Comments for January 11

20v.6 - Here we have direct intervention by God - 'suffered him not to touch her'. Here are some other occasions for you to compare this with Gen.20:18, 31:7, 35:5 1Sam.25:26, 34, 2Thess.2:11

21v.4 - If you have ever been in any doubt as to whose job it was to circumcise boys at the age of 8 days, here at the very inauguration of the practice you have the answer. It was the child's father's responsibility. This is hardly an enviable task, and I suspect contributed largely to the reason why the practice dropped away so much.

ch 20 - The way in which Abram was willing to pass his wife off as his sister - v2 - shows that even men of faith have lapses. This should be a comfort to us when we slip from the high calling of faithful acceptance of God's care.

21:23 The wary words of Abimelech and Phicol that Abraham would not 'deal falsely' with them shows that they knew about his escapade when he passed off his wife as his sister when he was in Kadesh. From this we learn that our indiscretions done in one place can affect the way that others think of us who were not directly involved in the initial indiscretion.

20:7 That Abraham was a prophet explains (Psalm 105:15) which shows that God actually spoke to Pharaoh and reproved him.

ch 21 - Whereas time seem to have passed slowly from when Abraham left Ur to the time of the promise things now speed up. The birth of Isaac, it seems, is only a year after the visit of the angel. Abraham's faithful waiting has been rewarded.

Genesis 20:2 - Why does Abraham revert to using the very ploy he used 24 years previous with Pharaoh? We honour Abraham as a great man of faith, yet once again he "wimps out" by setting his wife up to claim that she is just his sister. Who has the stronger faith here - Abraham or Sarah? And what a testimony to this marvellous woman's demeanour in her old age, that at age 89 she is still desired to be taken as a wife by the men of this world. We will see in the next chapter how this seemingly harmless "ploy" has implications years later and the  impact it has on the harmony within the compound.

Genesis 21:9 - "And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking..." - Why does the record laboriously label Ishmael as "the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham...?" Though having sprung from Abraham's loins, this young man was not a "true son" of Abraham. Ishmael's character was closer to that of his maternal ancestral people, the Egyptians, than it was to his paternity. Was Ishmael poking aspersions in Isaac's direction, by inferring that Sarah had become pregnant whilst in Abimelech's compound. The Pharisees did a similar thing to the Lord in John 8:41, when they inferred that Mary had become pregnant whilst travelling to the hill country of Judea via Samaria - John 8:48.

20:2 Whilst it appears that the idea to Pass Sarai off as his sister was his it becomes clear (:5) that Sarai was compliant. Both Abram and Sarai carried the blame for this deception so Sarai was ‘reproved’ (20:16)

21:10-12 So the problems because of the birth of Ishmael raise their ugly head again. Likewise in our lives. The consequences of our errors can surface years later. This should caution us to take care to think through the implications of our plans before we implement them.

Gen 21:6 God made Sarah laugh this time (cp 18:11-15). She was so happy she had given birth to a son. So the son was called "Laughter".
Abraham was circumcised before Isaac was born but not before Ishmael’s birth (ch 17:24), therefore Isaac was by the covenant, but Ishmael was not

Gen 21:9-14 This must have been an extremely difficult and trying time for Abraham. He has Sarah his wife on the one side and Ishmael his son on the other, even though Ishmael was not the promised son, he was still his son. Yet, we see another example of Abraham's great faith in following God's direction, by sending Ishmael and his mother away.  

20:1 Abraham sojourned in Gerar, which was the chief city of the Philistines.

Abraham deceived Abimelech by claiming Sarah to be his sister rather than his wife. Later on we will see that Isaac does exactly the same thing with Rebekah (Gen 26:6-11).

Abimelech occurs in each instance, but is not likely to be the same person. Abimelech, which means my father is king, was a common title for Philistine kings. Other nations had the same convention, such as: Pharaoh for the Egyptians; Hadad for the Syrians; or Caesar for the Romans.

In Hebrew, Beersheba can mean well of oath or well of seven. Both descriptions fit the account.

20:1-7 - God works on behalf of Abraham here to bring him out of the sticky situation he has chosen for himself.  I guess we should take comfort that all is not lost even if we do make the occasional wrong decision.  God still brings us back to Him.

a Philistine given a prophetic vision 20:2-3; 26:8

20:3 Abimelech’ is not a person’s name. It is a title – in the same way that for example Charles is ‘prince of Wales. In England. ‘Abimelech’ means ‘My father is king’ denoting that the man with the title is the king by inheritance

21:2  We might think it quite normal to say ‘Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a son’ however Abraham was already a father to Ishmael. The emphasis on naming both parents is to stress that Isaac is the very child of promise spoken of in Gen 18:10

20:16 Notice the irony ‘thy brother’. Notice also that Abimelech spoke to Sarai more than he did to Abraham, indicating that as far as he was concerned she was the main culprit in the deception.

v7  It is interesting that although Abraham is the one in the wrong, God says that he must pray for Abimelech. This perhaps served several purposes for Abraham, as we know that God does not need our prayers to know what we need - He in fact shows here that he already knows what the prayer will be about.

Perhaps the purposes for Abraham are: that Abraham's relationship with God would be strengthened again after this slip of faith; one cannot be an enemy to one for whom one is praying, so Abraham & Abimelech would be reconciled; it showed Abraham that God was willing to work & save others, even though they were Gentiles.

We perhaps note similar principles at work in Job's situation Job 42:8,10

Yahweh called Abraham a prophet (Heb. nabi ) (20:7). This is the first time that the word is used in the Bible. Nabi means to proclaim, to declare, to act (speak) as an intermediary. Yahweh could have forgiven Abimelech directly, but chose to act through Abraham (20:7,17). Yahweh was setting a pattern for all subsequent prophets to act as intercessors. For example, Job performed that role for his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar (Job 42:7-9). Moses interceded for Israel (Exo 32:9-14; Psa 106:23). Job and Moses were precursors and types of Christ who is the only true mediator between God and man (1Tim 2:5).

20:17  So the one who did the wrong prays for the one who is wronged.  Doubtless because Abraham realised the damage he had caused. How often do we pray for those we have wronged?

20:4 Abimelech clearly had an understanding of the laws of God. We should not presume that when Abraham was in the land of Canaan that he and his group were the only ones who feared the Lord. Clearly Abimelech did and we have already come across Melchisedec in Genesis 14. Abraham left a Godless place and moved to the land of Canaan where, even though there were wicked people, there were some faithful individuals.

21:4 Yahweh, in His wisdom, had Jewish boys circumcised on the eighth day.

Yahweh was allowing for sufficient vitamin K to be built up.

The Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University states: Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. The "K" is derived from the German word "koagulation." Coagulation refers to the process of blood clot formation. Newborn infants, in general, have low vitamin K status for the following reasons: 1) vitamin K is not easily transported across the placental barrier; 2) the newborn's intestines are not yet colonised with bacteria that synthesise menaquinones; and 3) the vitamin K cycle may not be fully functional in newborns, especially premature infants.

First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past
2. Isaac, Abraham's son has a son called Jacob Gen 16 Gen 21:3 Gen 25:19-28
Go to Gen 12:1-5 for more about First Principles>Kingdom of God>Existed in the past

Gen 21:10; Gal 4:30.  Gen 21:12;Rom 9:6-8;Heb 11:18-19.

Gen 20:11-12 - In a situation where a person fears he could lose his life, is a cleverly worded but true statement the wrong thing to do? Does God condemn him for it?

20:11  It is easy to think that the only people who had a knowledge of God at this time was Abraham and his family. Clearly this is not so. As you read Genesis see if you can identify other occasions when individuals had a knowledge of God and some sort of respect for Him.

FAMILY brEAKUP

When Sarah saw Ishmael mocking at the party Abraham gave when Isaac was weaned, I can imagine the fire in her eyes as she confronted Abraham and said, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac." (Gen 21:10)

It was not so bad for Sarah because Ishmael was not her son. But "the matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son." (v.11) Abraham was distressed that he would be separated from his son Ishmael.

It probably didn't happen so often in those days, but the break up of the family unit is all too common today. As break ups happen and families are torn apart, there is often great distress on the part of one or both of the parents as their children are torn away from them only to be seen every second weekend, or perhaps not at all.

We don't know if Abraham ever saw Ishmael again, but we do know that while Abraham was not able to be with Ishmael, God was with Ishmael. After Hagar and Ishmael had been sent away, we read, "God was with the boy as he grew up." (v.20)

If families break up, it will be distressing. We may feel we cannot trust any other person with the life of our young children, but if we keep on praying for them we will know that God is with them. His work in their lives is much more powerful than any influence that we or anyone else could ever have.

21:7   So we see Sarah reflecting on the richness of her situation of God’s blessing. She did not take the fulfilment of the promises for granted.  She continued to appreciate its wonder.  How do we react to God’s blessings?

In calling Abraham a prophet ("nabi"- see Michael's comments for 2007), God is envisaging a wider sense of the word than that which we might at first think. In having the promises made and reiterated to him between chs 12-22, he would be the embodiment of prophecies actually made by Yahweh. In having his name changed on the strength of these Gen 17:5, he would also be a living witness to God's word. Furthermore, in being the means by which the Gentiles were justified (Gal 3:8,), he would also be the Father of faith. In all these senses Abraham was a "prophet/spokesman" or "nabi".

Gen 21:4 - we have a cutting away of flesh/sin for those of promise on the eighth day; this perhaps echoes the time after the 7th millenial day of rest when there will be teaching of the survivers of Armageddon (Isa 2:2-3) to the eighth millenial day when Christ turns over the kingdom on earth to his Father (God) having removed or cut off all sin and death through the mercy of the sacrifice so that only those of promise remain (1Cor 15:22-26;Isa 4:2-4;Rom 6:23).

20:9-10         It is easy to think that the only people who had a regard for the things of God were Abraham and his family. However from Abimelech’s response it is clear that he also feared the true God.

21:12   “In Isaac shall thy seed be called” is quoted in Rom 9:7 and , Heb 11:18. Thus settling that the true line of Abraham, would pass through Isaac – the child of promise. It is all down to God’s promises, not simply matters of birth. The salutary warning for us is that we cannot appeal to the fact that our parents were believers before us. Rather we must rely on the calling of God.

Gen 21:9,10.

Is there more to this incident than simply one son of Abraham's making fun of his other son? Is there any additional Biblical commentary on what happened here than what is in this chapter?

Paul in Gal. 4: 29 interprets Ishmael's "mocking" of Isaac as "persecution". The word used here in Genesis literally means "laughing" and is likely a play on the meaning of Isaac's name ("laughter" - see Gen 21:3-6). But based on what Paul says, it was obviously not a case of harmless child's play. Might it have been that Ishmael was insinuating that Isaac was born of adultery while Sarah was in Abimelech's court? If this is true, then is it not likewise possible that some of the persecution which centered around Jesus in his life was in the same vein? It's quite likely that some believed that Jesus was born of fornication while Mary was betrothed to Joseph. "We (the Jews) are not born of fornication" (John 8:41), the implication probably being, "but we know that you were!"

Paul's usage of this incident as a type in Gal 4 is most interesting. The persecution of Isaac by Ishmael equates to the persecution of true believers by nonbelievers (most especially the Judaizers who are denounced throughout this letter - see especially Gal 2:4,5). And then you have Sarah's statement to Abraham in regard to Hagar and Ishmael -

"Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."

The point Paul is making really has to be this: if we want to have the eternal inheritance, we have to be considered as a spiritual son or daughter of promise (like Isaac) and not willingly trapped into thinking we can receive this great reward if we are also spiritual children of the Law of Moses - it just can't happen that way!

Isn't it amazing that an incident like what happened with Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael can be used - by inspiration! - as a prototype for such big life-changing issues? How many more of these are really out there that we are missing due to their not being spelled out for us within the pages of the New Testament?

20:5    The way in which Abimelech was compromised by the half-truth spoken by Abraham should cause us to think about our integrity. The things we say may seem quite harmless even if not quite true. However the consequences might be devastating. 

Why move?

Why did Abraham move away? He had a good thing going where he was, with plenty of servants and livestock. He was in league with his neighbours too. So why upset all that?

The answer is given later, in Gen 26:1 - there was a famine in the land.

Gen 21:6-13 - Ishmael represents the natural fleshly nature of man in bondage to sin and death as he was born first and to a bond woman but Isaac is another example of a miraculous birth which reminds us of Christ's birth. First we have the natural (as in Adam and Ishmael) then we have the spiritual sons of promise (as in Christ and Isaac) who symbolize freedom from sin and death.

21:1   The way in which it is said the Lord visited Sarah is the same way Hannah’s conception is described – 1Sam 2:21

Gen 20:16

“And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand {pieces} of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all {other}: thus she was reproved.”

A reader writes: “It is Gen.20:16 -he (Abraham) is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee and with all other.”  I have a note that indicates Abraham was given money to purchase a veil for his wife so she wouldn't be seen to attract other men.”

My reply: It was not only to hide her beauty, but also a sign of her subjection (cf. Gen 24:65).  It, not "he" refers to the veil to be purchased with the one thousand pieces, i.e. shekels (cf. Gen 23:15,16) for Sarah's covering, and so written in the Targum. In doing this, Sarah could no longer claim Abraham as her half-brother. The veil then represented the whole truth, not half a truth, for which Sarah was reproved, as Abraham was also her husband. Because Sarah was another man's wife, no one was to covet her as did Abimelech.

21:14 Despite Abram being grieved at the thought of sending Hagar and Ishmael away he did not delay to do what was required.  Rising early in the morning tells us of his commitment to deal with the issue speedily. We do well to heed the example of Abram here (and in other places) to avid procrastinating over things which we need to do but which we might find irksome. I suspect none of the things we need to do are as demanding as what Abram did when he sent Hagar and Ishmael away.

‬Gen 20:1 Abraham‭ ‬'s‭ ‬wanderings‭ ‬in‭ ‬the wilderness of Gerar‭ ‬(= rolling,‭ ‬ref.‭ ‬to terrain‭)‬,‭ ‬the great‭ ‬south‭ ‬country,‭ ‬dusty flat plains leading to‭ ‬the‭ ‬deserts of the Negev and Sinai,‭ ‬teach‭ ‬many lessons.‭

They remind us‭ ‬that‭ ‬we also are passing through‭ a ‬waste‭ ‬howling wilderness where nothing favourable to the Truth grows,‭ ‬and‭ ‬where‭ ‬perils lie at every turn‭ ‬1Cor 10:1-33‬.‭ ‬Gerar lay close to the Brook‭ ‬Besor‭ 1Sam 30:9-21 ‬‬.‭ ‬This was‭ ‬hostile‭ ‬territory occupied and ruled over‭ ‬by‭ ‬the‭ ‬Philistines,‭ ‬a local war lord being‭ ‬Abimelech,‭ ‬and subject to raids by warlike Amalekites and Egyptians.‭ ‬The reason why‭ ‬providence had guided Abraham‭ ‬to this‭ ‬desolate,‭ ‬semi arid region,‭ ‬is seen in‭ Gen 21:31-34,‭ ‬to establish the‭ ‬settlement‭ (‬now a‭ ‬major town‭) ‬of Beer‭ ‬Sheva‭ ‬(= Well of‭ ‬the Oath‭)‬.‭

Isaac‭ ‬was to dwell in the‭ ‬same‭ ‬place‭ Gen 26:1-35‬.‭ Here Abraham sojourned many days Gen 21:34 ‘From Dan to Beer Sheva’ became proverbial for Israel’s inheritance Judg 20:1. Therefore a frontier post, one of Israel’s vital watering places, providing the water of life to man and beast, and without which a person would die in the wilderness.

So this applies to us,‭ ‬without the daily in‭ ‬take of the water of life in the daily readings,‭ ‬then death quickly ensues Psa 42:1

 -From the Apocalyptic Messenger, March 2016 by Bro Richard Lister

Gen 21:1 Abraham seems to have been taught representatively, that the son of the woman was to be in his origin a son of power, that is, of God, and not of the will of man; he was taught this representatively by the case of Isaac. Isaac was as much a Son of Power as Adam and Jesus, in relation to the flesh. Had there been no preternatural interposition of Spirit power, there would have been no Adam, Isaac, nor Jesus. Now Isaac was a type of Christ; for Moses writes that Ail-Shaddai said to Abraham, "in Isaac shall be chosen for thee a seed." Isaac in his generation, or circumstance of his begettal; and in his figurative sacrifice and resurrection, was the representative of the Christ to his father Abraham; by which he was taught

That Christ the Son of Woman, was to be of preternatural paternity; and therefore, Son of Power or God; and to descend from Isaac;
That he was to be killed as a sacrifice; and
That he was to be raised from the dead.

These things were expressed, and implied in the representation; so that, had the question been put to Abraham, "What thinketh thou of the Christ? Whose Son is he?" He would have replied: "He shall be Son of God." 

FROM PHANEROSIS

20:2    This is the second time that this subterfuge has been used by Abraham and Sarah. The first being Gen 12:13. One might have thought that Abraham would have learnt from his earlier experience – but then we might ask whether we always learn from the experiences in our lives.

20:5     The way in which Abraham passed of his wife as his sister is not preserved so that we can find fault with them. Rather it instructs us as to how easy it is for a faithful servant of God to be compromised. A half-truth might seem to be the best way to deal with a situation we find ourselves in. However, clearly, it is not.

Gen 20:7  Abraham was a prophet and was to perform the role of mediator between Abimelech and the LORD.  Sarah appears to have been complicit with Abraham in the half truth because she confirmed Abraham’s half truth to Abimelech, Gen 20:2. “He is my brother“ she said, Gen 20:5.  God told Abimelech to go to Abraham who would pray for him. Until this happened the LORD had closed the wombs of the female members of Abimelech’s family Gen 20:18. 

Now, Sarah was also barren Gen 11:30. Abraham had prayed for Abimelech Gen 20:17 and the LORD opened the wombs of those in Abimemech’s house.  It was also after Abraham’s prayer that we are told Sarah would bear her son Isaac Gen 21:1-2

Job also was required to be a mediator praying for forgiveness for the folly of his three friends towards him. Job 42:8.  It was only when Job prayed for them that the Lord blessed Job. Job 42:10. Having prayed for his friends Job was blessed with wealth and his wife with a fruitful womb, a further 7 sons and 3 daughters, Job 42:12-13.

Jesus teaches us to pray for those who despitefully use us, Matt 5:44

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Adding, verse 45  “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven...”

Gen 20:1 - "south<5045>", "Kadesh<6946>", "Shur<7793>", "Gerar<1642>".

Gen 20:2,3,13 - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's children tended to commit the same sins (Gen 12:11-20;Gen 26:6-7).

Gen 20:3 - "wife<1166>"; V.18 - ""wife<802>".

Gen 20:3-7 - God protects a Philistine king who feared God and his subjects.

Gen 20:7 - Abraham was the first man to bear the title of prophet.

Gen 20:7 - "pray<6419>" and Abraham's intercession for Abimelech and his household (Gen 20:17-18) reminds me of the intercession of Christ in 1Tim 2:5.

Gen 20:18 - We can suffer the effect of other's sins, as happened with Adam's sin.

Gen 21:4 - "Isaac<3327>".

Gen 21:4 - "circumcised<4135>"; flesh cut away and blood shed on the eighth day; the number eight suggests a new beginning (1Pet 3:20).

Gen 21:6 - "will laugh<6711>".

Gen 21:9 - "mocking<6711>"; "Hagar<1904>".

Gen 21:14 - "Beersheba<884>"; V.19 - "well<875>"; V.31 - at the well of Beersheba an oath is made.

Gen 21:20 - "an archer<7235><7199>".

Gen 21:20-21 - born to an Egyptian bondwoman Ishmael now marries an Egyptian (i.e. more symbolic emphasis of bondage to sin and death).

Gen 21:27 - With the shedding of blood "a covenant<1285>" is made at Beersheba.

Gen 21:33 - "a grove<815>" can refer to a tree which perhaps echoes the crosses with Christ and the 2 thieves (or perhaps hope for Jew and Gentile), but with Abraham (who echoes Christ) and the two Philistines making a covenant at Beersheba which leads us into the next chapter which more clearly echoes the crucifixion.

21:25-30 Despite the tension that must have existed between Abimelech and Abraham we see two men who continue with a normal relationship. Here is a lesson for us. If there is a problem between two believers it is common to see them not even talking to each other. Here we see the problematical behaviour has been put behind the two men so that they can still get on with each other.

Gen 21:7 Sarah’s exclamation should be ours also. Not that we might have had a son. Rather that we might wonder why the Creator of everything would consider to offer us the wonderful hope of sharing his nature 2Pet 1:14

This chapter is about who we listen to. Abraham had been too hasty in listening to the words of his wife:

And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. **And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai**. (Gen 16:2 KJV)

And that had put him in this difficult situation where he had a child with his wife's servant. The proverbs say this about the situation:

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. (Pro 30:21-23 KJV)

A handmaid that succeeds her mistress is something unbearable, says the proverb, and such was the situation with Hagar and Sarah:

And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (Gen 16:4-5 KJV)

Sarah recognises that her husband should not have listened to her on that occasion. The implication is that he knew better, but gave in.

Abraham seems to have learned from this, and in our chapter we find him having to deal with the aftermath. This time, even though Sarah's words have a ring of wisdom about them, he isn't going to grant her wish:

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. (Gen 21:9-11 KJV)

Yet, curiously, on this occasion God Himself steps in and tells Abraham to listen to his wife:

And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. (Gen 21:12 KJV)

Clearly Sarah is the wiser here, and the one who remembers the words of God's promise correctly (see Gen 17:19). The new testament picks up on these words and reveals something extraordinary we might not have otherwise seen:

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal 4:29-30 KJV)

Galatians tells us that Ishmael persecuted Isaac. Clearly there was more to it than mocking. And in this the wisdom of Sarah is revealed. Did she have in mind the jealousy of Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, who when he was succeeded by his younger brother, killed him? Is it possible that this is where things were going and that Sarah could see it?

After the servant and the boy (now 14 years old) were cast out, the scripture tells us that Hagar wept and cried out. Yet the record is clear that God does not hear her. Instead, He hears the cries of the boy:

she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And **God heard the voice of the lad**; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for **God hath heard the voice of the lad** where he is. (Gen 21:16-17 KJV)

God did not hear the voice of the handmaid who had despised Sarah, of whom the promised seed was born. He did hear the boy, who had been born to Abraham, and had been circumcised in his household as a sign of being in covenant with God through Abraham. Thus Abraham's blessing passed to the boy, who himself obtained promises, and God was with him to make him a great nation:

And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed ... And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. (Gen 21:13, 20 KJV)

20:2 If we are inclined to think less of Abram for making the same mistake as he had already made in passing his wife off as his sister. We should reflect on how often we commit the same error as we made previously.

20:13 We now learn why Abraham was willing to pass off his wife as his sister both here and earlier. It was not a decision taken in the spur of the moment. It was a calculated plan devised as soon as he was told to leave his home and go to a land promised by God.

Do we have planned strategies which, though seemingly helpful in our walk to the kingdom, actually enable us to avoid the providence of God?

21:1-4  Notice three times in these verses we find that things which God had said or commanded were done.

We “hear” God’s words when reading scripture – but are we so speedy to implement those words, especially if they are not really pleasant things to do?

WHAT TROUBLES YOU?

Sometimes we have some pretty big things that concern us. When we face crises of health, in relationships, at work, in our finances or in any other area of life, we can feel like there is noting we can do to change the situation we have found ourselves in. We might have tried everything and can't see any other ways to go.

Hagar was in that position as she and Ishmael wandered in the wilderness and ran out of water. Hagar put Ishmael down under a bush and walked away so that she didn't have to watch him die.

It was then that God sent an angel to her. He came with a fascinating question: "What troubles you, Hagar?" (Gen 21:17). He then gave Hagar a promise, and then a solution. Their lives were saved!

What troubles us? Whatever it is, it is nothing that God cannot control or fix. It is possible that God won't do anything at all, but whether he does nor not, we can always be sure that everything is still working our for our good. (Rom 8:28).

Let's tell God what troubles us, give him thanks, and trust him to deal with it.

24v.1 - the 'fullness' - the Hebrew is m'lo' - means 'everything', 'entirety'. The whole earth and its contents - its mountains, its valleys, its seas, its creatures, its people, even its weather. Ex.9:29, 19:5 Deut.10:14 1Chron.29:11. Let us, by this, learn humility.

25:2 - How can we possibly not be ashamed before God? Well, although David's comment refers, it seems, to his physical enemies, the principle applies to the way in which God is willing to give us strength that our enemy (sin) does not triumph over us. We are instructed to pray 'Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil' which clearly suggests that God is will to do this. This way, by His grace, we are presented righteous before Him, our shame removed. Ultimately, in the time of Eden restored (naked and not ashamed) we will have no shame to remove, but now God removes it so that we can be His.

Psa 23 - It is common to think of this Psalm being written by the shepherd boy David whilst watching the family flock. However the language of the Psalm fits well with David's situation when he was a fugitive in Mahanaim when he was fleeing from Absalom

:2 Being made to 'lie down' indicates the state of David's peaceful mind when he was in Mahanaim.
:5 The prepared table in the wilderness - when 2 Samuel 17:27-29 all those material goods and food were brought to David
:6 Dwelling in the house of the Lord - looking to returning to Jerusalem.

24:3 David returns again - as he does in many Psalms - to reflect on the qualities of the man who will inherit the kingdom.

Psa 25 - This Psalm shows that even though God is high above man He is willing to instruct and guide His creation - if man will listen and respond - :8, 9, 12, 14. David observes this against the background of wanting to be taught - :4, 5. We must reflect David's attitude.

23:4 In saying 'I will fear no evil' David is reflecting on the promise made to Joshua and Caleb (Psalm 91:10)

24:3-4 In saying that it is the 'pure heart' that will 'ascend into the hill of the Lord' David expresses a fundamental truth which Jesus takes up (Matthew 5:8)

25:4 In asking God to 'show me thy ways' David is echoing the request of Moses (Exodus 33:13). So we should not be surprised to see 'tender mercies' and 'loving kindnesses' echoing God's manifestation to Moses (Exodus 34)

Psalm 23:6 - "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" - David longed for the day of the Kingdom, when he will be part of the great priesthood of Melchisedek, to serve the Lord forever as priest of the Most High God.

Psalm 25:17 - "The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring me out of my distresses" - Is David describing here what we would call depression today. It is very likely that David was afflicted with what we today call Bi-Polar Disorder [Manic Depression]. He presents all the classic manifestations - boundless energy, grandiose enterprises, excess libido, inappropriate sexual liaisons, melancholy moods, brilliant musician, outstanding composer, very creative, given to volumous writings, great "people person," good salesman, loyal, sensitive, schemer, "mover and shaker" - a very dynamic person, but exceptionally hard to keep up with.

23:6The ‘goodness and mercy’ to which David refers is that which God displayed to Moses (Exo 34:6)

24:7-8  Gates do not have ‘heads’ – but people do. The ‘gates’ speaks of the gatekeepers who would keep the city secure. They would keep out those that were unwelcome but would welcome the Lord into the city. Likewise we should all be gatekeepers of the ecclesia – keeping out all that offends the Lord but welcoming in all those who love Him.

25:5 David’s waiting on God is not a passive position of waiting for God to do something. Rather David is in God’s servant and is ministering to Him all the day – which is most interesting. God needs nothing from David but David gives himself to Him.

Psalm 23  David in this Psalm relates his experiences of tending to the flock of sheep to God's care for him in his life.

Psalm 24 This Psalm was probably written when the Ark of God was brought into Jerusalem. The Psalm sets out the conditions for those who would stand in the holy place.

Psalm 25  A Psalm of David, expressing faith in God who is good and upright and who will teach sinners the (right) way.

Psa 23:4 Like David's, our journey in this dispensation is through the valley of the shadow of death. If we maintain our faith we have no need to fear and we shall emerge, by the grace of Yahweh, to dwell in His house forever.
We must allow the LORD to both correct (rod) and support (staff) us to be successful.

24:1 The word fullness comes from the Hebrew m'lo'. It is also the same word translated Millo which is the rampart around the city of David (1Kin 11:27, 1Chron 11:8, 2Chron 32:5 etc.) It is the wall which entirely encompasses the Holy City as a measure of security.
But Yahweh is the true security for Jerusalem. The city that He chose (1Kin 11:36) He surrounds and protects (Isa 62:6,7).

Psa 23:6 (the Authorised version) says:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever".
 
Psalm 23:6 (Segond version, (translated from the French):
Yes, the happiness and the favour will accompany me all the days of my life, and I will inhabit in the house of the Lord, until the end of my days.. 
Note the difference between these two versions: the English version seems a straight forward statement, David the psalmist seems to push us towards, the fact, he is talking about a future prophecy, that is, to the time of the Kingdom of God, when he (David) will be in that Kingdom.
Whereas the Segond version seems to point towards the present, that he (David) will be blessed and given God's protection, during his mortal life.

Psa 23 - TRUST THE SHEPHERD
 
Total trust.  That's what this Psalm is all about. 
 
The LORD is my shepherd, (v.1) and just as a sheep trusts it's shepherd to provide it's food, water, shelter and protection, so we are God's sheep and must trust him in the same way.  If we trust God like the sheep trust the good shepherd, we can say quite confidently, I shall not be in want.  God will supply all our needs if we are the sheep of his pasture.  Jesus backs this up when he spoke about food and clothing.  He said that we are not to worry about those things - your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt 6:32-33)  Just by putting God, his kingdom and his righteousness first, all our needs will be provided.  We will never be in want. 
 
More than having our needs provided, the good shepherd is our protector.  While the shepherd is around the sheep can feel confident to graze even though there are wolves watching them from their hiding places.  We can have the same trust in our God. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, (v.5)  and, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (v.4) 
 
The shepherd does not let the sheep down and neither will God let us down.  Let's give him our trust - all of it - today.

Psa 25 - SHOW ME YOUR WAYS
 
"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God and my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long."  (Psa 25:4-5)
 
We should say this prayer for ourselves right now.  We should pray this prayer every day to seek God's guidance on our lives.
 
Answers to prayer like this will help keep us dedicated to God.  They will help us to make decisions that are right and best in everything that we do in life.  They will help us to know right from wrong and give us direction in our lives.  God's guidance will keep us from evil and will help us to resist temptation and to avoid sin.  It will help us to understand his word and to live better and more godly lives.  Most of all, when God answers this prayer for us (and note that I said "when", not "if") it will set us on the path to eternal fellowship with God and his Son Jesus, to everlasting life, and to an incorruptible inheritance in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
It is no wonder David was such a fantastic person.  God answered his prayer and gave him wisdom, direction, understanding and an awesome hope for the future.  Let's ask God the same for ourselves, and like David, ask with humility, reverence and a willing spirit.

23:3 - Is 'He restoreth my soul' talking of resurrection?

A pure heart is an essential part of our life in Christ (Psa 24:4). I presume "clean hands" mean innocent hands, referring to the lack of guilt clinging to them, (as in Young's Concordance). Therefore David is commenting on the Godliness both inside and outside of our lives.

Psa.23 seems to be bookended by Psalms referring to Christ. It would seem there may be more than one application here in that it may refer to David, Christ, and perhaps even followers of Christ..

23:1      The religious leaders in Israel were to be shepherds – representing God in their care for His people. Mostly they were not good shepherds – Eze 34 – Jesus was the shepherd par excellence and is our model who we are to imitate in caring for our brethren and sisters 1Pet 5:2

24:1     In saying ‘the earth is the Lord’s’ David is reminded of what Pharaoh has to learn during the plagues – Exo 9:29

25:2,3,20          Being ‘ashamed’ is a major concern of David in this Psalm. His concern being that those who trust God would not be ashamed – one presumes of God and speaking about Him to others.

Psa 23:1-6 - In v1 Christ was both lamb and shepherd. In v2 Sheep only lay down when they are fully fed, thus Christ was fully fed by the word, fed the 5000, and feeds his followers even today (John 6:48,51). Might the still waters refer to baptism and/or the word? In v3 might the restoring of the soul refer to restoring life or i.e. resurrection as Peter Cresswell noted? Christ only followed the paths of righteousness. As Christ was/is a manifestation of God "for his name's sake" would be particularly applicable. In v4 perhaps the valley of the shadow of death could refer to the dark valley of Kidron on the way to Gethsemane (John 18:1-3;10:11). Christ feared no evil, his death would destroy the power of evil (power of sin and death) and God was with him (hence his name Immanual). A rod would be perhaps for defending the flock and/or accepted chastening while a staff would be more for support. In v5 perhaps we have the last supper, the memorial table, the anointing, and Christ's bitter cup sacrifice of his shed blood. In v6 As a result of his sacrifice there will be goodness and mercy all the days of his life (now eternal life) and that goodness and mercy extends hope to all who chose to follow Christ's paths of righteousness. When Christ returns he will sit on the throne of David in God's kingdom on earth and will always dwell in God's house.

24:5 The ‘blessing from the Lord’ ultimately is the ‘blessing of Abraham’ – Gen 28:4, Gal 3:14.

23:5     The prepared table has a fulfilment in Jesus feeding the 4,000 and 5,000, for example in Mark 8:8

THE BEST SHEEP

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." (Psa 23:1)

Out of the whole Bible, this is probably one of the most well known verses. It is a very pleasant and comforting verse when we realise that, when God is our shepherd, we will be provided with everything that we need. But it also holds an important responsibility for ourselves. We need to trust our shepherd.

The picture these words show us is that of sheep following their shepherd. The sheep know that the shepherd has their needs at heart so they trust him and follow him wherever he goes. The sheep never think for an instant that the shepherd may have made a mistake and has led them in the wrong direction. They do not worry about whether they will find food that day because they trust the shepherd to find it for them.

In the same way, with God as our shepherd, we are free from the worries of the things that he will take care of for us. We will not be in want. God will make sure that we are supplied with all we need to be the sheep he wants us to be and to do the things his sheep should be doing.

So let's trust our shepherd and show that trust by refusing to worry about anything that he has said he will provide. With all that taken care of, we can put all our energy into being the best sheep we can be.

SHOW, TEACH, GUIDE

One of David's deepest desires was to be pleasing to God. In order to do that he knew he had to learn to live God's way, so he prayed this prayer: "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me." (Psa 25:4-5)

In voicing this prayer, David asked for three specific ways for God to drum home his word in David's heart.

1. "Show me your ways." In doing this, God was going to illustrate to David in a visual way what was required of him. David was going to see an example of the way he should be living.
2. "Teach me your paths." This sounds like a school lesson with a teacher teaching his student. This is the knowledge aspect that David was taught - learning God's map book for life.
3. "Guide me in your truth." Now we have the hands on learning process with God still there guiding David in his ways, but at the same time allowing him to practice what he had learnt from what he had seen and been taught.

We can take on the same three principles as we aim to lead others to a life of dedication to God. We need to show them the way by our example, teach them by our words and guide them with our touch, advice and care. In following these three principles of learning we will bring strong disciples to the LORD.

24:4 The ‘pure heart’ is not the heart of a man who never sins. Rather it is the heart of a man who has God and His purpose at the centre of his life. Whilst the natural heart is ‘deceitful’ – Jer 17:9 - the faithful servant has his focus on the things of the kingdom – Matt 6:21

Psalm 25 David was a lover of life and expressed himself with enthusiasm when he had occasion. At other times, David was down and sombre. He experienced tremendous tragedy in his life, and was under great stress, at times. For example, he was on the run from Saul; and on another occasion had personal disaster in his own family. His beloved son, Absalom, led a rebellion against him aided by Bath-Sheba's grandfather. Sometimes, he must have felt alone, no wonder he felt blue. We all have up days and down days.  Sometimes we are elated, and at other times, we feel down in the dumps. That's life!  But, imagine what David must have gone through compared to most of us.  However, there is simply not enough evidence from scripture to medically diagnose David as having Bi-Polar Disorder, as has been suggested.

Psa 24:1;1Cor 10:25-26.

Psa.25:21  The Hebrew phrase translated "wait on thee" means to bind together, perhaps by twisting. This conjures up a picture in my mind of two wires being twisted together or two pieces of rope spliced together.  It's best exemplified by Jesus in John 10:30 I and my Father are one

23:5 Just as God prepared a table for David He has prepared a table for us – it is the memorial of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Psa 24.3-4 use very similar language to Psa 15:1-2

Have you ever read the famous Psalm 23 carefully enough to notice that v4 just doesn't make any sense? If I were to make a list of comforting things, a rod and staff certainly wouldn't feature! So what did David mean?

In Jer 48:17 rod and staff are used to describe the strength and glory of Moab. In Isa 10:24 it's the might of Assyria. In Isa 10:5 we learn that Assyria were in fact God's rod and staff with which He caused His judgements to come on the nations.

So following the Bible usage of the phrase "Rod and Staff" it would appear David is saying "Knowing about Your might and power (in battle) comforts me", which would fit in with the context of v4-5.

Psalm 23 has much in common with  the events leading up to the feeding of the 5000.  Mark 6:32-33 tells us that Jesus and his disciples were in a boat and that the people ran round the lake to the other side and outwent the boat.  From this we can conclude that the waters were still and that there was little wind, otherwise the boat would have arrived first.  Jesus, although on a boat, led the people by quiet waters.

He fed them - their souls were restored and there was plenty left over - there was no more want amongst the people.

Mark 6:39 talks of sitting on green grass.  Mark is the only gospel writer who comments on the colour.  It was green because this was just after the Passover, when the spring rains would have turned everything green.  This also means that the Jordan would have probably been in flood when the people waded across it in order to reach Jesus on the opposite shore.

The word translated as sit also means to lean back or to lay.  Jesus was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7) which is the same Greek word.

Mark 6:34 tells us that Jesus saw the people as sheep without a shepherd and promptly started leading them.

How keen are we to be with the Lord? Do we hear his voice?  Do we run to the meeting on a Sunday?  Afterwards are we satisfied, no longer in want of anything?

25:8-14 Being taught of God is a major concern of the Psalmist. Is this our view. That we want God to teach us?

Psalm 25 seems to be an intensely personal confession (eg. see vv 7,11,17). Yet even in this context David ends on a thought which shows the preoccupation of his heart. He prays for the redemption of "Israel out of his troubles". Ironically , a part of the problem with Israel was what produced the very problems for which he is praying here (eg. v19). As we know these things got to the point of the ruination of his family, yet he still maintained his reliance on Yahweh.

25:15     Is our focus always on God?  Or is our vision deflected when things seem to be a little precarious – Peter had faith to leave the ship but when his mind was diverted from Jesus he began to sink – Matt 14:30. We should – Heb 12:2 – look to Jesus all the time.

Some feel Psalm 24 celebrated the ark entering the Jerusalem where they opened the city gates and that it perhaps prefigures Christ's future entry into Jerusalem when God's kingdom is established on earth with God's son Christ being the king with angels as gates and the saints being present.

In moving the ark to the city of David (i.e. Jerusalem) through gates we have six steps perhaps suggesting the number of man (2Sam 6:13) and seven (perhaps suggesting spiritual perfection and/or the millenial day of rest) sacrifices of bullocks and rams (1Chron 15:23-29) which perhaps prefigures Christ's sacrifice and future entry to Jerusalem to rule God's kingdom on earth as King of kings.

Psa 24:7 - note: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates", "ye everlasting doors", "the King of glory shall come in" - this seems to be referring to more than just moving the ark into the city of David.

Psa 24:10 - "hosts" <6635> - could this refer to angels and/or saints?

Psalm 25 is a semi acrostic Psalm.

Psa 25:7,11,18 - what are these verses on sin referring to? Do they refer to David's sins? Do they refer to the sins of those in Christ? Do they refer to the burden of human sin on Christ (not that Christ sinned of course)?

Psa 25:12-13 - is this a reference to Christ and the descendants of Christ who will inherit the land?

25:21-22               Whilst David desires to be preserved he sees the bigger picture also – The redemption of Israel. So even when he was king he saw that there was something better for Israel than that kingdom.

Psalms 24:5 Note that righteousness here is not included in the list of v4, but given as a gift. Entering into the presence of God (v4) is a necessary prelude to being bestowed with this gift. Thus access to God, via Christ (which we learn about later in the Bible) is the principle thing. It follows that the attributes in v4, rather than righteousness itself, is what we should strive to obtain in this life.

25:6 In asking God to remember His tender mercies and loving kindness David is appealing to God’s character as shown in Exo 34:6

The use of the rod in the shepherd's hand was to examine and count the sheep.

Eze 20:37). “And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant”
 In the terminology of the Old Testament this examination was referred to as passing "under the rod":
This meant not only coming under the owner's control and authority, but also to be subject to his most careful, intimate and firsthand examination.

A sheep that passed "under the rod" was one which had been counted and looked over with great care to make sure all was well with it.

This is exactly what the father is referring to here in Ps 23 looking after his sheep with care.

In caring for his sheep, a shepherd will from time to time make a careful examination of each individual sheep as it passes in and out of the sheepfold. He opens the fleece with the rod; he runs his skillful hands over the body; he feels for any sign of trouble; he examines the sheep with care to see if all is well.
Because of their long wool it is not always easy to detect disease, wounds, or defects in sheep. At a sheep show an inferior sheep can be clipped and shaped and shown so as to appear a perfect specimen. But the skilled judge will take his rod and part the sheep's wool to determine the condition of the skin, the cleanliness of the fleece and the conformation of the body and brightness of eyes. This is where the expression pulling the wool over someone’s eyes comes from.

The reason he inspects us is not to criticize but because he cares for us and he will use his rod and staff to correct us. And that is a wonderful privilage isnt it?

In Psalm 23 we see 7 names that our father uses to care for his sheep.

V1---- Yahweh Rohi- The lord is my shepherd.

“i shall not want” Yahweh Jireh – The lord will provide

V2--- he leadeth me beside still waters” Yaheh Shalom- The lord send peace “

V3--- “he restoreth my soul”  Yahweh Rophi- The lord that healeth

“paths of rightousness” Yahweh Tsidkenu- The lord our rightousness

V4--- “thou art with me” Yahweh Shammah- The lord is there

V5--- “in the presence of my enemies” And Yahweh Nissi - The lord is my banner

25:9       In asking God to pardon his iniquities David is echoing what Moses said – Exo 34:9 – of the nation of Israel when they had made the golden calf.

Psalm 25: Learning God's way during trials

Have you noticed that in the middle of the trouble David is describing here, his focus is that God might teach him?

Psa 23

This chapter is probably the most familiar chapter in the Old Testament. This Psalm helps us to understand the many aspects and characteristics of God and Christ who was one with the Father (John 10:30; 17:21).

Psa 22 speaks of the Good Shepherd; Psa 23 speaks of the Great Shepherd; Psa 24 speaks of the Chief Shepherd. These Psalms point to the Lord, Jesus Christ. In John 10:11, we read: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” This corresponds with Psa 22 - giving his life for his sheep (cf. John 10:11-18). In Heb 13:20, we read: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep…” and corresponds with Psa 23 - Christ leading and protecting the sheep (John 10:3,4; cf. Isa 40:11). And, in 1Pet 5:4, we read: “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear…” and corresponds with Psa 24 - the return of Christ for his sheep.

We read in Psa 23:1, “The LORD (Yahweh) is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The great I AM, whose name is so sacred the Israelites never pronounced it, except once a year only by the High Priest when he went into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement, is the Shepherd of His sheep (cf. Psa 100:3; John 1:29).

Yahweh Rapha, is our Shepherd. Yahweh Jireh is our Provider (v. 1); Yahweh Shalom is our Peace (v. 2); Yahweh Tsidkenu is our Righteousness (v. 3); Yahweh Shammah, is our Ever-Present Shepherd, our Comforter and Protector (v. 4); Yahweh Nissi is our Banner under which we defeat our enemies (v. 5). These six verses in Psa 23 speak volumes! It helps us to understand the many aspects and characteristics of God as revealed in His compound names and how in the end of it all, we have the hope that He will give us the desire of our heart (v. 6; cf. Psa 37).

This Psalm helps us to understand that in God and Christ we are full (Col 2:9,10); in God and Christ we have peace (Rom 5:1; Phil 4:7); In God and Christ we have righteousness (1Cor 1:30; 2Cor 5:21); in God and Christ we have comfort (1Cor 1:3,4); in God and Christ we have protection and hope (Psa 91; 1Pet 1:3-5), and in God and Christ we have power to overcome our enemies be they our sins and otherwise (Rom 6:14; 1Cor 10:13; Deut 20:4).

David had many enemies, be they the Philistines, the Amorites, or the Syrians, but his greatest enemy was his sin. When David was right with the LORD none of his enemies could stand before him. After his greatest victory in his war against the Ammonites and Syrians (cf. 2Sam 10), David sinned with Bathsheba. Perhaps he was over-confident and as a result of his sin, he became estranged from God (cf. 2Sam 11:27).  Yes, sin is the greatest enemy we face, but thanks be to Yahweh Rapha, we can be victorious because of the Lamb He provided for us - the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, the chief Shepherd. But, before we get too confident, Scripture gives us this warning: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1Cor 10:12).

23:2      The lying down in green pastures is seen in the feeding of the 5,000 in Mark 6:39.

25:7      In speaking of the sins of his youth does the Psalmist presume that he does not sin now he is an older man? Clearly not. But maybe he has managed to overcome some of the weaknesses he had a child and is not working on other aspects of his life whilst remembering his early life. Can we see progression in our lives as disciples of Jesus?

24:8,10         The question who is [the king of Glory] is echoed when Jesus entered Jerusalem on the colt the foal of an ass Matt 21:10

24:4    the “pure heart” is quoted -1Tim 1:5, 2Tim 2:22, 1Pet 1:22

WHO SHALL ASCEND?

Psalm 24:3-5

This Psalm was probably written when the Ark of God was brought into Jerusalem and the question posed has to do with the conditions for those who would stand in the holy place. The ark which they bore had brought disaster to Dagon's temple, so that the Philistine lords had asked in terror, "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?" 

Jesus said  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." But what did he mean? One thing we do know is that "all men have sinned" (Rom 3:23), so the ‘pure heart’ is not the heart of a man who never sins, but one who makes God the centre of his life and makes a "covenant with his eyes" (Job 31:1) to not let the contaminating forces of this world bring us down. It all starts with our thinking. We need to guard our thoughts - as they say "garbage in - garbage out". We need to be careful about the influences we allow into our lives - the things we watch on TV - the music we listen to - the friends we associate with. We have to make sure that what we allow into our minds is pleasing to God - we have to allow our minds to ascend to the "heavenly places" that God has in store for us because what we allow into our minds will filter into our hearts and actions.

If we are going to ascend to the Holy place - we need to develop a spiritual mind now, that in the age to come, God will grant us an spiritual body that we may partake of the blessing God has in store for us.

25:2-3   Shame is a terrible thing. We seem better at coping with physical pain rather than being ridiculed for our beliefs.  How often would we like our position to be openly vindicated by God only to find that we have to suffer ridicule. But such ridicule should encourage us to rely on Him rather than the folly of His antagonists.

Psa 23:4 - "rod<7626>", "staff<4938>"

Psa 23:5 - believers are spiritually fed at Christ's memorial "table<7979>".

Psa 24:2 - "the floods<5104>"

Psa 24:4 - "his soul<5315>"; "unto vanity<7723>"

Psa 24:5 - David receives a blessing (Acts 3:25-26;Heb 11:32-34)

Psa 24:7-10 - 4 times "the KIng of glory" is used as a title of Jesus (Rev 22:12-14); first the king (Jesus) will enter and then the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in (Isa 26:2).

Psa 25:1-7 - a plea for guidance: V.5 - "what is "truth<571>"; V.7 (NIV) "Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways"

Psa 25:8-15 - the goodness of the Lord: VS 8-10 - the ways of Yahweh; V.9 - KJV reads "meek[<6035> rendered "humble" by the NIV]"; V.13 - "his seed shall inherit the earth (Matt 5:5;Matt 6:10).

Psa 25:16-22 - a prayer for deliverance: V.22 - Redeem Israel.

25:2-3 How often, when we are reflecting on our position before God and are thankful do we consider our fellow believers and pray for them that they might share our confidence and blessings?

23:2 The idyllic way of speaking of “still waters” is in fact an accurate description of how sheep feed. They avoid dinking from running water, preferring pools. The Good Shepherd knows how to feed his flock – for which we are truly tankful.

25:20 The Psalmist’s concern about being ashamed is found regularly in this Psalm - Psa 25:2,13 and here. We are not alone in having such feelings. Even the great king David suffered the same feelings. Sadly it is a reaction of human nature. The antidote to shame is to be found in confidence that we are associated with the Creator of all things.

25:4-6  We might ask God the same things that David asked. But we do need to realise that, to a large extent, the solution is in our own hands. Scripture provides us with the instructions as to how to order out lives in ways that please our heavenly Father. Our obligation is to read that word rather than just thinking that God will guide us in some miraculous way.

v.49 - There are a number of references to angels in this context. Matt.13:39, 24:31 2Thess.1:7,8. This last suggests that they come with Jesus and they come in judgement.

:1 'The same day' helps to develop a picture of how much took place on specific days in the gospel. Clearly these events took place on the same day as events in the previous chapter.

Matthew 13 has a preponderance of parables. We should not imagine that Jesus only told parables at this time. Rather, like the miracles in chapter 9 -10 we are being given an insight into the range of parables Jesus spoke. In providing an explanation of the parable of the sower and the parable of the tares we are being given the tool necessary for us to understand all the parables.

:44 The 'treasure hid' - quoting Proverbs 2:4 - is the wisdom of God.

Matthew 13:10 - "Why speakest unto them in parables?"  - Two reasons really. The greatest Sales people "sell" their product with stories. And Jesus Christ is the greatest "Salesman" who has ever lived. And His "product" is still as valid, and as popular today as it ever was. Stories paint pictures in peoples minds, and they also fill out many concepts that are hard to include in a recollection of mere facts. Stories help people to imagine what "the product" will do for them. Stories also help people remember salient facts long after the telling of them. And don't forget... Jesus had enemies who hung on His every word, trying to find something wherein they could get rid of Him... and you can't hang a man for telling a good story!!

Matthew 13:54  - "He taught them in their synagogue" - Did you ever notice that it was not God's synagogue. How many times does the record poignantly point up that the religious institutions of Christ's day were not sponsored by heaven? What of our own meetings and institutions? Are they ours? Or does Christ rule what we do? see Matthew 12:50.

13:3 The parable of the Sower has been renamed by some who suggest it should really be the parable of the soils as Jesus focus is on the different soils. However we need to be aware that Jesus calls it ‘the parable of the sower’ (Matt 13:18). This is not just a little details we must appreciate that the gospel is ‘of God’.

:16-17 - Here we see that by reading the word we have the privilege which many prophets and righteous men before the time of Jesus would have desired.  Let us never belittle that knowledge that we can have, remembering how many  faithful of old would have given everything to have what we have.

Matt 13:57  Christ is pointing out here that He is indeed a prophet, the prophet spoken of by Moses. (Deut 18:15)  Peter, when addressing the crowds shortly after the Day of Pentecost leaves no doubt as to who that prophet was spoken of by Moses.(Acts 3:22)  

The parable of the wheat and tares is interesting. At first glance it might appear that the wheat and tares were clearly distinguishable.  However, that is not the case.  The tares referred to is darnel (genus lolium) which looks very similar to wheat.  If one were to survey a field mixed with wheat and darnel it would look all the same.  Essentially, the parable pits the members of the ecclesia against unbelievers in the world.  However, we could apply the parable to the household of faith where the distinction between the two plants is even less obvious.  Clearly, not all who are in the household of faith will attain the Kingdom. But, the job for us is to take care of our own walk (Phil 2:12); encourage our brethren in their walk (Heb 13:13); and not to judge (condemn) others - Luke 6:37.  The Lord will make the final determination when He comes.

v.25 - We have a great deal of opportunity to promote and to learn of opinions and interpretations - especially here on the internet.  Let us be aware that not all seed which is sown is good seed and that some may be tares.  We must keep our hearts open so that we always question what we hear and read, and accept only that which is truth, knowing that false teachers also provide plausible arguments. 2Pet 2:1

V.52 The scribe must become a disciple or a pupil of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Jewish scribe of that day was an acknowledged student and teacher of the Old Testament, and of the "traditions" that had been superimposed upon it. We certainly see the inadequacy of his teaching, both as to content and method as we read through the Gospel records.

13:18-23 The repeated use of 'he' in the parable of the Sower shows that salvation is a very personal matter

V.2 The multitudes became so vast that Jesus, to escape the crush, stepped into one of several boats that would have been around. By doing this, he was able to address a very large number of people, and to speak at length to them. This would also provide a means where they all could face Christ. We are also led to understand that it would not have been an unusual situation with the speaker sitting, and the audience standing.

v44-46 The language of these verses, to sell everything and buy the field or the pearl, sounds extreme, as does the language of Luke 14:26 where we have to "hate" our family members, and even our own lives in order to be a disciple. What Jesus is trying to show is how far greater our love for him & the things of the kingdom should be. It is a matter of relativity, not that we should literally hate them.

The 3 short parables in Matt 13:44-50 hold huge lessons for us.  The hidden treasure probably represents those who are not looking for “The Truth”, but stumble across it. When they realise how much it is worth, they change their whole life, and accept the Truth. The pearl merchant, however, is looking for pearls. He is the person who wants to find the true church, and when he is allowed to find the Truth, he too gets rid of all his previous ideas, and devotes his life to it. The net full of fishes represents the judgement, when Christ will sort us out.

12 As in our business life (or world), so it is in our spiritual life, we must be growing (maturing) or we are slipping backwards, we can not stand still. We can see this from the world that we all live in; you are either on the way up, or you are slipping backwards.

13:14  In quoting Isa 6:9 and saying that it was fulfilled in those who rejected his teaching demonstrates that Jesus knew from Scripture that his message would be rejected by many.

13:22   The way in which Jesus explains the ‘thorns’ explains the relevance of the ‘thorns’ of Gen 3:18. The labour in the garden that occupied Adam was to provide him with the opportunity to see life for what it was.

Matt 13:10-11 The disciples were perplexed that Jesus taught in parables. So it must not have been the normal means of teaching. Jesus’ explanation highlights the point. His message was designed for those who sought things out, not those who wanted to be spoon fed.

The seed isn't the word of God. Bible symbols aren't as simple as that. In v22 the seed appears to be the word of God, yet in v25 it is the seed which produces tares. So the quality of the seed makes a difference, and also who sows it. This is an important principle when interpreting symbols. Each symbol has a quality and context. Symbols describe qualities and attributes, not actual people or kingdoms.

See for example the tree in v31-32. We could look at it and say "the symbol of the tree means the kingdom of God", but we'd be incorrect. In Dan 4:20-22 the same symbol refers to Nebuchadnezzar. Again, the symbol describes a quality possessed by the man, not the man himself. So in v31-32 Jesus is saying that the man who is affected by the word of the kingdom will be able to give spiritual nourishment and protection to others.

TOO FAMILIAR

When Jesus went into his hometown, the sad fact is recorded that "they took offence at him" as he taught them. (Matt 15:37) These people had all grown up with Jesus. They had seen him as a young child, growing up, going through his teen years, at school and working in the carpenter's shop. So when he started teaching about the kingdom of God, they saw no advantage to his learning above their own. As a result, Jesus was not accepted as a prophet in his home town. The people were too familiar with who they thought he was (or should be) to accept him for who he was. Matthew's comment on their attitude toward Jesus was this: "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (v.58)

In some ways we are a lot like the people in the hometown of Jesus. Many of us have been brought up knowing Jesus all our lives. His words, his teachings, and the stories about him are all very familiar to us. There is an old saying that goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt." This was certainly true in Jesus' hometown.

What about us? Have we become so familiar with Jesus that we no longer consider him such a special part of our lives? Could it be that our lives will have the same result as the people in his hometown had where because of their lack of faith he would not do many miracles?

13:22 Do we think that riches are ‘deceitful’? Clearly for some people they are. We must take care that we are not amongst those for whom the acquisition of wealth takes precedence over the things of the kingdom. So can we carefully and honestly examine our own motives when we seek the ‘better’ job or the ‘better’ home etc:?

13:1    The section from  13:1-36 forms a complete section.  Jesus leaves the house in Verse 1 and tells parables and then in verse 36 returns to the house.

13:46  The idea of selling all is picked up again when Jesus spoke to the ruler – Matt 19:21.

Matt 13; Mark 4; Luke 8

These three Gospel accounts on the Parable of the Sower use a different closing admonition to which we ought to pay close attention:

Matt 13:9 – “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 4:24 – “And he (Jesus) said unto them, Take heed what ye hear…”

Luke 8:18– “Take heed therefore how ye hear…”

“Let him hear” – The human ear can only pick up one voice to be able to actually listen to it and understand it. A combination of different frequencies of sound is what Scientists call, “white noise.” White noise describes this combination. If we read the Bible in a room full of distracting noises, we simply will not “hear” what God is saying to us.

“Take heed what ye hear” God in times past spoke through angels, audible voice, prophets, a donkey, in visions and dreams, but “hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…”(Heb 1:1-2). God said: “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Mark 9:7). Jesus speaks to us through the written Word. In light of this, we must pay close attention to what Jesus says, not other denominational church leaders and preachers with their cacophony of voices (see Acts 17:11). No matter how often they may wave the Bible up into the air, if what they say does not line up with the Word, you are in the wrong place!

“How ye hear” The human ear is so designed that it can hear more sound vibrations from the front than from behind. The apostle Paul wrote of those who would turn their ears and listen to “fables” (2Tim 4:4; cf. Deut 30:17).

In view of the solemn responsibilities to listen, understand, and obey what the Lord says, it is vitally important to give our full attention to the Bible with utmost diligence and intensity.

Matt 13:23

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Christ wants hearts that are at his disposal, and given completely over to him. When Christ returns, he will have no use for the opinionists, theorists, hair-splitting definitionists and worldly schemers. We are plants of the Lord’s sowing. We may be small or large, strong or weak, fruitful or barren, but the one thing we have in common is we are all living on very dry ground – the ground of the Laodicean Age.

A spiritual wilderness prevails in spiritual drought. Still, we read in Prov 12:3: “… but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.” Why is that? Well, because the righteous are deep-rooted; they are the fruit-bearers, not the fruit-pickers. Their sustenance is derived from deep roots, which feed on the invisible water of the Word of God.

To send our spiritual roots down deeper and deeper impervious to the scorching rays of Laodiceanism, these four essentials must take place: hearing the Word; understanding the Word, producing fruit; manifesting ripened fruit. In other words, “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” (2Tim 2:15), “Give attendances to reading… meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all” (1Tim 4:15), and with David declare: “O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day… I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Psa 119:97,99). This is the only way we will succeed in bringing anything forth during drought times (cf. Isa 58:11). This is the only good ground through which we may spring forth.

13:37-38        Jesus’ explanation of the elements in the parable of the tares of the field highlights the simplicity of the parable. All Jesus’ parables were simple in their construction. The meaning required a way of thinking that saw the clear principles in the simple details.

Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8

The parables of the sower and the tares show some of the prophecies of Jesus, foretells some of the mercies of God, and warns us. These parables are a prophecy of Jesus' ministry and the judgment.

Jesus prophesized that people will hear but not understand, that of the four types of listeners only one will understand, an enemy will sow bad seed after Jesus, the harvest will occur only after the wheat is mature, the angels will be the harvesters, the tares will be destroyed, and the righteous will shine forth as the sun.

Jesus explained some of explicit mercies of God in that God: provided the seed and the sower, sowed the good seed on good and bad soil alike, will defer the harvest until the wheat matures, will provide the angels to perform the harvest and not us, will separate the tares from the wheat, and will provide separate places for the harvested wheat and the tares. Implicitly God's mercies include His: provision of a plan for salvation at the time of creation, provision of a earth with the earth and good environment for the sowing and growing of the wheat, provision of John the Baptist to plow the fields before sowing, and so on.

Jesus warned us to be the good soil so that we hear and understand God's word, that there will be an enemy sowing bad seed, and that we don't want to listen to the bad seed and end up like the tares and be thrown into the fire.

13:20  The way in which Jesus speaks of people receiving the word is used by Paul – 1Thess 2:13– as a commendation of the Thessalonian brethren and sisters. An indication that Matthew’s gospel was written and available by the time the letters were written to Thessalonica. 

13:21-22          Whilst it was certainly the case that in the first century there were false teachers we should not think that Jesus’ statement has no relevance today. The history of God’s dealing with men and women is littered with false teachers who sought to present a more appealing message than that God had revealed.          

Relating the parable of the sower to the context

Note the first thing said in the chapter is:

"The same day...",

so the writer means us to put this chapter into the context of the previous event. In the previous event, his mother and brothers came to see Jesus, but notice the wording:

"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him." Matt 12:46

Jesus was inside, teaching the people about God. They were outside, asking him to come away from what he was doing and talk to them instead. They felt that their natural claim on him as blood relatives gave them more claim over his time than others - and this is natural. Jesus makes the point that the ones inside the room, wishing to be his spiritual family, were more important to him than his natural family.

One could ask the question - why weren't his family listening to him too? Did they not need salvation? Did they somehow have better things to do? Were they better than the ones in the house who needed to listen?

We all have a choice whether to come into the house with Jesus, or to stay outside. We can make up any number of great sounding reasons why he should come outside to us - but all of them are selfish and proud. Jesus is in a specific place, even now, where we will find him. He has set out a specific path to follow to find him. If we ignore that and instead expect him to meet us on our terms, I'm afraid we'll get the same response as his family did.

Q.1 Can you find a place in the parable of the sower where Jesus might be mentioning the attitude of his family?

Q.2 Can you find a place in the parable where he might be talking about those who were listening to him?

The parable of the sower.

Do we have a link to our readings about Abraham? Do these examples of the sowers fit in with Abrahams family?

Gen 11:32 Terah died in Haran. Heard word but died in Haran. 1st sower

Gen 11:29, Gen 24:10 Nahor. Heard word but didnt cross Euphrates (wasnt baptised) stayed in Messoptania. The area which became Babylon, he stayed in Nahor which means snorer he heard word repsonded, but fell spiritually asleep. 2nd sower.

Lot- Heard the word, crossed the Euphrates (baptised) but in Gen 13:10 like the 3rd sower who looked to the pleasures of this life Lot looked to Sodom.

Abraham of course responded fully as the 4th sower, he responded to the word was baptised and displayed fruit to Yahweh

Just a suggestion but a nice one at that.. 

13:15  The way in which the Jews would not listen to what Jesus was saying is a fulfilment of what the prophet said – Amos 8:10

13:19-23      Notice the repeated use of “the word”. The emphasis is on how one responds to the words of Scripture.

13:57 It would appear that Jesus includes his own family in this rebuke. This aligns with what John says in his gospel in John 7:5 "For neither did his brethren believe in him."  

13:9    In saying “he that hath ears to hear, let him hear” Jesus is using the words of God to the prophet called “son of Man”. That is Ezekiel. The phrase is found in Eze 3:27

12:31  Blasphemy against the holy spirit is the same as the way in which Israel vexed God’s holy spirit –Isa 63:10. Isaiah’s comment is about Israel’s rebellion in the wilderness when they did not believe that God could provide for them. Here the leaders are implying that God, through Jesus, could not heal.

13:23   Those who hear and understand is an idea which the inspired Apostle Paul draws on in 1Thess 2:13.

13:2-3   Jesus had been amongst the people in the previous chapters. Essential if he was to touch them to heal them. But now the focus is not healing but is preaching. So being apart from the people so they could not throng him was a practical thing making preaching easier.

Matt 13:1 "Jesus<2424><3091>".

Matt 13:1,9-16,34-35  - the reason Jesus spake in parables (Isa 6:9-10); parables were to teach those who had the ability to hear, understand, and have faith in the gospel; Jesus spoke in parables (Psa 78:2-4) to clearly reveal truth to those who were seeking and had faith (1Cor 1:21-28;Mark 4:33-34) and to hide truth from others (Mark 4:12;Luke 10:21).

Matt 13:14 - "Esaias<2268><3470>".

Matt 13:15 - "heart<2588>", "ears<3775>", "eyes<3788>".

Matt 13:18  - "parable<3850>".

Matt 13:18-23 - the parable of the sower is explained, it requires the sowing of good seed falling on good soil so that the two combined can become fruitful and enter into the future kingdom of God on earth; the emphasis is on the quality of the soil.

Matt 13:24-30 - this second parable is that of the tares, we don't want to mix it up with the earlier parable of the sower where the seed "i.e. the gospel" is good and the variable is the soil. The second parable, is different, as explained in Matt 13:36-43   where the Son of man V37 is the sower while seed is the variable with the good seed (V38) being the children of the kingdom and the bad seed or tares being of that which is wicked and destroyed come judgment (Rom 6:23;Acts 3:23).It should be noted VS 28-30 that weeds or "tares<2215>" look similar to wheat till harvest when wheat bends as if it has humbled itself unlike the tares; tares mixed in with wheat will make one sick as sincere and insincere people can grow within the field of the world or even within a church; true believers must be careful not to be quick to judge or disfellowship as things are truly revealed at the end of the age at judgment where V30 the tares are burned as in the fire of gehenna the garbage dump which was just outside Jerusalem and the wheat gathered safely.  V38 says the field is the world while the good seed are the children of the kingdom while the tares are the children of the wicked one.

Matt 13:31-32 - the prophetic parable of the mustard seed; the mustard seed started as Christ's teachings but then the gospel grew and grew (as a mustard plant can reach 15 feet tall) and with birds dwelling therein which may refer to the teachings spreading to Gentile nations (Dan 4:20-23) and ultimately the kingdom of heaven. So from small beginnings we get large results. A minority view is might the size also suggest corruption as the "Babylon<895>" of Daniel 4 is symbolically referred to as apostate in Revelation 17 and 18, etc.

Matt 13:33 - the 4th parable of Matthew 13 notes that the kingdom of heaven is like leaven put inside 3 measures of meal so that the whole was leavened. Thus the growth of Christ's teachings from small beginnnings. A minority view is that the leaven may also refer to corruption of the teachings.

Matt 13:44 - the 5th parable of Matthew 13 refers to the kingdom OF heaven (note it doesn't say kingdom IN heaven - Matt 5:5) is like a precious treasure; perhaps the treasure is gospel truth or God given wisdom previously hidden but now discovered (Prov 2:2-6), perhaps the field is the scriptures or ecclesial place(s) of worship; perhaps the man is joyous once he becomes a believer (Isa 65:1 observes that there will be some Gentile believers) and is willing to see or pay all he has for the treasure.

Matt 13:45-46 - the 6th parable of Matthew 13 is the pearl of great price; perhaps the merchant refers to a person examining (or seeking) various pearls (or religions) and when he finds the pearl of great price (or the true gospel) he is willing to sell or give up everything else for the true hope of entry to the kingdom of God; we must seek first the kingdom of God (Matt 6:25-33).

Matt 13:47-50 - the 7th parable of matthew 13 says the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea which catches people good and bad both Jew and Gentile (Rom 11:25), on judgment day (the return of Christ to earth) the angels will gather the bad who will be thrown away and destroyed while the good will be gathered into vessels (i.e. new bodies).

Matt 13:52 - the old treasures perhaps refer to those under the Law of Moses which echoed Christ while new treasures perhaps refer to the fulfillment of the law in Christ who was sacrificed, resurrected, and taught truth and grace.

Matt 13:57-58 - the relationship between faith and miracles (Matt 8:10,13;Matt 9:2,22,Matt 9:28-29).

13:57 Why would that those that knew of Jesus’ origins be “offended” by Jesus? Their attitude was not based on what he said in particular. Rather it was that they did not expect someone they knew to be teaching as he was. How often do we allow our prejudice to cloud our judgment about what we hear?

13:23 The mention of fruit here and firstfruits – James 1:18 highlight one of many links between Matthew’s gospel and James’ letter which he appears, under inspiration, to be quoting.

13:19 there is more to accepting the gospel than just listening to the words and assenting to them. Understanding is essential. Understanding extends beyond just knowing what the words spoken or written mean. It also encompasses putting those words into practice in our daily lives.

13:51 Jesus told the parables in order that those following hi would understand about the kingdom of Heaven  –13:11 – so now they say they understand.

13:49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous.

It has been argued that for Jesus to judge each person at the Judgment Seat, the total time required would be decades. But if much of the judgment activity were performed by the angels on Jesus' behalf, as well as by Jesus himself, then the time taken would be far less.  This verse suggests that the angels perform judgment activity at the Judgment Seat, thereby significantly shortening the time period of the Judgment Seat.