http://www.americanwisdomseries.comPresents
MATTHEWChapter 15
Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our studies: #1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Drake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "Key Knowledge" lessons. These are pamphlets containing knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.
John 15:26
But when the
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of
me:
John
16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit
of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for
he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
This
Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/
Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.
Now here is our revised study of:
The
GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
MATTHEW
Chapter 15
"Teaching, Opposition of the Pharisees; Miracles."
Matthew 15:1 "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,"
Matthew 15:2 "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread."
What is disturbing to these scribes and Pharisees is that Jesus' disciples did not follow the "traditions of the elders", the traditions of men. This washing ritual was not just a matter of getting your hands clean before you pick up your bread, but it was a created ritual that these elders made up, and attached God's name to the form of it. The ritual was not given by God, or any of the prophets of God.
It came into being by these Kenite infested orders of the Pharisees that took over the temple after the captivity of Babylon. It was not a matter of using soap and water, but going through a sprinkling of water in each direction, and holding the hands in the proper position, and going through this very religious ceremony, being sure to show those around you just how religious you were. These Kenites created the traditions that the church was to follow, only Christ's disciples simply did not follow the vain traditions that were not of God.
Following man's traditions is one of the quickest ways to go to hell, when you set aside the Word of God, and follow the religious ways that man creates. God has given us the only way to follow, any other way, is a path to destruction.
John's note: Our Christian churches, both Catholic and Protestant, are guilty of this today. They insist we follow their way no matter what the Bible says! Traditions, Traditions, Traditions of Men, 666
Matthew 15:3 "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
In this lesson that Jesus is going to give these scribes and Pharisees, there will be four parts, so lets pick up on all of them.
The first part Jesus addresses the scribes from Jerusalem; keep focused on that point. My fellow Christian, do you need any other proof that there is a conflict between the traditions of the church elders [men], and the traditions of God? 666 Many of the traditions in the churches of today, are not of God, nor is their foundation in the Scripture. They are originated by the church boards, and developed through the twisting of the Word, in many cases.
My fellow Christian, The deacons, elders and scribes [ministers] will not judge you 666, it is God that will do the judging, and it is God that can claim your soul.
Matthew 15:4 "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor thy father and mother:' and 'He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.'
The death that Jesus is talking about here is the death of the soul. Jesus is about to give these scribes a little lesson in law, in that they brought it up. This comes from Exodus 20:12; "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."
The other part of the law that Jesus is using comes from Exodus 21:17; "And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death."
Matthew 15:5 But ye say, 'Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, 'It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;'"
Jesus is pointing out what the elders say, that is contrary to the law of God.
"It is a gift", they say a set aside, or sacrifice for God. So what Jesus is pointing out, is that these elders have set up tradition, that if the children give all their money to the elders [God], then that releases them of the obligation of caring for their parents in their old age. They were crooked priests, who say, that for the right price, they will declare something "corban", which means "of God". They would declare the item or money a gift, and allow the giver to use it for their own personal use.
Matthew 15:6 "And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.' Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."
Jesus is saying that if you listen to these hypocrite priests, and follow the traditions of these elders, you have violated the commandment of God, by your actions. There are many today that call themselves "ministers of God" and they tell you that if you give your wealth to them, you are released from taking care of your mother and father. Jesus is calling them a liar. He is saying they are making the commandments of God, of no effect, by their actions.
Matthew 15:7 "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,"
Jesus is going to give these hypocrite Kenite scribes and Pharisees another Bible lesson in the law. This one is found in Isaiah 29:13; "Wherefore the Lord said, "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"
Matthew 15:8 "'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
Jesus is saying that these elders [ministers] speak so religiously of God with their mouths, and lips, but their hearts, their minds, are far from what the Word of God actually says. Their hearts are as hard as a rock, as far as showing any love to God.
Matthew 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' "
They do not teach the commandments of God, but they modify those words, and create commandments of men. 666 Those commandments are called traditions of men. Those teachings are ways and things that are not in the Word of God, and God is against them. They take these commandments, and turn them into church doctrines.
Jesus now is connecting the feedings of the multitude, to the doctrines, which is the true food for the Spirit which is the Word of God. The body of Christ is the true "Bread of Life", and aside from that there is no life of value.
This is Jesus message to the scribes.
Matthew 15:10 "And He called the multitude, and said unto them, "Hear, and understand:"
This is the second group of people, the multitudes which is all the people. It is all kindred's and tongues, and races. Jesus is telling these people do not only hear what I am going to say, but absorb it in your minds.
Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
Jesus is not talking about the health laws here, for they are not done away with. If you eat things that are not fit for the body, and contain large amounts of poisons, then your body and your health will suffer for it. It has nothing to do with sin, and the death of your soul. However Jesus is talking about the biggest sin that can be committed, the sin which can cause the death of your soul.
It is what is in your heart and mind, the spiritual food of the teaching of Christ that matters, and gives the life that matters, eternal life; rather then the food that you place in your mouth for nourishment.
Matthew 15:12 "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"
Do you think that Jesus felt bad about that? Of course not; those hypocrites needed it. This is now the third address that Jesus will make, and it is to His own disciples. This part is addressed to you and me also as followers of Christ.
Matthew 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."
Remember that this is His disciples that are to be disciplining themselves in His teaching.
Matthew 15:14 "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
Remember back in the thirteenth chapter, where Jesus said, If you do not understand this one parable, then you will not understand any of my parables." What was that parable about? That parable was the parable of the sower. God was the one that planted the good seed. Satan the devil planted the evil seed, and Jesus warned of these offspring of the devil, the tares, or Kenites that would mix in with the tribe of Judah, and the House of Israel.
They would bring in traditions that would be harmful to the true Word of God. The disciples asked Jesus to explain this parable about the blind leading the blind, and Jesus will not, nor will He explain it to you. He gave you the key to the understanding early, and He wants His disciples to start using their brains, and putting teaching and common sense together.
Remember what Jesus said of the tares in Matthew 13:29? "But he said, nay lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them" Jesus said let the tares grow and leave them alone, my angels will do the dividing. He is telling you that these tares of the field, the world, and the blind Kenites spoken of here. And those that follow these offspring of Satan [the blind leaders] will go right into the pit along with the rest of the Kenites.
It is important for us to back to Matthew 13 and lock in on the first parable, and then watch out for wicked doctrines. Watch out for doctrines that are the traditions of men that make void the Word of God. Don't bother the tares, but be wiser then they are. Leave the Kenites alone, they are the negative part of God's plan, and those that have not studied, and know God's plan, is to allow the blind that are following the blind leaders, to go right into the pit.
Were the disciples listening to Christ in Matthew 13:37-49? They said "Yea, Lord."; but their actions tell us they never understood. These disciples came to Christ in apologies for what Jesus said, and told Jesus, you hurt the scribes and Pharisees feelings?
These Kenites were stealing from the poor and taking from the widows and orphans, and now we are to feel sorry that their feelings are hurt? What did you expect Christ was going to say to them. Not only did He offend them, but they offended Jesus, and his disciples even more.
This applies to us even today, are we keeping our attention on what Christ is saying, and can we apply those teachings in our lives? How are you judging the world of the so-called righteous? When they give their righteous sounding words out of their mouth and lips, can you tell if it is of God, or the traditions of men. This is what Jesus is trying to teach His disciples.
Now go back to the thirteenth verse, "Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Why should I worry about offending them, they are offensive? However, Jesus is now going to give an example, of how that offensive one can be changed. How that if these Kenites will believe upon Christ, they also will have eternal life.
Matthew 15:15 "Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Declare unto us this parable."
Now this is the fourth part that we must pay attention to. Jesus is addressing Peter, that will establish the churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia, that continue on to this day. They are the churches that teach the true Word of God.
Peter asked Jesus to explain the parable, but Jesus will not. This is a teaching that Jesus has already explained, however Jesus will explain a little more of the parable of verse eleven. Those parables of chapters thirteen and fourteen are the ones that if you don't understand them, you will not understand any of them. This is why it is important, that if you don't understand them, go back to chapter thirteen and review, until you get it. It is the key.
Matthew 15:16 "And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding?"
Peter, of all the disciples, still is demonstrating his lack of understanding of the Kenites, and the tares of the world.
Matthew 15:17 "Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?"
Jesus is asking Peter, what do you care what you eat and what goes into your mouth. It doesn't matter if it is five loaves to five thousand, or seven loaves to four thousand. It is not what is in your belly that counts, but what is in your mind; wake up Peter. Watch out for the false doctrines. Watch out for the traditions of men, for they will warp your spirit. That is what He is saying.
Matthew 15:18 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
When a man talks, he places his own sentence on his head. A man lives his own sentence; and that that you sow, that is what you shall reap. If you sow wickedness, you shall reap wickedness, and God will see to it that it shall happen.
Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, false witness, and blasphemies:"
Matthew 15:20 "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
Jesus is now going to walk a great distance, to touch a man, that I believe to be a Kenite, to explain verse thirteen. That is to say that if a plant sown by Satan believes on the blood of Jesus Christ, they shall also be saved, and have blessings.
Matthew 15:21 "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon."
Tyre and Sidon are commerce centers, and Satan, and Kenite strongholds. Satan is even named after Tyrus in Ezekiel 28. Jesus walked fifty miles direct, just to talk to this woman. It is important to see what Jesus says and does, because He will go right back to where He just left.
Matthew 15:22 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."
This woman had no reason to know that Jesus was the Son of David, except that she also was possessed. The devil had to be the one that did the identification. Remember the many demons that identified Jesus as the "Son of God", in Matthew 8:29. The demons, or devils know exactly who they are, and who Jesus is, even those humans around them do not. Even though the devils in her knew, she believed Jesus was the Messiah. She is showing faith.
Matthew 15:23 "But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away; for she crieth after us."
Jesus would not even talk to her. The disciples saw Christ reaction, and tried to send this woman away.
Matthew 15:24 "But He answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Jesus is saying, my blessings are not for the Kenites, but only for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel". To take this to the next step of understanding; Jesus is saying, My father did not plant you; in reference to verse thirteen.
Matthew 15:25 "Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me."
Matthew 15:26 "But He answered and said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."
What is the subject of this whole chapter, "Bread"; five loaves, seven loaves, what goes in or out doesn't matter. What matters is the bread of life, Jesus Christ, the Word of God. It is not right, or virtuous to take what is intended for the children of God, and give to the dogs. The dogs in the form Jesus used, was in reference to Gentiles, yet this woman of Canaan applied it to the animal.
Jesus is trying to relate to His disciples, and you if you claim the name of Christ, that by the law, He was not sent to the Gentiles. He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, all thirteen tribes, if you count Joseph as two. Here even a Kenite shows more faith, then those that were invited to the table of the Lord.
Matthew 15:27 "And she said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
The woman was saying here, even a puppy has some rights at the masters' table, if they love you.
Matthew 15:28 "Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
Notice that Jesus didn't call her a dog this time, He say her faith and said; "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Did you notice that there is a condition here, "even as thou wilt". As strong as your faith is, and we see the strength of this woman, as her daughter was made whole that very hour. Her daughter was no longer possessed, and this woman is now a daughter of the living God, by adoption through Jesus Christ.
Matthew 15:29 "And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there."
Jesus healed the woman, and turned around and headed right back from where He had left. Jesus walked one hundred miles to give you the privilege of learning this one lesson. This is why you don't disturb the tares, because there are some that will seek God, and who will be adopted into the family of Christ, and that is for God to know, and for you not to interfere with.
It is not what goes into the mouth, in this group of four teachings, but what comes out of the mouth. The bread of life, which is the body of Christ is what is important.
Remember, Jesus addressed the scribes from Jerusalem, then He addressed the multitudes, then He addressed the disciples, and finally He addressed Peter. The purpose is that you would not forget the parable of the sower. The tares are the Kenites, the offspring of Satan, and they would even work themselves into your church [multitude], to steer you away from the bread of Life, Jesus Christ and into the teaching of the elders, which is to say the traditions of men.
They are self-righteous hypocrites, that like to play God, and show off their knowledge. Their wisdom is not God's wisdom. Rather then say yes and no, they give an opinion. And their teaching is not the teachings of the laws of God, but the traditions they have created, that are of men.
The multitude was the races of all mankind, Christ was telling them that if they would believe He would save them.
The teachings to the disciples, was the equivalent to the elect of today. The teachings to these disciples was that "every plant that my Father had not planted shall be rooted up". He would not explain this, for they were to figure it out for themselves by the parables of the sower, and tares.
The last one to be addressed was Peter, who was given the assignment to directed to the church, and provide the teaching that Jesus has taught them.
Matthew 15:30 "And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many other, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and He healed them:"
The greatest handicap to man of this earth age, is to be blind to the truth of God's Word.
Matthew 15:31 "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel."
When Jesus healed these people, the greatest of the healing was when their spiritual eyes were open, and they saw and glorified the true God of Israel.
Live Link to- "See Men as Trees Walking"
Matthew 15:32 "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way."
When Christ has compassion on you, it will be because you loved Him. These people were healed, and then they stayed to hear what Jesus had to say. They were drawn to Jesus, and now Jesus saw their physical needs, and wanted to fill both their physical and their spiritual needs. When you go your way, you will not faint if you are in the will of God, for He will provide that strength that you need.
If you have tried something, and it continually goes up a dead end street, stop and consider if you are in the will of God, or is He trying to head you in another direction. God has compassion on His own, and He does not want you a failure.
Matthew 15:33 "And His disciples say unto Him, "Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"
Matthew 15:34 "And Jesus saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes."
Matthew 15:35 "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground."
They sat in groups.
Matthew 15:36 "And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
Keep in mind that Jesus had His disciples feed the multitude with the bread. The lesson here is that the disciples are given the bread, the bread of life, which is Christ body. The Word is given to you, and you are to feed the multitudes. Get it?
Matthew 15:37 "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full."
Jesus took the bread and blessed it and it expanded, as it was broken to fill the needs of the multitude. This supernatural thing also applies to the spiritual bread that is taken, and broken, or placed in your mind, and as you give it forth to others the Holy Spirit will make the Word multiply in the minds of hearer. God's parables are simple, for He does things in a natural way. He is also supernatural, like when He takes things that are natural, and increases them in an unnatural way. When problems look like they are impossible, we can turn them over to Christ, and in a natural way, the impossible gets done.
Matthew 15:38 "And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children."
There could have been well over ten thousand individuals total here.
Matthew 15:39 "And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala."
So we see here again where Jesus took a few loaves of bread, and a few fishes, and fed thousands of men and women. This is the second time and a double witness of the thing that we must be concerned about. There will be many that come and give teachings, and say that they were sent of God. Jesus is trying to teach His disciples how to tell the difference between the fakes, and the true men and women of God.
Jesus is trying to give you an understanding of how His true disciples feed. If it is a true ministry, then Christ will bless it before the father, and the disciples will give it to the multitude. So the next thing to ask is, what do they feed to the multitude?
They will feed them only that which came from Christ, that is blessed of God, and and came from the Word of God to the disciples or teachers of Christ. They will feed no traditions of man, and doctrines generated from the board room, or council chambers taught, and enforced on you the elders that go against the Scriptures. That teaching had better be taken from the Holy Scriptures, and enlarged in the hearts of the listener by the Holy Spirit of God.
When it becomes obvious that a church system doctrine takes priority over what is clearly taught in the Bible, then that ministry is not of God. Anytime a church officer lays his hand on a gifted teacher to prevent the teaching the truth of God's Word, it is not right, and he is out of place before almighty God, and will account personally for his actions.
If you can not teach the Word in the place you are in, it is time to move on, shake the dust off your feet, and leave the place to be judged with Sodom and the Sodomites at judgment day. Thank God some of the ministers are starting to wake up, and go back to the Scripture, and give out the entire Word of God.
Editor's note:: We are going to stop here in our "Book of Matthew Study" to review some commentary from chapter15 in an earlier study we published of Matthew. I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these two authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that took place may prove helpful in your understanding of the gospel of Matthew.One who takes His name and leads His children astray is going to pay an awesome price!
Wisdom and knowledge are not synonymous terms for there are many very intelligent people who are extremely knowledgeable in a wide variety of subjects while at the same time they lack the wisdom to use that knowledge in a just and right manner. (It seems we like to elect people like that and send them to our houses of congress.)
Take the Parable of the Tares for example. Understanding who the tares are and who their sower (sire) is gives one possession of an hidden treasure of knowledge for sure, but possessing the wisdom to use that knowledge according to His will is yet another matter. And since this parable singles out the only two churches (Philadelphia & Smyrna) in these last days with whom Jesus Christ finds no fault (Rev. 2, 3), it is extremely important that we know and understand how to wisely use and handle that knowledge... His way! To that end, Christ has already told us to "leave the tares alone" (Mat. 13:29) while at the same time telling us that if we understand the parable of the sower, meaning we have been instructed in the kingdom of heaven (Mat. 13:52), then we are to be like unto an householder and bring forth that treasure of knowledge and share it with others in our house!
Therefore, in today's study we are going to receive what we might call a secondary education in the application of the Parable of the Tares as Jesus Christ expounds upon that parable and shows us by example how to handle certain specific situations, e.g. what to do when the tares don't leave you alone and what you should teach openly to the multitudes concerning them. We begin as the leading scribes and Pharisees come to Jesus and make accusations concerning His "non-religious" disciples.
It is important to note that whenever there was an encounter between Jesus and the scribes and Pharisees, it was always they who approached Him. In other words, He left the tares alone just as He instructed us to for He was not an hypocrite to say one thing and then do another. The parable of tares explains how it is they shall be dealt with... in the end, when the angels shall gather them together and bind them to be cast into the fire.Matthew 15:1
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Now notice the motive of these tares (kenites) as they accuse the brethren... just like their father the "accuser of our brethren" who shall soon be cast down to this earth (Rev. 12:7-10). Let us read this carefully and see if we can discern who it is they are really criticizing!
To "wash not their hands" does not mean the disciples did not clean up before they ate dinner, as is commonly taught by the unlearned. It means they did not go through the ritual of "the washing of the hands" which was a "ceremony of purification", a religious tradition of the church. You see, the true disciples of Jesus Christ do not participate in the ritualistic traditions of men which are not written in God's Word. In fact, you could say that true disciples of Christ are not "religious" the way Churchianity defines the termbecause they follow Christ, the Word of God, and not the dictates and doctrines of churches and denominations which are often contrary to the Word of God and therefore iniquitous as we shall see in the following example Christ gives to us.[2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
So here we see these oh-so-religious leaders coming to Christ to attack and entrap Him by asking Him why His disciples do not follow the religious traditions handed down from the elders, which are merely commandments of men (written in the Talmud) but which cannot be found written in the Word of God. In fact, they contradict the Word of God.
Yes, religious traditions of men are iniquitous indeed in that they transgress God's commandments. Take heed to that fact for those who follow Churchianity instead of seeking Christ to know Him through His Word shall find themselves on the outside of the wedding feast looking in when the Lord returns.You see, one is mistaken and sorely deceived who says he or she knows the Living Word of God and yet knows not the Written Word of God. Remember we covered this in Matthew 7:21-23? "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."Understand and take heed to the fact that if a person supports and follows the traditions of men perpetuated by those religious leaders who "work iniquity", then that one becomes a partaker of their evil deeds (2 Jn. 1:11).[3] But He answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Again, Jesus Christ is being confronted face-to-face by some tares, Kenites who have become religious leaders, and is answering their question by pointing out that what they are teaching people to do in the name of God is contrary to and in transgression of the Word of God! To that end, He gives us a primary example of a tradition which abounds today even more so than ever.
This is quoted from Exodus 20:12 and 21:17 which is what the Word of God says. Here is how the scribes and Pharisees make void His Word.[4] For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
They say "as long as you give your gifts (money) to the church" to be used for a good cause, implying even if it is money needed to take care of your father and mother, then you do a good thing which is what God wants you to do. In effect they are saying you shall be free... free of guilt and free from the penalty of the law "Honor you father and mother".[5]But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;[6] And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
It has even come to pass in these last days, that the religious leaders, many of whom are nothing more than robbers and thieves dressed up to appear like holy men of God and who should be teaching His Word instead of traditions, will take as much money from our father's and mother's Social Security checks as they can get... regardless if they can afford it or not.
They will even use and twist scripture, like Mal. 3:8 which is written to the preachers to let them know they have robbed (defrauded) God by taking in tithes and not providing His people with meat from His Word, to lay guilt trips on the elderly to get them to give that which they cannot afford. Shame on them for coercing money from little old ladies and caring not if they have any money left over to buy groceries or medication. The point is, it is not "OK" to tell people God approves of them giving gifts to the church instead of taking care of their fathers and mothers.
By the way, this practice of asking people to "give to the church" as a means of showing yourself approved to God, is called Corban in the Book of Mark.
Here is Strong's definition of Corban:Mark 7:11-13
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
They tell people in so many sweet sounding you-are-doing-the-right-thing words, that they are "free from the penalty of violating the law" as long as they follow the tradition of Corban which again is to "give their tax free gifts and donations" to the church! God doesn't like it nor does He approve of the sin of Corban.korban, kor-ban', Greek 2878; and korbanas, kor-ban-as'; of Hebrew and Chaldee origin respectively [Hebrew 7133 (qorban)]; a votive offering and the offering; a consecrated present (to the Temple fund); by extensive (the latter term) the Treasury itself, i.e. the room where the contribution boxes stood :- Corban, treasury.[12] And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
DO NOT read over Christ's statement that there are MANY "such like things", i.e. MANY other church traditions, that are contrary to and therefore transgress the Word of God.In fact, Christ warned us that in these last days the "iniquity" of the false prophets would abound.[13] Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Let us take a little side trip and document it.
Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Let us now return to Matthew 15 where Christ is still addressing the tares face-to-face.A "false prophet" is an hypocrite, a play actor, one who claims to represent Christ but teaches false doctrines. There are MANY of them RIGHT NOW and they have already deceived the multitudes! How so? Through their "works of iniquity" which are their teaching of traditions (MANY traditions, Mat. 15:13) that "transgress the commandments of God" just like Corban does![12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.The subject is "false prophets" (vs. 11) and the "iniquity" are those traditions they teach which transgress the law. Christ said because that "iniquity" (those traditions) SHALL ABOUND in these last days, that the love of many, which is the love for His Word shall wax cold. "Abound" is the Greek word "plethuno" which comes from "plethos" which is where we get our English word "plethora".It is through the traditions of men, i.e. iniquity, that the multitudes are drawn away from the love of His Word.Abound, plethos, play'-thos, Greek 4128; from Greek 4130 (pletho); a fulness, i.e. a large number, throng, populace :- bundle, company, multitude.Thus we know how the "famine of these last days" is brought about.Iniquity = anomia, an-om-ee'-ah, Greek 458; from Greek 459 (anomos); illegality, i.e. violation of law or (genitive) wickedness :- iniquity, × transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness.Have you read what that famine is?
Amos the prophet explains it to us: Amos 8:11 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." To wit it has come to pass for about all our people hear in most churches today are the traditions of men...and they love it!
Paul addresses this love for Churchianity verses the love for His Word.
2 Thes. 2:10-12Traditions deceive our people. They are a substitute for truth, even as Corban violates His commandment.
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.[11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:They are prone to believe most any lie their preachers tell them, but the "big lie" they shall believe is that Satan, the "instead-of-Jesus", is really Jesus Christ who he will claim to be when he is cast out of heaven to this earth (Rev. 12:7-9).[12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.To have "pleasure" in unrighteousness (iniquity) is to "approve" of the traditions of men, to think well of them, i.e. to believe false teachers that those things are good and pleasing to God.pleasure, eudokeo, yoo-dok-eh'-o, Greek 2106; from Greek 2095 (eu) and Greek 1380 (dokeo); to think well of, i.e. approve (an act); specially to approbate (a person or thing) :- think good, (be well) please (-d), be the good (have, take) pleasure, be willing.
Christ called them pretenders, play actors, and then quoted the Word of God from Isaiah 29.Matthew 15:7
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
How many people do you know like that? There mind is far from aligning with His Word for out of their "heart" they teach traditions.[8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Teachers of God's Word are to teach and follow the commandments of God, NOT the commandments of men which don't mean a hill of beans. In fact, to claim His name, which is to claim His authority as a Christian pastor, preacher, priest, etc., and then use that name to teach vanity, emptiness, which is what the commandments of men are, is a direct violation of one of the 10 Commandments... and God will not hold one guiltless who does it![9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
One who takes His name and leads His children astray is going to pay an awesome price! In fact, Satan was sentenced to perish in the Lake of Fire for leading 1/3 of God's children astray (Rev. 12:4, Ezek. 28:18-19). To that end, there are a lot of preachers who are going to be in big, big trouble when Christ returns because He himself told us flat out that there would be MANY in these last days who would come in His name, which again is to claim His authority to teach (i.e. Christian), who would deceive the multitudes, which is the majority of our brothers and sisters, by teaching the vain traditions of men instead of His Word chapter by chapter and line by line. We as His disciples are admonished to watch out for false teachers which is why we check out the things we are taught in the Word of God (1 Jn. 4).Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Editors Note: To take the "Lord's name in vain" is not swearing as I was taught when I was young! It's claiming the Lord said, "this or that" when he said no such thing!
It is an openly visible fact
that many preachers spend much of their time that could be used to teach
Father's Word, to talk about giving, giving, giving, which ought to reveal
to a sensible person what they have on their minds, which is to get, get,
get... money that is! Just listen to
them and see how long it takes until they bring up the subject of the almighty
dollar. Remember Christ instructed His
disciples that when they go forth to teach not to
(1) take a purse,
which means they do not need any financing, and
(2) not to take a scrip, a beggars
bag, which means they are not ask for money.
God promises that if you do it
His way, according to His commands (freely you have received so freely
give), that He will see to it that your needs are met. He
says just "Ask Him", not the people, for whatsoever you need and He shall
provide! Matthew 10:9-10 "Provide neither
gold, nor silver, nor brass
in your purses, [10]
Nor
scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet
staves: for
the workman is worthy of his meat." If
you work for Him, He will see that you are well blessed.
With that understanding in mind, notice what Christ does next.
Christ called the multitude and instructed the people to open their ears to hear, to understand, to "see" the hypocrisy (play acting) and the iniquity of traditional Churchianity.Matthew 15:10
And He called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Here is what the multitude needs to understand: (These are Christ's own words so take heed!)
Tell the people, knowing that there are an abundance of religious hypocrites who use the name of Christ, that as Christians we should always examine what comes out of a preacher's mouth concerning the Word of God. We do that testing by documenting what they say in the Word of God, not from a church quarterly or catechism book, etc. However, and this is important to understand, Christ did NOT say that we should single out certain denominations or ministries or preachers, teachers, etc.[11] Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
By the way, what should come out of a man's (teacher's) mouth?God's words!You "see", it is what a man teaches Father's children that can defile that man and expose Him as a false teacher. Therefore, one had better make certain that if he or she does teach, he or she speaks The Lord's Words. That is the express duty of a watchman in these last days, those who are knowledgeable of His Word and have been appointed by God, not man, to teach the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Ezek-i-el (God is my strength) was a type of the watchman.
Here is what the LORD said unto him:
The first order of business for a teacher of God's Word is to eat and digest the whole roll, yes, read and digest the entire Word of God.Ezekiel 3:1-11
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
Don't you go teaching some church doctrine you learned in man's seminaries. You speak MY WORDS unto them. (Skip on down to verse 10.)[2] So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.[3] And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
[4] And He said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
You seal up your mind real good with the Word of God and understand that which is written, even all the parables.[10] Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.
It is not the duty of God's disciples to "convert" the multitudes for we know from the parable of the sower that not all the "seed" falls on fertile ground. We are to plant the seeds of truth but we cannot force them to germinate or grow. Only God can do that. Nevertheless, the point is that Christ wants the multitudes to be aware of the vain religious sounding words that proceed forth from the mouths of those who claim to be teachers, lest ye eat that bread and become defiled yourself by passing it along to others.[11] And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Hey Lord! You really upset those preachers by exposing their hypocrisy and telling people to watch out for religious con-artists whose words consist of nothing more that the less-than-worthless traditions of men! "Arrrgh"! After taking so much time to explain the major points of the Parable of the Sower in chapter 13, Christ's disciples should have been well attuned to the fact that these hypocrites were bad seed, a bunch of tares who were producing nothing but bad fruit which is both toxic and spiritually deadly to our brothers and sisters! They are "spiritual murderers", don't you know (see vs. 19 below)? Therefore Christ had to be a little disappointed with His students for giving "two hoots" about what the scribes and Pharisees thought or the fact that they were offended. Some of the multitude may become upset when they hear the true teaching of the Word of God, but as His disciples we should not be concerned that the truth is a little too hard on preachers! Then too, consider that it is only those on whom the shoe fits that would even be offended, right?Matthew 15:12
Then came His disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
We need to consider carefully the Parable of the Tares and recall what shall happen to those tares, which is to be bound and burned lest they repent and turn to Him, then perhaps we shall not be so compassionate for the evil sower and his mouthpieces! However, make sure you comply with Christ's command in verse 14 below.
Here is the Lord's reply and instruction to His disciples as He makes reference to the Parable of the Sower.
The kenite and all those who are not planted as teachers by our Father, but rather take His name and teach vain traditions from their lips instead of teaching His Word, are going to be in big trouble when Christ returns. Until then, remember what we are to do, which is to leave them alone![13] But He answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
If you have a ministry that spends its time singling out and judging other preachers, ministries, churches, denominations, etc, then that ministry is in violation of the commands of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who shall ultimately be the judge of them all! We are instructed NOT to go after religious leaders and name names. God will take care of those blind leaders who claim to represent Him but lead our people into following the ways of traditions. That is why you will never find a true teacher of God's Word criticize or attack another minister, teacher, preacher, ministry, etc. They teach His Word which is the truth, the Light which exposes lies and traditions for what they really are... iniquitous! And they also instruct and teach people how to become independent thinkers and document from that which is written in His Word, the words which come out of men's mouths. Do they give "lip service" and say and sing "Lord, Lord" or do they teach His Word chapter by chapter and verse by verse. You decide, for it is your soul![14] Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Peter might have been a little slow coming to a full understanding the Parable of the Tares, but He sure didn't lack desire nor was he too proud to ask and seek answers from the Word of God. That's a good thing for us, ain't it? (Thank you Peter.)[15] Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
You see, Christ covered all this "planting" thing back in chapter 13! However, because it so important for us to understand He has graciously given to us this marvelous additional training.[16] And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Don't look at physical things or religious things. So what if you don't go through some ceremonial church ritual before you eat! You be more attuned to "those things which proceed out of the mouth" of those who claim to be preachers or teachers of His Word.[17] Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Again, this is old territory Christ is covering here. If you have the "understanding of the kingdom of heaven" then you are to be like unto an householder who brings forth good treasure. Therefore, be careful what comes out of your mouth when you teach and be sure to instruct others how to discern from His Word whether the things they hear are the iniquitous traditions of men or the truth from the precepts of God.[18] But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Consider all these things on the spiritual level, i.e. spiritual murder, spiritual adultery (idolatry), etc., which is how Christ is teaching us here. These are the thoughts which proceed forth from the mouths of false prophets, the teachings that defile and corrupt, that steal and rob our people both spiritually and monetarily. So learn how to discern whether things true or false come forth from the lips of anyone who claims to be planted of God! Remember, if you test the fruit you can always tell from what kind of tree it came! Matthew 7:17-18 "Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."[19] For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
This concludes Christ's response and teaching to the question by the scribes and Pharisees as to why His disciples do not do "churchy" things, like go through the ritual of the "washing of the hands" before they eat. The point is, so what if you don't follow the "traditions of the elders"? So what if you don't observe this day or that day, or this holiday or that new moon, or wash someone's feet, or repeat this saying or that? One is NOT defiled by not doing what man tells them to.[20] These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Men are defiled by what comes out of their mouths through the abundance of their hearts. So make sure you are sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the Word!
Christ is now going to take a side trip to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and return in order to teach His disciples, which means you and me in these last days, a great lesson concerning the grace and mercy of our God.
Jesus Christ has been expounding upon the Parable of the Tares and has just finished addressing the scribes and Pharisees, the multitude, His disciples, and finally Peter individually. Now He is going to take what we might call a side trip to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon and return in order to teach His disciples, which means you and me in these last days, a great lesson concerning the grace and mercy of our God. To that end, we are still receiving detailed instructions concerning the Parable of the Tares to know how to discern and handle that which is planted of God and that which is not. If you are one who has eyes to see and ears to hear, then today's study will surely increase your understanding of the kingdom of heaven (Mat. 13:52).
Tyre, or Tyrus in Hebrew, means "rock" and the city of Tyre was a little rock island off the coast of Sidon or Zidon which became the world trading hub of the ancient world controlled by the kenites. You will find a detailed description of the trafficking and merchandising of Tyre and Sidon in the 27th chapter of Ezekiel which is followed by an even more detailed account of the king of Tyre in the 28th chapter... who was none other than the captor of men himself, Satan! Tyre and Sidon was therefore a type of Satan's globalization which is his One World Political/Economic System in these last days.Matthew 15:21
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Here are the definitions of both Tyre and Sidon from Strong's Concordance.
The root word from which Zidon is derived means "to catch" or even "to take captive" and so we see that Christ has just entered into Satan's camp which is his stronghold.Tyre, Tsor, tsore, Hebrew 6865; or Tsowr, tsore; the same as Hebrew 6864 (tsor); a rock; Tsor, a place in Palestine :- Tyre, Tyrus.Zidon, Tsiydown, tsee-done', Hebrew 6721; or Tsiydon, tsee-done'; from Hebrew 6679 (tsuwd) in the sense of catching fish; fishery; Tsidon, the name of a son of Canaan, and of a place in Palestine :- Sidon, Zidon.
It is also worthwhile to point out that if you look at a map you will see that Christ walked about 50 miles to get from Gennesaret to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. The number "50" in Biblical numerics is a Jubilee, the year of freedom when "liberty is proclaimed throughout the land" (Lev. 25:10)! In fact Leviticus 25:10, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" is inscribed on our Liberty Bell. And so it is that Christ went to great lengths to give us this teaching and to do what He is about to do.tsuwd, tsood, Hebrew 6679; a primitive root; to lie alongside (i.e. in wait); by implication to catch an animal (figurative men); (denominative from Hebrew 6718 (tsayid)) to victual (for a journey) :- chase, hunt, sore, take (provision).
Understand also that Christ did not go to Tyre and Sidon to teach and convert people. He has entered into Satan's camp for a very special reason, the first of which is to show us that the Word of God can be found there if anyone so wishes to seek it!
Here is what happened:
The "Son of David" identifies Christ as being the heir to the throne of David, i.e. the throne of Israel, and yet this woman of Canaan who was so concerned for her daughter was definitely not an Israelite and perhaps even a kenite. Notice that she "came out of the same coasts (see Rev. 18:4)" and sought Jesus Christ, the Word of God, crying unto Him to have mercy on her because "her daughter was possessed (held captive, i.e. in bondage) by a demonic spirit! It is interesting that she was seeking deliverance for her daughter and not herself which is more the attitude of God's elect, i.e. to bring and declare His righteousness to the sons and daughters in this final generation who know not that they are the lost children of the house of Israel.[22] And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
This whole teaching to the disciples is in relation to this verse. You "see", the disciples knew that this woman was not planted of God and they would have sent her away even though she was sincerely seeking His grace and deliverance from evil. Notice also that the disciples acknowledged she was perseverant in seeking Him which in itself is a tribute and attests to her faith. Of course Christ knew that this was the case, i.e. He knew what was in her heart and that she would persevere, but He wanted to make it evident to His disciples by not answering her right away.[23] But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
Jesus now gives His explanation for "answering her not a word".
True it is that Christ was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel and in like manner He also sent forth His disciples, not into the way of the gentiles, but "rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel".[24] But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
However, Jesus Christ would soon pay the price on the cross which would open up salvation to "whosoever believeth in Him (Jn. 3:16)". The point to made here is that neither Christ nor His disciples sought after the woman from Canaan. She came to Christ of her own free will!Matthew 10:5-8
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:[6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
[8] Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Mark 7:25 tells us that she fell at His feet. (Remember that when we get to verse 30.) So she came to Him and worshipped Him and ask the Lord to help her knowing that He had the power to cast out the unclean spirit from her daughter.Matthew 15:25
Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me.
The term "dog" was commonly used for anyone who was a heathen. (See Matthew 7:6.)[26] But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is the Bread of Life and she was willing and desirous to even eat the crumbs which fall from the table of the Lord. In other words, though the bread is served (the teaching goes forth) to the children of the house of Israel, anyone who is willing can come and pick up from that which has spilled over and eat of that bread.[27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
Jesus has now revealed to us through the example of this woman from Canaan that He will show forth His mercy and He will help even one of Satan's own who has the faith to come to Him and seek Him and persevere![28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Now He is going to return to the Sea of Gennesaret where we learn even more about all this.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is seated and ready for anyone whosoever will come unto Him.[29] And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
Pay close attention to that which follows.
Jesus Christ will heal and make whole all those who come to Him and "cast themselves down at His feet" just as the woman from Canaan did "fall at His feet (Mark 7:25)". You "see", that is the reason Christ came, i.e. to heal and bring salvation to "whosoever will believe on Him (Jn. 3:16)". You may recall from our study of Matthew 11 the words Christ sent back to John the Baptist who was in prison and about to be beheaded and desired to know if Christ would fulfill the prophecies of "He who should come", i.e. as King of kings to establish the kingdom or do we look for another time (a second advent).[30] And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and He healed them:
The following statement would let any student of the Book of Isaiah know what the answer to John's question was. Of course John was a scholar of the Word so he immediately knew.Matthew 11:3-6
And said unto Him, Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?[4] Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Here is what Christ told John's disciples to tell him:
The poor are the humble in spirit who seek and desire to hear and know His Word.[5] The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
You may also have read in Luke 4 where Christ stood up and was handed a scroll of Isaiah whereby He turned to chapter 61 and read from verse 1 to the middle of verse 2 and then stopped short of declaring that which pertained to the second advent.[6] And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
In other words, Jesus Christ came to bring salvation and set at liberty those who are in bondage and those who walk in darkness and cannot "see". And never forget that Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is the only one who can "opens eyes" that a person might "see" and He is the only one who can heal the "lame" that they might be able to walk upright in His way. These are the wonderful works of God.Luke 4:18-19
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,[19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Now let us return to Matthew 15.
The spiritual healing of the people is indeed the wondrous work of God. The physical healings Christ did, and He does heal our infirmities, are meant to show us how the Word of God heals on the spiritual level. Notice also that when one does good works by bringing forth the pure Light of Truth, and people see the marvelous change in other people's lives, they glorify the God of Israel, our Father which is in heaven. He is the One who is worthy to receive the praise and glory... not us!Matthew 15:31
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
So the multitude has come to Christ and cast their blind and maimed and deaf at His feet and He has healed them.Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Why did Christ have compassion on this multitude? Because they "continued with Him three days". To continue means to persevere such as did the woman from Canaan. This they did of their own "free will"... from all nations and kindreds and tongues.Matthew 15:32
Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Just as Christ did not send the woman away, neither will He send away with nothing to eat anyone whosever "continues" with Him! You "see", though He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, at the end of three days salvation shall be opened to all the peoples of the earth ("4" is the number of earth) and anyone who so desires can come to Him and eat the bread of life and His disciples shall feed them, lest they "faint in the way" which is to stumble and fall before the false-christ.Continue, prosmeno, pros-men'-o, Greek 4357; from Greek 4314 (pros) and Greek 3306 (meno); to stay further, i.e. remain in a place, with a person: figurative to adhere to, persevere in :- abide still, be with, cleave unto, continue in (with).
We are in the wilderness now, the spiritually desert place, the valley of dry bones (Ezk. 37), for this is the time of the great famine of the last days spoken of by Amos the prophet in Amos 8:11-13 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD." However, there is no barren pasture nor want for bread in the house of the Lord for those who love Him. You "see", He always leads us to lush green pastures and there is always a feast at the table He has prepared for those who come to Him.[33] And His disciples say unto Him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
Now don't forget that the disciples have already been through the feeding of the 5,000 and if you recall, they had 5 loaves and 2 fishes and took up 12 baskets full of fragments when they were finished. These figures are not given to us just to fill space and enhance the story but rather to give additional insight to those who work a little harder and dig deeper for more precious gems of truth and understanding. That is why most people just wonder why it is that the number of the loaves and the number of the multitudes is different in the two accounts.
You see, the number "5" in Biblical numerics* is the number of "grace" and "1000" is "divine completeness". Also, "fishes" are symbolic of Christianity while the number "2" denotes "witnessing", even as the sons and daughters of the two churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia (Rev. 2 & 3) bring forth the meat of His Word to the final generation and declare His righteousness. Finally, "12" is number of "governmental perfection" as in the number of the tribes of Israel from which 12,000 each shall be fed and sealed with His truth in their foreheads (Rev. 7:3-8).
* Some suggested resource materials giving you additional insight into Biblical numerics are (1) appendix 10 in the back of the "Companion Bible", (2) "Biblical Numerics", by E.W. Bullinger, Kregel Publications, and (3) "Numbers in Scripture", by Ed F. Vallowe.
So the disciples have asked Christ where they are going to get enough (so much) bread "in the wilderness", as to fill so great a multitude. The fact is there is plenty of bread in the wilderness (desert) to feed not only the whole house of Israel but ALL who dwell therein.
Let us learn from the Master Teacher.
Notice that we have moved from "5" loaves, the number of grace, to "7" which denotes "completeness" and "spiritual perfection". In fact "7" is the "hall-mark of the Holy Spirit's work*".[34] And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
God is not the author of confusion and He always does things in an orderly manner.[35] And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Once again it was the disciples who took the bread and the meat which were blessed and sanctified by Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and fed the multitude.[36] And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
[37] And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
As we stated previously, the number "4" is the number of "earth" as in all four directions, N, S, E, W. In other words, this multitude is not symbolic of just the House of Israel, God shed His "grace" (5) on thee, but of all the nations of the "earth". Let's see how that ties in with the work, the feeding, of these last days which is summarized in Rev. 7.[38] And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
The sealing is to have the Word of God written in your heart and mind!Rev. 7:3-4
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The teaching goes forth to feed and seal the 144,000 which is 12,000 out of each of the tribes of Israel (vs. 5-8). However, there is also a great multitude of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues who shall also come forth of their own free will and stand before the Lamb and persevere. They too shall be fed the rich, fulfilling, life sustaining bread and meat from the altar of God.[4] And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Our Father is so good to us and full of grace and mercy. He loves all of His children and it is His desire that none perish, even the tares, but that all come to repentance.Rev. 7:9
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;Rev. 7:17
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Magdala means "tower". So get set for some more wonderful instructions from the Word of God.Matthew 15:39
And He sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala,
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