Sorry again

Hello

Last week was a little bit crazy, and I don't have the post ready for this week. I'll try to have it up tomorrow.

Sorry for my tardiness.

in Him

Matthew 2:12-15. Responses to Christ-Obedience to providential guidance

If you’re here for the first time, I’d like to welcome you. If you’ve been here to this blog before, I’d like to welcome you back. I encourage you before you read my commentary on the above verses that you read them in your Bible because I won’t actually include all the verses in my exposition. Also, I welcome any and all comments (even if you happen to disagree with me). I have turned comment moderation on, but that is more to prevent someone who is a few bricks shy of a load from posting something inappropriate here on this blog. So, without further adieu, here we go.

God inspired Matthew to write the scripture that we are studying in order to reveal His providential care of the Messiah. Because God, throughout the Bible, demonstrates His absolute control over all circumstances and His ability to work “all things for the good of those who love Him” we can trust Him and obey Him just as we see the wise men and Joseph do in these verses.

Matthew records that, after they had worshipped Christ, they set out to return home. However, instead of returning to Herod with news of the location of Christ as he had requested, scripture records that they were divinely warned in a dream and, therefore, went by another route. Herod thought he was in control of this situation. He had successfully determined where the Messiah was born with the help of the Jewish leaders and had nailed down when He was born thanks to these wise men. However, despite all his careful planning and his hypocritical cover story of wanting to worship Christ, God providentially directed these wise men for His purposes.

The wise men were not the only ones who received divine direction in the form of a dream, however. While he slept, Joseph was also visited with a heavenly directive. He was told to “Arise! Take the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” We should note the urgency in the directive. Joseph is told to wake up. This was the spiritual equivalent of a fire alarm. They were in very real danger from an evil man with murderous intentions. We should observe also the significance of where they were told to go. God sent them to Egypt. I think it would be unwise to read too much into the mention of Egypt in scripture but suffice it to say this is an unusual place for a Jew to be commanded to go. In fact, unless I’m totally misremembering, this is the first time a Jew was told to go to Egypt since the Exodus. We’ll see the prophetic significance in a few verses. Suffice it to say, Joseph was probably not expecting to be sent to that country. Finally, we should see that people who plot and plan in secret do so in vain. Herod had told no one about his intentions to murder Christ. Of course, God knew the intents of his heart because He is omniscient. This should be especially comforting to remind ourselves of when we’re going through trials. The same God that was watching out for Joseph is watching out for us. Of course, He doesn’t speak through dreams like He did in this verse anymore, but He still watches over His elect. We can rest knowing that whatever happens in our lives, we serve a God that is big enough to take care of it.

Just as the wise men were obedient to the divine warning they received, Joseph also obeyed the voice of the Lord. We see that he didn’t wait to pack and take care of any business he had or find someone to check their mail while they were gone. Just as he did in chapter 1, when God told him to do something, he obeyed immediately (I think there’s a lesson in that, don’t you?). In fact, he arose and took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt. The trip was a hasty one and I suspect he woke up in the middle of the night after having this dream. He was faithful to obey not only immediately but also completely. He went when God told him, where God told him (Egypt), and he stayed as long as God told him to stay.

We can see in verse 15 that the country God sent Joseph to take refuge in also had prophetic significance. Matthew records that Christ living in Egypt and coming back into the land of Israel was prophesied in the book of Hosea 11:1. However, the verse in question actually doesn’t even mention the Messiah but in fact is about Israel. Therefore, the Exodus of Israel from Egypt is represented here as a type. Basically, a type in the Bible is where one thing prefigures another. In this instance, the Jews are seen as a type of Christ since they, like Christ, were called out of Egypt. Therefore, this is a different kind of prophetic fulfillment that when an actual event is prophesied. However, Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reveals that Christ’s sojourn in Egypt actually served not only to protect Him from this evil Gentile king, but also fulfilled prophecy.

We again observe Joseph’s faith demonstrated by his obedience to the Word of God. When God revealed His will for Joseph, Joseph did as he was told. True saving faith is always characterized by obedience. While those of us who are saved may not always obey and we may not all reach the same level of obedience at the same time, if we are saved it will show by our commitment to obedience just as Joseph and the wise men showed their true saving faith by obeying God. As the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 “You shall know them by their fruits.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:9-11. Responses to Christ-Joy

There is nothing in the universe that will satisfy the human heart like Jesus. People try to find the ultimate pleasure in success, money, physical relationships, power, possessions, and many other things. However, the only way to truly enjoy life to the fullest and find true, lasting satisfaction is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Only when we humble ourselves and worship Him as our God will we ever truly feel lasting joy. In our scripture passage today, the wise men from the east find just that kind of joy when they find and worship the Lord Jesus.

As we read the scripture, we find that after they conversed with Herod the Great as to how long the star had been appearing, they left immediately. Verse 9 records that when they had heard the king, they departed. These guys were on a mission. They were focused and persistent. They had made a long, probably dangerous, journey and they were very close to their goal. As we read earlier in this chapter, these men had come on this journey to worship God. As impressive as Herod’s court likely was to these foreign dignitaries, it was not enough to delay them from their ultimate goal,

We also note in that verse that these men searched persistently. The verse records that the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was. These wise men had followed this star all the way from the east and knew it to be a supernatural sign from God that pointed to the birthplace of the Messiah. They persistently followed this sign. This sign was available to all the citizens of Jerusalem and certainly to the religious leaders. However, these Jews were not the ones to go and greet the Messiah. Instead, these Gentile astrologers were the ones followed this star to the King of kings.

Because they had found the One they were looking for, they were overcome with happiness and rejoiced with exceedingly great joy as Matthew records in verse 10. They weren’t just happy to have found Him. They had joy on top of joy. They were ecstatic. We can imagine these men having spent their whole life pursuing meaningless, empty truth. At some point, they must have been able to read and learn the Hebrew Scriptures because they knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah. At some point, they felt a desire to search for the Truth and find the God who would come as Messiah. While we do not have recorded the particulars of how or why they began their search, they must have gone in response to the Word of God. They found the fulfillment of the prophecies they had read and were overjoyed.

Their joy is ultimately expressed in their worship. Worship should be a natural expression of our love for God. These men, upon seeing God in human flesh, fell down and worshipped Him. We see in verse 11 as much as anywhere the true motivation behind the journey of these men. Yes, we had heard them say they were here to worship, but here we see them express their feelings by their actions. I know in churches sometimes people will stand with the congregation during the hymns and not sing. Perhaps they feel that singing is reserved for those who have beautiful voices. I submit to you that after what God has done for us by choosing us and sending His Son to be a sacrifice for our sins, we should sing no matter how we sound. We should worship through our giving, through our service, and through out attention as His Word is preached to us. Praise God for the example of these Gentile men who fell prostrate before our Lord and worshipped Him as God Almighty. We also observe that they gave Him gifts that recognized His Kingship, His Priesthood, and His role as sacrifice by giving him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should reflect on their sacrificial giving and recognize that worship is only truly worship when it is performed out of love from a heart that is thankful. When we remember the grace of God and how He drew us to Himself, our hearts should rejoice as these men’s hearts did and that joy should overflow into love and praise for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Mathew 2:7-8. Responses to Christ-An evil plot

In Genesis Chapter 3, we read about the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. When God pronounced His curse on the serpent, He said that the Seed of the woman would crush his (Satan’s) head while Satan would bruise the Seed’s heel. This conflict between Satan and God is carried on throughout Scripture. Time and time again, we find Satan attempting to thwart the plan of God to bring salvation to the world. Time and time again, we find Satan used the same means in his attempt to do so. Through various means, he tried to kill the Jewish people since the promised Messiah would be Jewish. We see in the book of Exodus, the wicked Pharaoh was motivated to kill all the Jewish males in an attempt to exterminate the Jewish race. In the book of Esther, we see Haman try to have the Jewish race killed by the King of the Medeo-Persian Empire. Although we know Satan has no way to be able to defeat the plans of God, we see examples in scripture of him trying to do just that. In Matthew chapter 2, we see this all too familiar strategy attempted again by this wicked Roman ruler.

We can see how carefully Herod the Great laid his evil plan out. We see in verse 7 of chapter 2 that he secretly called the wise men. Most of the time, if someone is trying to do something secretly, it’s usually not something good. Oh, sure, someone could be trying to set up a surprise party or hide a Christmas gift for someone special. However, most of the time, if someone wants something hidden it is because it is something they are ashamed for people to see. We know the end of this story and what Herod wanted to do to our Lord Jesus. Even if we didn’t already know that, however, the facts we know in history and what we have read so far in chapter 2 would cause us to be suspicious at his secret consultation with these wise men. We also observe the manner in which he questioned them about the star. The verse records that he determined from them what time the star appeared. In the Greek, the way determined is used indicates that he thoroughly questioned them to find out precisely how long the star had been appearing in the sky. This same word is translated carefully in the next verse. Herod wanted to make sure he knew not only where his target was but how long he had been alive. We see him methodically planning and plotting with a sinister precision that would even impress Lex Luthor.

In fact, his method of planning his crime is not the only way he resembles a comic book villain. He even employs henchmen. I imagine once he found out where the Child was born, he thought it would be too obvious or cause too much of a scene if he went there himself. Perhaps he was afraid the people would revolt against him in favor of this new King. Whatever his motivations, he did not travel to Jerusalem himself. Instead, verse 8 records that Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem with instructions to search carefully for the young Child and when they found Him he wanted them to bring back word to him. Again, he wanted no stone left unturned. His instructions were for them to make a thorough, accurate, exhaustive search to find exactly where this new King was living. This agent of Satan did not want to miss his intended target. In the ultimate act of hypocrisy, he tells them that he, too, wants to worship the Christ. We should remember that not every person who claims to be a Christian is truly a Christian. People use the name of Christ and the church sometimes to try to hide their less than pure motives. The epistles are replete with examples of false teachers who try to use their ministry for their own greedy purposes. I know that sort of thing still happens today. What we see in Herod, then, is just another example of a lost person trying to use religion as a cloak for his own sinful desires.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:4-6. Responses to Christ-Indifference

We observed last week how the birth of our Lord Jesus caused uneasiness in the heart of Herod the Great and the people in Jerusalem. The advent of the Prince of Peace caused them to panic for different reasons. Herod was afraid of a political rival and the people were afraid of Herod. However, one would expect the religious leaders, who were fervently anticipating the arrival of the Messiah, to have a proper response. Surely, they would praise God for finally sending the “Consolation of Israel” and fall down to worship Christ. We will see, as we study God’s word that, sadly, this is not the case.

We read in verse 4 of the text that Herod gathered all the chief priest and scribes of the people together and he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. This was a fairly startling move for this man and it reveals something of his motivations. We know that the news that One had been born King of the Jews troubled him. We also know that he was not Jewish and from things we can read in history he was not a person of faith. We know, therefore, that the reason for his inquiry was not godly nor were his motives pure. In fact, being a Roman official and an outsider to Jewish life, he actually condescended himself in asking this information from the chief priests and scribes. Josephus records that when Herod was named the Roman provincial governor of Jerusalem, he killed many of the scribes that were in Jerusalem. He, like most Romans, felt these people in Jerusalem were beneath him. Therefore, it must have humbled him to have had to ask these people for this information. He appears willing to humble himself somewhat if it means that he can thwart the Messiah’s rise to power.

He certainly looked for the information in the right place. We observe that he inquired of the chief priests. There was only one chief priest ordained at a time so, in reality, this could have included not only the current chief priest but also so of his predecessors. The priesthood had become something of a political office and sometimes they were disposed of at the whim of the local governor. These men were responsible for the service and maintenance of the temple. As such, they were important figures in Jewish life and could actually only come from one family. The scribes were the lawyers. They were professionals who devoted their time to the study of the law. In short, Herod called together the religious and judicial leaders of the nation in his haste to find out where his rival was born.

The fact that he was able to find any of these men should come as a surprise to us. They had just heard the news that the star announcing the birth of the Messiah had been seen by the magi. They knew the scriptures. If anyone in the city of Jerusalem should have been running to greet the Lord, it should have been these men. Instead, we find them having been assembled by this godless, evil man to assist him in his attempt to find the Messiah. They were able to do this with no trouble at all. Quite simply, scripture records that they said to him “In Bethlehem of Judea” and they noted that it was written by the prophet. They quoted the substance of the prophecy. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. They also recognized the source of the prophecy was the revelation of God through His prophet. These guys could have made 100 on a Bible pop quiz. If they were on Jeopardy and the category was “Old Testament” and they hit the daily double, they could confidently say “I’ll bet all of it, Alex.” They knew, in a head knowledge kind of way, everything that a person needed to know to understand the significance of the birth of Christ. Instead of seeking Him our, they were indifferent. They were content to be called as consultants to this Gentile king who they hated rather than welcome their one, true King.

They even go so far as to quote from the Old Testament to substantiate their claim. In my day job, I’m an auditor. That is an accountant that has specialized in the task of telling other people how to do their jobs. Basically, when an auditee presents me with information, I never take their word for it. I always look for corroborating evidence. In a sense, that is what these men do here. They quote from Micah 5:2. We see in their quotation that is recorded in Matthew 2:6 that they knew the humble beginnings of the Messiah (You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah.) They also know from Scripture the character of the Messiah. They quote that the Messiah shall be a Ruler. The word ruler translates the Greek word hegeomai which means leader and has the sense of royalty. However, even though He would be the Messiah and would rule with a rod of iron, as noted in Revelation 19:15, He would be tender and compassionate with his subjects. These men further quoted that this Ruler would shepherd My people, Israel. We know that in the book of John, Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in chapter 10 and David proudly proclaimed that the Lord was his Shepherd in the 23rd Psalm. There is no more selfless, tireless kind of caretaker than a shepherd and that is exactly the kind of Messiah that was revealed in this prophecy.

These men knew all these things. They knew where He was to be born and, after the visit of the magi, they knew when He was born. Instead of going to look for Him, they remained in their lofty positions of power and influence in Jerusalem. Friends, let us pay careful attention to this. A person can know a lot about Jesus and the Bible and be lost as a goose. I would dare say there may well be some very well educated theologians that go straight into Hell and not all of them may be liberals. It isn’t head knowledge that saves a man or a woman but a real relationship with Jesus Christ. These men, by their indifference to the Messiah, prove their lack of a true faith in God.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:3-Responses to Christ. Agitation.

I would like to have come up with a better title for this weeks study, Unfortunately, I’m not that creative. In any case, the single most important point that God reveals in this verse is how the Jews in Jerusalem and Herod the King reacted to Jesus’ birth. It is important for us as we study this not only to observe what their reaction was, but to think Biblically and determine why they reacted this way.

Matthew records that when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled. The word, translated troubled is the Greek word tarasso and it means to agitate, disturb, or stir up. It is used to describe the emotional condition of the disciples when Jesus walked on the water to meet them in the boat during a storm. It is also used in John chapter 5 to describe water being stirred. One might say that the things he heard from the questioning magi caused him to fret. We should ask ourselves “Why?” Why would news of this sort cause this man to be agitated?

The answer lies in history. The Jews had been under foreign rule since about 500 years before Christ’s birth when the Babylonians invaded Judah and conquered the people, Rule passed from Babylon to Medo-Persia to Greece and, finally, to Rome. The Jewish people hated being under the control of a foreign ruler and, as such, were somewhat difficult to control. Occasional revolts against their rulers were not uncommon. So Herod was in a tense political environment, to say the least. He was a descendent of Esau and, therefore, a foreigner. Therefore, the Jews hated him and he knew that.

In addition to the tense political situation, we have to remember that Herod was a ruthless, power mad despot. He killed two of his sons and their mother because he feared they were a threat to his power. Upon being promoted to king in Jerusalem by the Romans one of his first official actions was to kill many religious leaders in Jerusalem. The Jews knew him to be ruthless. He was also wildly ambitious and jealous. Therefore, when he heard the magi were asking about the one who had been born King of the Jews, he was thrown into a jealous fit. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone else bearing his title and he feared the people of Jerusalem would support the usurper.

We see, however, the people did not have the reaction he feared that they would. In fact, Matthew records that all Jerusalem was troubled with him. Of course, we know that they were aware of the evil this man who had been set over them as king was capable of because of his ruthlessness and cruelty. However, all Jewish people were expectantly hoping for the arrival of the Messiah. They knew His arrival was imminent because of the prophecy in Daniel 9:25. Their hearts longed for what they expected to be a political emancipation from foreign rule. Instead of rushing out to find where this Messiah was born, we see that they are troubled. In contrast to Gentile philosopher kings who brought word that the promised Messiah had been born and traveled many hundreds of miles to do so, God’s chosen people, the Jews, wouldn’t so much as travel less than 20 miles to their south to find their true King. Their fear of this Gentile king led them to ignore their Messiah who was God in human flesh. Instead of turning in faith to God, they kept their eyes on their circumstances and robbed themselves of the joy of greeting their Messiah.

Which side do you and I fall on? Are we like the Jews who were so worried about their circumstances to seek after God? Or do we have the faith of the wise men who followed a star on a treacherous journey because they were desperate to find God. Do we allow worldly concerns to become more important than seeking God and His Truth, no matter how hard the voyage.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:1-2: Responses to Christ: A Persistent Search for the Truth

Matthew records events that occurred after Christ’s birth to give us a clear picture of the kinds of responses people had to His birth. In chapter 2, we see Christ sought after, feared, ignored, and worshipped. We ever see innocent people murdered in an attempt to kill Him due to jealousy.

In verse 1, Matthew records that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was south and slightly east of Jerusalem. It was a small town but it was important for several reasons. First of all, it was the birthplace of King David. Secondly, the town had prophetic importance. As noted in Micah 5:2, the Messiah would be born in this town. Therefore, the location of Jesus’ birth was significant.

Additionally, Matthew records the ruler who reigned at the time. Herod the king was the man assigned to govern this area by Rome. Essentially then, he was a governor. The Jews hated this man. First of all, he was not Jewish but a descendent of Esau and, therefore, a foreigner. Secondly, he was known for ruthlessness and cruelty. Because the horrible man was set over them as king and he represented Roman rule, he was a constant reminder that Israel was under the political rule of another country.

Into this tense political climate came wise men from the east. The word wise men is magios in the Greek. It referred to men who were devoted to the study of the sciences of that day as well as philosophy and religion. Since these men came as the result of seeing a star, it is reasonable to assume that they spent at least some of their time studying astronomy or astrology. We also know the general location these men came from because Matthew records that they came from the east. Many Bible scholars believe these men were Persian. In any case, it was fairly obvious that these wise men “weren’t from around these parts.” These men left their homes and went on an arduous, possibly even dangerous, journey to follow this phenomenon. Very likely, it had taken them a long time to reach their destination. They were obviously motivated by some intense driving force. As our Lord noted in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” The faith and persistence of these men is an example to us.

We find further evidence that these men were people of faith as we examine the inquiry they made when they arrived in Jerusalem. They went around to people saying “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Again, we see these men were persistent in the manner in which they asked. As John MacArthur observes in his study Bible, the word saying is a present participle in the Greek text. This indicates that they were probably asking everyone they met this same question. They were also fully cognizant of Whom they were asking about. They identified Him as the King of the Jews. Evidently, they were aware of the position of royalty this baby boy was born into. They also must have read and been familiar with the Hebrew prophecies and knew the Messiah would be born under a sign; a star. While this star looked like it might have just been a heavenly body, it was probably supernatural since it led these men here and would eventually settle over the house where Jesus was living. They knew the Old Testament prophecies in Isaiah 60:3 and Numbers 24:17 that the sign of the birth of the Messiah would be a star. Finally, we see their faith further evidenced by the purpose of their visit. They came not as political envoys or curious men, but as people who were in fact seeking God. They were Gentiles and, therefore, outsiders to the Jewish community. They were not seeking religion nor were they Jewish proselytes. Instead, these men went on this long journey to find God in order that they might worship Him. Let us pray for God to draw us even closer to Himself as He drew these wise men. Let us also pray that he would give us a heart to seek the truth as persistently as these men did.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Sorry, folks.

Hey
I normally have been trying to post between Thursday and Saturday. I took off work early today and was going to type this week's post and decided it would be better to type it up Monday. I've pretty well studied the text but we're going out of twon for the weekend and
I don't want to rush through the post. I'll have it up early next week.

Thanks for your understanding.

in Him

Matthew 1:24-25 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 3

The short version of this Bible study is that Joseph responded to God’s revelation by obeying His command. However, I believe a closer look at the scripture will provide many practical observations that we can apply to our daily lives.

First of all, upon being aroused from sleep where he had received a heavenly dream with instructions from God on what to do about the situation with Mary, Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. We must assume, then, that he believed this message came from God. Taking advice from people in difficult situations is one thing. However, what he had been ordered to do in this supernaturally delivered dream was to trust God completely for his and Mary’s safety. Since Mary was now pregnant through supernatural means, people would assume that he and Mary had consummated the marriage before the wedding ceremony. By marrying her, people would have assumed that he was admitting guilt of sin. However, because he believed the message to have been from God Himself, he obeyed. We see his faith in God is proved here by his obedience. As James records in the 22nd verse of chapter one of his epistle, we should be “Doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving [our] selves.”

Now, of course, God doesn’t speak in dreams like this anymore. He has completely revealed Himself in a Book. The Bible contains God’s complete message to man and if we want to know about God and His will, we should read and study His Word. It is true that God also speaks through His people, circumstances, and the Holy Spirit and there are things He calls us to do that are not in His Word. A call to the mission field or vocational ministry would not be in scripture. When God dealt with me about preaching, there was obviously no verse that said “Joe, go preach.” However, had I not been studying His word, I would never have been sensitive to the call He made on my life. Some people want a supernatural call on their lives before they will obey the voice of God. I submit to you that the primary way you will hear God speak is through study of His word. In that way, you will be in close fellowship with Him and be more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

We see revealed in Joseph’s character an obedient heart, we also see in this scripture that Joseph was able to restrain himself. We are told that Joseph did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son and that Joseph called his name Jesus. When people get married, they consummate the marriage after the ceremony (in private of course). However, even though he obeyed the revelation of God without hesitation, he restrained himself in this matter and Mary remained a virgin until she had given birth. We know it was not due to a fear of sin that he did this because, as Paul notes in 1st Corinthians, the “marriage bed is undefiled”. God did not choose to reveal exactly why Joseph chose this course of action. However, we can admire the fact that he was willing and able to deny himself the opportunity to consummate the marriage and assume that it was due to a conviction of his conscience. We do recognize that they did have normal marital relations after Jesus’ birth. While some teach that Mary remained a virgin perpetually, scripture tells us that Joseph did not know her till Jesus was born. Clearly, that indicates that he did know her afterwards. We also know this to be true from the gospel accounts of Jesus’ brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55-56, John 7:3). We can be thankful for the obedient life of Joseph and Mary. They set a powerful example for us because they followed God even when the situation appeared difficult.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved

Matthew 1:22-23 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 2

Hello. If you're here for the first time, I'd like to say welcome. If you've been studying this book of the Bible along with me before today, welcome back. I just thought I'd make a suggestion or two. First of all, if you feel led to leave a comment or ask a question, feel free to do so. I've turned comment moderation on because, since this is the internet, I didn't want to give somebody who is "Kookoo for Cocopuffs" a forum to say something that ought not be said. Secondly, I strongly encourage you to read the scripture in Matthew before you read the Bible study. I just think the study will make more sense to you if you do that. I use the New King James version but, of course, there are other translations that will work as well.

So, without further delay, here we go.

As we observed last week, Joseph was visited by an angel who brought revelation from God Himself regarding the special nature of Mary’s pregnancy. Matthew records here that the supernatural circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ were actually the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. He records that all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. It is important for us to remember that the ultimate source for all scripture and revelation is the Lord God. As the writer of Hebrews observes in chapter 1 verse one of that book, “God…spoke through the prophets.” They were the intermediaries or heralds and they communicated the message that God sent them to speak (2 Peter 1:21) In this case, we see God as the ultimate source of this prophecy that was given to the people through Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14.

We should also take note of the substance of the revelation. In the book of Isaiah chapter 7, this prophecy is given by Isaiah to King Ahaz. To make a long story somewhat short, the land of Judah was in danger of being destroyed by armies of Israel and Syria. The king was contemplating the idea of calling in reinforcements from his neighbor Assyria. Isaiah was sent, as noted by Albert Barnes, to tell the king to ask God for a sign. In other words, he was told to look to God for help rather than look to his neighbors. Ahaz refused to ask God for a sign so God said he would give a sign for Himself. This sign, as recorded in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23, was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ. We read that it is introduced with the word idou which is rendered in English as Behold. Back where I come from, we might have said “Look here, boy”. The word is not only used to draw attention to this miracle but also to indicate that it was something unusual and supernatural. The reason it was supernatural was a virgin shall be with child and bear a Son. The word translated virgin is the Greek word parthenos and it can mean a maiden or marriageable daughter in addition to virgin. However, we can be sure that God inspired Matthew to quote this prophecy in Isaiah to reiterate the idea that Mary was a virgin for several reasons. First of all, Matthew here uses the same Greek word that the translators of the Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagent, used for Isaiah 7:14. In the Hebrew, the word translated virgin is alma. The word could be understood as a young maiden. However, the most reasonable explanation of what God was trying to communicate through Matthew was that this woman would be a virgin. Secondly, there would be nothing miraculous about the birth that is identified as a sign if it was simply that a woman became pregnant. However, if a virgin became pregnant, that would be a miracle. The only way something like that could be explained would be supernatural intervention. In much the same way as Abraham’s wife Sarah’s pregnancy in Genesis could only be explained as a work of God, so Mary became pregnant and bore a Son.

Matthew records the name or title that would be given to this Son by people. He writes that the Messiah would be called Immanuel which meant God with us. The fact that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh is one of the most important truths taught in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was fully human. He had all the same bodily organs and physical needs that you and I have. He got hungry (Matthew 4:3), tired (Mark 4:38), and was tempted in every way you and I are (Hebrews 4:15). However, since His mother was a virgin and, therefore, he had no human father, He did not inherit our sin nature. Sin is passed on from fathers to the next generation (Romans 5:12-14). Evey person born is both a sinner by nature (they were born a sinner) and a sinner by choice (we all choose to disobey). God was able to punish Him for our sins because not only had He never committed a sin willingly, He was also not a sinner by birth as you and I are. As Paul records in 2 Corinthians 5:21 God ”made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. While Christ was fully man, He was also fully God. The miracles proved that He was God (John 14:8-11). He declared Himself to be God (John 8:57-58). Because He was God, He was able to forgive sin and promise eternal life to the thief on the cross who was crucified beside Him. Matthew was inspired by God to reveal that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Immanuel that had been promised almost 750 years prior by Isaiah. Because He was God in human flesh, He could pay for our sins by dying on the cross. When we repent of our sins (that means to change direction-we stop doing things our way and start doing things His way), ask His forgivness, and trust His death as payment for those sins rather than relying on our goodness to get us to heaven, we become His children. Praise God for His wonderful gift-the gift of Jesus.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:20-21 “God’s Revelation/Joseph’s Response” Part 1

Last week we ended on almost a cliffhanger in regards to Joseph and Mary. Joseph had decided to divorce Mary due to her being found pregnant. We can only imagine the emotional turmoil the young couple must have been in due to this crisis. Mary knew she was guilty of no sin. Of course, God had chosen ahead of time to reveal to her that she would become supernaturally pregnant. God, in His providence, decided to delay this revelation to Joseph. We now see Joseph and his response to the revelation of God.

Scripture records that while Joseph was pondering these things an angel of the Lord appeared to him. God often used angels to communicate His message to man. For instance, in the book of Judges, Gideon was visited by an angel and instructed to mount an army to save Israel. The father of John the Baptist was likewise visited by an angel. Before the coming of our Lord (the Living Word) or the writing of Scripture (the written Word) God sometimes spoke in supernatural ways to communicate his message (Hebrews 1:1-2). Here, while Joseph was dreaming, he receives a personal revelation from the Lord.

We should take notice of how the angel addressed him. He calls him “Joseph, son of David.” It is an individual, specific call to Joseph. When God deals with people, He deals with us as individuals. When He calls a person to salvation, He calls them by name. Of course, He does not call them in an audible voice. The call of His Holy Spirit is just as real, however. The angel also addresses him as “son of David.” Every Jew knew that the Messiah would come from the line of David. The angel probably addressed him like this to emphasize the important role that Joseph would now play in the plan to bring the Messiah into the world.

Further, we should observe the advice he gave to Joseph. He tells him to not be afraid to take Mary for a wife. The Greek actually reads “Do not become afraid.” In other words, Joseph is called to make a choice to trust God. A person usually becomes afraid because they do not know the future. However, we know that we serve a God who “works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Even in the middle of unusual or difficult circumstances, we can trust God. However, we have to make the choice. Joseph here is admonished to not become afraid. He, of course, did not have God’s perspective. Therefore, he had to choose to believe what God told him. Basically, he had to take God at His word. Joseph was told not to become afraid to take Mary as his wife. Joseph would likely have been worried about guilt by association. If Mary was pregnant and he married her, to most people that would be an admission that they had consummated the marriage before the actual wedding. They would have, in the eyes of the community, been guilty of sin. Joseph here is told by the angel that Mary was free of any guilt because the baby she was carrying was the result of God’s supernatural power. Only the power of God could explain a virgin being pregnant. Of course, if God had sent a message that Joseph should not fear to take Mary for his bride, we must recognize that God would also be the one who protected them in this situation. In short, God wanted Joseph to know that what was happening was part of His will. Since He had brought this to pass by the power of His Holy Spirit He would see them through whatever difficulties might lie ahead. Joseph’s perspective did not permit him to see everything that would happen or how things would work out. In our lives, often times, we suffer from the same problem. We have to make the same choice Joseph did. Do we obey God and trust His word or do we rely on ourselves and our abilities. Here, Joseph receives a promise from God that he can rely on in this trying circumstance.

Finally, we notice the announcement made to Joseph. He is told the supernatural circumstances surrounding the birth. Also, he is told that Mary would bring forth a Son and that they would name him Jesus. Before the Child was even born, the man who would be His legal father knew the Child’s name. Jesus was a fairly common name but it had a special meaning. Literally, it meant “Jehovah saves.” The Jews knew God to be a saving God. Throughout the history of their nation, God had moved in supernatural ways to save them. Jesus’ name, therefore, was a reflection of the character of God. The angel further announces the kind of salvation that would come through this Messiah. He says the He will save His people from their sins. Those who would place their faith and trust in Him would find the filth of their sin completely cleansed away. Those who reject them would be held responsible for that rejection and spend eternity separated from God the Father. He did not come, therefore, to provide emancipation from Roman rule. He didn’t come to draw people to a religious system in an attempt to earn salvation. He came, as the book of Revelation records, to be the Lamb of God, slain from before the foundations of the world. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, He provided salvation from all sin for everyone who would believe in Him. As the hymn writer Phillip Bliss writes “My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin, not in part but the whole is nailed to that cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, oh, my soul.” We, too, should praise God for his precious gift of salvation that He revealed to Joseph in a dream that fateful night.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:18-20 "Joseph-A example of godliness"

In verses 18 through 25 of this chapter, Matthew records the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. He does so to provide important points in regards to prophecy that Jesus Christ was the long awaited Messiah of the Hebrew people. While doing so, we also observe Joseph's role in the birth narrative that, although passive, provides us insight into the character of the man who would fill the earthly role of father to Jesus. We can be encouraged by his example and his faithfulness.

Matthew records in verse 18 that Mary and Joseph were betrothed, or as we would say, they were engaged to be married. An engagement in Jewish culture was practically as binding as a marriage. As Albert Barnes notes in his commentary, the property of the woman was considered to be now the property of her soon-to-be husband unless he renounced it. For all intents, they were husband and wife. However, they did not live together and did not consummate the marriage until after the actual wedding ceremony. To become intimately involved during the engagement would be looked on as fornication. Therefore, when Matthew states the Mary was found to be with child…before they came together, we find that Joseph and Mary were in a very real crisis. Matthew removes all doubt of any sin by the two of them by noting that the pregnancy was discovered before they had consummated the marriage. He further adds that the Child she was carrying was of the Holy Ghost. The supernatural circumstances of the conception did not mean, however, that they were not still in a crisis. People would assume one of two things. Either Mary had committed adultery or she and Joseph had committed fornication. The death penalty would have applied to both situations. It would be unlikely that anyone would believe the truth. In short, the young couple faced a real life or death personal crisis.

It is in this crisis that we see the man of God that Joseph is. First of all, Matthew records that Joseph is a just man. That phrase is a Jewish expression for someone who is a true follower of God and who observes the law. In other words, Joseph was neither a godless man who rejected the Lord nor was he a self-righteous legalist like the Pharisees Of course, we should remember what Isaiah the prophet wrote in Isaiah 64:6 that "…all our righteousness is as filthy rags." Joseph was as in need of a savior as you or I, but he did earnestly seek after God. We also notice him to be compassionate and merciful. Matthew records that he was not willing to make her a public example but was minded to put her away quietly. Scripture does not record the conversation between Joseph and Mary or how the pregnancy was discovered exactly. Speculation about such things is fruitless for Bible students since God, in His providence, chose not to inspire the authors to write about it. However, Joseph contemplated a divorce as the solution to this crisis. He could have had her killed. Stoning was the penalty for adultery and that would have been what this appeared to be in the eyes of most people. Certainly Joseph could have thought that because he knew the Child was not his. He chose mercy over the law. The Greek word thelo¯ is translated not willing. This word, according to Vines Expository Dictionary, carries with it the idea of authority to make a decision. The word boulomai is translated was minded. This word has the sense of a preference. In other words, Joseph chose not to do as he had a legal right to but instead preferred to quietly divorce her. He chose not to assert his authority in the matter but instead to suffer loss himself and be merciful. In a sense, our Lord did that when He sent Jesus to be our sacrifice. Because of our sin, God had a legal claim on us. He is just and holy and our sin offended Him. By His righteousness He could have condemned everyone to eternal punishment in Hell. Instead, because He loved us, He chose to be merciful. In Colossians 2:13 &14, Paul writes that God "Has made you alive together with Him [Christ], having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Joseph chose a godly response and instead of demanding justice, decided to extend mercy. Finally, Matthew records that Joseph thought about these things. He did not immediately take action. He preferred to meditate and, in all likelihood, pray about the decision. Sometimes in churches, people want to see God move in a spontaneous way and assume that is the only way in which God moves. However, as we see with Joseph and other men and women in the Bible, there is something to be said for taking time to pause, reflect, and listen for the voice of God. While certainly God does not speak in an audible voice as He once did, He still speaks through His Word, the Holy Spirit, circumstances, and His church. Let us pray for the wisdom to wait to hear from the Lord as Joseph did. Let us pray for the grace that Joseph had to extend mercy rather than demand justice. Let us finally pray to be true seekers of God's righteousness so we can be declared " just" in the same manner as Joseph.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:2-17-"The King's Credentials"

As we observed last time, Matthew was inspired by God to write this gospel as proof to the Hebrew people that Jesus Christ was their long awaited Messiah. As we read this section of Scripture, we notice that the method he was moved by the Holy Spirit to use was a genealogy to prove Jesus had a legal claim to the throne of David. Matthew presents a different genealogy than Luke does in his Gospel. First of all, he begins his listing with Abraham and moves forward in time whereas Luke presents the listing from Jesus and works his way back to the first man, Adam. Secondly, from David onward both genealogies have different people. Bible students have discussed the reason for the discrepancy for years and honestly there doesn't appear to be a "right" answer. Some have suggested that one of the two men made a mistake or copied information that was itself incorrect. Because we know that God's Word is perfect and contains no errors, we can pretty well reject that theory as false. Another theory is that Heli (from Luke's listing) was Mary's father and had adopted Joseph after Joseph and Mary were married because Heli had no legal heir so as to pass his possessions through to Joseph. The most popular theory, however, is that Luke presents Mary's genealogy while Matthew presents Joseph's so that Luke traces Jesus' biological claim to the throne while Matthew traces Jesus' legal claim to the throne of David. In any case, Matthew makes it clear in his Gospel that Jesus is the promised Son of David and is the Messiah promised to the Jewish people. He writes that the people in this listing begat (geunao) their offspring. This word does not mean, however, that the person who was begat was necessarily the child of the person named. In several instances, Matthew skips several generations from the one who begat to the one who was begat. In all likelihood, he did this to provide his readers a memory aid. In verse 17, he lists that his genealogy records three groups of 14 generations covering 3 periods in the history of Israel: the call of the nation (Abraham), the beginning of the Kingdom (David), and the exile to Babylon (Jeconiah). Since written Scripture was rare when Matthew wrote his Gospel, he could have used this common sort of memory aid used by the Jews to help his readers remember this important truth-Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, the King of Israel.

The interpretation of this passage of Scripture, then, is that Matthew wrote to provide proof of who Jesus was. There are other observations that we can make that have valuable application to our lives as well as being a great encouragement to us. First, and most obviously, we can see God at work in history. The genealogy covers about 2,500 years, give or take, of history. Of all the people who lived and died, all the wars, all the good times and bad times that transpired during that time, God was at work to put these people where He wanted them to be to accomplish His will. It is an encouragement for us to remember that, in the end, it's not about us. God was in control before we got here. God will be in control while we are here and after we pass away, God is still in control. We also notice that God is sovereign. In other words, God does what God wants to do and He doesn't have to explain Himself to anyone. We see God choose Abraham. When we read the Genesis account of Abraham's call, we find something interesting about the reason God chose Abraham. It isn't given. We have no clue why God did it. It wasn't because Abraham was more righteous, or smarter, or more religious. Also, out of the 12 children of Jacob, God chose one-Judah. Of Judah's two children, he chose Perez. His sovereignty in all things should cause us to praise Him. Who else has the power to do that? Everyone ultimately answers to someone. Of all the rulers and powerful people in this world, no one has the might, power, and authority that God has. We further notice that God is at work regardless of personal or national circumstances. For instance, there are listed here kings who did right in God's eyes (Hezekiah, Jehosaphat) and those who did not (Joram, Manasseh). Regardless of the good or evil character of these leaders, God was at work and used them. Tamar committed adultery with her father-in-law who, because she disguised herself, though she was a prostitute. David and Bathsheba (she who had been the wife of Uriah) committed adultery. Rahab, before she hid the spies from the nation of Israel who had come in to spy out Cannan in the book of Joshua, was a prostitute. Even through their sin, God was able to use them in his plan to bring the Messiah into the world. We also see people who were not even Jewish included in this birth record. Ruth was from Moab and Rahab lived in Jericho in the land of Cannan when the children of Israel came to invade the land. No matter who we are, what we've done, or what's going on around us, God is at work. If we come to Him in faith, turn from doing things our way to doing things His way, and trust God to forgive us of our sins based on the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus, He will save us and give us the opportunity to serve Him and join with Him in His work. What a privilege.

We also see one exception in this birth record. As Matthew notes, Joseph did not begat Jesus. Joseph was the husband of Mary. Therefore he was Jesus' father in a legal sense. However, Jesus had no human father As Paul notes in Romans 8:3, Jesus was sent in the "likeness of sinful flesh". In Romans 5:12, Paul records that "sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin." Scripture further records that Eve was deceived but Adam sinned. Therefore, since sin is passed from the father to the next generation but Jesus had no biological human father, He did not inherit our sin nature. Matthew underscores this important truth by pointing out that Joseph was the husband of Mary "of whom was born Jesus, who is called the Christ." By doing so, Matthew teaches us that Jesus was truly the Son of David both through His legal father, Joseph, and his mother, Mary.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 1:1-"Here is your King."

The early church recognized Matthew as the first Gospel. It was the most often quoted book in the early church. The author, Matthew, was originally called Levi and he was a tax collector by trade. Tax collectors, it seems, were able to overcharge the taxpayer on the amount of tax the person owed and keep any extra as a bonus. They were, therefore, esteemed much like our IRS today. Matthew left his tax collection business upon Jesus' call to "Follow me" in Matthew 9:9. He faithfully followed Christ and wrote this record of His ministry under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. His purpose in writing this Gospel was to present Jesus as the long awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. His primary target audience is, therefore, the Hebrew people. However, all Christians will find study of this wonderful evangelistic book to be a blessing.

Matthew records, in verse 1, the book of the genealogy (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word used for origin or beginning-Genesis) of our Lord and Savior. As the 17th century expositor Matthew Henry noted, one might question why Matthew might include something as common as a birth record in his Gospel narrative. He observes, and we should remember, that the purpose of Matthew's Gospel was to introduce the Jews to their Messiah. The Messiah had to be Jewish (of Abraham) and had to be of the kingly line of the house of David. Therefore, Matthew is not presenting an interesting bit of trivia but was in fact grounding the message of his Gospel on a central theme-Jesus is Messiah. Here to the reader, especially the Jewish reader, Matthew begins to hammer that point home. Through the use of this genealogy and Old Testament quotes, Matthew presents the resume of our Lord for the position of the long awaited Messiah who would reign on the Throne of David.

Furthermore, we should notice the name of this Messiah. Jesus (Ie¯sous) is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua. The name means "Jehovah saves". We are told later in this chapter that Jesus will, in fact, save His people from their sins. With this name is paired the title Christ (Christos) which means anointed. Jesus Christ was God's anointed in several respects. First of all, as the book of Philippians Chapter 2 tells us, He was God's Servant who "became obedient to death, even death on a cross". He came to do the will of His Father in heaven and was specially commissioned for such work. He was also anointed of God by having been given the Holy Spirit without measure, as the Gospel of John records. However, the anointing that Matthew likely has in mind here is the anointing of Kingship. David had been promised a descendant who would reign forever. Matthew here points out that Jesus is the One who was uniquely anointed by God for just that task. Again, in Philippians chapter 2, Paul notes that at the name of Jesus "ever knee shall bow….and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

As the anointed Christ, Jesus would have to trace his ancestry back to the family of David. In Jeremiah 23:5, the Lord said that " Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.'" The title son of David would have aroused feelings of pride and hope in the heart of the Jewish reader. They knew of the political situation they were in being subjects of Rome and they knew of the promise of God and His faithfulness through the years. In the years surrounding the birth of Jesus, the Jewish people were waiting expectantly for the Messiah. In fact, even people who were not people of faith in God were expecting his arrival (Matt 2:7, Acts 5:35-37). Of course, the Jewish people were expecting immediate emancipation from their Roman rulers and, as such, assumed a military victory. In identifying Jesus as the son of David after His death, burial, and resurrection, Matthew affirms the truth that the Messiah's permanent eternal kingdom is not of this world. While He will reign at some future point in Jerusalem for 1,000 years, the kingdom of which there shall be no end will be in the New Jerusalem.

Matthew next identifies Jesus as the son of Abraham. Jewish people obviously revered Abraham as their father (John 8:39). God made an eternal covenant with Abraham. This covenant had three features: Land (Gen 12:7), Blessing (Gen 12:3), and Seed (Gen 22:18). The land we now know as Palestine was promised to Abraham and his decedents as their possession. When Matthew wrote this gospel, the Jewish people were under the rule of Rome. In fact, since the Babylonian deportation in 476 BC, the land of Israel had been under the control, politically, of another country (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome). They had not taken possession of the land and, therefore, held onto this promise. We know that Jesus, when He comes back at the end of the Tribulation, will set up a Millennial kingdom in Jerusalem where He will reign for 1,000 years. However, Jesus fulfilled the other two parts of the covenant while here on earth. Paul identifies Him as the Seed that God was referring to in His promise to Abraham. In Galatians 3:16, Paul writes, "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ. " Therefore, Christ came into this world as the Seed promised to Abraham. It was through this seed that God would bless the whole world and the specific blessing that he would bring was the salvation promised by God in the Old Testament (Hosea 2:14-20). This salvation was not only for the Jews, but was in fact for all who would place their faith in Jesus Christ (Col 1:6, Romans 2:9-10).

Matthew, in the first verse of his gospel, identifies Jesus as the promised Heir to the throne of David and as the promised Seed of the covenant with Abraham.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Martin Luther, one of the fathers of the Reformation, was quoted as saying "Let the man who would Hear God Speak read Holy Scripture." I am convicted that God spoke literally through prophets and apostles to deliver His perfect Word to us. It is my hope and prayer that as you read this website that you will hear God speak as we explore His Word together.

I will be updating the website weekly and welcome all comments.

As the psalmist said, my prayer for you and I is that God might open our eyes that we might behold wondrous things from His law.

in Him