s willingness to help. When in difficulty we should seek out the comfort of those who share our expectations and not those who would cast doubt on those expectations.

Psa 22:1 - "my God" refers to David's God but also in a prophetic sense to Christ's God thus indicating Christ isn't God (Matt 27:46;Mark 15:34)

Psa 22:1 - Christ took the burden of our sins. We have the curse of death because of sin and thus if not for Christ we would be foresaken and without hope.

Psa 22:9 - "womb<990>"; Psa 22:10 - "womb<7358>", "belly<990>"

Psa 22:11-12 - Christ not helped; Exo 21:28-32 - been warned and thus believers are responsible for behavior, etc. Redeemed by Christ's sacrifice of Exo 21:30; Christ betrayed for 30 pieces of silver; Christ was a slave to his Father's will even to the point of Christ's being temporarily put to death.

Psa 22:13 - Christ reminds of Daniel in the lion's den (Dan 6:14-22)

Psa 22:14 - crucifixion would pull shoulders and wrists out of joint and it is thought by some medical experts that Christ's heart literally broke with water and blood being poured out.

Psa 22:16 - "pierced<738>"; Psa 22:21 - "lions<738>"

Psa 22:16 - "assembly<5712>"; Psa 22:22 - "congregation<6951>"

Psa 22:17 -not a bone of Christ's was broken (Exo 12:46;Num 9:12;Psa 34:20;John 19:33,36).

Psa 22:23 - "seed<2233>"

Psa 22:23 - "fear<3373>"; "fear<1481>"

Psa 22:23,25 - "praise<1984>"; "praise<8416>"

Psa 22:29 - "fat<1879>"

22:4      “Our fathers trusted in thee” and the subsequent deliverance of those individuals should encourage us in our struggles in life. This is why the scriptures, especially the Old Testament are full of details of the lives of individuals. It is not simply history. It is a record of how God cares for His children.

22:2-6  Notice the progression. David prayed but felt he was not heard even though his forefathers prayed and were heard. So he concludes he is on little value. We need to be so careful that we do not think God does not care when our prayers are not answered as we would like them to be answered or we consider that they have not been heard.

22:11,19 Twice David asks for God to be “near” him. David – Jesus in spirit – was in dire straits due to the persecution of men. Whilst |Jesus was “filled with the holy spirit” (Luke 4:1) he saw his help and deliverance as coming from God and not by his own use of the miraculous powers that he had.

Psa 22:1

“MY God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

Interestingly, this verse translated from the Holy Bible of Ancient Eastern Text reads: “MY God, my God, why hast thou let me to live?” Considering Christ hung on the stake for 6 hours, having already been brutally beaten, tortured and weakened for hours prior, it is more believable that he wanted to have it over with and in essence asked his Father why he must suffer for so long - why is he still alive? I expect it was quite a relief when he uttered the final words, “It is finished” (cf. Luke 12:50). By this he proclaimed that all the work the Father sent him to complete had been completed in his final act of dying, and the punishment due for our sins was “paid in full.”

In 1Chron 28:20, “David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Yahweh Elohim, even my Elohim, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of Yahweh.”

The Father by His very nature would not turn away from, or forsake His only begotten son, especially at the moment for which the Father had prepared His son, and that is to reconcile the world unto Himself. God did not turn away or forsake the first Adam after his sin of disobedience and will He forsake His obedient son, the last Adam, who did all things to please Him?

Jesus did not quote Psa 22:1 of this Psalm in Matt 27:46 as, “… why hast thou forsaken me,” only to contradict Psa 22:24. Without question, though, the Psalms prophecy about Jesus: Psa 22:7; cp Matt 27:39; Psa 22:8; cp Matt 27:43; Psa 22:18; cp. Matt 27:35, it’s just that he did not quote this verse as claimed. The Aramaic translation gives us a greater insight as to just how much agony our Saviour went through to pay a debt we could never pay. (cf. notes on Matt 27:46, 2022).

22:7 Whenever we are reluctant to speak of our faith lest those we are speaking to think us foolish maybe it would be helpful to think of Jesus who never held back in speaking of his Father despite the ridicule and even threats to his life that he endured.

22:11  If only we could have David’s awareness of the true situation of life. In saying “there is none to help” David is not despairing. Rather he has stating that he does not look to man and his solutions to solve his problems. Rather, recognising that he looks to his God.

v.30 makes it clear that the position regarding whether we follow God or not is very black and white. We either do or we don't, there is no middle ground - no fence-sitting is allowed, or even possible Mt.6:24 This never has been allowed - Jos.24:15. The opposite statement, found in Mark 9:40 and Luke 9:50 confirms this. If there was room for a shade of grey in this black and white statement, it would come out here - you can hear the listener saying "Well, not necessarily ... " There is no middle ground - not even a tight-rope on which to teeter. 2Cor.6:15,16. The Laodiceans tried and failed miserably - Rev.3:14-16

:28 In saying that he casts out devils by 'the spirit of God' Jesus is reminding his critics of the awareness that the Egyptian magicians had [Exodus 8:19] in the face of Moses' miracles. Consequently Jesus is saying that those Egyptian magicians were more perceptive when seeing the hand of God at work than were his critics.

:34 This is the first time Jesus has referred his antagonists as 'vipers'. He will do this again in his summing up of their attitude at the end of his life (23:33)

Matthew 12 - The Pharisees' true character is revealed in this chapter. Jesus allowed His disciples to pluck ears of corn as they walked, as was allowed under the Law - Deut 23:25 - but the Pharisees deemed such action "unlawful."  Yet they had no qualms about holding council together how they might "destroy Him" ..... on a Sabbath Day!! Matthew 12:14.

Matthew 12:36-37 - What do you think Christ meant, when He warned the Pharisees that "every idle word" that is uttered, we must give an account of at the Great Assize? Can it mean that we will be required to justify every "lighter moment", the foolish jesting if you like, that often creeps into our speech? Or is Christ warning of something of far greater importance than flippant speech? Surely, discourse tending to innocent mirth, to exhilarate the spirits, is not idle discourse; just as the time spent in necessary recreation is not idle time. The word "idle" conveys the idea of "being unemployed" in the Greek, cp Matt 20:3-6. It is a word descriptive of that 'which produces no good effect, and neither is it calculated to produce any'. Thayer tells us that it carries the idea of "pernicious" [suggesting "highly hurtful, ruinous, unsound, noxious" ] in Matt 12:36. This has led some to suggest that our Lord is warning that every "unfounded, unsound, or pernicious reasoning" we hold concerning Christ, His character, His mission, or His commandments, will need to be explained by us to Him at the Judgement [Mercy?] Seat. "For by your (Grk. "logos") 'reasonings' [about Christ] shall ye be justified; and by your (Grk. "logos") 'reasonings' [about Christ] shall ye be condemned". For a classic example of "reasoning" that has no foundation at all in the Word of God, examine the "reasoning" [about Christ] supplied by the "wicked and slothful servant" in Matt 25:24-30 & Luke 19:21-27 to justify his inappropriate behaviour toward his fellows.

{For further excellent thoughts on this subject, please read pages 20-23 of 'Principles and Proverbs' by Bro Islip Collyer.}

12:1 Whilst we saw that the disciples had left Jesus in the last chapter (Matt 10:1-6) they have now returned and are with him again.

:1-8 - We have here an example of Jesus' argument about law and grace.  We see the law as interpreted by the legalist Pharisees exposed in its stupidity, where the contrast is presented in v.7 - showing the need for us to understand things in the context of mercy.  Compare Jesus' words in ch. 9:13, where this is explained.  Perhaps he was pointing his listeners to his own previous words?

Matt 12:22 "The blind and the dumb BOTH spake and saw". It appears that this individual who was both blind and dumb was possessed with two devils. (One demon was his blindness, the other his inability to speak.) 

Vs.48-50  Jesus is making the point that his spiritual family is far more important than his natural one.  This is the pattern that we ought to follow.  Jesus does not give his mother Mary any special consideration in this matter.  Contrast that with the practice of some churches that erroneously promote Mary to a divine position. 

v.14 - Notice that when Jesus answers a question with an argument that they cannot dispute, rather than lose face, the Scribes and Pharisees seek to destroy him.  Their minds were totally closed to the call of the gospel.  We must endeavour at all times to keep ours open.  It is clear that salvation is not available to anyone by the keeping of rules.

V.34 The principle in this verse is obvious enough, yet of deepest significance and vast application. In Luke 6:45 we find it uttered as part of the discourse delivered after the choosing of the apostles.

V.25-28 - the degree of hatred, jealousy, desperation, fear, and grasping at straws on the part of the Pharisees is clearly shown because if Christ was the prince of demons he would be fighting against his own purpose/allies if he were to drive them out.

V.32 - the unforgivable sin. An interesting verse demonstrating that the power of God (Holy Spirit) is to be treated with even greater reverence than Christ. Another reminder that God is greater than Christ John 14:28

V.43-45 - we must replace bad with good so we don't fall into a worse rut.

V.47-50; John 7:5 - even Jesus' brothers didn't believe in him at this point in time.

12:10    It is probable that the man with the withered hand had been brought in to the synagogue to try to trap Jesus.

V.21 The time has now come in the Divine plan that the command not to make Jesus known (.V16) was to be withdrawn. Israel's Saviour must become the Saviour of all mankind. Hence this verse confirms the words of Isa 42

v32 if one denies the power of God, that power cannot be used to forgive, and therefore the sin remains unforgiven.

v34-37 our words are the fruit of what is in our hearts, and therefore by saying that we will be judged by our words, Jesus is saying that actually we are judged by what is in our hearts. The words are only the outward manifestation. Therefore to wonder whether we are judged on each frivolous word is not the point. God knows the attitude behind them.

The Pharisees accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.  He of-course showed how stupid this idea was, by saying that a house divided against itself could not stand. Beelzebub would find nice comfortable homes for his demons, not cast them out! But then the Lord leads on to the difficult idea of unforgivable sins (Matt 12:31,32). The Pharisees had blasphemed against the Holy Spirit. They had accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebub, rather than possessing the Holy Spirit.  He is therefore saying that their crime is unforgivable. The words at the end of Matt 12:32 probably mean that such blasphemy are not forgiven under the Law of Moses (= this world, or age), nor in the Christian era about to start. It does not mention the judgement, or the Kingdom. So, we must assume, that everything is possible to be forgiven at Christ’s judgement seat.  He will not be bound by “minimum sentences”, as our judges are.

12:10 What a situation to get into! To even question whether it is ‘lawful’ to do good! This is the mind which is so careful to hedge his life about with rules that he is unable to exercise his conscience. Beware lest we become like this.

Jesus said: blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (v.31). The Pharisees blasphemed the Spirit when they attributed the power of the Lord's miracles to Beelzebub and not to Yahweh (v.24). Baal-Zebub was a Philistine god (2Kin 1:2). Baal-Zvuv literally means Master (Lord) of the fly. Flies are attracted to effluence, particularly to excrement. The Pharisees intent on discrediting the power of Yahweh, and they chose the vilest of figures to do so.

12:7   Jesus had already drawn the Pharisees attention to Hos 6:6 – in Matt 9:13 – but as they had not taken heed to what it said Jesus now explains its significance to them.

V.14 The Pharisees had been given two scriptural lessons from Jesus.  But, instead of accepting them, they held tight to their position and plotted to destroy Him.  How willing are we to change our position when shown a scriptural lesson?  Do we hang on to our old ways because pride will not allow us to be wrong?  Let us keep open minds, strive to learn, and be willing to change our positions when sound reasoning from the scriptures is given.

12:3Jesus’ appeal to David’s behaviour also relates to events on the Sabbath. The shewbread was changed on the Sabbath – Lev 24:8 – and David’s men arrived on the day that the shewbread was changed - 1Sam 21:6 . If the king of Israel were able to violate not only the Sabbath but the use of the shewbread the one who was lord of the Sabbath could allow his disciples to pluck corn which was not even spoken of in the Law of Moses.

In v11 Jesus tries to get the hard hearted rulers to recognise the mercy in their own hearts. If they own sheep, wouldn't they be moved to help them no matter what time of day or night? And if that is true, then how much more concern does God have for men and women whom He owns (v12)? So having made that connection, the rulers ought to have learned that the law was given by God for the express purpose to protect and look after His men and women, and not to be used to condemn them needlessly (v7). God's law about gleaning was actually for the purpose the disciples used it in v1 (see Lev 23:21-22). Amazingly the law of the Sabbath comes in the verse adjacent to it, and looking more closely reveals to us that it is only "customary work" i.e. day to day work that is forbidden.

To what use do we put the word of God? Is it to tie up or condemn others? Surely the gospel of peace is not designed for that purpose?

In Matt 12:38, they asked the Lord for a ‘sign’. Other than Gen 1, the first time we come across the idea of a sign is in Exodus 4 where the LORD gives Moses the ability to be able to perform certain ‘signs’ so that the Israelites would believe that God had sent him. The second of these signs was that Moses would be able to make one of his hands leprous and then restore it so that it was ‘turned again as his other flesh’ (Ex 4:7). Following this, God told Moses that he, the LORD, was in control of speech, hearing and sight (Ex 4:11). This is significant because Jesus had just healed the man with the withered hand so that it was ‘restored whole, like as the other’. Then he had showed his power over speech (and hearing? Gr. Kophos=deaf and dumb) and sight. When Moses had performed these signs, the Israelites had believed (Ex 4:30,31), but now Jesus was doing the same, it wasn’t enough for them. They still needed more signs. The fact is no number signs would have been enough for the Jewish leaders. It shows how entrenched the human heart can become. A warning for us.

12:18-22 The point of the quotation from Isaiah is that Messiah would not establish his authority by show. His appeal was to the individual who, on seeing the evidence, was convinced. We need to be careful that we do not equate a brash show with evidence.

12:1 plucking the ears was allowed by the law. The law prohibited gathering corn (to take away) Deut 23:25

12:24  The Pharisees could not fault Jesus’ behaviour nor could they deny his miracles. So they stooped to character assassination, as it is called today. We must be very careful that we never stoop to these depths when speaking of anyone.  We should only ever comment based on a person's words or actions.

Ch 12 v8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. How is the Lord Jesus Lord of this day? He exhibited the true principles of the Sabbath as outlined in Is 58. He was the embodiment of those priciples which showed how we ought to act to others and display love for our neighbour and in so doing our love for God. The Sabbath was made for man that he might develop spiritually and here was one who was the epitome of all spiritual development. It also points us forward to the kingdom where on that 7th day (7000 years) Jesus will be Lord over all the Earth and the people will bring forth praise to honour our heavenly Father
 

12:23  ‘is not this the son of David’ is not simply a comment about Jesus’ ancestry as being of Judah. Nor is it just a realisation that he is the person mentioned in Matt 9:27 Rather it is a recognition of the Messiaship of Jesus.

12:2   What were the Pharisees doing in the corn field? We have to conclude that they were following and watching Jesus and his disciples. Maybe this was a hazard that Jesus and his disciples had to endure right throughout Jesus’ ministry. Men lurking around simply to find fault. 

12:4   The account of David’s behaviour – 1Sam 21 -  makes no mention of David entering into the tabernacle. Jesus’ inspired comment causes us to realise that to all intents and purpose by taking the shewbread Jesus entered the tabernacle

12:11-14        It is clear from the order of events in these verses that Jesus’ prime motive in his life was to heal people. Rather his first priority was that people understood the principles of compassion that are seen in God’s character.

12:8      In claiming to be “lord” of the Sabbath Jesus is not being arrogant but rather drawing on the way that the Psalmist speaks of the purpose of the Sabbath – Psa 92:1-15

Matt 12:1 I wonder why it recorded about walking through a field of corn? No words are wasted in scripture.

Luke 6:1 records it slightly differently. And adds it was on the second sabbath or a double sabbath.

It was of course a field after sowing with seed now full of fruit, a fruitful field.

Events here are almost seen in type in Lev 23:10-13

Where we see the wave offering (feast of firstfruits), it was a double sabbath so indivative of the feast of firstfruits.

What happened on this feast? We read of it in Lec 23:10-15

A priest would offer a sheaf before God, dedicating the offering to him a male lamb was then sacrificed as an offering to God (burnt) along with bread, oil and wine, only after the offering was performed could the crop be used.

Here was all this things stood in that field, priest, lamb, bread, wine dedication and sacrifice to God!

Matt 12:1-6

Christ in reproving the Pharisees over his disciples picking grain and eating them on the Sabbath, used the example of David breaking a Ceremonial Law and the priests breaking the Sabbath by their ceremonial work. Christ is not saying the Sabbath command permitted such work, but rather the keeping of ceremonial work was so much more important, that the Sabbath could be broken in order to do it (v. 5)! He did this also in John 7:22,23, saying that circumcision was more important to keep than the required amount of work done on the Sabbath to do it. Christ connected the Sabbath with the Ceremonial Laws. Can anyone imagine Jesus saying that a Moral Law could be broken because a ritual had to be performed?

The Civil Laws were ordinances regulating the job of the tribe of Levi in temple services and sacrifices (Lev 1 - Lev 7), and their associated functions.

In Col 2:16, Paul puts the Sabbath into the same category as other Ceremonial Laws that involved food, drink, festivals, and new moons.

Allusions to the Sabbath may be seen in Gal 4:10,11 where Paul disapproves of the Galatians observing special days.

The context in Gal 2:16, “works of the law” refers to the labour involving the Levitical rituals that were abolished by Christ’s sacrifice. No one is justified in keeping the works of the law, of which the Sabbath was very much a part of! The Moral Laws dealt with moral issues and were not part of the Levitical sacrificial system.

"Consequently, we do well to realize the solemn obligations of our position, while thanking God for its great privileges. Like Israel, we also have received commandments to observe; and if, like Israel, we refuse to obey, like Israel we shall be cast away in anger to destruction. We have not been commanded to circumcise; we have not been commanded to offer our first-born to the Lord, with sacrifice of lamb or turtledove; we have not been commanded to observe sabbaths, and feasts, and times, and seasons, and to repair to the priest in Jehovah's sanctuary in the confession of our sins with the blood of bulls and goats. These appertained to the first covenant, and were done away in Christ." FURTHER SEASONS OF COMFORT, Robert Roberts, 1946 edition, p. 264

Matt 12:1-6

A reader writes: “I will be visiting my friend (ex-Christadelphian) shortly and we will talk about the sabbath keeping at that time… My question is…. Did the OT priests ‘work’ on the sabbath?”

My reply: The priesthood differed in that on the Sabbath they still had to perform their ordinary Temple work as any other day and prepare for the sacrifices, yet were “blameless” (cf. Num 28:9,10). They followed the Sabbath directives given to them by God! On Sabbath days, the priests would have to put fresh showbread on the altar. The stale bread was taken away, and only the priests were allowed to eat of it, etc. (Lev 24:8,9). Also, the Sabbath did not forbid good acts, and Christ gave examples of them.

What Christ pointed out to the Pharisees was that if the Sabbath had to give way to the Temple Services, then how much more to him! There is no Levitical priesthood today; there is no Temple altar. Christ is our altar; he is Lord of the Sabbath.

You may wish to also point out that in Heb 7:11-18, it was under the Levitical priesthood the nation of Israel received the Law of Moses. The Sabbath Law was given under the Levitical priesthood of which Paul speaks has been changed and this necessitated a change also of the Law. The Ceremonial and Judicial Laws, referred to as “carnal commandments,” no longer apply under the Yahuda priesthood of Christ.

Matt 12:1-8

The following is written for those who are not sure if we should keep the Sabbath:

For hundreds of years the controversy continues to rage among those who advocate a Sunday Sabbath, Saturday Sabbath, or no Sabbath. Sabbatarians claim those who do not observe the Sabbath have the “mark of the beast” and shall suffer the seven last plagues of Revelation! They fervently argue that the cycle Sunday through Saturday has run continuously from Creation. They are positive, that they can prove irrefutably that our seventh day, Saturday, is the same day Christ observed, yet dispute among themselves whether the Sabbath begins at noon or evening. Why all the confusion?

The Fourth Commandment (Num 5:12-15) is part of the 10 Commandments God gave to Moses. This commandment specifically states, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt… therefore, the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.” When were we literally servants in the land of Egypt? The Sabbath is the only ordinance (cf. Lev 23:14-16; Num 28:9,10) given in the Ten Commandments, and as with the other ordinances and ceremonials, we are no longer subject to it (Col 2:20). The late Herbert W. Armstrong, Church of God, a great proponent of Sabbath keeping, firmly stated the Sabbath is in effect today and binding on all Christians. This is contrary to what the Holy Spirit filled apostle Paul said!

http://www.hwalibrary.com/cgi-bin/get/hwa.cgi?action=getbklet&InfoID=1323030586/  Can we be that positive he is right? Can we positively prove the Sabbath day in the Julian, then Gregorian calendar today is the SAME day that Yahweh pronounced a day of rest in Gen 2:3 over 6,000 years ago?

The Gregorian calendar we use today dropped ten days from the Julian calendar, which had also shifted incorrectly the immovable Feasts by 13 days, and restored the beginning of the year to the same place in the seasons that it had occupied at the time of the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. being January 1. The Julian spring vernal equinox, which occurred on March 11, was restored by Pope Gregory to the 21^st of March.

In Liturgical Havoc Wreaked By the “New Julian” Calendar, by Hiermonk Cassian, we read: “Nowhere else do we encounter such a discrepancy, viz., the simultaneous use for the same purpose of two incompatible calendars. Has anyone, for example, ever tried to combine the Sothic Calendar with the Chinese Calendar? The notion is absurd. Moreover, if modernists were to apply the New Calendar to the movable cycle of Feasts as literally as they have for the immovable one, Pascha would have to be shifted by thirteen days—in which case it would always fall on a Monday, a canonical and liturgical violation so blatant that even modernists would find the idea laughable.”

The old-style Julian Calendar of eight-day weeks were totally independent of the monthly division, and was so until 321 A.D. when Emperor Constantine the Great created the modern seven-day week by REDUCING THE ROMAN WEEKLY CYCLE BY ONE DAY. He took the old Roman calendar, lopped a day to create our present weekly cycle. This began what is now known as the “Christian Period” of the Julian Calendar. It is a historical fact that considerable changes were made to the Julian Calendar by the Babylonian Jews at almost the same time Constantine made this major change to the Julian Calendar!

The Gregorian calendar was adopted throughout Europe and most of the Western world and parts of Asia. Great Britain adopted it in 1752 with another correction of an eleven day discrepancy, the day after September 2, 1752 became September 14. They adopted January 1 as the date for the New Year.

http://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-gregorian-calendar/ The Soviet Union adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1918, but countries associated with the Greek Church retained the Julian, or old-style calendar. Did all these changes affect the true weekly Biblical cycle? According to Herbert W. Armstrong, it did not. He claims the ten was dropped from the number of days in the month, and not from the number of days in the week! The Catholic Encyclopedia concurs with this. We read in volume 9, p. 251, “Thus, every imaginable proposition was made, only one idea was never mentioned, viz., the abandonment of the seven-day week.” Yet, in volume 3, p. 740, it states, “it is to be noted that in THE CHRISTIAN PERIOD, the order of days in the week has never been interrupted.” This clearly implies that the prior to the Christian Period, the order of days in the week were, indeed, changed. While the order of the days in the week were not changed during ‘The Christian Period,’ the number of the day God designated as the seventh was lost in the rearrangement of the months! By shifting September as the first month of the year to January, God’s seventh-day was irretrievably lost!

http://time.com/4161658/new-year-eve-day-january-history-celebrate/

Some celebrated the new year during the vernal equinox around March 20, the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, celebrated their new year during the autumnal equinox around September 20, while the Greeks celebrated it during the winter solstice around December 20! The Jewish new year of Rosh Hashana to this day falls in September around 21, 22.

http://www.adsb.co.uk/date_and_time/calendar_reform_1752/

Up until 70 A.D., the Israelites kept the correct Sabbath and Festival days, as there is no record of the Israelites keeping the wrong days, which would have been condemned by the apostle Paul. Christ, Lord of the Sabbath, would have known when the Sabbath was (Mark 2:27,28; cf. Luke 4:16). They were keeping the correct Sabbath up until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. when they were scattered to all the nations. The Encyclopedia Britannica Volume 4, “Calendar” notes: “The calendar was originally fixed by observation, and ultimately by calculation. Up to the fall of the Temple (A.D. 70), witnesses who saw the new moon came forward and were strictly examined and if their evidence was accepted the month was fixed by the priests. Eventually the authority passed to the SANHEDRIN, and ultimately to the PATRIARCH…”

http://www.creationcalendar.com/AnsweringObjections/Objection17.html/

With such a hodgepodge of days and dates and festival changes, how is it possible to designate the TRUE Sabbath day? Contrary to the claims by Sabbatarians, it is NOT possible to know, we CANNOT be sure, we CANNOT prove, which day of the week today is the same seventh-day of Yahweh, nor is it necessary. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a command for us to keep the Sabbath ordinance, a ceremonial law requiring animal sacrifices, abrogated after the death and resurrection of Christ!

My further notes on the Sabbath: Gen 2:2,3; Exo 20:8; Num 15:32-36; Deut 5:12.

Matt 12:30

“He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”

Scripture is rife with admonitions not to keep company with unbelievers, even with those who once bore the name of brother/sister (1Cor 5:11,13; 2Cor 6:14; 2John 1:10,11).

Those who left the Truth and willfully joined themselves to other churches, praising them while condemning Christadelphian teachings, Scripture identifies as the “enemy of God” (James 4:4). Yet, at times, I hear these addressed as “lost sisters,” “lost brothers,” or “lost friends” with which friendship is maintained in hopes they will come around some day. To cite the parable of the “lost sheep” is to take this parable totally out of context!

In Titus 3:9,10, those who returned to the “weak and beggarly elements” with hopes of being saved by works are further identified by Titus as heretics … “subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself,” and to reject such after the first and second admonition! How can anyone call an enemy of God, a heretic, their friend? Unbelievers are servants of sin (John 8:34); believers are servants of Christ (1Cor 7:22).

Is it possible to have friendships with heretics and be pleasing to God at the same time? Some seem to think so even after 20 some years, and wallowing in their noble attempts to regain them, justify it, and value disobedience to Scriptural command more than obedience to it! Who is our sister, brother, mother, father, but those who do the will of God (Mark 3:33-35 cf. 2Cor 6:13-15; 2John 1:10,11)! The apostle Paul had to declare, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all that I might win the more…” (1Cor 9:19). Paul had to become free from people, not befriend them, before he could try to lead them to Christ!  

We are to teach those that oppose the truth, and be patient and kind with difficult people. We are to teach and show the way of life not build friendships with unbelievers thinking we can be a positive influence on them in the process. Scripture has given us serious warnings against this. Disobedience to His way of approach is showing hatred toward God, whether we realize it or not!

12:2-3 The challenge that the Pharisees brought clearly indicates that they felt that their own interpretation about “work” was a correct understanding of the Law of Moses and working on the Sabbath., But notice Jesus does not correct their miss understanding. Rather he simply apples to a biblical example pf one they revered and his actions on a Sabbath day. This is far more profitable than getting into a debate about an understanding of the Sabbath laws.

Matt 12:25,26

“… house divided against itself cannot stand...”

“NO organization, not even an apostolic one, can work well, that is scripturally, which is not composed of elements more zealous for the advancement of the Truth, and the promotion of the glory of its divine Author, than of their own notions and exaltation. The first necessary thing is, that the members shall have become little children, having their old Adam subdued by faith, and Christ substituted in his place by the same principle. Without this disposition, which is ‘peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy,’ no organization could work harmoniously and efficaciously, though framed and administered by the Apostles themselves. Even a bad organization with good materials would work better than a good one with a self-willed, heady, factious, and self-glorying people. The members must all respect the apostolic teaching if they would have an organization that would be scriptural, and satisfactory to all good men. This teaching says, ‘By love serve one another.’ ‘Be not desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.’ Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.’ ‘Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.’ ‘Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.’ ‘Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.’ ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’” (Emphasis added)

Brother Dr. John Thomas, Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, 1854

Abraham Lincoln gave this speech on June 16, 1858, using Scripture: “A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South.”

On March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States and assassinated for his political views on April 14, 1865.  While he did vindicate the U.S. Constitution, to this very day, the “house” is divided and the “house” will fall because, a "house divided against itself cannot stand.” Cf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi-V_ilJu0w/

Matt 12:1 - "the ears of corn<4719>"

Matt 12:1-5,13-14 - on the Sabbath the disciples broke no law in plucking grain and Jesus also healed, but on the Sabbath the Pharisees plotted to kill; VS 3-4 David broke a minor law to meet a human need (1Sam 22:2)

Matt 12:2 - "Pharisees<5330>"

Matt 12:5,11-12 - the priests performed some duties on the Sabbath and it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath; VS 11-12 a man is of more value than a sheep, thus Christ, the lamb of God, was lifted out of the pit and on the 7th millennial day of rest Christ, the good shepherd, will resurrect his sheep out of the pit.

Matt 12:8 - the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath; perhaps this foreshadows the 7th millennial day whern Christ will reign on earth as king of kings and Lord of Lords.

Matt 12:8 - "Sabbath day<4521>"

Matt 12:12 - "well<2573>"

Matt 12:14-21 - was prophesied by Isa 42:1-4

Matt 12:18 - Christ is God's servant (Acts 3:13).

Matt 12:20 - Christ encourages those reeds who are bruised (i.e. spiritually weak).

Matt 12:21 - Gentiles have hope

Matt 12:24 - "Beelzebub<954>"

Matt 12:24 - according to "Studies in the Gospels", by H.A. Whittaker, p251, Biblia pub., Staffordshire,UK, 1984: "Baalzebul" mentioned in Ras Shamra tablets referred to the god of the underworld and meant "Lord of the dwelling", i.e. Lord of the temple where he was worshipped. In "Baalzebub" the Jews distorted the name to mean "Lord of the flies" (note Ecc 10:1 "flies<2070>") suggesting Lord of the dung heap.

Matt 12:24-28 - if Christ used evil powers, why would he use them to do good? It would be illogical and self defeating to do so.

Matt 12:26 - "Satan<4567>"

Matt 12:29 - the one entering (i.e. Christ) must tie up the strong man (i.e. sin).

Matt 12:30 - "He that is not with me is against me" (Luke 9:50 - reads a bit differently)

Matt 12:30, 46-50 - we can't be neutral toward Jesus, his 1/2 bros James and Jude initially weren't for him and thus were scattering (John 7:2-5).

Matt 12:30-32 - blasphemy against God's power/ability to heal, or to trivialize, or to demean, or to deny is the unforgivable sin; God gave Christ the power to heal and the Pharisees, who were witnesses of healings, denied God's power (i.e. Holy Spirit) of healing.

Matt 12:31 - "blasphemy<988>"

Matt 12:31,43 - "Ghost<4151>", "spirit<4151>"

Matt 12:32 - "speaketh<2036>", "against<2596>"

Matt 12:36-37 - the day of judgment where we will be judged by our words, so with knowledge comes responsibility (Luke 4:24-29;1Pet 4:3-5 (esp. RSV Bible);Rom 2:1-16;2Thess 1:4-10;1Thess 2:14;Acts 10:42;Acts 24:14-25).

Matt 12:38-42 - the sign of Jonah, baptism is necessary for salvation (John 3:5).

Matt 12:39 - "Jonas[<2495> means dove]" and Matt 3:16 "dove<4058>"

12:1-2 Try to visualise the scene. If you have walked through a field of standing corn you will realise that if there is a pathway at all it is a narrow strip of land. But now we have Jesus and his disciples – at least the 12 – and also there are others there as well. There were Pharisees. One might imagine that the owner of the field would have been troubled that there were so many people wandering through his crops?

12:15 Jesus avoided teaching in towns, preferring rather the countryside. Isa 42:2 – indicates where Jesus’ voice would not be heard.

12:42-45  Jesus is clear here. He is teaching that simply trying to remove an evil trait is not particularly effective. Rather the trait has to be replaced with something better. A busy life in the things of God makes it more difficult to fall into bad practices.

12:5 The religious leaders had doubtless given consideration to the apparent violation of the law of the Sabbath by the requirement to circumcise a male on the eighth day. Whereas that apparent problem should have caused them to ponder and conclude that principles matter more than rules they clearly had not. Therefore they condemned the disciples.

12:14 This is the first time on Mathew’s account of Jesus’ life that we learn of the plot to kill Jesus.