Comments for July 6

v.5,14 - We are told that David 'behaved himself wisely'. This is definitely something we ought to copy. But let us beware that it is not an easy ride. Look at David's suffering here at the hands of human jealousy [v.8-12]. We are told that if we pray for wisdom in faith, we will be granted it [Jas.1:5] - but having wisdom does not shield us from the world. Let us not be misled - the closer we are to God, the more likely we are to be persecuted in this life. [Prov.3:12, Heb.12:6].

v.4 - in giving David his robes Jonathan was indicating that he knew that David, and not he, was to be the next king over Israel. This he actually vocalised later to encourage David 1 Samuel 23:17.

v.9 - Here begins the great moulding of David's life. All those who are called are given this opportunity - to respond well or badly to the chastening of the Lord. How we respond to our chastening determines the state of our heart. Wisdom is a lifetime acquisition. We gain it from the experiences God places before us, if we will.

18:1 That the soul of David and Jonathan were knit together is echoed in Col 2:2. So the love and willingness to sacrifice seen in Jonathan and David should be manifest in the lives of the believer today.

18:7 The song of the women was not intended to be a slight upon Saul. However, in his paranoid state, he saw in it some indication that he was not as valued as David. In reality in linking the two men together the women were showing praise to both.

V.4 To receive any part of the dress which had been worn by a sovereign, or his eldest son and heir, was deemed , in the east, the highest honour which can be conferred on a subject. (Est 6:8) The girdle, being connected with the sword and the bow, may be considered as being part of the military dress, and great value was attached to it.

As part of David's God-arranged education, now he found himself the subject of the pop songs of the day. And more than that, he was compared to the king, and came out better! Surely God was teaching him all these lessons so that he could handle any situation when he later became king.

V.14 Although David operated under great duress with Saul, he was successful in all that he did.  The KJV describes this as behaving wisely. The word wisely comes from the Hebrew word sakal. It conveys the idea of circumspection and intelligence, the result of which is success.  In Modern Hebrew, the word means brains, as in intelligence. 

David, therefore, could be described as using his head or keeping his wits about him.  He had been anointed king by Samuel but, nevertheless, he respected Saul as his master while he patiently waited for his time to come.  We are exhorted to do the same thing with our overlords, even if they are overbearing like Saul (Eph 6:5; Col 3:22; 1Tim 6:1;Titus 2:9; 1Pet 2:18).   

V.29 "Saul was yet the more afraid of David"  because Providence had visibly favoured him, by not only defeating the conspiracy against his life, but through his royal alliance paving his way to the throne.

There were three people in the household of Saul who loved David. Saul himself (16:21), Jonathan his son (18:1), and Michal his daughter (18:20). Only the love of Jonathan lasted. Saul's love was based upon what he himself could gain from David. Michal's love was based on the awe and respect she had for David, and the glory that she would receive by being his. Jonathan's love was based upon the affinity he had with David because of their shared faith in God, so that their souls were knitted together. The bonds of such love cannot be broken. Saul in his perversity and bitterness may have misconstrued this closeness (20:30), whereas it was in fact the paternal love of a father to a son. The phrase "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David" can be translated "the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of David", which is the same phrase we see in Gen 44:20,30 of Jacob's love for his youngest son Benjamin.

Verse 14 "David behaved very wisely" is a fulfilment of the blessings of Deut 28, which culminate in Deut 29:9 "therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do."  The wording "behaved wisely" is also translated "prospered", since the one thing naturally leads to the other.  David had heeded the words of God, and He was blessing him.  This is also demonstrated with Joshua (Josh 1:7), Solomon (1Kin 2:3), Hezekiah (2Kin 18:7), and Jesus (Jer 23:5-6).  This principle of the blessing of God bringing wisdom and prosperity is vocalised by Jesus in the saying "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you".  Commenting upon this phenomenon, Solomon puts it: "For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight (Ecc 2:26).  The one must come before the other.

18:5,14,30         Notice that even though catapulted into high society David’s head was not turned by his circumstance. He continued to ‘behave wisely’.

V.1 - love your neighbour as yourself (Lev 19:18; Matt 22:39).

18:12  Notice that Saul was ‘afraid of David’ – a recurring phrase – 1Sam 18:29

18:4      Notice that whilst David declined the offer of the armour of Saul – 1Sam 17:38-39– David accepted the offer from Jonathan.

V.10 The mental malady, that Yahweh brought upon Saul, is starting to burst forth more often now, and to a greater degree.

18:18 Notice that initially David thought it not appropriate to be son in law to the king but his feelings changed – 11Sam 18:26 – when he realised that he would not have to provide a dowry which he could not afford. Of course he did not realise that Saul was planning his downfall.

V.6 The modern equivalent of these women would be cheerleaders.  It was the job of these women to lead victory parades.  They were also used at funerals (but in a more subdued way).

V.9 the word eyed in Hebrew is avan which means viewed with jealousy.

V.13 This was an outward honour. Saul was really trying to get David out of his court so that he would not have to bump into him on a daily basis.

V.17 Saul had reneged on his original promise (1Sam 17:25).

V.19 And now, Saul reneged on his promise to give Merab to David.

V.25 Saul hoped that the dowry for Michal’s hand in marriage would result in David’s death. Later, David would employ something similar by sending Uriah into the heat of battle for the hand of Bathsheba (2Sam 11:14,15).

V.27 The translation of two hundred is wrong as the Hebrew word from which it is translated is mayah which means one hundred.  The Septuagint agrees with this, and David seems to qualify it as such (2Sam 3:14).

18:3 The covenant between David and Jonathan was not simply a covenant between friends. We learn later – 1Sam 20:8– that this covenant was made ‘before the Lord’. A further indication of the spirituality of both David and Jonathan

18:9     So Saul’s pleasure with David soon changed. He was not really concerned about the victory over the Philistines. It would appear that he was more concerned with his status before the people. See an earlier manifestation of this attitude in 1Sam 15:30

18:2    David had been told -1Sam 16:13 - that he was going to be king. Now the current king takes David into his care. David maybe saw this as the beginning of the route to kingship. However if that was so his expectations were miss placed. How often do we find that our expectations are thwarted? In David’s case it was part of God’s way of developing David’s character. Likewise, doubtless, is so for us also.

18:5 David’s acceptance by the men he was given to captain gives an indication of David’s behaviour. He was but a youth and yet men doubtless older than he were willing to obey and respect his commands. Herein is an indication of a modest man. He, in this way, contrasts with Saul. 

18:15  When a man behaves “very wisely” that is in a Godly manner, we should have respect to such an one. Saul, who was not Godly, in contrast was afraid of him. Darkness cannot tolerate light!

A LOVE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING

" ...the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." (1Sam 18:1)

At Jonathan's funeral, David declares that he loved Jonathan more than any woman, and so this verse is often misconstrued by the gay faction. When David and Jonathan met, they became close friends, and this friendship was one of the deepest and loveliest in the bible. Yet, what was it really based on? 

By looking at their friendship, we can discover a few secrets to good friendships. 

1. David and Jonathan based their friendship on commitment to God (1Sam 20:42)

2. They were honest with each other and let nothing get in the way of their friendship, not even family problems (1Sam 20:1-3

3. They grew closer together as their friendship was tested (1Sam 20:4-7)

4. They had a strong commitment to God & each other and remained friends right to the end (1Sam 20:14-17)

Jonathan and David in the most difficult trials of their lives discovered the secret of a great and godly friendship us never forget the one true great friend, Jesus Christ who laid down His life for us. (John 15:13)

18:13 in speaking of David as the one who “went out and came in” we read the language of a shepherd thus showing the quality of David, even at this early time in his life.

18:28   How should Saul have behaved when he knew that God was pleased with David?  It was only Saul’s jealousy which prevented him from viewing David correctly. We must take care that our feelings about others does not mar our appreciation of their qualities which God has recognised.

18:30 Whilst we have seen in a previous post that David behaved wisely we learn that he behaved more wisely that all the servants of Saul. This indicates that Saul had not instructed his servants in what we understand to be godly wisdom.

18:2      Saul’s demeanour to David soon changed. An indication of the unstable nature of Saul as we see in 1Sam 19:1

18:12 Saul’s fear of David was such that it disturbed his mind sufficiently to be called “an evil spirit” – 16:4.

18:12 Saul’s fear of Saul was such that it disturbed his mind sufficiently to be called “an evil spirit” – 1Sam 16:4.

18:1,9 Notice the contrast between Jonathan and Saul’s attitude to David. This marks the difference in the spirituality of  Jonathan and Saul.  

IN FEAR OF SOMEONE?

By rights it should have been David that was afraid. By standing on Saul's toes in his success at war, David had become head and shoulders taller than Saul in the sight of Israel. Saul was not only jealous of David, he was afraid as well. This is why: "Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul." (1Sam 18:12).

Because Saul saw that David had God's blessing on his life and that Saul no longer had it, he feared David. Saul could easily have restructured his administration and kept David on as a man who would make Saul's decisions look good, but instead he tried to get rid of David.

Have you ever felt fear or envy of someone who is better than you? Do you feel intimidated to come into their presence? Do you feel angry with them or avoid their company? If we have feelings like this then we should have a reality check. Is it because they are better than us or that God is with them? If it is, then unlike Saul, we should try to learn from them, grow our own characters, and seek God in our lives. Then, instead of fear, we can live in love.

18:1  We can understand why Jonathan’s soul was “knit” with David.

On an earlier occasion Jonathan had taken the initiative, when his father did not, and smote the Philistines single handled – 1Sam 14:1-6. David and Jonathan were of the same mind. God could save with few or many. So they both acted in faith, putting their lives on the line.

18:8 Of course David did not see the victory as his. He had made it clear that God had delivered the Philistines into Israel’s hand when he slew Goliath. Sadly Saul did not see it that way at all. All he was interested in was his own status.

1Sam 18:8 A verse like this should help us appreciate even more the humility John the Baptist showed when allowing Jesus to rise above him (Luke 3:16) he easily could've thrown a fit about being replaced or not getting invited to be one of His disciples, but he was more than happy to fade off into the backround. 

The age gap between David and Jonathan would've been significant seeing as Jonathan was seemingly already a grown man by the time we meet him in 1Sam 13 This gives shades of Ruth and Naomi that even know it would be easy for Ruth to leave behind this old lady, but she shows the character of her great-grandson and loves above all else. 

1Sam 18:21 We've see this type of deceit with daughters before with Laban giving Jacob Leah when he wanted Rachel Gen 29:23-25

v.6 - Who are they? Are you one? Each of us should be. ch.52:8, Eze.3:17-21, 2Tim.4:5, Rev.3:2,3, 16:5.

v.4 - Hezekiah’s wife was called Hephzibah for that was the name of Manasseh’s mother. [2 Kings 21:1] - Hezekiah was Manasseh’s father.

v.1 - Here is something we can all echo. We should not rest until we rest in Jerusalem for ever - Psa.132:13,14

Developing these two names we see another example of a play on words as we saw in Chapter 41

Notice the ideas in the rest of the verse.

:11 We have seen, in our reading of Isaiah (in the notes for previous chapters on previous years) that the language of Isaiah is used by Zechariah to encourage the returning exiles. 'Say ye … salvation cometh' is the basis for Zechariah 9:9, which itself speaks of the lord Jesus Christ. So the way that Zechariah is used in the New Testament gives us confidence to say that Isaiah 62 is also speaking of Christ.

62:4 Isaiah has already (49:14, 54:6,7, 60:15) spoken of Israel as 'forsaken' so this message must have been a comfort - a time was to come when all the troubles would be over. See also 62:12

V.1  The God of heaven is faithful to His Word and as surely as the earth causes the sown seed to spring forth. His promises are centred in His Son, as Saviour and King. Israel is God's land and Jerusalem the city of the great King and they are to be the centre of the coming kingdom of God.

Jerusalem occupies a prominent place with Yahweh.  In the KJV, Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times which punctuates this fact.  Ultimately, Jerusalem will become the capital of the world from which the Lord Jesus will reign.  Meanwhile it is a contentious place, with several parties laying claim to her.  Before peace of the Kingdom is attained, she will be attacked, but Yahweh will defend her (Zech 12:2,3).

Israel is to be a crown of glory in God’s Hand (Isa 62:3). The Kingdom will be what God has planned for ever since He created the world. The Lord God is so patient.

V.6-7 -  "...ye that make mention of the Lord keep not 'silence', And give him no 'rest' ["silence" and "rest" are both the Heb. word "domi" (1824) meaning "quiet, cutting off, rest, silence"], till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (KJV). It seems we are being exhorted to preach to others of the Lord's second coming and also urged to pray without ceasing to the Lord for Christ to return till the millennial peace of Jerusalem is a reality. Does this definition of  "domi" perhaps hint the millennial "rest" will be be a "cutting off" of sin and death in a spiritual circumcision of sorts?

62:10 In encouraging Israel to ‘cast up …’ the prophet, echoing what he has already said – Isa 57:14 – is encouraging Israel to prepare for God’s deliverance.

62:6 Try to imagine the watches set upon the city wall to look out for the approach of a messenger with good tidings (Isa 52:7-8) the good tidings of the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, prefiguring the return from the present times. (Isa 21:6-11, Isa 56:10, Eze 33:7) 

62:3 The idea of a ‘crown of glory’ is picked up in Mal 3:17 as ‘jewels’ A wonderful prospect for the faithful.

There is a heavenly Jerusalem described in scripture (Heb 12:22; Rev 21:2).  This is not to be confused with the physical city whose past, present and future location is fixed.  The heavenly Jerusalem refers to the immortalised saints (The Redeemed) who will help Jesus rule when He brings His new order of government to earth. 

62:2 The ‘new name’ is picked up in Rev 2:17, 3:12 as part of the wonderful benefits of being approved of Christ.

Isa 62:11-12 - The ["Savior" (NIV) "salvation" (KJV) Heb. "yesha" (3468)  meaning "liberty, deliverance, prosperity, safety, salvation, saving"] comes, brings his reward with him, they will be called the Holy People, the ["redeemed" (NIV,KJV) Heb. "ga'al" (1350) meaning "redeem, to be the next of kin and as such buy back a relative's property (i.e. marry his widow, etc.), purchase, ransom, revenge(r)"] of the Lord - perhaps an echo in Rev 22:12,3.

V.1 See Psa 102:13-17.

V.2 See Isa 11:10.

V.3 Jesus will rule the world from Jerusalem, the capital of the world (Isa 9:6,7; Luke 1:32,33). The royal diadem belongs to Him (Eze 21:26,27).

V.5 In the Kingdom, the bridegroom will be Jesus and the bride will be the Redeemed. The new Jerusalem is symbolic of the redeemed (Rev 21:2).

V.6 See Eze 3:17; 33:7.

V.9 In the Kingdom, each one will have eat and drink of his own produce, and will praise Yahweh (Mic 4:4,5).

Vs.11,12 The proclamation of the Gospel will have reached all parts of the world before Jesus returns (Mark 16:15; Rom 10:18).  Jesus is coming soon, and He has His reward with Him (Rev 22:12). Those found acceptable at judgment will become the Redeemed, the new Jerusalem never to be forsaken (Rev 21:2).

v2 "The Gentiles shall see your righteousness" refers to the righteousness of Jerusalem which should have shone as a beacon to the nations roundabout. This had been God's plan right from the beginning (see Exo 19:6). This was fulfilled at the time of Solomon (1Kin 10:24) and Hezekiah (2Chron 32:23) but was short lived on both occasions. But in v1 God has promised He will not rest until it is fulfilled again.

62:6 The watchmen who do not keep silent until Jerusalem is a praise in the earth are likened to the disciples of Jesus - Luke 19:40 – who are amongst those praising Jesus when he entered Jerusalem on the colt.

62:11  As well as being echoed in the words of Zech 9:9 we see that the salvation spoken of here is associated with the coming of Jesus because we see similar words used in Matt 21:5

62:1   Notice it is for ‘Zion’s sake’ that God is fulfilling His plan. We should not overlook the importance of Israel, even today, in the plan and purpose of God.

62:4  The contemporary prophet Hosea speaks of a marriage – Hos 2:19-20.

62:6     The idea of watchmen on the walls echoes Song 5:7

62:7   In Psa 83:1 the Psalmist implores God to intervene to remedy Israel’s calamity. Here the prophet encourages faithful Israel to plead with God until Jerusalem is at peace. Is this our way of thinking?

1. Isa 62:1-2 - this is the spirit of Christ, it could not apply to Isaiah; It is Christ's mission to bring about the restoration of Israel (Isa 49:5;Eze 37:25;Eze 36:35;Acts 1:6;Acts 3:19-21).

2. Isa 62:1-5 - Zion as a woman yearning for her husband and family.

3. Isa 62:3 - a royal priesthood.

4. Isa 62:4,12 - V4,12 millennial Jerusalem will not be "forsaken<5800>; "Azubah(<5806> means 'forsaken' and was the name of Asa's queen, her name applies to the holy city during the time of the great forsaking 1Kin 22:42).

5. Isa 62:4 - Hezekiah's queen was named "Hephzibah(<2657> means 'my delight is in her' 2Kin 20:21;2Kin 21:1) and her name applies to not forsaken Jerusalem in the time of the restoration (Dan 9:18-19).

6. Isa 62:4-5 - land to be called "Beulah(<1166> means 'married')" and Jerusalem is to  be married to God as a virgin is married to a young man thus the virgin (i.e. city) takes the man's (i.e. God's) name and His affection (Rev 3:12).

7. Isa 62:6 - Jerusalem's watchmen are the saints; good watchmen (Eze 3:17-27;Hab 2:1-20;Isa 52:8;Jer 31:6) and bad watchmen (Isa 56:10-11).

8. Isa 62:6-7 - the prayers of the watchmen are to be for the coming of the Messianic kingdom i.e. the throne of David (2Sam 7:13 "till he establish"; give God no rest for 6 millennial days.

9. Isa 62:10-12 - the glory of the Lord is revealed in Christ returned (Psa 102:13).

10. Isa 62:11 - NIV "See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him".

11. Isa 62:12 - KJV "The holy people" refers to the saints in Christ (Rom 1:7;1Cor 1:2); KJV "The redeemed of the Lord" (when Christ returns); KJV "A city not forsaken" (i.e. millennial Jerusalem).

62:1   The way in which God would not rest until His purpose is fulfilled is seen in David Psa 132:2-5. Are we so focused on His will that it is the driving force in our lives?

62:2     When the gentiles see God’s righteousness that which God had said to Israel – Deut 4:6-8 – will happen.

62:7    The promise of the prophet here about the praise of Jerusalem is spoken again at a later time –Zeph 3:20–to remind people in the days of Josiah of what God has in store for the land of Israel.

62:12    Isaiah here echoes what God said of Israel at Sinai – Exo 19:6. But whereas at Sinai Israel lost the privilege here we see it will be given to them. This will be when Jesus has returned and God’s kingdom will be on the earth.

62:1 the “brightness” Isaiah is inspired to speak of is similar to the way in which David wrote – 2Sam 23:4.

62:7 the thought that God is not allowed to rest until he has fulfilled His will because of the prayers of believer should focus our minds on what we should pray for.

62:6-7 We might ask “Are we watchmen” that don’t give God rest because of our repeated prayer that He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth? “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” Psa 122:6 should be our focus

62:1If God is not going to rest until Zion is at peace what about us?

Is our regular prayer for the peace of Jerusalem?

62:5 It is a feature of human nature that we can often doubt that God will grant eternal life to us. Such doubts are understandable when we reflect on our shortcoming. But notice the picture. It is one of rejoicing. Those of us who are married might remember our wedding day and our feelings at that time. God presents to us here that such will be His and His son’s feelings at the time of the marriage of the faithful believers to Jesus at his return and be comforted about his return.

SQUEAKY WHEEL

I used to work with a friend whose motto for life was, “the squeaky wheel gets the oil.” It worked. If he wanted something, he would keep on and on about it until he got it. People knew that the only way to keep him quiet was to give him what he wanted.

Just as my friend got what he wanted by persistently keeping on about it, so we are told to do the same when it comes to praying for Jerusalem. Isaiah starts us off, saying, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.” (Isa 62:1). Isaiah was going to be like the squeaky wheel to God, persistently asking for God’s blessing on Israel. Isaiah said he would never give up until he got what he wanted.

Then Isaiah turns to us and says, “You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (v.6-7). Isaiah is telling us that we need to take on his role of the squeaky wheel. We need to persistently ask God to bless Israel and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. If it were possible, we should wear God out with our persistence.

So let us pray and keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem.

v.1 - There is a great lesson in this small phrase. It is the essence of the covenant with which we are associated - based around love for God and for each other. God is the judge, and we should respect that. We need also to look after our own salvation, for which we desperately need not to be judged when the time comes for us to be taken. Isa.66:5, Eze.16:52-56, Rom.2:1-2, 14:10-13, 1Cor.4:3-5, Jas.3:1, 4:11-12.

v.2 - We do well to note the words of Jesus here. Jesus' exhortation requires that we appreciate our own failings when we pronounce judgment on our brethren and sisters. This is not to be taken as a licence to allow error. Rather is it a reason to show compassion. Jesus tells a parable to reinforce this point. [Matthew 18:21 - 35]

A SCREEN DOOR ON A SUBMARINE
What strikes me from reading this chapter (and the previous few chapters), is the emphasis on living the life. It is about hearing the word of Jesus and putting them into practice. Rich Mullins wrote a song based on that verse in James that says, "Faith without works is dead." The song says that faith without works is about as useless as a screen door on a submarine! We are not saved by our works, but without them we show that our faith is as good as dead. Each little story Jesus tells in this chapter is about doing, it is about actions and gives us positive steps on how to live the life. Take note of all the actions presented to us. Do not judge; keep asking; keep knocking; keep seeking; treat others as you would like them to treat you; follow the narrow road; you will be recognised by your fruit (your actions); those who do what your Father in heaven wants will be in the kingdom; the man whose house was built on the rock was the one who heard Jesus words and acted on them. Much more than belief is required. The Christian life is a life of action. It is so much more than words and knowledge, it is love and good deeds, or, like a submarine with a screen door, we will sink, never to rise again.

Remember in January we said that the sermon on the mount, spoken to the disciples, formed the basis of Jesus teaching to the disciples in Luke 11-14. Note these links.
7:7-10 Luke 10:9-11
7:13 Luke 13:24

Verse 6 doesn't seem to make sense in the context of the first five verses. What has the giving over of your pearls to swine got to do with removing the plank from your eye? Jesus is making the point that the people were being hypocritical in their approach, culminating in verse 5 where he plainly calls his audience hypocrites. In Verse 6 Jesus is pleading with the Israelites to turn from their hypocrisy, and turn back to God. Their "pearl of great price" is the exalted position they have as God's people, which can be seen in similar parables such as the treasure in the field. They had the "kingdom of God" in their grasp!

"Why should you throw this treasure away?", Jesus is saying. The Israelites were about to throw it away, because the axe was laid at the tree (Matt 3v10), and the tree would be cut down if they didn't repent. See how similar these verses are to Luke 21v24. Jesus was pleading with the people to start forgiving one another, to turn back to God, and to stop despising their inheritance, lest God would take it from them and throw it to the Gentiles. This was the mission of Jesus, prophesied of in Malachi 4v6 "lest I come and strike the earth with a curse".

7:1 Jesus is not telling us not to make judgements on issues. Rather he is telling us to be aware of our own weakness when we pronounce judgment (7:2) Like the high priest (Heb 5:1-2) we should be able to understand our brethren just as Jesus understands us. Our understanding should temper our responses to each others’ problems.

Matt 7:6  This has always been a difficult verse to determine what are "swine" and the "dogs". The pig was classified as unclean under the law.  Lev 11:7  The term dog was used by the Jews to describe Gentiles. Matt 15:21  Both are animals which have no appreciation of the benefits of being clean. 2 Pet 2:22  The follower of Christ must decide when to speak and also when to forbear. This is the responsibility of the Divine privilege of being called by God. We must not hoard pearls, but should not scatter them like garbage in the pig's trough, where they will be trampled in the mire. 

We must remember at all times that God is working in us, and His grace calls.  

V.7 Note the rising scale of intensity "Ask" "Seek" "Knock"

V.1 The Greek word for judge used here and in most places in the New Testament is krino.  It carries the judicial meaning of condemnation and also the meaning of discernment and decision making.  For example, Acts 4:19 conveys discernment while Acts 13:46 shows (self) condemnation.  In Rom 14:13 the word is used twice; the first has the meaning of condemnation while the second the invitation to decide.  And that pattern continues throughout the New Testament. Thus, we are urged to judge in the sense of discernment and decision making, but not in condemnation.  We are to leave that to the righteous judge when he returns (Acts 17:31; 2Tim 4:1; Heb 10:30).

The wolf and the lamb also come together in Isa 11:13, but in this instance, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb - and they shall not hurt or be hurt - in all God's holy mountain.

The Words of God are a series of contrasts between light and dark since Genesis 1 was penned.

Jesus' discourse, which began in Matt 5:1, has just finished at the end of Ch.7.  Although He addressed his disciples (Matt 5:1,2), the lessons were heard by the multitudes gathered around.  These lessons had an impact on the people as noted by their remarks (Matt 7:28,29).

7:24,26The issue is 'doing' God's word, not just talking about it. As James 1:22 says 'be ye doers of the word and not hearers only'

7:6 In implying that unholy things are for ‘dogs’ Jesus is restating what is said in Exo 22:31

AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU
 
It sounds all too simple. We know the words, but do we really believe them? "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matt 7:7-8)
 
These words of Jesus are so familiar to many of us that we may skim over them in our effort to see something a little more profound. It is all said so simply that there is nothing left to interpret or explain. But the question is, do we truly believe what Jesus tells us? Do we have the faith to know that if we ask God for something we need and that is good for us, he will give it to us? That he will help us in our search for what we seek? Or that he will open doors for us if we just knock on them?
 
Notice too that as Jesus said this to his followers, it was very personal: "it will be given to you ... you will find ... the door will be opened to you." Then he repeated himself saying almost the same thing twice, showing how important it was that we, his followers, get the message. But this time he included not just those who heard it then and there, if that is the way we want to understand it, but everyone. "For everyone who asks, receives..." and so on.
 
There is more power than we know when we live in Christ. Let's ask, seek and knock to receive, find, and have doors opened to enable us to live powerful and effective lives for our Lord.

7:8       The context requires us to understand that God will not simply give us whatever we ask for.  Holiness has to be the state of the one who asks. He will, therefore, ask ‘according to His will’ 1John 5:14.

V.7 Asking Yahweh for something must be based on certain things.  The one who makes a request must ask in accordance with God's will; ask in faith; have the right motivation; and have the intention to use whatever is received wisely in the service of Yahweh.

7:3 It is far easier to see the faults of others than to see what we need to correct in our own lives. Jesus is not advocating ignoring the errors of others though. He is teaching to look at ourselves first.

V.6 We should not talk about the Gospel to those who are incapable of understanding it; or to those who are hostile towards it.

V.12 James calls this the royal law (James 2:8).  

Vs.13,14 The world is the broad way. It is well illuminated with neon signs beckoning people to partake of this or that pleasure. It is easy for the flesh to amble down this boulevard. But, that way leads to death.

On the other hand, the narrow way can be uncomfortable.  This tortuous path needs faith, commitment and effort to stay the course.  But, eternal life awaits those who continue until the end (Matt 10:22).

Vs.16-20 The fruits of these false teachers do not mesh with the Word of God.  Such was the case of the Pharisees: They professed to be the keepers of the Law but they were hypocritical (Matt 15:7-9; Eph 4:14; 2Pet 3:17).

Vs.21-23 There are going to be some shocked individuals at the judgment. Let us hope that none of us is one of them.

Vs.24-27 All those who truly follow Jesus will be tried.  But, if anyone has a solid faith, based on Jesus, he/she will remain firm, whatever the trial (1Pet 1:6,7). But, if anyone’s faith falls apart under trial, then he/she has, in effect, denied his/her master, the foundation of faith. That person will lose his/her reward (2Tim 2:12).  

7:12 Jesus’ teaching here provides a practical example of the law’s teaching – Lev 19:18 - thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Tony Pezzulo observed a church bumper sticker that read "looking for imperfect people" and he noted in a recent talk, "we are imperfect people" and we should examine ourselves (1Cor 11:28;2Cor 13:5) and be "not quick to judge (others), but quick to help." (Matt 7:1-5;Matt 6:12,3;Matt 15:21-37;Acts 4:32-37;Acts 5:12-16;2Cor 8:1-15).

7:23   The possible profession of Jesus ‘I never knew you’ is the stark warning that Jesus re presents to the disciples at the end of his ministry – Matt 23:15 – as a reminder of how they should behave.

Matt 7:13-14

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

All of us at some point heard that there are many roads leading to ‘heaven,’ and that we don’t need Christ in their defense of the various religious beliefs systems in play. This is totally illogical and no truer than to say all roads lead to Tennessee! If you want to go north, you don’t travel south. It is a far-reaching claim that a man can find eternal life in so many ways other than through Christ. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). We have only two choices: the narrow way, or the high way! Jeremiah put it this way, “… Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”

The Greek word, “narrow” is # <2346>, thlibo, meaning to “crowd,” or squeezed up, in other words, made very narrow! The narrow way is a total commitment to Messiah. Rather than the narrow way the majority today jump fences, and climb through windows (John 10:1).

The narrow way has never been a popular way, and caused many to hate Christ's teachings. The majority in Christ’s day, Lot’s day, Noah’s day was wrong, and the majority today is wrong! The majority always chose the wrong way. The appeal made to Israel by Moses is an appeal reiterated by Christ (Deut 30:19). Christ did not promise that our service to him would be easy, but he did promise to guide us and honour us with life everlasting if we obediently follow and obey him.

Matt 7:1

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

How many times have you heard someone quote this verse and never go beyond it? Yet, the context of verses 1-5 allows for judging after we have judged ourselves! Jesus did not give us a blanket statement against judging, but gave us a rule on how to judge and not to take it too far (see John 7:24). We must not judge according to our own prejudices, but according to God’s Word. If judging is wrong, how can we obey Rom 16:17-18, 2Cor 6:17, 2Tim 3:5-6, and 1John 4:1?

We make judgments everyday, indeed, we must; it is a part of everyday life, and a part of our spiritual walk. The apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthians for not judging (1Cor 6:1-5; see Mal 3:18). This verse shows how dangerous it is to take a verse out of context!

7:29   Jesus’ ‘authority’ was Scripture.  The scribes were adept at quoting the words of other scribes and rabbis. What are we familiar with? Are we familiar with what commentaries on the Bible says or are we familiar with the text of Scripture? Or do our thoughts go to poets and other writers for pithy comments or do we use Scripture to express our thoughts?

7:15    In warning to be wary of ‘false prophets’ Jesus is, among other places, drawing upon Eze 13:3 where such prophets are called ‘foolish prophets’.

A PLANK IN MY EYE

As I have got older, I have become less and less willing to judge anyone. Much of this change has come about as I have realised the extent of my own sin and the grace of God in his forgiveness of me, even though I have failed time and time again. How can I judge another person when I have fallen myself, maybe in a different way, but just as hard and just as often. I hope that through my own experiences I can help someone else. But to judge when I have the same faults is continually getting harder.

Jesus said, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly enough to take the speck from your brother's eye." (Matt 7:1-5)

I don't know about you, but I have enough trouble getting the plank out of my own eye to be even remotely competent to remove the speck from your eye. Let's remember how imperfect we are before we go pointing out how imperfect other people are.

Matt 7:1-6

Let us begin by examining the context. Clearly, verse 6 tells us that this kind of judging is a hypocritical judgment and this is condemned. If I judge you for a sin that I am also guilty of, this is hypocrisy on my part and I will be judged in the same manner that I judged you. In the same chapter from verses 15-20, judging is required on our part to discern the good and bad fruits (see also Matt 3:10 Matt 12:33; Luke 3:9; Luke 6:43-44)! Scripture teaches us the wrong type of judging and then shows us the right type of judging, which we are commanded to do, but only in the way the Word prescribes.
Consider the following Scripture passages:
John 7:24: "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
Luke 12:57: "Yea, and why not even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?"
Psa 37:30: "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment."
Prov 31:9: "Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."
Luke 17:3: "Take heed... If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."
Lev 19:15-17: "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor. Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him."
Eze 22:2; 23:36: "Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? Yea, thou shalt show her all her abominations... The Lord said moreover unto me, Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? Yea, declare unto them their abominations."
Isa 58:1: "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."
Matt 3:2,7: John the Baptist preaching, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
Matt 23: Jesus publicly rebuked the hypocrites, "Woe unto you... hypocrites!...ye blind guides...fools...full of extortion and excess...whited sepulchres...full of hypocrisy and iniquity...Woe unto you...Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
Acts 7:51: Stephen said to the mob that ended up stoning him, "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye."
Acts 13:10: The apostle Paul says to a man who hindered the Gospel, "O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?"
Acts 8:20-23:  Here the apostle Paul says, "Thy money perish with thee... Thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."
1Cor 2:15; 6:2-3: "He that is spiritual judgeth all things... Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?"
John 3:18-19: "He that believeth on him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
John 12:48: Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."
It is God and Christ who set the standard on passing judgments. It is the Word that judges. We simply observe what the Word has defined for us in judging, and pass on the information in the hopes of gaining a brother/sister. We have no right to define for ourselves what is right and wrong - only God! Those who trust in their own judgments are the ones guilty of judging in the worst sense of the Word. The Psalmist wrote:  "With my lips have I declared all the judgments of THY mouth" (Psa 119:13). The question then is: "Whose judgments do we really declare?"

 Matt 7:13,14.

7:12    If we could only follow the principle Jesus gives here we would have happier lives. If we could always think “how would I react to the actions I am thinking to do?” I am sure it would modify our behaviour and words for the better. 

7:11     Our very nature and inclination makes it very difficult to truly accept that God is gracious and merciful. This is behind Jesus’ point here. But he has reversed the ordering inviting his disciples to consider how much more gracious that us God is.

7:6   Whilst others can trample underfoot the things of the gospel. We can do the same – Heb 10:29 if we despise the things that God has done for us.

7:11      It is such an obvious point that Jesus makes. However we really do well to ponder his words. We tend to restrict God’s behaviour by our own understanding of our limitations. The fact is God is not like us. He is supremely generous. We cannot match his qualities – but that should not allow us to limit His character.

Matt 7:13,14; Luke 13:23-30

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it”.

Christ tells us that only a few will find the narrow way that leads to life. Broad was the way that led to destruction in Noah’s day. Broad was the way that led to destruction in Moses’ day. Broad was the way in the days of the Judges, Kings, and Prophets. Broad was the way in the days of Christ and the Apostles; and broad is the way today! Very few embraced the narrow way then and very few embrace it today. It is, “as it was in the days of Noah…” (Luke 17:26).

The few comprise those who ask, seek, find and knock (Matt 7:7,8 Luke 11:9,10). They strive to keep the commandments in all obedience (John 14:15). Keeping Christ’s commands begin by first knowing what they are. They strive to imitate Christ; they strive to be “living epistles” of Christ (cf. 1Cor 11:1; 2Cor 3:2,3). The few work first on being. God calls those whom He calls to repentance, and you may be absolutely certain that He will direct their paths in the right direction. Those who listen are the few. The few make mistakes and know it, confess it, and repent of them. They place no confidence in the flesh (cf. Phil 3:3), and demonstrate their faith with works (James 2:14-16).

The many, on the other hand, are busy doing and while in Christ, have failed to be Christ-like, and thus, have not conformed and transformed to the will of God. The many have the idea that their good, wonderful, and impressive works will commend them to God and Christ, but this is a delusion (Matt 7:22,23). They break commands of obedience and justify it that they are helping others. In other words, they break a command and justify it by their good works. They exalt their works over obedience and these works blind them of their own true spiritual state (cf. Matt 23:5,24-28; 1Sam 15:22-24).

What is even worse, by their many great works not only are they deceived, but they have the potential to deceive even the very elect (cf. Matt 24:24; 2Tim 3:13). The many look upon their many good works and place confidence in them instead of Christ’s “many good works” (John 10:32). They demonstrate works, but no faith. They are lawless, in that by willfully breaking a command, they live as if Christ’s commands bear no consequences! The many are blinded to their true spiritual status and do not recognize their mistakes, and, therefore, cannot confess, let alone repent of them.

We are without excuse in being willfully disobedient and placing more confidence in the works of flesh than in God! Furthermore, if the righteous who do strive to be obedient to God’s ways “scarcely be saved” (1Pet 4:18), where does a loveless, disobedient ecclesia rife with strife and contentions, dedicated to works of destroying and pulling down their fellow brethren, rather than edifying and building them up in love, who deceive being deceived, stand (cf. Matt 7:21-24)? Fellowship in such an ecclesia even by human standards is nothing short of a nightmare, how much more to a holy God! These comprise the many that will be rejected in that day.

Matt 7:21-23

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

How do we know if we are among the few being saved, or among the many that will not be saved? Christ supplies the answer.

We know that the many are good people doing many wonderful works; they appear to be very sincere in their works to honestly please the Father, but they are sincerely and honestly mistaken. The problem with the many is that they, without realizing it, want to please God their way, not God’s way, in keeping His commandments – none of which are non-essentials. It is not about our will, man’s will, but God’s will (cf. Mal 1:6,7,12-14). If we serve Yahweh acceptably, we will offer Him a sacrifice worthy of praise, and not a polluted carcass.

Christ was God’s final prophet who came in His Father’s name (cf. Deut 18:15; John 5:43,44; Acts 3:22,23; 7:37), and to whom we are to listen (Heb 1:1,2) in “all things.” Now God’s final prophet said, “… If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31). There are other numerous references that Christ cited back to Moses throughout the Gospels (cf. Matt 8:4 Mark 7:9,10; Luke 24:27,44; John 1:45). What Scriptures did Christ use when he taught in the Synagogues? Christ was sent by the Father as the messenger of the New Covenant, and his message was preached entirely out of the Old Covenant!

The Torah was also important to the teachings of his disciples concerning him, to believe Christ, and in Christ (cf. Acts 21:20; 26:22; Acts 28:23). Paul explained that the New Covenant ecclesia is built on the foundation of the apostles (New Covenant) and the prophets (Old Covenant), Christ being the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:19,20). For several years after Christ’s death and resurrection, the founding of the New Covenant ecclesia only had the Old Covenant Scriptures.

When Christ was asked, “… what must I do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 10:25-28, he replied, “… what is written in the law [Torah]?” Christ referred him to the Torah! However, the many won’t refer to the Torah, but choose to reference what is written only in the New Covenant that deals with certain contradictory issues. Tragically, they reject certain verses and parables designed to teach us from the Old Covenant. If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be able to understand what was spoken through the ages by faithful prophets and servants for us, and if they do not listen to them, how can they change?

“What is goodness? If Christ is to be accepted as lawgiver on the point, it is ‘the doing of the will of the Father.’ What if it be the Father’s will that we ‘hear Moses and the Prophets,’ how can it be goodness to undermine the confidence in them?” - Robert Roberts, 1893.

7:7-11  Whilst we may struggle with the concept that if we ask God will give it is most encouraging that Jesus tells us of how we react to requests from our children to teach us about how God reacts to requests from His children.  The use of the example shows that God understands that we struggle. Rather than knock us down for struggling he, rather, gives encouragement.

Matt 7:13,14

“Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction… Because strait [narrow] is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

The Larger Hope, also referred to as Universal Salvation, or Universal Reconciliation is a very dangerous doctrine! It has infiltrated Christadelphia, though limited only to them to the best of my knowledge.  It is a stupendous claim and contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture, that only a limited number will be saved within the household of faith (Matt 7:21-23)!  

Some of the early advocates of Universal Salvation were Basil the Great of Caesarea (330-397), a Greek Bishop; Gregory of Nyssa (330-395), younger brother of Basil the Great, was venerated as a saint in Roman Catholicism; Gregory of Nazianzus (330-389), friend to both brothers, and collectively known as the Cappadocian Fathers, were Philosophers, devout “Christians,” and masters of the Greek language. They taught Universal Salvation was a more humane approach toward offenders! Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), Theologian and Philosopher, was also a proponent of Universal Salvation and his writings influenced Western Christianity and embraced by many even today (cf. Col 2:8).

The reason why only a “few” is largely due to the fact the majority fail to reflect the character of God upon which salvation is offered (John 17:3). Knowing God is essential for heart transformation and it begins by having a personal relationship with God and His son. Some try to suppress the knowledge of God; most try to add to it instead of praying, “Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths” (Psa 25:4). If we want to truly know God, we need to look at Jesus who revealed the Father through his words and works and then follow him (cf. John 14:6; 1Cor 2:10-13,15,16 cp. v. 14; cf.  Matt 16:24).

It is worth pondering where Noah would have been had he embraced the doctrine of The Larger Hope. Broad was the way in his days; broad was the way in Moses’ day; broad was the way during the time of the Judges and Kings; broad was the way in the days of Christ and the apostles, and broad is the way today! Like Noah, may we discard “The Larger Hope,” and believe the Spirit’s teaching, which says, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man” (Luke 17:26). “Little flock” was Christ’s description of his followers in the first century (Luke 12:32), and it is as applicable to his followers in the twenty-first century.

Matt 7:21

“… but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

This final chapter of the Sermon on the Mount contrasts what is and what is not doing the will of the Father. Its summation, being what we term the Golden Rule in v. 12, is “the law and the prophets.” Robert Roberts points out the following: “If Christ is to be accepted as lawgiver on the point, it is ‘the doing of the will of the Father.’ What if it be the Father’s will that we ‘hear Moses and the Prophets,’ how can it be goodness to undermine the confidence in them?” (1893).

7:25 The idea of the wise man building his house echoes the way wisdom is spoken of – Prov 9:1

Matt 7:6

“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”