Daily Bible Commentary-5th Jan 2013

Saturday - 5^th  January

Topic: The Kings Birth

Read : Matthew Chapter 2 again

Hostility against the King (2:13-18)

A person is identified not only by his friends, but also by his enemies. Herod pretended he wanted to worship the new born King, when in reality he wanted to destroy Him. God warned Joseph to take the Child and Mary and flee to Egypt. Egypt was close. There were many Jews there, and the treasures received from the Magi would more than pay the expenses for traveling and living there. But there was also another prophecy to fulfill, Hosea 11:1; “ I called My son out of Egypt.”

Herod's anger was evidence of his pride; he could not permit anyone to get the best of him, particularly some Gentile scholars! This led him to kill the male babies two years of age and under who were still in Bethlehem. We must not envision hundreds of little boys being killed, for there were not that many male children of that age in a small village like Bethlehem, Even today only about 20,000 people live there. It is likely that not more than 20 children were slain. But of course, one is too many!!

Matthew introduced here the theme of hostility, which he focused on throughout his book. Satan is a liar and a murderer ( John 8:44), as was King Herod. He lied to the Magi and he murdered babies. But even this horrendous crime of murder was the fulfillment of prophecy found in Jeremiah 31:15. In order to understand this fulfillment, we must review Jewish history.

The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is in connection with the death of Jacob's favourite wife, Rachel ( Gen 35:16-20). Rachel died giving birth to a son whom she name Benoni, “son of my sorrow”. Jacob renamed his son Benjamin, “son of my right hand.”. Both of these names relate to Jesus Christ, for he was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa 53:3), and He is now the Son of God's right hand ( Heb 1:3; Acts 5:31). Jacob put up a pillar to mark Rachel's grave which is near Bethlehem.

Jeremiah's prophecy was given about 600 years before Christ was born. It grew out of the captivity of Jerusalem. Some of the captives were taken to Ramah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem; and this reminded Jeremiah of Jacob's sorrow when Rachel died. However, now it is Rachel who is weeping. She represented the mother of Israel weeping as they saw their sons going into captivity. It was as though Rachel said, “I gave my life to bear a son, and now his descendants are no more.”

Jacob saw Bethlehem as a place of death, but the birth of Jesus made it a place of life! Because of His coming, there would be spiritual deliverance for Israel and, in the future, the establishment of David's throne and kingdom. Israel “the son of my sorrow” would one day become “the son of My right hand” Jeremiah gave a promise to the nation that they would be restored to their land again ( Jer. 31: 16-17), and this promise was fulfilled. But he gave an even greater promise that the nation would be regathered in the future, and the kingdom established. This promise shall also be fulfilled.

Very few people today think of Bethlehem as a burial place; they think of it as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. And because He died for us and rose again, we have a bright future before us. We shall live forever with Him in that glorious city where death is no more and where tears never fall.

Daily Bible Commentary-4th Jan 2013

Friday - 4^th  January

Topic: The Kings Birth

Read : Matthew Chapter 2 again

It's no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.” But there was another reason. Herod was not a full blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This picture is of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began before the boys were born (Gen. 25: 19-34). It is the spiritual versus the carnal, the godly versus the worldly.

The Magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King. These priests knew the Scriptures and pointed others to the Saviour, but would not go to worship Him themselves! They quoted Micah 5:2 but did not obey it. They were five miles from the very Son of God, yet they did not go to see Him! The Gentiles sought and found Him, but the Jews did not.

Verse 9 of chapter 2 indicates that the miraculous star was not always visible to the Magi. As they started toward Bethlehem, they saw the star again; and it led them to the house where Jesus was. By now, Joseph had moved Mary and the baby from the temporary dwelling where the Lord Jesus had been born ( Luke 2:7). The traditional manger scenes that assemble together the shepherds and wise mes are not true to Scripture, since the Magi arrived much later.

Matthew cites a second fulfilled prophecy to prove that Jesus Christ is the King ( Matt 2:5). How He was was a fulfillment of prophecy, and where he was born was a fulfillment of prophecy. Bethlehem means “ house of bread” and this was where the “ Bread of Life” came to earth ( John 6:48). Bethlehem in the Old Testament was associated with David who was a type of Jesus Christ in His suffering and Glory.

Daily Bible Commentary-3rd Jan 2013

Thursday - 3^rd January

Topic: The Kings Birth

Read : Matthew Chapter 2

Homage to the King

We must confess that we know little about these men. The word translated “wise men” (magi) refers to a group of scholars who studied the starts. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. However, their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology.

God gave them a special sign, a miraculous star that announced the birth of the King. This star led them to Jerusalem where God's Word had told them that the King would be born in Bethlehem, They went to Bethlehem, and there they worshiped the Christ Child.

We do not know how many magi there were. From three gifts listed in Matthew 2:11, some people have assumed there were three kings from the Orient, though this is not certain. But when their caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were enough of them to trouble the whole city.

Keep in mind these men were Gentiles. From the very beginning, Jesus came to be “Saviour of the world”( John 4:42). These men were also wealthy, and the were scholars- scientists in their own right. No scholarly person who follows the light God gives him can miss worshiping at the feet of Jesus. In Jesus Christ “ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). In Him dwells “all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9).

The Magi were seeking the King, but Herod was afraid of the King and wanted to destroy Him. This was Herod the Great, called king by the Roman senate because of the influence of Mark Antony. Herod was cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason. He married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.

Daily Bible Commentary-2nd Jan 2013

Wednesday - January 2^nd

Topic: The Kings Birth

Read Matthew Chapter 1 again

            His divine heredity. Matthew 1:16 and 18 make it clear that Jesus Christ's birth was different from that of any other Jewish boy named in the genealogy. Matthew pointed out that Joseph did not “beget” Jesus Christ. Rather, Joseph was the “ husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of an earthly father. This is known as the doctrine of the virgin birth.

            Every child born into the world is a totally new creation. But Jesus Christ, being eternal God (John1:1,14), existed before Mary and Joseph or any of His earthly ancestors. If Jesus Christ were conceived and born just as any other baby, then He could not be God. It was necessary for Him to enter this world through an earthly mother, but not begotten by an earthly father. By miracle of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin.

            Both Mary and Joseph belonged to the house of David. The Old Testament prophecies indicated that the Messiah would be born of a woman ( Gen 3:15), of the seed of Abraham( Gen22:18), through the tribe of Judah ( Gen 49:10) and of the family of David ( 2 Sam 7:12-13). It is worth noting that Jesus Christ is the only Jew alive who can actually prove His claim to the throne of David! All of the other records were destroyed when the Romans took Jerusalem in AD 70.

            Before we leave this important section, we must consider the three names assigned to God's Son. The name Jesus means “Saviour” and comes from the Hebrew name, Joshua (“ Jehovah is salvation”). There were many Jewish boys with the name Joshua ( or in Greek Jesus), but Mary's boy was called “Jesus the Christ.” The word Christ means “anointed”; it is greek equivalent is Messiah. He is “ Jesus the Messiah.” Jesus is His human name, Christ is His official title; and Immanuel describes who he is - “God with us.” Jesus Christ is God! We find this name “ Immanuel” in Isaiah 7:14 and 8:8.

            The King, then was a Jewish male who was also the divine Son of God. But did anybody acknowledge His Kingship? Yes the wise men from the East came and worshiped Him!

Daily Bible Commentary-1st Jan 2013

Dear Church family,

As a church we have embarked on an exciting new journey of discovering the wealth in the Word of God together. This daily Bible commentary will allow us as a church to glean from God's Word chapter by chapter, book by book.

This is not a daily devotion, though you can use it for personal devotion time but its a simple commentary on the Bible that will give you more insight into what you are reading, in context and with the counsel of the whole Bible.

We are starting with the Gospel of Matthew. Each day there will be a  required chapter of the Bible you are to read. After reading the recommended portion, then read the daily commentary. You will notice that you may be required at times to read the same chapter for several days, this is because there is much to absorb from these chapters and you will notice that your depth of understanding increases as you persist in reading the same chapter repeatedly for several days.

This daily commentary will be loaded onto the church blog weekly. The cell groups will discuss the gist of what was gleaned each week from the said chapters. This will further add to your Bible reading experience as you realise how the same Words have spoken so specifically to each individual in the group.

Enjoy and Be Blessed.

Rivers of Water

Daily Bible Study – The book of Matthew

Tuesday - January 1^st 

Topic: The Kings Birth

Read Matthew Chapter 1

If a man suddenly appears and claims to be a king, the public immediately asks for proof. What is his background? Who pays homage to him? What credentials can he present? Anticipating these important questions, Matthew opened his book with a careful account of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that accompanied it. He presented four facts about the King

The Heredity of the King ( 1: 1-25)

Since royalty depends on heredity, it was important for Jesus to establish His rights to David's throne. Matthew gave His human heredity (vv 1-17) as well as His divine heredity (vv 18 -25)

            His human heredity ( 1:1-17) Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for without them they could not prove their tribal membership or their rights to inheritance. Anyone claiming to be “ the Son of David” had to be able to prove it. It is generally concluded that Matthew gave our Lord's family tree through His foster father, Joseph, while Luke gave Mary's lineage.

            Many Bible readers skip over this list of ancient names. But this “list of names” is a vital part of the Gospel record. It shows that Jesus Christ is a part of History, that all Jewish history prepared the way for His birth. God in His providence ruled and overruled to accomplish His great purpose in bringing His Son into the world.

            This genealogy also illustrates Gods wonderful grace. It is most unusual to find the names of women in the Jewish genealogies, since names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list we find references to four women from Old Testament history : Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, and Bathsheba “ wife of Uriah”.

            Matthew clearly omitted some names from this genealogy. Probably he did this to give a systematic summary of 3 periods in Israel's history, each with 14 generations. The numeric value of the Hebrew letters for “David” equals 14. Matthew probably used this approach as a memory aid to help his readers remember this difficult list.

            But there were many Jewish men who could trace their family back to King David. It would take more than human pedigree to make Jesus Christ” the Son of David” and heir to David's throne. This is why the divine heredity was so important!

Sunday Re Cap (9th Dec 2012)

Chosen For Fulfillment 

Text: Luke 1:8-22

Click here to listen.

The concept of “fullness” in the Greek usage of the word is that something is never truly full until it is overflowing; an abounding and overflowing fullness; it transcends our greatest imaginations. God wants every person He’s created to be deeply fulfilled. Zacharias’ life and ministry is a model for us.

Three points that needs sensitivity on the way to fulfillment…

1. Sensitivity to your call…v8.

God’s pleasure with people who just keep doing what they’re doing. The name Zacharias means that “The Lord remembered.” The name Elizabeth means “God is a God of His oath.” He is the God who keeps His promise. He is the one who remembers you, and He will keep his promise. Zacharias is faithfully serving in the ordinary. It’s the surest path to the extraordinary. The Bible’s reference to the word “order” is a mindfulness of the fact that we’re to “keep a sweet spirit.” Then he entered the temple (v.9). The focus is always to keep the spirit of worship large in your soul. Continuing on faithfully in a right spirit and continuing in a spirit of worship at the same time…

2. Sensitivity to the prophetic

• The prophetic disrupts our systems and raises questions v21 
• It shatters the wall of present limits to life’s possibility v13 
• It promises the fulfillment of God’s intended joy in your life v14 
• It stretches the horizons of your presuppositions v15 
• It inevitably changes hearts and impacts family relationships v16-17 
• The prophetic always brings people to a deeper focus on and love for the Lord v17

3. Sensitivity to God’s laws of the prophetic

God is incredibly patient with unbelief. The angel doesn’t neutralize the promise in the face of his unbelief. This is a case of God’s patience. He doesn’t neutralize the promise. He just neutralizes Zacharias.

If there’s any testimony in this text, it’s this: If God can find a person who will keep on serving where they are, keep on worshiping, keep a sweet spirit, and keep moving ahead in openness to Him, He will bring fulfillment—He will fulfill His purpose in us.

Sunday Re Cap (2nd Dec 2012)

Has The Great Commission Become The Great Omission?

Text: Matt. 28:18-20

Click here to listen.
 
Intro: Before ascension Jesus issued what has come to be called The Great Commission. A “commission” is “an authoritative command; a directive; a command.” What was given as The Great Commission has turned into what some have labeled The Great Omission. When something is “omitted”, it is “left out, undone, neglected”.

Has The Great Commission become The Great Omission in our lives? Are we as a church doing everything we can to find inroads of outreach into the world around us?

Four facts from these verses that give us a greater insight into The Great Commission.

I. WE HAVE A DIVINE MANDATE v. 19
1.  It involves our Lifestyle – Matt. 5:13-16. We are the salt and light of the world.
2.  It involves our Lips – We are told to “teach”. It is not enough to just show it, we must also say it!

II. WE HAVE A DIVINE MESSAGE v. 20                 
We are to share the Gospel.
Our message is a simple message; Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4. Sharing this Gospel message is as easy as telling lost people what Jesus did for you and what He can do for them, Mark 5:20.

III. WE HAVE A DIVINE MISSION v. 19                  
He tells us that we are to “Go…and teach all nations”. He us telling very clearly that our mission is to every person in the world. And that our mission field is the entire world. He may call someone from this fellowship to leave this country and reach a certain people group. OR, He may just ask us to send our money to support those whom He has called to reach those in other parts of the world. The Lord has placed a nation in every one of us!

IV. WE HAVE A DIVINE MENTOR v. 20                  
1. We Are Promised His Presence – “Lo, I am with you always…”
2.  We are Promised His Power – “All power in Heaven and earth is given unto Me” – He also says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…” (Acts 1:8).

Let us recommit ourselves to THE GREAT COMMISSION!