Thursday, May 31, 2012

HEROD AND THE WISE MEN PART 2


WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM-THE TRUE WORSHIPERS



Matthew 2:9-12 ( ESV )
9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

·         Star that they had seen-Note apparently before they got to Herod; it had disappeared and now reappears again to them. The star led them to this very specific spot.

·         They rejoiced-It was now the end of their journey. The one that they had sought was right before their eyes.

·         They go into a house not a stable so time has passed since chapter one. They found their king not in a palace but rather in a common home. Jesus was no longer a newborn babe.

·         I love their reactions the first two things that they did was Fall down and Worship. What a curious sight it must have been as these Gentile men knelt down and worshiped this Jewish boy.

·         10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
Psalms 72:10-11 (ESV)

·         Many believe there were 3 of these men because there were 3 gifts but that seems to be reading into the story too much. Look at what they give to this child king.  GOLD-Symbol of a king and that of Deity and Purity.  Frankincense-Talks of a priest-hood. Quite often this resin was used for incense at the altar. Ex. 30:9   Myrrh-This was a perfume that was often used for a time of burial. These men offered up to the king their very best. (What of us?)  Some commentators believe that these gifts were used to help them to flee to Egypt.

·         Warned-God will reveal his will this way several times in this passage. (Some want to believe that this is how God works today on a regular basis. Problems: Extra Revelation and the completion of His Word.) We see that constantly through this passage when God reveals His way to His people, they immediately obey. (Such was not the heart of Herod.)

FLEE TO EGYPT



Matthew 2:13-15 ( ESV )
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, £“Out of Egypt I called my son.”

·         Constantly we see how that God wanted to lead Joseph. What is so beautiful in this passage is Joseph’s obedience.

·         Egypt would have been about 90 miles to the border from Jerusalem.  It would also be outside of Herod’s Jurisdiction. Many Jews still lived in this area.

·         Herod’s true heart is now revealed. He did not want to worship the Lord. Herod wanted to destroy God’s plans and reject the King of Kings.

·         By night-Not a sign of distrust but Joseph saw the urgency of God’s plan and direction and immediately acted upon it. (Think of us when we are warned of a storm or a hurricane coming our way.)

·         The prophecy of Hosea 11:1 was now being fulfilled. The question though is why Egypt?  Just as Moses through the power of God had delivered God’s people out of Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land. The Son of God, like his people, would come out of Egypt but as their spiritual deliverer. He wanted to free them from spiritual bondage. He would bring light into the darkness of the people’s hearts.

THE CRYING OF RACHEL



Matthew 2:16-18 ( ESV )
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18£“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

·         When Herod realized that he had not been told by the wise men what took place the Bible tells us that he became furious. He was so thirsty for blood that he would have all these children destroyed. He remembered his conversations with the wise men and targeted all of those who were two years or younger. Bethlehem was a small town so there may have been between 10-30 children of this age group. How barbaric to destroy even one of their lives. Herod was declaring out to God I NEED NO MESSIAH BUT ME.

·         Jeremiah-Another fulfillment of scripture is now fulfilled at least from 600 years earlier.

·         Weeping is brought up 2 xs in this passage.  Significance of Rachel: She becomes the personification of loss; her last child Benjamin would cost her, her life in delivery, when her children (Israel) were carried into exile there was weeping and mourning. Now in the town of Bethlehem the children of Israel would be slaughtered. There is no comfort for a woman who loses her beloved children.

BE SENSITIVE TO GOD’S WILL!!



Matthew 2:19-23 ( ESV )
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.
23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

·         When Herod died-We are not told how many years had passed before this event took place.  We know this though, Joseph stayed until he was told to move. Here is a man who does not waver from God’s program.

·         Once again He hears from an angel in a dream.

·         What words of peace this must have been to Joseph to go back to the land of promise and to bring back its true Messiah. The evil one is gone.

·         While on His way to go back probably to Bethlehem he hears that Archelaus is now reigning instead of his father Herod. (He was one of Herod’s sons who reigned with much of the same cruelty as his father. He was so bad that Caesar would later banish him to Gaul. More than likely on their way after hearing about Archelaus they sought the Lord’s will and were warned in a dream so they withdrew to the district of Galilee.  They would still be in Israel but not in Jerusalem or Bethlehem. SOMETIMES GOD’S PLANS INVOLVE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION THAT WE DID NOT FORSEE. Our goal though is to be obedient to whatever bumps in the road that he allows. We can follow Him and he will guide us.

·         Nazareth-In the lower hills of Galilee, a small village between 200 to 1,600 people. An obscure place for a king to dwell in but this was no ordinary king.

·         Nazarene-This seems to be a general theme of the O.T. Prophets that Jesus would be despised and rejected. Nazareth by many during Jesus time was looked down upon and despised. Jn. 1:46 Can anything good come out of Nazareth. This would be true of how many would look down upon him. Yet, another interesting thing is that this also comes from the Nazarites which meant to be holy and devoted to God or separated from.  This would be the mark of his life and should have drawn men to him but more than anything he was despised and rejected even when He came unto his own. The beauty though is that this one despite what men thought was the DEVOTED ONE OF GOD.

CLOSING THOUGHTS AND APPLICATIONS:

·         LIKE THE WISE MEN AM I WILLING TO BOW MY KNEE BEFORE HIM?

·         AM I REALLY GIVING TO HIM THE BEST THAT I HAVE?

·         WHAT ABOUT MY PRIDE? IS HE TRULY THE EXALTED ONE?

·         DO I DELAY IN MY OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD OR WILL I ACT LIKE JOSEPH?
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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

HEROD AND THE WISE MEN PART ONE



Matthew 2:1 ( ESV )
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men£ from the east came to Jerusalem, 
  • Bethlehem of Judea-The town was about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. Its name means the House of Bread. Jesus would call Himself the Bread of Life. Jn. 6:3.
  • Now we will see a contrast b/w two characters of the Bible who show us the conflict b/w those who wish to follow the king and those who do not want Him to reign within their lives.

The Two are that of Herod and the Wisemen.



____________________________________________________________________________
HEROD-RULED B/W 37-4 B.C. AND WAS A RUTHLESS RULER WHO MURDERED EVEN HIS OWN SONS AND WIFE. HE WAS A DESCENDANT OF EASU AND MAY HAVE BEEN MARRIED AT LEAST 9 TIMES. (ONE PERSON SAID HE WOULD RATHER BE HEROD'S DOG THEN HIS SON.) IT WAS DURING HIS TIME THAT THE TEMPLE WAS ONCE AGAIN REBUILT.
____________________________________________________________________________
WISE MEN-OR MAGI. THESE WERE MEN WHO WERE SPECIALIST IN THE AREAS OF ASTRONOMY, SACRED WRITINGS AND THE PURSUIT OF WISDOM. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY THERE WERE BUT ENOUGH TO WHERE IT TROUBLED THE CITY IN VERSE 3. THEY HAD COME FROM FAR AWAY AND PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND THE PERSIAN AREA.
____________________________________________________________________________


Matthew 2:2 ( ESV )
2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose£ and have come to worship him.”

  • The word, " saying" has the idea that they were constantly asking about  where He was. They were in pursuit of this infant.Think about it.their QUESTION was," where is he who has been born king of the Jews". This question was from a group of Gentiles. These would be the first fruits of the Gentiles. 
    _______________________________________________________________________________________

 THE STAR

  • It was not a natural thing but supernatural.
  • it was a phenomenon that would sometimes appear and at other times disappear.
  • They might have seen it in light of looking at Numbers 24:17, "I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not near: a STAR shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel: it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Seth.
  • Many have linked it to the idea of the Shekinah glory of the OT.
  • These men's main desire was to worship this child king. Think about this in contrast to verse 3.


Matthew 2:3 ( ESV )
3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

  • Herod was troubled at the idea of the birth of a king that would replace his throne.
  • Sad part of the passage was ALL of Jerusalem was troubled as well. The very ones whom He wanted to be their king but they refused Him. John 1:10


Matthew 2:4-6 ( ESV )
4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 £“ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

 He gathered the chief priest (The ones in charge of the temple activities) and the Scribes (Interpreters of the Word.). The amazing part is that these men knew the prophesy yet they themselves even as Jews were less concerned about it then the men from the east. Think about it only 5-6 miles away their Messiah was born and they wanting power so much with Herod that they did not even look into it.

·         The quote is from Micah 5:2 The rest of the passage states, He was, " from of old from ancient days," and would come from Bethlehem. MacArthur rightly declares the passage as also as proclaiming the Deity of Christ. Bethlehem was a small town but not insignificant as it would produce the Messiah. He would be the Shepherd king in contrast to them as false shepherds of Israel. Ez 34. He would be the Good Shepherd.

·         As priest they were only concerned about their status in the world and cared not for the souls of the sheep. He though would be a shepherd who would feed the flock.



THE GREAT PRETENDER HEROD


Matthew 2:7-8 ( ESV )
7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

·         He did this secretly as he tried to keep the information from others as he did not want his real motives to be known as yet.
·         Why was it so important that he find out what time the star had appeared? He would be able to get an idea of how old this king would be, before He ordered the slaughter.
·         He sent them almost like a show. If this was he real motive why did he not go it was only 6 miles or at least send an envoy with them. Keeping it low key like this would keep him out of the picture.
·         Worship-There will always be those who claim to want to worship Him but they do not.
·         The sad part though also as far as we know there was not one Jew who even volunteered to go with them.
           

          KEYS TO PASSAGE: SATAN WILL ALWAYS TRY TO THWART GOD'S PLANS BY USING PRETENDERS.

                                                   GOD'S PLANS WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL.



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Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Virgin Birth 1:18-25


     Our attention is first drawn to the fact that Jesus birth was unique. Notice in verse 16 of chapter One the phrase that is used in referring to the birth of Jesus.

(Mat 1:16) and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

      In all of the above verses we are told of the Father’s name and then who was born to them. In this verse that process is excluded but instead we read, “Of Mary, of whom Jesus was born.” Jesus would forever be called by the unbelieving crowd the son of Joseph or the illegitimate one.  He would hear this constantly throughout His walk here on earth. They would refuse much like the liberals of today that Jesus was virgin born.

     Why is all of this so important? In order for us to be saved we would have to be saved by one whom had never sinned. The only one of whom this could be said is that of God.  Jesus could not have been born of Joseph as he would have inherited his sin nature. Rather he was born of Mary. If he was not born of a virgin as some liberals state this would also make the Gospel account false. If the Bible were to contain errors how could we trust what it says?

(Mat 1:18)  Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Å      Took place this way-According to the Gospel account this is how Jesus birth happened.

Å      Betrothed-This was like an engagement period of time but even more intense. It would involve official arrangements and a prenuptial agreement before witnesses which also had a legally binding contract. Thus in order for the Betrothal period to be broken one had to go through a formal process of divorce. (It is not like the engagement process of today.) If a woman was found guilty of being sexually unfaithful during this time just like in a marriage she would be stoned to death.

Å      Now for Joseph’s problem, during this betrothal period Mary was now found to be pregnant. What would he do? He could have her publically humiliated and stoned to death or as some would do he could quietly break it off which would still bring shame to her. She had been gone for a period of about 3 months to see her cousin Elizabeth who was getting ready to have a son by the name of John. (This same John was John the Baptist.) Just before Mary left she would carry the Christ child in her womb. Now as she comes back she is 3 months or more pregnant and she is showing. What would Joseph do?

Behind the Scenes:


Luke 1:26-38 ( ESV )

26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27to a virgin betrothed£ to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.

28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”£

29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”£

35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born£ will be called holy—the Son of God.

36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

37For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant£ of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

     What had happened 3 months earlier was that the angel Gabriel had appeared before the virgin Mary and told her that she had found favor or grace with God. (By the way she would carry Jesus in her womb not because she was sinless but because God showed her grace.  She just like all of us was in need of a savior as testified by her own words in Luke 1:47 where she calls Him, “God my Savior”.) She is told of how he will be born and that He would be called the Son of the Most High and He would be the king who would inherit the throne of David.

     Big question HOW? The answer, the Holy Spirit would come upon her, not in a sexual way but that the Holy Spirit through a creative like act would place Jesus within her womb. He gives her a sign in that her cousin Elizabeth old and beyond child bearing age was going to have John and was in her sixth month. The key is that nothing was impossible with God.

     I love Mary’s heart, this young woman was willing to say, “Behold I am the servant of the Lord, Let it be according to your word.” Come what may I am willing to do whatever you may ask of me as a servant of the Lord. Do we have this kind of heart? Now she comes back to her beloved Joseph obviously with child.

Joseph’s character and love
(Mat 1:19)  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

Ø  Joseph is now called a “just man” He was known for being zealous for the things of God and showed it forth in his response towards Mary. He could have out of a sense of betrayal had her stoned but instead like the savior wanted to show forth mercy and would not put her to shame but rather let her quietly slip away from his life. He would show forth that he was a just man by his response to the angel of the Lord.

Mat 1:20-21  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  (21)  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Å      Why does the angel call him son of David? Maybe to remind him of the promise of a Messiah to come that had been taught throughout Israel’s history and that the Messiah would come through the line of David.

Å      Do not fear. Don’t worry Joseph about what you should do to Mary. She is clean in all of this and don’t  worry about what others might say.  The child she carries is from the Holy Spirit of God.

Å      Call his name Jesus. This is the savior that Abraham, Jacob, David and all of your forefathers has waited for. Most importantly of all He will be the one who will save His people from their sins. He was the one that they had waited for throughout all of their history. The Savior of the World.

      The angel now reassures Joseph from the scriptures that this very birth that was taking place with Mary was a prophecy that had been given to the people in Is. 7:14. You can believe the scriptures Joseph, for they now will be fulfilled before your very eyes.

Mat 1:22-23  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:  (23)  "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).

Å      The word virgin translated here from the LXX into this passage refers to a true virgin one who has not had sexual relationships with a man. Joseph she is sexually pure but she is going to have a son.

Å      Immanuel-Not only is she going to have a son but his name will tell you more about who He is. The name Immanuel literally means, GOD WITH US. This little one is not just some good man or miracle but literally when He is brought forth He is God and He will walk among you. (Jesus is God.)

How did Joseph now respond?

Mat 1:24-25  When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,  (25)  but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Å      What I love is as soon as this was revealed to Joseph he did just as the Lord commanded him through the angel. He took Mary as his wife. Think of the scorn, the shame, the words spoken behind their backs and the false accusations. It did not matter though what man would say Joseph and Mary would do what the Lord would have them to do without question.

Å      Knew her not until-During this time before Jesus birth Joseph also showed forth that he was a just man and zealous for the things of God in that he did not have sex with his wife until after the birth of the Christ.

Å      The word Until is important in that Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin as some teach as a matter of fact she would conceive with Joseph other sons and daughters. Matthew 15:55-56, Mark 6:3 and Gal. 1:19.

Å      Now we are told that they give birth to this one who is called Jesus and truly Yahweh does save.

APPLICATION AND CLOSING THOUGHTS:
1.       WHAT A JOY TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SINLESS SAVIOR. BECAUSE OF JESUS PERFECTION WE HAVE A SAVIOR WHO CAN MAKE A PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.
2.       AM I WILLING TO ACT LIKE MARY AND JOSEPH AND BE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THE LORD WOULD ASK OF ME?
3.       HOW SHOULD WE LIVE OUR LIFE IN THE LIGHT OF THAT AS A BELIEVER IMMANUEL LIVES WITHIN US?
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Thursday, May 24, 2012

THE KING AND HIS GENEALOGY. MATTHEW 1:1-17


The Gospel of MATTHEW

 Author of the Book

  • Matthew the tax collector.
  • His calling is recorded in Matthew 9:9-13
  • He is also known as Levi. Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27

Theme of the Book

"HE IS LORD"


  • THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS GENEALOGY 
  • HE IS CALLED MESSIAH AND EMMANUEL THROUGH THE BOOK.
  • HE SPEAKS ABOUT HIS KINGDOM THROUGH PARABLES
  • THERE ARE THE CONSTANT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HIS AUTHORITY.



Why Is a Genealogy Important?

    " A Genealogy would demonstrate Jesus legal claim to being a part of the throne of David. It would show that his legal descent was from David and Abraham." (E.S.V. Study Bible) This would esp. be needed in order for Jesus to prove who He was from the Jewish perspective as they were waiting for the Messiah to come.
     There are some omissions to the list but this is not through deception but rather as a memorization tool and main emphasis to bring up people of note throughout the passage.

Who are some of the main characters of the Genealogy?
  1. ABRAHAM-(2) GENESIS 12:1-3
  2. JACOB-(2) 12 TRIBES OF iSRAEL
  3. BOAZ-(5) HE WOULD LATER MARRY RUTH. RUTH 4:13
  4. DAVID- (6) II SAMUEL 7:1-17 (COVENANT WITH DAVID)
  5. SOLOMON- (6) WISEST MAN 
  6. RHOBOAM-(7) KINGDOM DIVIDED
  7. HEZEKIAH-(10) II KINGS 18-20
  8. MANASSEH-(10) II KINGS 21 IN JAIL HE REPENTS

The Women of Matthew 1
     It was uncommon for women to be listed in the Genealogies of that time. Yet, Matthew includes five women in this list.

  1. TAMAR-(3) GENESIS 38 SEXUALLY IMMORAL
  2. RAHAB-(5) JOSHUA 2 FORMER PROSTITUTE 
  3. RUTH-(5) A GENTILE MOABITE
  4. BATHSHEBA-(6) II SAMUEL 11 ADULTERY
  5. MARY-(16)-FALSELY ACCUSED OF IMMORALITY


     The glaring picture though of this passage though is just like the women. We are all guilty of sin. Even the men of this passage were sinners before God, despite many of them being great men of God.

1.       Abraham-Caught in Lies about his wife.
2.       Jacob-Known as a deceiver.
3.       David-Guilty of Adultery.
4.       Solomon-Wisest man on earth but would follow the counsel of his ungodly wives and was sexually immoral.
5.       Hezekiah-Took a stand against Sennacherib but would want to please the crowd by showing Israel’s wealth to all and became so filled with pride.
6.       Manasseh-Was known as the most wicked king who ever lived but would come to God in a Jail cell.
This is the reason why verse one is so wonderful in the midst of it all. We all need a SAVIOR.

At the Name of Jesus. (Phil. 2:5-11)
Jesus-Common name for many children of the day. (Joshua was the O.T. version of this name.) It means that, “Yahweh Saves.” This is the truth of who Jesus was and is still today that only through Him can any man be saved. No matter whether a king or the lowest of all mankind.

Christ-This pointed back to David as the anointed king of Israel. Not only is Jesus a Savior but He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the rightful king not only of Israel but of the whole world. (Revelation 19:16)

APPLICATIONS AND THOUGHTS.
  • WHAT A BLESSING TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GOD WHO WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR LIVES.
  • GOD IS WILLING TO USE ANY OF US NO MATTER WHAT WE HAVE DONE OR WHERE WE HAVE BEEN.
  • JESUS, IS THE LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS AND HE WANTS TO BE YOUR SAVIOR.

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