Mat 11:1

Mat 11: “The Master departs on a solitary preaching mission. He freed himself partly of the inconvenience and pressure of having multitudes coming for healing, and devoted himself to teaching. It was on this background that his great forerunner, John Baptist sought for confirmation of his ministry. Held in prison for condemning the marriage actions of Herod, who had taken his brother’s wife. John expected the advent of the kingdom, as did the apostles (Act 1:9), and did not perceive the greater work of redemption, even though his words announced the coming of the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. So the Lord took the opportunity to demonstrate the need to listen carefully, and used words in Mat 11:15 that later were directed to the seven ecclesias of Asia (Rev 2;3). As the nation would not respond, so the Lord turned to individuals” (GEM).

Mat 11:3

Perhaps John sought to dispel doubts in his followers, not in himself. Or, ‘How can this popular miracle-worker possibly be the suffering lamb of God (ie Isa 53)?’ (Xd 121:373).

Mat 11:5

BLIND… LAME…: Jesus is healing those people who previously would have been excluded from the Lord’s service (Lev 21:17-21; cp 2Sa 5:8) — those people who, if they had been animals, would have been imperfect sacrifices (Lev 22:22-24; Mal 1:8,13,14). So here is emphasized the fact that we are all imperfect specimens and imperfect “sacrifices” — and we all need the only One who is perfect to heal and cleanse us! And he can do this: through the forgiveness of sins — which he only can provide — he can present us, as a radiant bride or church, “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish” (Eph 5:27).

THE GOOD NEWS IS PREACHED TO THE POOR: The last point on Jesus’ list… “the poor have the gospel preached to them”… is the greatest miracle of all! Because it lifts Jesus’ work out of the physical realm and puts it into the spiritual. In fact, it comprehends all the other “miracles” in one: because the gospel believed does — in the most meaningful sense — give sight to the spiritually blind, give strength to the weak, and cleanness to those who were “leprous” with sin, and hearing to the spiritually deaf. So here is Jesus’ way of lifting his work out of the ordinary (if any miracles can be ordinary!) and putting it on the highest plain: the greatest “miracle” (and such miracles are occurring all around us) is a life changed by true belief in Jesus Christ. Which means… the greatest work of God’s Holy Spirit has never ceased from among men, and never will, so long as sinners hear the Word of God and repent.

Mat 11:6

BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO DOES NOT FALL AWAY ON ACCOUNT OF ME: Nothing that was ‘blemished’ was fit for the animal sacrifice, for it would be offensive. Jesus had outward scars, but his life was perfect, and so he could make the perfect sacrifice.

One might look at Jesus, even then, and say: “He’s not perfect”… and of course, and especially, when he might see that same man, beaten and broken, on his way to the cross, it was painfully true that “he had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa 53:2,3). To all outward signs and human expectations, Jesus couldn’t be the perfect sacrifice either… because of his physical appearance. And thus the observer — who saw only the surface of things — might be offended, and fall away (cp Isa 8:12-15).

But the heart, and the life, of Jesus was perfect — and that was what the Father saw. And that is what we must see, with the “eye of faith”, as well.

Even the cross itself was — as Paul said — “foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Co 1:18), and the man who looked at the mere “letter of the Law” would undoubtedly be offended by the whole process: “This just CAN’T be right!”

But the man of faith sees his own sins “mirrored” in the face of the suffering Saviour, and his own deserved punishment reflected in the bruises of his Lord. And he realizes the absolute perfection that is necessary to cleanse, and forgive, and pardon him.

And so he sees the beauty of this divine arrangement, and thankfully embraces it, and joyfully proclaims, as does Isaiah himself, prophetically: “Surely he took up OUR infirmities and carried OUR sorrows… he was pierced for OUR transgressions, he was crushed for OUR iniquities; the punishment that brought US peace was upon him, and by his wounds WE are healed” (Isa 53:4,5). If Jesus appeared to be a blemished and imperfect offering, we need not be “offended” nor “stumble” at this. Instead, we need only remember that such blemishes and imperfections were inflicted, and accepted, on OUR behalf. He was made “sin” for us, so that we might be made “righteousness” in him (2Co 5:21).

Mat 11:8

FINE CLOTHES: Associated with king’s palaces: 2Sa 1:24; 13:19.

ARE IN KINGS’ PALACES: While John was in a king’s dungeon! — cp Luk 6:22,26.

Mat 11:11

In this verse, Jesus points out the great demarcation between the time of “the prophets and the law”, on one hand, and the time of “the Messiah” on the other. So, to paraphrase: “The least of the disciples — who preach the kingdom of God NOW — are greater (more able) than was John the Baptist — the greatest of the prophets — because, while he brought Israel up to the brink of the new ‘age’, they have actually entered it: they NOW know Jesus as the Messiah!” (This distinction is borne out by v 13 here as well.)

Mat 11:12

General context: John the Baptist was earnest, heroic, and strong; and so must those be who would enter the kingdom of God!

FORCEFULLY ADVANCING: Gr “biazomai” = compel, or force. Poss Christ is saying that revolutionaries (the Zealots and Sicarii) have been attempting to bring the kingdom of God by forceful means. But, more likely, given the context, this v points out the line of demarcation: before John came, all men (even “prophets”) were looking forward — tentatively — to the coming of the Messiah. But now — after he HAS come — all men who preach him (even the least of the disciples: v 11) can be bold, because they have seen and heard of him!

FORCEFUL MEN LAY HOLD OF IT: “It required a certain kind of individual, a ‘violent’ one!… The truth is a call to courage and faithfulness, not for those of an apathetic countenance. It needs a virility of mind and heart; a determination to overcome the obstacles of flesh, and to press on regardless. Many profess such a character, but fail to demonstrate it when courage is required under trial and pressure. When the Truth is challenged, it is only the ‘forceful’ who are prepared to continue the challenge, knowing that their strength comes from the Father. In the days of Christ it required much moral courage to defy the Jewish leaders (cp Joh 9:22). Today it requires moral courage to continue that character in the days of Gentile compromise. To those who reject such wisdom, the Lord utters a series of ‘Woes’ (Mat 11:20-24). It is not those who profess greatness, but those who reveal humility and a will to follow him (the ‘babes’ of Mat 11:25-30) to whom his strength is given” (GEM).

Mat 11:13

FOR ALL THE PROPHETS… PROPHESIED UNTIL JOHN: And more would have prophesied the same, had Jesus not come.

Mat 11:14

…And all the prophecies would have been fulfilled… IF the Jews had received it.

THE ELIJAH: No def article: “AN Elijah”.

Mat 11:17

Cp the complaint of Michal, who despised the dancing of David: 2Sa 6:16-23.

Weddings/funerals: austere John/convivial Jesus: both approaches were alike despised by “Jews”.

Mat 11:18

HE HAS A DEMON: A campaign of same sort against Jesus: Mat 12:24; Joh 7:20; 8:48; 10:20.

Did not such a “rebellious son” deserve to be stoned?: cp Luk 5:30; Deu 21:20,21.

Mat 11:19

GLUTTON AND DRUNKARD: Cp Luk 5:30. And did not such a man deserve to be stoned (Deu 21:20,21)?

WISDOM IS PROVED RIGHT BY HER ACTIONS: In this case, the end justifies the means: the end = preaching of gospel, glory of God; the means = either suffering or rejoicing. (Notice: the personification of “wisdom”: Pro 8:22,31-33; 9:1-6.)

Mat 11:21

There is comfort in this — that the finest preacher who ever lived — backed by Holy Spirit power — could achieve nothing in some of the cities he visited. So why should we ever be discouraged?

KORAZIN… BETHSAIDA: These cities of Galilee were homes of some of Jesus’ disciples.

SACKCLOTH AND ASHES: Eze 27:30,31. See Eze 3:6: “Surely if I had sent you to them…”

Mat 11:22

TYRE: See Act 21:3,4; cp Mar 3:8.

These Galilean towns were the homes of Jesus’ own disciples, the settings of many fond memories.

Mat 11:23

DEPTHS: “Hades”, or grave. A city could not be cast into a burning hell. Refers to its total destruction, as happened to Sodom. Cp Mt 16:18.

Mat 11:24

SODOM: Israel is likened to Sodom (Deu 32:32; Isa 1:10; Rev 11:8), and even worse than Sodom (Lam 4:6; Eze 16:46-49).

Mat 11:25

“Out of mouths of babes and sucklings”: Psa 8:2; cp Isa 11:8.

Mat 11:28

COME TO ME: “Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God” (Exo 3:18).

WEARY AND BURDENED: As those who were under bondage in Egypt, and esp having additional burdens laid upon them (Exo 1:12; 5:9).

I WILL GIVE YOU REST: Christ was the embodiment of the Sabbath-rest, and “Lord” of the Sabbath: Mat 12:8; cp Heb 4.

Mat 11:29

TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN OF ME: “It’s not ‘Here; take this new yoke that I made in Joseph’s carpentry shop for you.’ It’s ‘share the yoke that I’m carrying.’ Yes, he made dozens of yokes, and every one was a masterpiece in comfort and load-bearing efficiency, from the big double-oxer to the dairymaid’s model. Speaking of which, when I joined Esso as a young man and went to Boston (Lincolnshire) as an agricultural salesman, I used to watch the driver of our small-deliveries truck as he struggled to the back of farmhouses and little country stores where the paraffin was kept — all 40 gallons of it — with a heavy, awkward 5-gallon can of paraffin in each hand. Then later I was at a farm effects sale where one of my fuels customers was retiring and had sold the place; I needed to make sure the new guy also bought from me! One of the hundred or so lots was a dairy yoke, and I suddenly thought, ‘If I can get that for a pound or two I’ll offer it to Jeff and see how he gets on with it’… Jeff laughed at me: ‘Okay, since you went to the trouble to get it for me I’ll give it a couple of days.’

“For those two days they all laughed at Jeff. (‘Where are you going to, my pretty maid?’) Then he had a week’s holiday, and someone else had to take his truck out. For two days the guy stuck the yoke on the other seat and ignored it. Then, with the kind of backache you get from strange, heavy lifting and carrying, he also ‘gave it a go’. And kept using it until Jeff came back. By which time no-one was laughing any more, and Jeff became a firm friend from then on.

“The Word knows but two yokes: the prisoner’s iron bondage yoke, in two halves or hinged and clamped round the neck, and the ox-yoke, whereby two oxen are harnessed together to pull loads, by a wooden pole between them to which is fastened a crosspiece, padded to go in front of each. Frequently a young ox is put alongside a long-serving one, to help in its training.

“The prisoner’s yoke is the one Jesus took on himself, and broke in Golgotha. The ox-yoke? That’s the yoke Jesus invites us to share with him. It forms a curious shape, doesn’t it? If it were not for the padding and the harness it could so easily be a cross. It isn’t ‘Learn ABOUT me’; it’s ‘Learn FROM me.’ That’s a far more practical ‘course’ than book knowledge! And what is it we need to learn? ‘For I am meek and lowly in heart.’ Meekness is hard to learn — except from a master practitioner who himself learned obedience the hard way. ‘And you will find rest unto your soul.’ By taking on a big yoke and pulling a heavy load? Do me a favour! But YES… if Jesus is on the other side of it! And he is, by the way” (Brian Morgan).

FOR I AM GENTLE: See Lesson, Gentleness.

AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS: Cit Jer 6:16.

Mat 11:30

“A yoke is specifically designed to divide and share a labour… together… with Christ. Old horses were yoked together with youngsters to help understand how to pull a plow… and to steady down their eagerness!!” Cp Deu 22:10. Ct Pharisees in Mat 23:4.

‘Put off your old works (cease doing your own works: Isa 58:13,14), and put on the new yoke by beginning to do the work of God!’

Mat 12:1

Cp Deu 23:25: Gleaning was permissible.

ON THE SABBATH: “On the second sabbath after the first” (Luk 6:1, KJV, but phrase omitted in some mss): Prob the Sabbath which concluded the feast of Unleavened bread, 7 days after Passover sabbath (Lev 23:8) (WGos 149).

HEADS OF GRAIN: The month “Abib” (or Nisan) sig “early grain”, ie spring.

Mat 12:2

WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW THIS: Luk 6:2 has “some of the Pharisees”, impl two different attitudes now discernible among the Pharisees.

WHAT IS UNLAWFUL ON THE SABBATH: By rabbinical tradition, eating corn on Sabbath was lawful, but “harvesting” and “threshing” were forbidden.

Mat 12:3

Key point: David was the “anointed one” who came “on king’s business”!

Mat 12:4

THE CONSECRATED BREAD: “Shewbread” (AV), “bread of the presence” (RSV).

Mat 12:5

DESECRATE THE DAY: By doing “work”, such as offering sacrifice (Num 28:9), and baking shewbread (1Ch 9:32).

Mat 12:6

ONE GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE: And thus those “priests” who serve Christ — just like those Levitical priests who serve the Temple (v 5) — are not bound by the Sabbath Law (cp Joh 2:19-21: Jesus compares himself to the Temple).

Mat 12:7

// Mat 23:23; 1Sa 15:22.

I DESIRE MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE: “I prefer a flexible heart to an inflexible ritual.”

Mat 12:8

THE SON OF MAN IS LORD OF THE SABBATH: The Sabbath was designed for positive good (vv 10-13); it should have been a blessing, not a burden.

Israel was not to be a “slave” to the Sabbath, but to be made free by it.

Jesus is the king of the future “rest”, the true “Sabbath”!

OF: Or “on”.

Mat 12:10

Cp 1Ki 13: Jeroboam stretches out his arm — withered — then restored. The outcome: altar was destroyed, sacrifice ceased.

HAND: “Arm” (NEB).

Mat 12:11

A SHEEP… FALLS INTO A PIT ON THE SABBATH: This is eventually what the Pharisees contrived to have happen to Jesus, the “lamb of God” — and they did nothing to help him!

But they were silent: Mar 3:4.

Mat 12:13

“Jesus looked”: vv 5,34; Mar 5:32; 6:41; 7:34; 8:33; 11:11.

Mark’s account says they were all silent (Mar 3:4).

THEN: “He looked around at them in anger” (Mar 3:5).

STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND: An act of faith. As the lame man stood up to walk, so the man with a withered hand stretched it out! To “stretch out hand” is to seek fellowship with Christ. See Isa 35:3.

HAND: “Arm” (NEB).

RESTORED: Isa 35:3.

OT //: Jeroboam stretches out arm, which is withered, then restored. Outcome: the altar destroyed, and sacrifice ceased.

Mat 12:14

Long or repeated conferences. All plots and attempts to get rid of Jesus: Joh 5:16; Mar 3:6; Luk 4:29 (“common people”); Luk 11:54; Joh 7:19-21,25; 8:59; Luk 13:31; Joh 10:31,39; 11:8,16,44-54; Luk 20:14-26; Mat 26:3-5,16. OT prophecies: Psa 140:2; 59:3; 10:9; 71:10,11; 41:7.

PHARISEES: Prob, Jews of influence who favored the rule of Romans and Herod. The aristocracy.

HOW THEY MIGHT KILL JESUS: The downward path of Pharisees — they question inwardly (Mar 1:27), they ask his disciples (Mar 2:16), they openly accuse (Mar 2:24), and finally they plot (Mar 3:6).

So, evidently, it is wrong to heal someone on the Sabbath, but not wrong to plot a murder!

Mat 12:15

Jesus needs solitude for thought and prayer (cp Isa 50;4; Psa 119:147,148). A list of “solitude passages”: Mar 1:35-37; 3:7,9,20,21; 4:35-38; 6:31; 7:17,18,24; 8:10,11,27; 9:30; 10:32; 14:32.

WITHDREW: A word implying “flight” (cp Mat 2:12,14,22).

AND HE HEALED ALL THEIR SICK: Including Gentiles (vv 18,21).

Mat 12:16

Silence was his settled policy for most of his ministry (Mat 9:30; 17:9; 12:16; Mar 1:34; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26; Luk 5:14), with one notable exception (Mar 5:19 — Legion with his family). But in last days of ministry, a change of course (Mat 21:1-11; Joh 7:37; 9:3; 11:4).

Mat 12:18

WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN: Or “separated”; cp “withdrew” (v 15).

IN WHOM I DELIGHT: At baptism also: Mat 3:17.

Mat 12:19

HE WILL NOT QUARREL OR CRY OUT…: So as to fulfill v 16: Christ desired to be something other than a notorious miracle-worker.

NO ONE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS: Most of Jesus’ preaching was done on mountains or at the seashore.

Mat 12:20

Israel (like the menorah, or lampstand) is represented as being in a very low state, spiritually: the reeds (ie tribes) being clogged, and the wicks (ie priests) untrimmed.

TILL: See Lesson, AN, Conditional deferment.

“Some of God’s children are made strong to do mighty works for Him; God has His Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza’s gates, and carry them to the top of the hill; He has a few mighties who are lion-like men, but the majority of His people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passerby; a little fearful flock. If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint; their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave, they are drifted along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows — weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight. Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made specially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and lovingkindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus — so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from his touch. We need never fear a harsh word from him; though he might well chide us for our weakness, He rebuketh not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from him, and the smoking flax no damping frowns” (CHS).

Mat 12:22

“Demoniacs” suffered from: blindness, dumbness (Mat 12:22; Luk 11:14), insanity, schizophrenia (Mar 3:21; 5:1-5; Joh 10:20), epilepsy (Mar 9:17-27), and arthritis (Luk 13:11-17).

Mat 12:24

BUT WHEN THE PHARISEES HEARD THIS, THEY SAID, “IT IS ONLY BY BEELZEBUB, THE PRINCE OF DEMONS, THAT THIS FELLOW DRIVES OUT DEMONS”: Perhaps they took their lead from Christ’s own family (Mar 3:21). This campaign continued (Mar 10:25; Joh 7:20; 8:48,52; 10:20).

BEELZEBUB: Lit, Beelzebul = “Lord of the dwelling”. Corrupted by the Jews to Beelzebub: “Lord of the flies”, and (by implication) “Lord of the dunghill”. Irony: it was in fact by the TRUE “LORD” of the TRUE “dwelling” that Jesus did his work!

Background: The Canaanite god most often referred to is Baal, which means “lord” or “master.” The word could be used as a title for any person who owned something, or any god considered to be a lord or master. But the word Baal soon became identified with various regional gods that were thought to provide fertility for crops and livestock. As a god who symbolized the productive forces of nature, Baal was worshiped with much sensuality (Num 22:41; Jdg 2:13; 1Ki 16:31,32).

Baal appeared in many forms and under many different names. The Bible often makes reference to the Baalim (the plural of Baal, KJV) or to the Baals (NKJV; Jdg 2:11; 1Ki 18:18; Jer 2:23).

The word Baal was often used in forming names, such as Baal of Peor (Deu 4:3; Baal-peor, KJV). Peor was the name of a mountain in Moab. Baal of Peor was an idol of Moab (probably to be identified with Chemosh) that Israel was enticed to worship with immoral practices. In several passages the idol is simply called Peor (Num 25:18; Josh 22:17).

Baal-Berith, which means “lord of the covenant,” is a name under which Baal was worshiped in the time of the judges at Shechem, where he had a temple. In Jdg 9:46 he is called simply the god Berith (El-Berith, NIV).

Baal-Zebub, which means “lord of the fly,” was “the god of Ekron” (2Ki 1:2,3,6, 16) — the name under which Baal was worshiped at the Philistine city of Ekron. The name is probably a deliberate and scornful scribal corruption of Baal-Zebul, “lord prince,” another name for the Canaanite god Baal (see below). In the NT, reference is made to Beelzebub, a heathen god considered the chief evil spirit by the Jewish people (Mat 10:25; 12:27; Luke 11:18,19). The Pharisees called him “the ruler of the demons” (Mat 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), and Jesus called him “Satan”.

This word Baal was also used in personal names, but when the worship of Baal became a problem in Israel, Baal was replaced by Bosheth, which means “shame” (probably because it was shameful to have the name of a pagan god as part of one’s name and because Baal was a shameful god: Jer 11:13). For instance, Merib-Baal (1Ch 8:34; 9:40), the name of the son of Jonathan, became Mephibosheth (2Sa 9:6-13), and Esh-Baal (1Ch 9:39) became Ishbosheth (2Sa 2:8).

The Canaanite god Baal was known as Baal Zebul (“lord prince”) and Aliyan Baal (“strong lord”), as well as by a number of other titles. Baal was considered the god who brought rain and fertility (especially good harvests and animal reproduction). In a number of passages in Canaanite literature he is identified as Hadad, another god believed to bring the rains, storms, and fertility. Hadad is the god Adad of Assyria.

So in reality the Jews were still believing in false gods (even if not worshipping them), since to acknowledge Baal would be therefore to give credit to a false god.

So they not only blasphemed the Holy Spirit in denying the power, but were attributing the power to Baal, thus giving honour to false gods.

Mat 12:25

Vv 25-28: ‘If by my works I show my opposition to demons, and since you oppose me, then you must be on the side of Beelzebub!’

Mat 12:29

Quoting from Isa 49:24,25.

A STRONG MAN’S HOUSE: Sig, here, the body of a demoniac, inhabited by Beelzebub. “Beelzebul” lit means “Lord of the house”.

AND CARRY OFF HIS POSSESSIONS: That is, cast him out, with all his “goods” or works.

Mat 12:31

Vv 31,32: An enlightened rejection of the truth: testified by Christ through the Holy Spirit. Cp warnings: Heb 6:6-9; 10:28-31. Cp also Act 7:51.

Mat 12:32

// Mar 3:29; Luk 12:10. Example: Act 5:3.

Mat 12:33

A TREE IS RECOGNIZED BY ITS FRUIT: Cp Mat 7:18; Jam 3:12.

Mat 12:34

BROOD OF VIPERS: Cp Joh 8:39,44-48.

Mat 12:35

THE GOOD STORED UP IN HIM: “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Mat 13:52).

Mat 12:36

CARELESS: “Inactive, lazy”. Sw Mat 20:3,6 (workers doing nothing!); 1Ti 5:13 (idlers); Tit 1:12 (lazy); 2Pe 1:8 (ineffectual). In this case, every “careless” word spoken against the Holy Spirit (v 32)!

EVERY CARELESS WORD: That is, esp by context, every careless word against the power of the Holy Spirit (vv 31,32). This was the sin of the Pharisees (v 24).

“It comes out the worst when a man is half conscious of having a weak case and is making desperate efforts to convince himself that he does well to be angry. If he believes in the Bible he needs then to remember that all who watch for iniquity and make a man an offender for a word shall be cut off (Isa 29:20). It is usually an easy matter to collect reports derogatory to any man or any body of men. There is quite a temptation to use these ‘make weights’ in time of controversy, especially if the original cause of dispute is slight. One on the defensive can be kept busy chasing the false reports and unfair interpretations, but never succeeding in catching one before the next is on the wing.

“In a court of law a litigant is tied down to the actual charge. It is useless for him to try to fatten out his suit by all sorts of complaints remote from the original accusation. We are free from any such legal restrictions now, but it is well to remember that we have to go before a judgment seat far more searching than any ever set up by man, and for ‘every idle word’ that we have spoken we shall have to give account. Do not let us watch for iniquity, then, either in those we accuse of specific errors or in those who accuse us. Such watching inevitably leads to countless idle and evil words” (PrPr).

Mat 12:39

See Lesson, Jonah, sign of.

Mat 12:40

THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS: This is a Hebrew idiom: meaning parts of three day-night periods, reckoned inclusively: Mat 12:40; Luk 24:21; Mat 27:63,64; Luk 22:1,2; 2Ki 18:9,10; Mat 17:1 / Luk 9:28; Jer 34:14; Est 4:16 / Est 5:1. Cp also implications of Luk 22:53.

Mat 12:41

THE MEN OF NINEVEH WILL STAND UP AT THE JUDGMENT: Gentile repentance is a witness to faithless Israel.

“Is it possible to understand a reference like this on the nonhistoric theory of the book of Jonah? The future Judge is speaking words of solemn warning to those who shall hereafter stand convicted at his bar. Intensely real he would make the scene in anticipation to them, as it was real, as if then present, to himself. And yet we are to suppose him to say that imaginary persons who at the imaginary preaching of an imaginary prophet repented in imagination, shall rise up in that day and condemn the actual impenitence of those his actual hearers” (TT Perowne).

THE JUDGMENT: Def article: THE Judgment Seat of Christ.

Mat 12:43

AN EVIL SPIRIT: Sig a wicked thought or teaching, or an evil practice (Eph 2:2,3).

SEEKING REST AND DOES NOT FIND IT: Because the only true rest is to be found in Christ (Mat 11:28-30).

IT: The “evil spirit”, and not the man himself.

Mat 12:44

Vv 44,45: Much of the nation had “repented” at the preaching of John the Baptist, but it was not enough! It is not enough to cast out the “demon” of wicked thoughts and actions; the void must be filled with good and positive things. Since “nature abhors a void”, then other wicked thoughts and actions will rush in to fill the mind and life of the one who casts out the negative, but does not put the positive in its place.

Mat 12:45

AND THE FINAL CONDITION OF THAT MAN IS WORSE THAN THE FIRST: Cp case of Saul: 1Sa 16:14; 18:10.

Mat 12:46

Does he know the motives of his brothers? (Mar 3:21).

Mat 12:48

“He said of his father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over your word and guarded your covenant’ ” (Deu 33:8-10).

Mat 12:50

“An alien to my mother’s children”: Psa 69:8.

WHOEVER DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER: “Are we doing the will of the Father in heaven? That is the real test. It is not a question of doing what we assume ought to be His will. It is not enough to find in our hearts general desires and aspirations in the right direction. Is the work we are doing now in accordance with the revealed will of God? Are we engaged in the works of love, dispensing the bread and water of life, doing good to all men, especially those of the household of faith? Are we crucifying the flesh by enduring evil treatment without retaliation, leaving vengeance of all degrees to the Lord? It is so easy to be self-deceived in these matters” (PrPr 56). See full article, Lesson, Brethren of Christ do the will of Father.

Mal 2:1

Vv 1-9: The warning of the priests — with particular emphasis on their failure to teach the people correctly.

Mal 2:2

I WILL SEND A CURSE UPON YOU, AND I WILL CURSE YOUR BLESSINGS: If they did not pay attention to the prophet’s rebuke and sincerely desired to honor Yahweh’s name, the LORD would curse them (cp Deu 27:15-26; 28:15-68). He would cut off their blessings. This may include their income from the people as well as spiritual blessings. In fact, He had already begun to do so.

YES, I HAVE ALREADY CURSED THEM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT SET YOUR HEART TO HONOR ME: Anything that seems to be a blessing (wealth, success, children, health) might in fact be a curse, if it turns one’s heart away from God! Such is the “deceitfulness of riches” (Mat 13:22; Mark 4:19, KJV)!

Mal 2:3

I WILL REBUKE YOUR DESCENDANTS; I WILL SPREAD ON YOUR FACES THE OFFAL FROM YOUR FESTIVAL SACRIFICES, AND YOU WILL BE CARRIED OFF WITH IT: Part of this curse involved rebuking the priests’ offspring (Heb “zera”, seed, or physical descendants) and spreading (Heb “zarah”) the offal from their sacrifices on their faces (cp Zec 3:3,4). (Consequently both sacrifices and priests would have to be taken outside for disposal!) This play on words communicates a double curse (cp v 2). Their descendants would not continue because the priests would cease to bear any or many children, and their inferior sacrifices would render them unclean. They would not, then, be able to continue to function in their office.

Mal 2:4

YOU WILL KNOW THAT I HAVE SENT YOU THIS ADMONITION: When these things happened, the priests would know that this warning had indeed come from the LORD. Its intent was to purify the priests so God’s covenant with Levi could continue (cp Mal 3:3). God had promised a continuing line of priests from Levi’s branch of the Chosen People (Deu 33:8-11; cp Exo 32:25-29; Num 25:10-13; Jer 33:21-22).

MY COVENANT WITH LEVI: This is the first of six references to “covenant” in Malachi. The covenants in view are God’s covenant with Levi (vv 4,5,8), the Mosaic Covenant (v 10), the marriage covenant (v 14), and the New Covenant (Mal 3:1).

Mal 2:5

Levi had received a promise of continuing blessing for a special service rendered (Num 18:7,8,19-21; cp Num 25:10-13). The special service that Levi and his descendants rendered to God involved serving as His priests. The covenant that God made with Levi and his descendants resulted in life and peace for them. God gave them these blessings because they respected Yahweh and feared His name.

Mal 2:6

Also in contrast to the present priests, Levi and his descendants had given the Israelites true instruction rather than perverted teaching (cp Heb 13:17; James 3:1). Levi, who here represents his faithful descendants, walked with the LORD (Gen 5:22) in peace (Heb “shalom”) and uprightness, and he turned many away from iniquity (Dan 12:3).

Mal 2:7

FOR THE LIPS OF A PRIEST OUGHT TO PRESERVE KNOWLEDGE, AND FROM HIS MOUTH MEN SHOULD SEEK INSTRUCTION — BECAUSE HE IS THE MESSENGER OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY: Priests should speak true knowledge and should be reliable sources of instruction (Heb “torah”) because they are messengers of Yahweh. Levi contrasts with the priests of Malachi’s day, and Malachi (“my messenger”) also contrasts with the priests of his day. Ezra was the great example of a faithful priest in post-exilic Judaism (cp Ezra 7:10,25; Neh 8:9).

In a later day, many priests became faithful to Christ (Acts 6:17), fulfilling the purpose of their office.

Mal 2:8

BY YOUR TEACHING…: “The definite article on… (tora), ‘instruction,’ suggests that here it is not just any teaching in general but indeed THE instruction, namely, the Torah, the law of Moses. The defection of the priests is all the more serious, then, for they are actually creating obstacles to the people’s access to the Word of God itself. To cause the people to ‘stumble in the Torah’ is to so mislead them in its meaning that they fail to understand and keep its requirements. There can be no more serious indictment against the man of God” (Merrill).

YOU HAVE VIOLATED THE COVENANT: The unfaithful priests had corrupted the LORD’s covenant with Levi in the sense that they had put its continuance in jeopardy by their evil conduct. Far worse than an ill-prepared preacher or teacher was a charlatan, a wolf in sheep’s clothing — and such were some of the priests in Malachi’s day.

Mal 2:9

SO I HAVE CAUSED YOU TO BE DESPISED AND HUMILIATED BEFORE ALL THE PEOPLE: Since the priests had despised the LORD, the LORD had made them despised in the eyes of the people. They did not obey His will but had told the people what they wanted to hear. Their penalty should have been death (Num 18:32). Cp, generally, Mat 23: Christ’s rebuke of the teachers of his day.

PARTIALITY IN MATTERS OF THE LAW: Being a “respecter of persons”: cp Jam 2:3,4; Deu 1:17; 10:17; 16:19; Lev 19:15; Pro 24:23; Rom 2:11.

Mal 2:10

Vv 10-16: Third oracle: the people’s mixed marriages and divorces. This message deals with the same social evils that Ezra and Nehemiah faced: intermarriage with unbelievers, and divorce (cp Ezra 9:2; Neh 14:23-28).

HAVE WE NOT ALL ONE FATHER? DID NOT ONE GOD CREATE US?: Malachi said, by asking rhetorical questions, that God was the father of all the Israelites (cp Exo 4:22; Hos 11:1). That one true God had created all of them. Israel belonged to God because He had created the nation and had adopted it as His son.

WHY DO WE PROFANE THE COVENANT OF OUR FATHERS BY BREAKING FAITH WITH ONE ANOTHER?: Therefore it was inappropriate for the Israelites to treat each others as enemies and deal treacherously with each other; they should have treated each other as brothers and supported one another (Lev 19:18). By dealing treacherously with each other they had made the covenant that God had made with their ancestors virtually worthless; they could not enjoy the blessings of the Mosaic Covenant.

Mal 2:11

Vv 11,12: “The conditions described in this last prophetical book are the same as those described in the last historical book of the OT. Nehemiah deplored the defiled and corrupted priesthood, and Malachi’s central charge was that the priesthood had corrupted the covenant (cp Neh 13:29 and Mal 2:8). Nehemiah dealt with the mixed marriages and the evil that resulted from this condition, and Malachi spoke against the same evil (cp Neh 13:23-25 and Mal 2:11,12)” (GCM).

JUDAH HAS DESECRATED THE SANCTUARY THE LORD LOVES, BY MARRYING THE DAUGHTER OF A FOREIGN GOD: The evidence of Judah’s treachery was that the Israelites were profaning (making common) Yahweh’s beloved sanctuary. This sanctuary may refer to the temple or His people. They did this by practicing idolatry. They had married pagan women who worshipped other gods (cp 2Co 6:14-16). Yahweh’s “son” (v 10) had married foreign women that worshipped other gods and, like Solomon, had become unfaithful to Yahweh (cp Exo 34:11-16; Deu 7:3,4; Jos 23:12,13; Ezra 9:1,2,10-12; Neh 13:23-27).

“He that marries a heathen woman is as if he made himself son-in-law to an idol” (Jewish proverb).

Mal 2:13

Vv 13-15: “Marriage is a serious business. God created marriage to last a lifetime. It is the commitment between a man and a woman to be devoted to each other for as long as they live. It is about faithfulness, sharing and unity. But today, as it was in Malachi’s day, the marriage bond is not respected as it should be. When a marriage breaks down, much more is affected than just the lives of the couple: here we see that because of their unfaithfulness in marriage, God no longer paid attention to those people or accepted their offerings. In other words, if we want to be accepted by God and we want him to hear our prayers we must stay faithful to our marriage partner.

“One of the reasons He makes the two halves of a married couple as one is because He is looking for godly offspring. Can godly children come from a broken home? Yes, they can, but it is so much more difficult.

“When Malachi finished his message about marriage, he ended with a strong exhortation which is worth repeating: ‘So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth…’ Amen!” (RP).

YOU FLOOD THE LORD’S ALTAR WITH TEARS. YOU WEEP AND WAIL BECAUSE HE NO LONGER PAYS ATTENTION TO YOUR OFFERINGS: The people evidently could not figure out why God was withholding blessing from them, so Malachi gave them the reasons.

Mal 2:14

THE WIFE OF YOUR YOUTH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BROKEN FAITH WITH HER: At the same time they dealt treacherously with their wives (cp 1Pe 3:7). The marriage relationship is a covenant relationship, and those who break their vows should not expect God to bless them. God Himself acted as a witness when the couple made their covenant of marriage in their youth. This sin may have in view particularly the Israelite men who were divorcing their Jewish wives, and perhaps then marrying pagan women (cp v 12).

THE WIFE OF YOUR YOUTH: It has become quite common now, in executive circles, and the higher echelons of all businesses and industries, for very successful men to have a “trophy wife”. The “wives of their youth” have been put away, and newer, younger “models” have taken their places. And the commercial, self-indulgent, self-congratulatory nature of this enterprise is evident in the name: a “trophy” — a life partner as a “plaything” or a status symbol. How appropriately Malachi’s words rebuke THIS generation!

Mal 2:15

HAS NOT THE LORD MADE THEM ONE?… AND WHY ONE? BECAUSE HE WAS SEEKING A GODLY OFFSPRING. SO GUARD YOURSELF IN YOUR SPIRIT, AND DO NOT BREAK FAITH WITH THE WIFE OF YOUR YOUTH: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24; Mat 19:5; Eph 5:20-33). No individual Israelite who benefited from even a small amount of the Holy Spirit’s influence would break such a covenant as the marriage contract. God Himself would not break His covenant with Israel. In both cases godly offspring were a major reason for not breaking the respective covenants. The welfare of the children is still a common and legitimate reason for keeping a marriage intact. (But notice that, in context, the “godly offspring” may be the parents, as well as the children!) The Israelites needed to be careful, therefore, that no one of them dealt treacherously with the wife he married in his youth by breaking his marriage covenant and divorcing her. (The man is the responsible party in the text because in Israel husbands could divorce their wives but wives could not divorce their husbands.)

Mal 2:16

I HATE DIVORCE: The Israelites were not to break their marriage covenants because Yahweh, Israel’s God, hates or detests divorce (cp Mat 19:6; Mark 10:9). He hates it because it constitutes covenant unfaithfulness, breaking a covenant entered into that God Himself witnessed (v 14). Furthermore, He hates it because He is a covenant-keeping God; He keeps his promises. To break a covenant (a formal promise) is to do something that God Himself does not do; it is ungodly.

A MAN COVERING HIMSELF WITH VIOLENCE: God also hates someone who covers himself with wrong. This is a play on a Hebrew euphemism for marriage, namely covering oneself with a garment (cp Rth 3:9; Eze 16:8). One covers himself with wrong when he divorces his wife whom he has previously married (ie, covered with his garment). For these Jews divorce was similar to wearing soiled garments; it was a disgrace.

The fact that Ezra commanded divorce (Ezra 10) may appear to contradict God’s prohibition of divorce here. (Nehemiah neither advocated divorce nor spoke out against it: Neh 13:23-29.) The solution seems to be that Malachi addressed the situation of Jewish men divorcing their Jewish wives, perhaps to marry pagan women. Ezra faced Jewish men who had already married pagan women. Does this mean that it is all right to divorce an unbelieving spouse but not a believer? Paul made it clear that the Christian is to divorce neither (1Co 7:10-20). Evidently it was the illegitimacy of a Jew marrying a pagan that led Ezra to advocate divorce in that type of case.

Mal 2:17

Mal 2:17 — 3:6: The fourth oracle: the problem of God’s justice. This v 17 contains the question and answer, and the discussion follows in Mal 3:1-6. The Israelites’ changeability (Mal 2:17) contrasts with Yahweh’s constancy (Mal 3:6).

YOU HAVE WEARIED THE LORD WITH YOUR WORDS: Malachi announced to his hearers that they had wearied God with their words; He was tired of hearing them say something.

An apparent contradiction: on the one hand God said He does not grow weary (Isa 40:28), but on the other hand He said He was weary (here). The solution is that in the first case He was speaking about His essential character; He does not tire out like human beings do. In the second case He meant that He was tired of the Israelites speaking as they did.

“HOW HAVE WE WEARIED HIM?” YOU ASK: Their response was again hypocritical incredulity.

BY SAYING, “ALL WHO DO EVIL ARE GOOD IN THE EYES OF THE LORD, AND HE IS PLEASED WITH THEM” OR “WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?”: They seem to have lost their conscience for right and wrong and assumed that because God did not intervene He approved of their sin. Really their question amounted to a challenge to God’s justice. If they were breaking His law and He was just, He surely must punish them. Their return to the land indicated to them that He was blessing them, and He promised to bless the godly in the Mosaic Covenant (Deu 28:1-14).

Modern people say the same thing. “If there is a just God, why doesn’t He do something about all the suffering in the world?” “If God is just, why do the wicked prosper?” Scripture reveals that God blesses the wicked as well as the righteous (Mat 5:45; Acts 14:17), and the righteous suffer as well as the wicked because of the Fall and sin (Gen 3:16-19; Ecc 2:17-23). Moreover, God may afflict the righteous as well as the wicked (Job 1; 2). God will eventually punish the wicked and bless the righteous, but perhaps not in this life (cp Job 21:7-26; 24:1-17; Psa 73:1-14; Ecc 8:14; Jer 12:1-4; Hab 1). Malachi’s audience had forgotten part of what God had revealed on this subject.

WHERE IS THE GOD OF JUSTICE?: “In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘WHERE is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation’ ” (2Pe 3:3,4).

Mal 3:1

SEE, I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER: Yahweh predicted the coming of His messenger (cp Isa 40:3-5). Jesus identified this messenger as John the Baptist (Mat 11:10; cp Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27). This future messenger would clear the way in preparation for Yahweh (cp Isa 40:3; John 1:23). This of course puts Jesus in the role of Yahweh, and so he is: for John the Baptist would announce the coming to Israel of the manifestation of the Father (Mark 1:2n).

THEN SUDDENLY THE LORD YOU ARE SEEKING WILL COME TO HIS TEMPLE: Cp Eze 43:1-5: the glory of the LORD returning to the Temple; cp also Zec 8:3. Though Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem many times during His earthly ministry, this sudden coming was not fulfilled then (cp vv 2-5). It will occur when He returns to set up His messianic kingdom.

“Suddenly” does not necessarily mean esp “soon”, but more likely “unexpectedly”: cp ideas, Mat 24:29; Rev 22:12; Luk 21:35,36; 1Th 5:2-4.

THE MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT: Another name for the LORD — or the LORD’s representative, the Messiah, the Son of God — who would come following the appearance of the first messenger promised in this verse. He would be the divine Messiah. “Messenger” means “angel,” and the Angel of the LORD is in view here. The “covenant” is the New Covenant that God promised to make with the Jews in the future (cp Jer 31:31-34; Eze 37:26). Christ will be the “messenger” of this covenant because he will confirm that covenant (Rom 15:8), thru his death (ie Gen 15; cp Heb 9:15,23-25; 13:20).

WHOM YOU DESIRE: Or “seek” — this is probably ironical! The Jews should have “delighted” in this Messenger because his coming had been a subject of messianic prophecy and an object of eager anticipation from early in Israel’s history (Gen 3:15; etc).

The Jews had been expressing disbelief that God would intervene and establish justice in the world (Mal 2:17), but God promised He would.

Mal 3:2

BUT WHO CAN ENDURE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? WHO CAN STAND WHEN HE APPEARS?: Elsewhere the prophets foretold that this time would be a day of judgment on the whole world marked by disaster and death (Mal 4:1; Isa 2:12; Joel 3:11-16; Amos 5:18-21; Zec 1:14-18).

“To stand” here means to “stand upright” or “remain” — ie, be approved (Psa 1:5; 5:5; Dan 12:13).

HE WILL BE LIKE A REFINER’S FIRE OR A LAUNDERER’S SOAP: As a fire he would burn up the impurities of the priests (cp Isa 1:25; Jer 6:29,30; Eze 22:17-22; 1Pe 1:7; 4:17; Heb 12:29), and as a laundryman’s soap he would wash them clean (cp Jer 2:22; Zec 3:5) — sig a moral cleansing (Isa 1:16-18; 4:3,4; Psa 51:2,7; Rev 1:5; 7:14). The Levitical priests would then be able to offer sacrifices to Yahweh in a righteous condition rather than as they were in Malachi’s day (cp Mal 1:6 — 2:9; Isa 56:7; 66:20-23; Jer 33:18; Eze 40:38-43; 43:13-27; 45:9-25; Zec 14:16-21). The multiple figures of cleansing and the repetition of terms for cleansing stress the thoroughness of the change that the LORD’s Messenger would bring about.

Mal 3:3

HE WILL SIT AS A REFINER AND PURIFIER OF SILVER: The refiner must have patience; he sits and watches the pot where the metal is being melted, and continually removes impurities, and tests the product being purified. When his reflection is seen in the metal, then he knows that he is achieving the purity desired!

“That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

“The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot — then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that, yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

“The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, how do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smiled at her and answered, ‘Oh, that’s easy — it’s finished when I can see my image in it.’ “

HE WILL PURIFY THE LEVITES AND REFINE THEM LIKE GOLD AND SILVER: Here Malachi said no one would be able to endure his coming because he would purify the priesthood, the people who should have stood closest to him. Reference to the Levites shows that this passage is dealing with the mortal priesthood, not the immortal saints.

THEN THE LORD WILL HAVE MEN WHO WILL BRING OFFERINGS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS: Offering is accepted only when sins are forgiven, and Israel is “grafted in”: Rom 11:23-26; Eze 37:25-27.

Mal 3:4

AND THE OFFERINGS OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD: In contrast to the present ones that were not (cp Mal 1:13,14).

AS IN DAYS GONE BY, AS IN FORMER YEARS: A return to the “old paths” (Jer 6:16). A restitution of all things (cp Acts 3:21; Mat 19:28).

Mal 3:5

At that time the LORD assured His people that He would draw near to them, but it would be for judgment. He would quickly judge all types of sin that they practiced, whereas in Malachi’s day, and now, He waits to judge (cp 2Pe 3:9,10). The Levites would not be the only Jews He judged; all the Israelites living then would come under His judgment (cp Eze 20:34-38). He would judge them for all types of activity forbidden for His people: sorcery; adultery; lying; oppression of employees, widows, and orphans; mistreatment of aliens; and even all forms of irreverence for Him. This was His answer to their claim that He was unjust, and that He would not act (Mal 2:17).

Mal 3:6

I THE LORD DO NOT CHANGE. SO YOU, O DESCENDANTS OF JACOB, ARE NOT DESTROYED: He was faithful to His covenant promises in the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants; He would never destroy them completely but would chasten them and finally bless them. Trials are essential, but not permanent. By calling the Jews “sons of Jacob,” the LORD was connecting their behavior with that of their notorious patriarch. Promises are only as good as the person who makes them, so that fact that Yahweh does not change (cp Tit 1:2; Jam 1:17; Heb 6:13) strengthens the certainty of their fulfillment (cp Deu 4:31; Eze 36:22-32). The Apostle Paul gave the same reason for expecting Israel to have a future (Rom 3:3,4; 9:6; 11:1-5,25-29).

“The statement that Yahweh does not change (cp 1Sa 15:29; Heb 13:8) may seem to contradict other statements that the LORD changed His mind (eg, Exo 32:14). This statement that He does not change refers to the essential character of God. He is always holy, loving, just, faithful, gracious, merciful, etc. The other statements, that He changes, refer to His changing from one course of action to another. They involve His choices, not His character. If He did not change His choices, He would not be responsive; if He changed His character, He would be unreliable” (Const).

“It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect; One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow mutability can make no furrows. All things else have changed — all things are changing. The sun itself grows dim with age; the world is waxing old; the folding up of the worn-out vesture has commenced; the heavens and earth must soon pass away; they shall perish, they shall wax old as doth a garment; but there is One who only hath immortality, of whose years there is no end, and in whose person there is no change. The delight which the mariner feels, when, after having been tossed about for many a day, he steps again upon the solid shore, is the satisfaction of a Christian when, amidst all the changes of this troublous life, he rests the foot of his faith upon this truth — ‘I am the LORD, I change not.’

“The stability which the anchor gives the ship when it has at last obtained a hold-fast, is like that which the Christian’s hope affords him when it fixes itself upon this glorious truth. With God ‘is no variableness, neither shadow of turning’ [Jam 1:17]. Whatever His attributes were of old, they are now; His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth, are alike unchanged. He has ever been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is their sure Helper still. He is unchanged in His love. He has loved His people with ‘an everlasting love’; He loves them now as much as ever He did, and when all earthly things shall have melted in the last conflagration, His love will still wear the dew of its youth. Precious is the assurance that He changes not! The wheel of providence revolves, but its axle is eternal love.

” ‘Death and change are busy ever, Man decays, and ages move; But His mercy waneth never; God is wisdom, God is love’ ” (CHS).

Mal 3:7

Vv 7-12: Fifth oracle: the people’s sin of robbing God. The LORD had said that Israel’s earlier history was a time when the priests and the people of Israel pleased Him (v 4). Now He said that those early days were short-lived (cp Exo 32:7-9). In contrast to His faithfulness (v 6), they had been unfaithful.

EVER SINCE THE TIME OF YOUR FOREFATHERS YOU HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM MY DECREES AND HAVE NOT KEPT THEM: From Israel’s early history the people had deviated from the straight path that Yahweh had prescribed for them to walk in the Mosaic Covenant. They had disobeyed covenant stipulations. They had succumbed to the inherent weakness of the flesh (Deu 9:7; Psa 78:8-10; Eze 20:8; Luk 11:48-50).

RETURN TO ME, AND I WILL RETURN TO YOU: The almighty LORD called His people to return to Him with the promise that if they did He would return to them (cp Deu 4:30,31; 30:1-10; Isa 55:6,7; Deu 30:1-4).

BUT YOU ASK, ‘HOW ARE WE TO RETURN?’: The response of the people, however, was that they did not know how to return. The Mosaic Covenant specified how they were to return, by trusting and obeying Yahweh, so their question indicated a reluctance to change their ways.

” ‘How should we return?’ is not an earnest entreaty for information but a self-serving declaration of innocence. The people, in effect, are saying, ‘What need do we have to return since we never turned away to begin with?’ ” (Merrill).

Mal 3:8

WILL A MAN ROB GOD?: How absurd it is for human beings to rob or defraud God. To rob Him one would have to be stronger and smarter than He. Yet that is what the Israelites were doing because God was allowing it. They were thieves of the worst kind, robbers of God.

IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS: They had withheld the tithes (Lev 27:30,32; Deu 12:5-18; 14:22-29; cp, generally, Psa 29:2; Mat 22:17-21) and offerings (Num 18:21-32) that the Law commanded them to bring to God. Earlier the LORD criticized the priests for offering inferior quality sacrifices (1:7-14), and now He criticized the people for offering an insufficient quantity of sacrifices (cp v 10). Failure to adequately support the priests and Levites resulted in the breakdown of priestly service (cp Neh 10:32-39; 13:10).

Historical background: “I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’ Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms” (Neh 13:10-12).

Mal 3:9

YOU ARE UNDER A CURSE — THE WHOLE NATION OF YOU — BECAUSE YOU ARE ROBBING ME: All the people were guilty of this offense. That is, it was widespread in the nation, not that every individual Israelite was guilty necessarily. Robbing the priests and Levites of what was due them was really robbing God since they were His servants and they maintained His house, the temple. They would receive a curse from the LORD for this covenant violation (v 11; cp Mal 4:6).

Mal 3:10

THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE: Then there would be food in the LORD’s house for the priests and for Himself. The sacrifices were, in a figurative sense, food for the LORD (cp Mal 1:7).

TEST ME IN THIS… AND SEE IF I WILL NOT THROW OPEN THE FLOODGATES OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT SO MUCH BLESSING THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE ROOM ENOUGH FOR IT: Israel had probably justified withholding the tithes because of the drought (cp Hag 1:2,11; Neh 5:4), but if they were to obey God, then He would bless them! The principle is: put God first, and then He will bless you (Mat 6:33; Pro 3:9,10). The LORD urged His people to put Him to a test by doing this (cp Acts 5:9; 15:10; 1Co 10:9; Heb 3:9).

He had promised to bless them for obedience, so their obedience in bringing the full amount of tithes that the Law required would test His faithfulness to His promise. He promised to reward their full obedience with rain and harvests abundant enough to satisfy their needs. His heavenly “storehouse” of blessings for them was full to brimming over, and He would gladly pour it out upon them!

This verse has often been used to urge Christians to tithe. However, the New Covenant under which we live never specified the amount or percentage that we should give back to God of what He has given to us. Rather it teaches that we should give regularly, sacrificially, as the LORD has prospered us, and joyfully (cp 1Co 16:1,2; 2Co 8; 9; Phi 4). In harmony with the principle of grace that marks this dispensation, the LORD leaves the amount we give back to Him unspecified and up to us.

“Have you ever hung up a hummingbird feeder? Have you observed these lightning quick little creatures sipping the sweet nectar and then flying off to a nearby limb to guard the feeder from other birds? Have you ever seen a tiny hummingbird dive-bomb another kind of bird who was also trying to take a sip of the sweet stuff?

“The little hummingbird doesn’t know that the person who put up the feeder also has an unlimited supply of food so that however many birds may come, there will always be enough. Instead, the hummingbird worries and frets and spends needless energy warding off what he thinks are his competitors for food. Actually he could have done with a lot less nectar himself if he hadn’t burnt up so much energy protecting his supply from those he thought were his enemies.

“Can we see ourselves in this? How much energy do we spend protecting what we have instead of sharing it with others? We, like the hummingbird, fail to realize that there is an unlimited supply of all that we need. Our Heavenly Father is able ‘to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.’ [Eph 3:20] Actually God issues us a challenge saying, ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ [Mal 3:10]

“How much fuller our lives can be once we recognize that all we have has come from God and He is not only able but willing to open the very windows of heaven to pour out blessings upon us. We think lack instead of plenty, we think we must conserve, and store and hoard instead of giving. Jesus says, ‘Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.’

“We think how foolish is the little hummingbird yet he is more justified in behaving as he does than we are, for he does not have the advantage of hearing God say that He will provide.

“When Jesus says ‘give’, what is it we are to give? Our money? Yes, God gave it to us in the first place and He’s watching to see if we regard our assets as ‘all mine’ or ‘His’ lent to us to provide for our necessities. But when Jesus says ‘give’ it is not limited to money. Some who are rich can give huge sums and never feel it as Jesus pointed out in the story of the widow’s mite. He wants not just our money, but us. He wants us to give of our time, He wants us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, and this means much more than just money. Let’s try giving ourselves away in His service, thinking of things to do, for Him.

“Jesus said, ‘He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.’ [Mat 10:39] Let’s try losing ourselves in service to Him, forgetting what we want and what we have and begin to give of ourselves and of our substance to Him. It has to be experienced to be believed. Some will never experience it because they are like the little hummingbird, spending all their time protecting what they think is theirs, but what wonderful blessing is in store for those willing to give, to really give, not just of our surplus but of ourselves. Truly Jesus was right when He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ [Acts 20:35]” (MM).

Mal 3:11

I WILL PREVENT PESTS FROM DEVOURING YOUR CROPS: KJV has “the devourer”, ref locusts (cp Joel 1:4; Amos 4:9). Not only would God provide adequate harvests (v 10), but He would also preserve the harvested crops from pests and animals and diseases that might otherwise destroy them (cp Deu 28:18,38).

AND THE VINES IN YOUR FIELDS WILL NOT CAST THEIR FRUIT: Their grapes would also develop fully on their vines rather than dropping off prematurely (cp Deu 28:40).

Mal 3:12

THEN ALL THE NATIONS WILL CALL YOU BLESSED, FOR YOURS WILL BE A DELIGHTFUL LAND: All other nations would acknowledge divine blessing on the Israelites because their land would be such a delightful place (cp Deu 4:6,7; 28:9,10; 33:29; Jer 33:6; Zep 3:19; Zec 8:13,23).

Are we, the saints of today, living up to these standards? Consider Acts 4:31-35; 1Co 3:11-15; 2Co 5:10; 9:6-12; Gal 6:6; Phi 4:14-19). “Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2Co 9:6).

Mal 3:13

Mal 3:13 — 4:3: Sixth oracle: the arrogant and the humble.

Vv 13-15: The people’s arrogance.

Mal 3:14

GOING ABOUT LIKE MOURNERS: That is, making some kind of outward, hypocritical show of piety: cp Mat 6:16; 23:25-28.

Mal 3:15

It appeared to these men that those who practiced wickedness who got ahead and grew stronger materially (cp Mal 2:17). Moreover, they seemed to escape any punishment from God. So why not continue as they were?

Mal 3:16

V 16: The remnant’s humility. Upon hearing the LORD’s rebuke through His prophet (vv 13-15), some of Malachi’s hearers who genuinely feared the LORD got together. Evidently they discussed Malachi’s message and agreed among themselves that they needed to repent. Yahweh paid attention to their attitude and heard what they said.

“The word translated ‘gave attention’ [‘listened’ in NIV] means ‘hearkened,’ as when a dog picks up its ears when it hears its master’s voice. What these people did caught the LORD’s attention. He hearkened to them, and He ‘heard’ or listened attentively to what they said. God always listens carefully to the conversation of those who bind themselves together with other believers who genuinely fear Him and who reflect on His great name” (GCM).

A SCROLL OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN IN HIS PRESENCE CONCERNING THOSE WHO FEARED THE LORD AND HONORED HIS NAME: In His heavenly throne room angelic assistants wrote a permanent record that these individuals feared and respected Yahweh (cp Exo 32:32; Psa 69:28; Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phi 4:3; Heb 12:23; Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27). When God deals with those individuals, He will remember their submission to Him.

“Here we have one definition of those that fear the LORD. They were the people who talked with each other, and we can infer from this that their discussions were of the LORD. They discussed godly things together. They had to get together to talk. One of the most important things we can do in this life is to get together with other believers and talk with them. Let’s not limit our discussions to the weather and work, but especially discuss the faith we hold — and encourage each other to be prepared for the return of Christ (and may it be soon). And the reward for encouraging each other is that a book of remembrance has been written for us and that we will become part of God’s treasured possession. It is a great reward to be called ‘mine’ by God and to be his treasured possession. So get together and get talking today!” (RP).

Mal 3:17

Mal 3:17 — 4:3: The coming judgment of Israel.

MY TREASURED POSSESSION: The Hebrew word here, “segullah”, we are told, referred to the private treasure of kings; in societies where kings were more or less absolute dictators, everything in their realm was considered to be legally their property — but even a king could not control and spend and enjoy all properties in his kingdom, and so he would possess certain properties, properties which were set apart as his own “special treasure”, his “peculiar” or unique property, and no one else’s (cp sw Exo 19:5; Deu 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; 1Ch 29:3; Psa 135:4).

In the figure here, God Almighty is the great king, and all the universe belongs to Him, and all men, and all they have — it is all His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him! But… the Heavenly Father has condescended to choose a special few of all His subjects to be His own family, His own special possession, His own cherished riches. They stay close to His person; they recline in His bosom; they hear His whispers of endearment; they feel the tender touch of His special love. They are dearer to Him than the stars in the heavens, or the glorious snow-topped mountains. They are dearer to Him than the treasures of the richest mines, or the harvests of the richest fields. They are the ones He has redeemed with the precious blood of His Son.

The Gospel According to Matthew is well suited as the opening book of the New Testament because of its emphasis on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In it the promises of God are recalled and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ is made evident.

It is obvious that the Gospel of Matthew was aimed at a Jewish audience because…

• The author makes no attempt to translate or explain Jewish words and practices.
• The gospel quotes more frequently from the Old Testament than does any other gospel.
• Most important, however, Jesus is portrayed as a descendant and “heir” of the three greatest personalities of the Old Testament, although he surpasses them.

1. Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy back to Abraham (Mat 1:2), the father of the faith.
2. In the Sermon on the Mount (Mat 5-7), Jesus appears as a royal teacher whose authority exceeds that of Moses, the founder of the faith.
3. And Jesus fulfils the hopes of David, the greatest king of Israel. He is born in Bethlehem (mentioned five times in (Mat 2)), and like David he appears as a king (Mat 19:28). He is frequently recognized as “the son of David” (Mat 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 21:9; 21:15), although in truth He is David’s “Lord” (Mat 22:41-46).

  One could well question why a Gospel written for the Jews by a Jew, was written in Greek. For those who may see this as an issue, the explanation (a very detailed one of which can be found in Nelson’s Bible Dictionary) seems to be that Matthew wrote what was basically a collection of facts, which was later written into the “Gospel Format”. According to Nelson, “The actual author probably was a Palestinian Jew who used the Gospel of Mark, plus a Greek translation of Matthew’s Aramaic ‘oracles,’ and composed the gospel in Greek. The name of the gospel, therefore, stems from the apostle Matthew on whom the author draws, in part, to compose his work…”   Either way, whoever the ‘composer’ of the Gospel may have been, it still remains that the Gospel is Matthew’s thoughts and portrayal of Christ the King.   Main Themes

• Matthew sought to prove to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy; hence the recurring statement that occurs in this gospel is, “All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet” (Mat 1:22; 2:15,17,23).
• Matthew writes to prove that Jesus is the king to whom God has given power and authority to redeem and to judge mankind (Mat 1:1-17; 2:2; 21:1-11; 27:11,37; 28:18).
• If Matthew tries to portray Christ as the king, then it figures that he would place considerable emphasis on a Kingdom, and hence one of the most prominent messages of this gospel is about the “kingdom of heaven” or “kingdom of God.” This kingdom is mentioned 51 times in the Gospel of Matthew, twice as often as in any other gospel, (Mat 5-7; 10; 13; 18; 24-25).

  The Gospel of Matthew concludes with Jesus’ command to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them in His name. He leaves His disciples with this assurance: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mat 28:20).

Outline

Mat 1:1 – 2:23: Jesus’ birth and childhood Mat 3:1 – 17: John the Baptist Mat 4:1 – 25: Temptation and early ministry Mat 5:1 – 7:29: The Sermon on the Mount Mat 8:1 – 11:30: Miracles and preaching Mat 12:1 – 50: The Pharisees Mat 13:1 – 53: Seven parables of the Kingdom Mat 13:54 – 17:27: Further preaching and conflict with the Pharisees Mat 18:1 -20:34: For the disciples Mat 21:1 – 22:46: Towards Jerusalem Mat 23:1 – 24:51: Warning — prophecy Mat 25:1 – 46: On the Kingdom Mat 26:1 – 27:66: The crucifixion Mat 28:1 – 20: The resurrection

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Mat 1:1

Mat — John: See Lesson, How Jesus used the Old Testament.

See Lesson, Matthew’s genealogy. Also see Article, Genealogies of Jesus.

See Article, Matthew and money.

One of the most marvelous verses in the whole Bible is Mat 1:1: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Think about it for a minute. There it sits, at the very beginning of the New Testament. Anybody can find it. Anybody can remember where it is. No searching the memory banks for a “good verse” to use. No flipping through pages, muttering, “Now where WAS that verse?”

When you think about it, this IS pretty much the beginning for most everyone except Christadelphians: “I don’t bother much with the Old Testament, of course,” they say. “Too much dull history, and lists of names. The New Testament is all I need!”

“Fine,” we say, “Let’s go there!”

And now that one has begun at the beginning, the message of this single verse — at the very crossroads of the Bible, the bridge between Old and New — is… breathtakingly simple: Here, at the very beginning — the jumping-off place — of the New Testament, the reader is actually directed to look back at the Old… “HALT! Proceed no further until you look back and understand WHY it is important that Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham and the son of David.”

And right away, the reader can be introduced to the promises — resurrection and eternal life on the earth, the Kingdom of God, and the throne of David, and the Second Coming. Some of the most positive, and fundamental, teachings of the Bible.

And — if you have a memory like a sieve, or can’t remember a single thing under pressure — how do you get to those promises? No problem. Alongside Mat 1:1 in your Bible margin, simply write: (a) “Abraham”: Gen 12 and Gen 13 (and Gal 3:16,27-29 if you want to be adventurous!); and (b) “David”: 2Sa 7 (and maybe Isa 9:6,7 and Luk 1:31-33).

Now you are off and running!

RECORD OF THE GENEALOGY: “Book” (biblos, Bible) of the “genesis”. A new beginning; a spiritual creation.

DAVID… ABRAHAM: Both David and Abraham received the promises of God with faith and joy (Mat 22:43; Joh 8:56). “How they would have rejoiced to read this ‘dull’ chapter” (WEnj 188).

Think of the analogy of a wealthy family (this analogy is actually used in Gal 4). All the children receive a generous “inheritance” (or at least their share is laid up in trusts or the like, for their use at a later date). But the children — as they grow up — also willingly and eagerly go to work in the family business, doing their own part to cause the family enterprise to grow, and making wise and prudent decisions about the “investments” of the company… not just for themselves, but especially for their own children and grandchildren. Here is a lengthy list of names, a list that can make for very dull reading. But if we make it personal, it comes alive! Read the genealogy as though it were your own family history (and it is: for if you belong to Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promises: Gal 3:16,27-29). When read that way, it is immensely exciting. It is as though you suddenly discover that you are “heir” to a vast fortune (and what a property! the whole world in fact: Gen 13:14,15; Rom 4:13; 2Sa 7:12-16!) through an obscure branch of the family tree which you had never considered before. Just think: if you learned of this possible “inheritance”, how avidly would you read and reread that “dull”, “dry” list of names, just to be sure that it did in fact lead finally to you! And then how eagerly and avidly would you go to work at the family’s enterprise, knowing that one day it would all belong to you!

DAVID: Jesus is called Son of David: Mat 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30,31; 21:9,15; 22:42.

Mat 1:2

JUDAH AND HIS BROTHERS: As with vv 3,11, calls attention to God’s selectivity.

Mat 1:3

The women in Jesus’ genealogy: Jesus as a friend of publicans and sinners: Mat 8:10; 9:10; 11:19.

Mat 1:4

AMMINADAB: Father-in-law of Aaron (Exo 6:23).

Mat 1:8

JEHORAM THE FATHER OF UZZIAH: Skipping 3 generations here: the descendants of Athaliah: Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah: 2Ki 8:16-18,26; 2Ch 21:6; Deu 29:20. To fulfill prophecy: “God will blot out their names.”

Mat 1:11

Excludes Jehoiakim, poss because he was appointed not by God, but by the king of Babylon.

Mat 1:12

JECONIAH: The two lines (Joseph’s in Mat and Mary’s in Luk) converge in 2 successive generations (Shealtiel and Zerubbabel). Was Jeconiah the father of Shealtiel (here), or was Neri the father (Luk 3:27)? One of the two lines (in Mat and Luk) was prob perpetuated through an adoption. Either way, legally or by blood, Jesus was descended from David. See Jer 22:30n also.

SHEALTIEL THE FATHER OF ZERUBBABEL: Poss excluding one generation: 1Ch 3:17,18.

Mat 1:16

AND JACOB THE FATHER OF JOSEPH…: This generation is Joseph’s — whereas the one in Luk 3 is Mary’s. This generation stresses kingly (David) and national (Abraham) inheritance, which would naturally come through the “father”. Thus, legally speaking, Jesus was the heir of Joseph.

JESUS, WHO IS CALLED CHRIST: The total number of persons in genealogy is 41. How does the writer arrive at 42? A couple of possible answers: (1) Jesus is 41st, and Christ is 42nd — being “born” twice. Or, (2) perhaps the 42nd generation is the multitudinous Christ, the “seed” of Isa 53:10,11, and the “generation” of Psa 22:31.

Mat 1:17

First 14 generations: royalty given. Second 14 generations: royalty removed. Third 14 generations: royalty restored.

As with the lunar cycle (complete in 28 days): the 42 generations sym the waxing (to David), waning (to Jeconiah), and waxing again (to Christ) of Messianic fortunes.

3 x 14 = 42 “stations” in the “wilderness” of man (Num 33), until the promise is received. Also, 42 periods of affliction (Rev 12:6; 13:5,12), until deliverance.

Mat 1:18

By the time Mary returned from Judea to Nazareth her pregnancy was at least three months advanced (Luk 1:56). If not already obvious, her condition would be discovered not long thereafter — most likely by her parents. This is implied by the statement: “She was found to be with child.” Mary did not reveal the past events to any but Elizabeth and Zechariah until her condition was known. Her silence was the result (we may suppose) of equal parts modesty and faith; modesty in speaking of such an intimate matter, and faith that God would reveal His purpose when He chose, and to whom He chose. It must be pointed out that the last phrase of v 18 (“through the Holy Spirit”) does not describe what was known immediately — either by Mary’s parents or by Joseph. This is certain because of what follows in the narrative.

The position of this last phrase is Matthew’s explanation, by which the link is made to the foregoing genealogy (esp with v 16) and to the succeeding prophecy (v 23). The first intimation Joseph received of anything extraordinary in his betrothed wife may have come from his in-laws, or the secondhand gossip of not-so-friendly neighbors.

Matthew’s narrative is so brief that the reader is compelled to select from different possibilities. Did Joseph go direct to Mary for confirmation, or did he inquire of others (her parents, perhaps) in order to be sure? A good guess of what happened (and it can only be a guess) is this: When Mary’s parents discover her pregnancy, they naturally question her, but she says that she must first speak to Joseph. She may have felt that, since her condition is now in the open, the first explanation is due to her “husband”, not her parents. The next reasonable guess would be that Mary’s father approaches Joseph with the unwelcome news, and with an understandable accusation framed. Joseph can do nothing else but assert his innocence, which only makes a bad situation worse.

References in Psalms to the Virgin Birth: (a) Psa 22:9,10: The AV mg has: “kept me safe”. This was fulfilled in Mat 2:13-16. (b) Psa 69:8: “My brethren” = “my mother’s children”, but not “my father’s children” — implying that Jesus had no human father! (c) Psa 71:6: “You brought me forth, or upheld me from the womb!” (d) Psa 86:16 / Psa 116:16: Cp with Luke 1:38,48: Mary is the “handmaiden” of the LORD, and in these words she gives her consent which is necessary for the conception of the unique child in her womb. (e) Psa 89:26,27: “I will appoint him my firstborn”. Cp Col 1:15,18. The “first Adam” and “last Adam”: referring to the one who is “firstborn” not just by his birth, but by his special selection by his Father, and especially by his overcoming of sin and death. (f) Psa 110:3: Why does David call him “Lord”? Because, though born after David, Jesus is greater than he — being the son of the Most High. See v 3: “From the womb before the morning I begat thee” (LXX). (g) Psa 132:11: “From your belly” (AV mg) — ie, not “loins” (as of paternal origin), but “womb” (maternal origin). This is the same word in 2Sa 7:12. Cp with Luke 1:42.

Mat 1:19

See Lesson, Joseph a righteous man.

Mat 1:20

JOSEPH SON OF DAVID: A woman’s identity is merged into that of her husband, and this is why Joseph (and not just Mary) needed to be descended from David.

Both Mary and Joseph are asked by God to accept the disgrace and shame of a couple who have “sinned”. Joseph is told to name the child (Mat 1:21), an act which would be interpreted by all as an admission of paternity. (This would also be equivalent to an admission that he had lied in previously asserting his innocence) In the eyes of the people, then, either Joseph was a weak man who could not control his passions, or, worse yet, a fool duped into raising another man’s son. (Because of Mary’s three-month sojourn in Judah, the tongue-waggers could make a strong argument for the latter view.) Such matters would not be soon forgotten in a close-knit country village.

God could have made it easier. He could have smoothed the way, but He did not. Mary must now gather her belongings and go quietly to the house of Joseph. She would go with relief, certainly, that her beloved no longer doubted her, and that he was one with her in understanding the marvelous revelation of God. But she would go also under the disdainful eyes of her friends and relatives, and perhaps the sorrow of her parents, which she could do nothing to alleviate. For Mary and Joseph there would be no happy wedding, bridesmaids, feasts, laughing children, gifts or good wishes. The cloud of suspicion was made worse because there could be neither repentance nor explanation, only passive endurance (see 1Pe 2:20,21).

God saw to it that His own Son was provided with sterling examples of such traits in his childhood. Jesus was “called” to follow the pattern of meek suffering in well-doing that Mary and Joseph set for him. The grace under pressure which they showed during an extended trial was the object of his keen discernment. He could not fail, as he grew up, to hear the whispers and the innuendoes (cp later incidents: ie Joh 8:1-11); but from his parents, never a complaint. These lessons were taken to heart, and given the perfect reinterpretation in his own life.

Mat 1:21

SHE WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON: But not, “she will bear to YOU a son” (as in Gen 17:19; Luk 1:13), because Joseph was not literally the father. But see Mic 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come FOR ME one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient time.”

YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME: Joseph was not the “amiable nonentity” so often portrayed. He, not Mary, was appointed the custodian of Jesus (cp Mat 2:13,14,19-21).

BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS: Coming as it does right after the genealogy (which highlights so many of the sins of his ancestors), this promise emphasizes that the work of Jesus will be efficacious even for sins that are past: Rom 3:25; Heb 9:15.

With this cp Psa 130:1-8; 131:1-3 (RSV: “as a child quieted at its mother’s breast”). Psa 130:8 is esp apt: “He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.”

Mat 1:23

VIRGIN: Gr “parthenos”.

GOD WITH US: Thus Mat’s gospel begins AND ends (cp Mat 28:20).

Mat 1:25

BUT HE HAD NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL…: This was Joseph’s choice; it was not apparently required by God. Had he chosen to have relations with Mary no one would ever have known. Nor would it have been wrong. It would, of course, have been the expected thing. Such a restraint, which he willingly imposed upon himself, tells us much about the dedication and sensitivity of this man Joseph.

Mat 2:1

Vv 1-12: The visit of the wise men. The firstfruits of the Gentiles. “Kings of Sheba” (Psa 72:10) — together with Isa 60:6,7 (about the Arabian peoples, which also mentions kings: v 3) — suggests that the “wise men” of the east who brought presents to the child Jesus were not from Babylon or Persia, but from Edom and Arabia (perhaps from Yemen, where kings professed Judaism: LTJM 1:203). Popular opinion has generally favored those regions further east, where “magi” or wise men were well-known; but the Scriptural evidence all points in another direction. One cannot refrain from musing that wise men from the same areas today would bring the precious gift (at least to the industrialized world) of oil. On further reflection, such a thought might not be so far-fetched after all. History could well repeat itself in the twentieth-first century, when the King of the Jews returns to Israel. Both Psa 72 and Isa 60 mention that the Gentiles were kings. In this case, the common Christmas tradition has some basis in Scripture.

Mat 2:2

WHERE IS THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN BORN KING…?: The first question of the NT.

WHO HAS BEEN BORN: An ironic allusion to Herod’s unlawful seizure of throne: some are “born” kings; others steal their thrones!

STAR: The problem of the star (Gr “aster”) has taxed the ingenuity of countless scholars, who might have done better to spend the time on more spiritually beneficial questions. Their suggestions include a comet, a meteor, a planetary conjunction (several choices offered), and a supernova or star explosion. Each of these natural phenomena proves deficient when the facts of the narrative are considered. What do we know, for certain, about the star?

1. It was seen by the wise men, and could be followed to Judea. This argues for some sign which would have remained in the heavens for a considerable time, and rules out meteors and most comets.
2. The star led them first to Jerusalem (v 1). It is difficult to see how some ordinary star could lead followers to a precise location. Still less do the above suggestions mesh with the other details listed below.
3. The star was apparently not seen by Herod (v 7).
4. It disappeared from the wise men’s view after they reached Jerusalem (v 8), then reappeared suddenly when they started toward Bethlehem (v 9).
5. Thus the star changed direction. First it moved westward, and then southward.
6. It was a moving object. It “went ahead of” the wise men (v 9), leading them as a procession.
7. Then it stopped (v 9).

This sequence, carefully analyzed, rules out every natural explanation. The details of the activity of the star, however, call to mind a miracle, from the OT. The star, sometimes visible and sometimes invisible, led its followers, changed direction, and at times stopped. This is exactly what the “Shekinah” Glory of Yahweh — the pillar of fire and cloud — did for the children of Israel in the wilderness. It led them, changing direction, sometimes stopping for long periods; finally, of course, it disappeared. Here, then, is a simple, Bible-based explanation of the star of Bethlehem.

IN THE EAST: Or, “at its rising”.

Other “star” prophecies: Num 24:17; Mat 24:30; Rev 16:12; 21:22-26. “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel… Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong” (Num 24:17,18): Herod was an EDOMITE!

WORSHIP: See Lesson, Worship of Christ?

Mat 2:3

When King Herod is disturbed, EVERYBODY IS DISTURBED! Because the common people would know the hatred and murderous rages of Herod, and could imagine what the consequences might be for others. The Jewish capital is disturbed, but wise men of other nations rejoice exceedingly (v 10).

Mat 2:4

All Jews, in all lands, were — at the time of Jesus’ birth — expecting Messiah to come (cp Joh 1:20,25; 10:24; 12:34; Mat 21:9; 26:63). In some measure, many Gentiles were also affected (because of the widely-scattered Jewish nation, and the LXX read among Gentiles.

Mat 2:5

BETHLEHEM: Out of the “house of bread” came the “bread of life”!

Mat 2:9

WHERE THE CHILD WAS: Apparently, the family had now taken up residence in Bethlehem, or else they would have been in no danger from Herod (v 13; cp v 22n).

Mat 2:11

The bringing of gifts by the Magi is probably the origin of the modern custom of gift giving at Christmas. Significantly, however, the gifts were given to Jesus and to no one else. The gifts which the wise men gave to Jesus, along with their loving adoration, are figurative of the service we can all give to our Lord:

(1) Gold is used by the Apostle Peter in his exhortation (1Pe 1:7) as representing the preciousness of a tried faith. Faith, until it has been purified by experience, persecution, and hard choices, is of little value. Our faith at the end of the journey will be a worthy gift to lay before Christ, precisely because it will have been perfected in the fiery trials of our probation.

(2) Frankincense represents the prayers of the saints (Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8; 8:4) which, like the clouds of smoke from the altar of incense, rise in praise to God. No greater gift can we give to God than our thanks and praise.

(3) Myrrh speaks of self-sacrifice. It is bitter, yet also purifying, soothing, and cleansing.

The gifts given to Jesus were also indicative of his mission in life, and revealed an awareness of this on the part of the givers. In reverse order the three gifts foreshadow the three stages of Christ’s redemptive work: (1) the myrrh: his death (Mar 15:23; John 19:39); (2) frankincense: his mediatorship, interceding for the saints in their prayers to God, and (3) gold: his kingship, at his second coming.

What happened to the gifts? Since they were very valuable, it is possible they all served an immediate purpose in financing the unplanned flight to Egypt and the sojourn there. But the myrrh, at least, so eminently testified of Jesus’ eventual sacrifice that it can easily be imagined that it was kept for that purpose. The mind flashes forward thirty-three years to Golgotha, where Mary — a sword piercing her own soul — looks from afar upon her crucified son. What more fitting than the thought that she carried with her that myrrh given to Jesus so long before. “To this end was (he) born”, and now the gift of the Magi sealed in death the perfect life whose beginning they had witnessed in Bethlehem.

COMING TO THE HOUSE: A more permanent dwelling. This was some time after the birth itself: as much as one or 1 1/2 years (cp v 16).

Mat 2:13

Like the OT Joseph, this Joseph had a dream and then went down into Egypt.

Mat 2:14

EGYPT: Where there were very populous and wealthy Jewish communities, esp in Alexandria.

Mat 2:15

OUT OF EGYPT HAVE I CALLED MY SON: The Exodus (Isa 11;15; Rev 11:8). God took a “vine” out of Egypt (Psa 80:15,17).

Mat 2:16

This atrocity is entirely in character for Herod, who had already murdered 2 of his own sons (Alexander and Aristobulus) because he feared they would usurp his throne. Once again “Esau” persecuted “Jacob”.

TWO YEARS OLD AND UNDER: Evidently, Herod had checked as to time when star first appeared (prob 1 to 1 1/2 years earlier), and to be on safe side he had extended the target period to 2 years.

Mat 2:18

Life and death are never far apart in this present state. God’s Son is born into the world, bringing the hope of eternal life to all men, but with him there comes death as well — a sword for others, foreshadowing the “sword” marked for him. Life there will be, in all its abundance, but first there must be death. The whole creation is subject to vanity, groaning in travail to be delivered from its bondage by the manifestation of God’s Son. Set alongside the coming of God’s Son there is, graphically expressed in these brutal murders, the reason for his coming. The picture is deeper and more profound than it may first appear. The atrocity of Bethlehem was tragic, but no more so than countless other instances of suffering in that age, and before, and since. “Thorns and thistles” have sprung from the soil ever since the sin of our first parents, along with greed and hatred and murder; never will it be any different until God’s Kingdom comes. Many “Rachels” have wept for many children, and husbands, brothers, and fathers, because Israel rejected her God and her king. The only bright spot in the bleak picture is that there remains a final hope for Israel: “I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice” (Jer 30:11), says God, indicating a limit to His punishment. And, eventually, “He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd… ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears… [for] there is hope,’ declares the Lord. ‘Your children [the scattered remnant of Israel] will return from the land of the enemy’ ” (Jer 31:10,16,17).

Cp Athaliah’s massacre of all the royal seed: 2Ki 11:1.

Mat 2:20

// Exo 4:19 (LXX).

Mat 2:22

IN PLACE OF: Gr “anti”, instead of, not necessarily against!

HE WAS AFRAID TO GO THERE: Did Joseph (and Mary) wish to raise their child near Jerusalem, because of proximity of temple, teachers, schools, feasts, and other opportunities?

Mat 2:23

NAZARETH: Their old home-town (Luk 1:26,27). Cp Luk 2:39.

WHAT WAS SAID: But not necessarily written (NR 74).

See Lesson, Nazarene (Mat 2:23).

“Jesus was poor. He was from Nazareth, a village of between 200 to 2000 people, about 7 km [4 mi] away from Sepphoris, a city of 40,000. And He would have gone through the process of socialization which anyone does who lives in a village under the shadow of the big town. He is described as a tekton or manual worker (‘carpenter’ in many translations). ‘A tekton was at the lower end of the peasant class, more marginalized than a peasant who owned a small piece of land. We should not think of a tekton as being a step up from a subsistence farmer; rather, a tekton belonged to a family that had lost its land’ (Geza Vermes, ‘Jesus the Jew’). So Jesus was himself marginalized, the poorest of the poor, in one of the poorest corners of the Roman empire. The poor needn’t think of Jesus as so heavenly that he doesn’t know their crises; the crises that come from not having food or money, the problems of drought, the worry about the weather, the rains not coming, the problem of broken equipment and worn out clothes and shoes, the distress that a little brother is sick, and there’s medicine in the nearby town, but no money for it… he knows. He really does. He can and does relate to all this. And it’s why he is so especially watchful, according to his own teaching, of how we respond to those in such need. It means a lot to him; because as a poor man, he must have known what it was to receive charity, to be given a few eggs by a neighbour, some milk from a kind woman down the street. When he taught ‘Blessed are the poor… the hungry’, he immediately had a realness and credibility. For all the poor want to be better off. But he was so self-evidently content with who he was. The poor also want a bit more security for the future than just knowing that they have enough food for today. Yet Jesus could teach people to pray only for the food they needed for each day. And they were to forgive their debtors. This was radical stuff for people who lived a generally hand to mouth existence as day labourers and subsistence farmers. Only if Jesus was real and credible would people have flocked to hear him and taken his teaching seriously” (DH).

Mat 3:1

IN THOSE DAYS: An echo of Exo 2:11,23: when Moses went out to look upon the burdens of his brothers.

“The ‘messianic spirit’, forged white-hot in the press of almost endless persecution, reacted with Roman domination to produce dynamic tension and the constant threat of insurrection and rebellion. Then into this crucible, in the third decade AD, was injected a fiery catalyst — the preaching of John the Baptist” (Stokes).

JOHN: “A piece of granite carved out of the escarpment of Gilead” (JMn).

JOHN… CAME, PREACHING: Cp Joh 1:6: John, “a man sent”. First principles in John’s preaching: See Lesson, John the Baptist, gospel of.

Elijah was last seen at the river Jordan (2Ki 2:11); John the Baptist first appeared to Israel at the same place (v 6).

DESERT: A wilderness, both natural and spiritual.

Mat 3:2

“In what way had the kingdom come near? To the eastern mind a kingdom is not a kind of constitutional pyramid with a king at its decorative apex; the kingdom emanates from the king, it is the extension of his kingly power” (SMk 21).

Mat 3:3

PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD: How? By preaching (v 1), by baptizing (v 15), and by being taken out of the way (Mat 4:12).

LORD: “Yahweh” of Isa 40:3 becomes “Kyrios” here.

Mat 3:4

A man of the wilderness, bold, uncivilized, fearless. “This is Elijah” (cp 1Ki 17:1-7). Sudden appearance. Note vivid denunciations: Mat 3:7,10-12; Luke 3:7-9. John Bapt was of a priestly family, but he lived and acted very much unlike a priest. he dressed differently, ate differently, dwelt in wilderness, not in temple. John Bapt typified the Law and prophets, preparing to pass away.

CAMEL’S HAIR: Garments of grief (Gen 37:34; Jer 4:8; Mat 11:21). Worn by a priest, despite being unclean (Lev 11:4).

LOCUSTS: The food of the very poor, but despised by the wealthy (LB 419).

Mat 3:5

JERUSALEM… JUDEA… JORDAN: Sig a steady progress northward, along Jordan Valley, toward Galilee (cp v 13).

Mat 3:6

THE JORDAN: Elijah was last seen here (2Ki 2:8). John Bapt was first seen here.

Mat 3:7

THE COMING WRATH: A wildfire driving all snakes and crawling creatures before it (HistGeo 64).

Mat 3:8

FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE: That is, works to demonstrate faith (Gal 5:22,23), esp the work of confession and forsaking sin (1Jo 1:9; Joh 8:11).

Mat 3:9

STONES… CHILDREN: In Heb, abanim/banim.

THESE STONES: The stones of Jos 4 were 12 great stones placed in river, and 12 more stones taken from river. Sym baptism to new life. (In Heb and Aramaic, the words for “stones” and “children” are almost identical.) Joshua’s great memorial of God’s deliverance — as are all “stones/children” of God!

Mat 3:10

THE AX… AT THE ROOT OF THE TREES: Marking them out for future destruction. Ax = the word of God, brought in the preaching of John — by which the status of every “tree” was made evident.

Mat 3:11

Vv 11,12: John’s last public words. Cp Christ’s last public words (Mat 25:46).

First water, then spirit. First natural, then spiritual. First cleansing, then forgiveness. First purifying, then raising to new life.

Mat 3:12

WINNOWING FORK: The winnowing fork (RSV): a fan or shovel, used by Syrians (ISBE): cp Isa 30:24; Jer 15:7.

HIS THRESHING FLOOR: The Temple of Solomon was built on a threshing floor: 2Ki 24:16,24.

Winnowing = judgment in Mat 3:12n; Dan 2:35; Isa 5:24; 41:15,16; Mal 3:2,3; Jer 23:28,29.

Mat 3:13

Why was Jesus baptized (Mat 3:13-17; Mar 1:8-11; Luk 3:21-23)? The most obvious answer is the Scriptural one: in the words of Jesus himself, “to fulfill all righteousness”. This calls to mind Mat 5:17: “I am not come to destroy [the law], but to fulfill.” The work of Jesus, in all its aspects, was to fulfill, or complete, the righteousness of the law of Moses. The law of Moses was a “shadow” (Heb 10:1), pointing forward to the substance, the reality, which was Jesus. As Moses washed Aaron (Exo 30:20,21; 40:12), to sanctify and cleanse him for his mediatorial work, so John washed Jesus. If Aaron had entered the Most Holy without washing, he would have failed; if Jesus had offered himself as a sacrifice with no public baptism (signifying the denial of the flesh), he would likewise have failed. Jesus was absolutely without personal sin. The necessity of his baptism shows how far even sinful flesh alone separates man from God.

Vv 13-17: The anointing of the King. Apparently, the only meeting between John and Jesus. “He had no life of sin to leave behind in the waters of Jordan, but there he did bring to an end the home life of Nazareth, the quiet, peaceful years of preparation, and did accept as the ‘righteous will of God’ the storm and strain and sacrifice of the work which he had come to do” (Mt, Erdman, 36).

GALILEE: A great light out of a despised land: “But in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan — The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death [ Or land of darkness ] a light has dawned” (Isa 9:1,2).

Mat 3:14

I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED BY YOU: Perhaps John had not been baptized as yet, and so they baptized one another!

Mat 3:15

John sym the Law (Mat 11:13; Luk 7:28), speaking to Christ, the lamb of God (Joh 1:29), who came to fulfill the Law (Mat 5:17,18; Rom 10:4) — so that the righteousness of the Law be fulfilled in us (Rom 8:3,4). Both John and Christ (“us”) fulfilled Law’s righteous requirements: John by convicting Israel of sin and leading them to repentance, and Christ by a sinless life and a sacrificial death (Tes 50:232; 51:101).

US: Not necessarily Jesus and John but rather Jesus and others. Jesus thus associated himself with the sinners he came to save (cp Isa 53:12).

Mat 3:16

THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING… LIGHTING: The Spirit “brooding” on the surface of the waters (Gen 1:2). “The beginning of the new creation!”

DOVE: Only sacrificial animal to be feathered (Luk 2:24; Lev 1:14,15; 5:7). The dove, with keen eyesight, returned to the safety of Noah’s ark, in peace, bringing an olive branch of new creation. The dove is gentle (Mat 10:16), clean (Song 6:9), particular in its choice of food (Gen 8), swift (Psa 55:6), beautiful (Psa 68:13), constant in love (Song 5:12).

Mat 3:17

A VOICE FROM HEAVEN: Sounding, perhaps, like thunder to the bystanders (Joh 12:29). Understood only by Jesus and John. The voice from heaven identifies Jesus as the “prophet like unto Moses” (Deu 18:15-19).

WITH HIM I AM WELL PLEASED: “On whom my pleasure rests.” Cp Isa 42:1: “From this day on Jesus walked in the shadow of the cross” (WGos 66).

Mat 4:1

Vv 1-11: The temptation: “The most important, memorable, and mysterious battle in history.”

Who is the tempter/devil/Satan? Possibly a representative from the Sanhedrin who came to check Jesus’ credentials, much as the “credentials” of John Baptist were checked. Cp John 1:19: “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.” This could have led, directly, to their need to “examine” the would-be “Messiah” — to whom John pointed (John 1:23-29).

All other refs to tempters in the gospels are to external tempters: Mat 16:1; 19:3; 22:15-18; 26:59-63; John 8:6; Luk 11:15,16.

LED BY THE SPIRIT: Cp Rom 8:14: sons of God led by the Spirit. It was not for Jesus to bask in the glory of the Father’s blessing through the Spirit…

Prophets were led by the Holy Spirit to receive visions: Rev 21:10; Eze 8:3; 37:1; 40:2; 2Co 12:2.

INTO THE DESERT: Jesus is baptized, and immediately taken by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. Cp this with Moses’ Psa 90:5-12: his commentary about the generation that was first “baptized” in the Red Sea, and then afterward perished in the wilderness. Secondly, compare this with Joshua’s (this is a guess) Psa 91:1-7: a commentary about the generation that survived the wilderness to enter the Promised Land. Other points of comparison: (a) cp the 40 years there with the 40 days here. (b) Psa 91:11,12 refers to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. (c) Psa 91:13: Cp with Mark 1:13 (Psa 8:6,7; Gen 1:28: Jesus exercises dominion over the wild beasts).

Mat 4:2

FORTY DAYS: // 40 years. Temptation of Christ // temptation of God’s “firstborn” nation. Note similarities in Deu 32:8-20. Where the national “Israel” failed, the singular “Israel” succeeded.

Mat 4:3

THE TEMPTER: Poss a member of the delegation from the High Priest and other authorities (cp Mat 3:7), who see Christ baptized, anointed as the “Lamb of God” (Joh 1:29), and hope to find a way to neutralize his influence: ‘Come, join with us, and you will “succeed” far beyond your expectations!’

If? See Luk 3:22; Mat 26:63.

Mat 4:4

See Jer 15:16; Job 23:10-12; Joh 4:32-34.

Mat 4:5

TOOK HIM: This Gr word has the idea of accompanying another person (cp also v 8).

THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE TEMPLE: See Eze 8:3. It was here also that James (the Lord’s brother) stood to address the crowds — before being thrown down and clubbed to death (WGos 74).

” ‘Our Rabbis give this tradition: In the hour when King Messiah cometh, He standeth upon the roof of the Sanctuary, and proclaims to Israel, saying, Ye poor (suffering), the time of your redemption draweth nigh. And if ye believe, rejoice in My Light, which is risen upon you… Jesus stands on the lofty pinnacle of the Tower, or of the Temple-porch… whence the view into the Kedron Valley beneath was to the stupendous depth of 450 feet… Possibly it may have been the extreme corner of the ‘wing-like’ porch, or ulam, which led into the Sanctuary. Thence a Priest could easily have communicated with his brethren in the court beneath… [This place was] presumably that on which every day a priest was stationed to watch, as the pale morning light passed over the hills of Judaea far off to Hebron, to announce it as the signal for offering the morning sacrifice. If we might indulge our imagination, the moment chosen would be just as the Priest had quitted that station. The first desert-temptation had been in the grey of breaking light, when to the faint and weary looker the stones of the wilderness seemed to take fantastic shapes, like the bread for which the faint body hungered. In the next temptation Jesus stands on the watch-post which the white-robed priest had just quitted. Fast the rosy morning-light, deepening into crimson, and edged with gold, is spreading over the land. In the Priests’ Court below him the morning-sacrifice has been offered. The massive Temple-gates are slowly opening, and the blasts of the priests’ silver trumpets is summoning Israel to begin a new day by appearing before their Lord. Now then let him descend, Heaven-borne, into the midst of priests and people. What shouts of acclamation would greet his appearance! What homage of worship would be His! The goal can at once be reached, and that at the head of believing Israel. Jesus is surveying the scene. By his side is the tempter [a representative of the Sanhedrin?: GB], watching the features that mark the working of the spirit within. And now he has whispered it” (Eder).

The beauty of this would be — from the viewpoint of the tempter — that, if Jesus were not the Messiah, he would plunge to his death, and the leaders of Israel would be rid of a potential threat and rival. And if he did succeed, the leaders of Israel would have an “in” with this new “king” — he would be “one of them”!

Mat 4:6

Cp 2Co 11:14: “Satan” masquerading as an “angel of light”.

Mat 4:8

TOOK HIM: Cp v 5n.

A VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN: Other prophets received visions thusly: Rev 21:10; Eze 40:2.

ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD AND THEIR SPLENDOR: At the least, all the “kingdoms” of the Promised Land! From traditional mount of temptation, in north of Jeshimon: looking to east, one might actually see the whole of Transjordan: riches of Petra in the south, the castle of Herod, Moab-Ammon in center, Decapolis (Greek influence) to north. All around also was the power of Rome (Baly 185). Cp Abraham surveying Land in Gen 13:14,15.

Mat 4:9

Could the “orthodox” “Devil” give Jesus all these things?

Mat 4:10

Quoting Deu 6:13, which warns against serving other gods. Thus, to serve the “flesh” is to serve another “god”!

WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD: “Even a dog can show the beauty of total devotion, with no hope of reward beyond a kind word and a pat on the head. If a human being with the potential intelligence it has been given, cannot use that God-given intelligence to show total devotion to the Highest manifestation of Goodness, Beauty and Love in the universe (with the assurance of infinite reward), it is not worth as much as a dog” (GVG).

AND SERVE HIM ONLY: “To serve God and be a useful, active part of His eternal purpose is man’s greatest privilege and wisdom, and should be his greatest joy. God’s work alone has any permanence or meaning or value or satisfaction. Everything else is silly little baby games — fine indeed for babies, but pitiful for supposedly mature adults” (GVG).

Mat 4:12

If the herald is treated thusly, what is to become of the King himself?

Mat 4:13

LEAVING NAZARETH: Because his life was threatened (Luk 4:29).

HE WENT AND LIVED IN CAPERNAUM: Christ now made Capernaum his preaching headquarters: “his own city” (Mat 9:1). Further away from Herod than was Nazareth?

Mat 4:15

GALILEE OF THE GENTILES: “Gelil hagoyim” = the circle of the Gentiles. Many Samaritans. In Galilee the influence of the Jewish religious leaders was much less powerful.

Mat 4:17

A divine deferment of God’s plan, due to Jewish unbelief?: “Had the nation continued to obey the Lord’s voice and keep the covenant, and when Christ came receive him as King on the proclamation of the gospel, they would doubtless have been in Canaan until now; and he might have come ere this, and be now reigning in Jerusalem as king of Jews and Lord of nations” (Elp 112).

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR: “In what way had the kingdom come near? To the eastern mind a kingdom is not a kind of constitutional pyramid with a king at its decorative apex; the kingdom emanates from the king, it is the extension of his kingly power” (SMk 21).

Mat 4:18

Background: John Bapt had been recently imprisoned (Mar 1:14). Now Jesus calls John’s former followers to follow him (Jesus) instead.

Cp Exo 18:21: Moses chooses 70 elders, to assist him.

Mat 4:19

FOLLOW ME: They could no longer follow John (Mat 4:12). Not merely an offer, but a summons! These men were already disciples of Jesus (ie Joh 1); now they receive a call to permanent, full-time discipleship.

FISHERS OF MEN: “How do you account for the fact that so many of the apostles were chosen from this class of fishermen? It could not have been accidental. There was, no doubt, an adaptation, a fitness in the occupation of these men to develop just those attitudes of character most needed in the apostolic office. There are various modes of fishing, and each calculated to cultivate and strengthen some particular moral quality of great importance in their mission. Thus angling requires patience, and great perseverance and caution…. Fishing with the hand net… requires a keen eye, an active frame, and great skill in throwing the net. Such a fisherman , too, must be patient, watchful, wide awake, and prompt to seize the exact moment to throw. Then there is the great dragnet, the working of which teaches the value of united effort. No one occupation of humble life — not even that of the shepherd — calls into exercise and develops so many of the elements necessary for… a religious teacher as this of fishing” (LB 401-403).

“Recently we have had the good fortune to spend some time fishing with some brethren who are real experts. It is interesting to notice how the modern day fisherman is so well equipped. He often has a boat or kayak; he has expensive fishing poles, reels and a tackle box chuck full of all kinds of hooks, lures, sinkers, etc, all designed to help him catch the big one. In addition to being fully equipped, he is also knowledgeable of the habits of the fish he is trying to catch. He knows just what type of lure or bait to use for each kind of fish, where they are apt to be, and the time they are most likely to be biting. An avid fisherman thinks nothing of rising long before daybreak and traveling sometimes great distances over land and water to be at what he hopes will be the right place at the right time to accomplish his goal, catching his limit.

“Now when Jesus told us that he would make us fishers of men, he certainly would expect us to be as diligent in knowing the habits of those we want to attract to the Truth as the fisherman is in knowing the characteristics of his fish. Paul tells us he was all things to all men and he did this in an effort to catch men for Christ.

“We can imagine the complaints we would get if we asked brethren to get up at 4 or 5 in the morning to go out to preach the Truth, yet if we change it to a fishing trip watch their eyes light up at the prospect of ‘goin’ fishin’. Now this example is not intended to condemn in any way the fine sport of fishing, but only to show that Christ wants us to also be as willing and ready to ‘fish for men.’

“The fisherman is careful to offer the kind of bait that the fish love best. When the fish has swallowed the hook the fisherman’s job is not over; in fact, the fun has just begun. Now he carefully plays the fish allowing it to run, and reeling in at every opportunity. If he does not do his job well, the fish will get away. He is very patient to play the fish until he can land him. The good fisherman is intent on doing this to the very best of his ability and he would look with scorn on someone who had a good fish on the end of the line and failed to make an attempt to reel him in. Why is it that we are sometimes so unskillful in our fishing for men? Someone asks us, ‘What is a Christadelphian, what do you believe?’ and we proceed to tell them that ‘we don’t believe in the Trinity, we don’t believe in the Devil, we don’t believe in an immortal soul, we don’t believe in going to heaven when we die.’ No doubt the person asking the question wonders why we told him all the things we don’t believe when he asked us what we do believe. As a fisher for men we should develop as much skill as possible in first attracting him with the right kind of bait and then playing him carefully when he begins to show interest. To do this requires that we know as much about him as possible — just as the fisherman knows the habits of the various kinds of fish in the lake, river or ocean. It next requires us to use skill and tact in drawing him near to us rather than scare him away with a whole lot of negatives. He would much rather hear that we do believe in the coming Kingdom, peace on earth and good will among men, the end of war, the end of sorrow and pain and death, and the glories of the coming age. When our listener acquires a little more knowledge and love for the Word there will be ample time to discuss the fact that his dead grandmother whom he thinks is in heaven is peacefully asleep in the grave.

“Every fisherman knows that if he wants to catch fish he must go to them. No one ever caught a fish sitting in his living room. If we want to fish for Christ then we must go where they can be found. This may mean the use of television, radio, newspapers, door to door, open air and talking the truth at lunch time in the company cafeteria. We can’t sit back and wait for them to come to us anymore than the fisherman can. The good fisherman has a well stocked tackle box filled with goodies that attract fish and the good fisherman for Jesus has a well marked, well thumbed Bible. He also studies so that he will have an answer for the hope that is within him. The fisherman doesn’t wait until he is an expert to begin, he casts his line and learns from his mistakes. Whoever we are and wherever we are, let us begin today to fish for Christ. Don’t wait until we know everything, or we will never begin. ‘Be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for the Lord our God is with us whithersoever we go.’ God knows where the fish are even as Jesus instructed his disciples where to cast their nets and if we ask God to guide us then he will bless us and give the increase. Remember ‘he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins’ ” (MM).

Mat 4:20

About this time Jesus establishes his right to be a teacher of “fishers of men” by the miraculous draught of fish (Luk 5:1-11).

Mat 4:21

PREPARING THEIR NETS: “Mending” (AV). The nets had been broken in the miraculous haul of fish (Luk 5:6).

Mat 4:22

THEY LEFT THE BOAT: Mar 1:20 adds “with the hired men”, suggesting some wealth. Zebedee’s family was quite prosperous, having a house in Jerusalem.

Mat 4:25

The “seed of Abraham” was asserting his right to the whole Land of Promise.

Mat 5:1

Mat 5-7: The proclamation: manifesto of the King. Christ’s self-portrait to challenge listener and reader.

HE WENT UP ON A MOUNTAINSIDE AND SAT DOWN: Moses received the Law standing before God, and descended from the mount to deliver it to the people. The One who is greater than Moses is seated, and delivers the Law in the mount as the very voice of God (TM 25).

Instances of Jesus withdrawing into a mountain, apart — sometimes for privacy and prayer, and sometimes to instruct his followers: Mat 5:1; 8:1; 14:23; 15:29; 17:1; 24:3; 28:16; Mark 3:13; 6:46; 9:2; 13:3; Luke 6:12; 9:28; 22:39; John 6:3,15; 8:1.

In addition, the whole of Mat 5-7 proves to be an extended commentary on Psalm 15:

A comparison of Psa 15 and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7):