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MATTHEW CHAPTER 4
OBSERVATION STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Matthew.
This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.
The last section of the previous chapter portrayed John the Baptist's baptism of Jesus:
****** EXCERPT FROM MATTHEW CHAPTER 3 ******
(Mt 3:1 NKJV) '''[Now] in those days John the Baptist [comes] preaching in the wilderness of Judea (Mt 3:2 NKJV) and saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Mt 3:3 YLT) for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "A voice of one crying [out] in the wilderness, 'Prepare... the way of the LORD, straight make... His paths.' " (Mt 3:4 NKJV) Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (Mt 3:5 NKJV) Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him (Mt 3:6 NKJV) and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mt 3:7 NKJV) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (Mt 3:8 NKJV) Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, (Mt 3:9 NKJV) and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (Mt 3:10 NKJV) And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Mt 3:11 NKJV) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Mt 3:11 NKJV) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Mt 3:12 NKJV) His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Mt 3:13 YLT) Then [comes] Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, (Mt 3:14 NKJV) And John [was trying] to prevent Him, saying, "I [have] need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Mt 3:15 NKJV) But Jesus [having] answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He [allows] him [to baptize Him]. (Mt 3:16 YLT) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo [behold], opened to Him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, (Mt 3:17 NKJV) and lo [behold], a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I [have found] delight." ''' =
After 18 years
of a relatively secluded life in Nazareth of Galilee, Jesus came upon the
Jordan River to John the Baptist in order to be baptized by John, (Mt
3:13). But John objected saying, "I have need to be baptized by You,
and You are coming to me?" This implied that John viewed Jesus as not
requiring deliverance from sins, nor an act symbolizing it; i.e., He was
sinless - the Messiah, Himself Who should baptize him instead, (Mt 3:14).
Nevertheless, Jesus answered, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" - a reference to an act
of symbolizing His mission to be an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the
whole world. Since water has no capacity in and of itself to provide
anyone with God's righteousness, then John's water baptism of Jesus - a
unique baptism - had to have been symbolic of Jesus "[fulfilling] all
righteousness," as He stipulated. So the mission of Jesus as Messiah,
for which John baptized Him symbolically, was to actually "fulfill
all righteousness" in the sense of making provision through an
atoning sacrifice for all mankind to be delivered from their sins unto
entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom of Heaven; to be administered to
each individual who expresses repentance to a moment of faith alone in
Christ alone for such deliverance, (Mt 3:2). Whereupon John baptized Him,
(Mt 3:15). Then Jesus went up immediately from the water and behold the
heavens were opened up to Him such that in His Humanity He was provided
with a perspective of heaven in which He saw the Spirit of God descending
as a dove and coming upon Him, signifying according to author Matthew -
who evidently witnessed or was advised of this - that He was indwelt by
the Spirit of God to empower Him in His mission. Furthermore, as author
Matthew stipulated, "A voice [of God the Father] out of the heavens
said, 'This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I have found delight,' "
attesting to His mission and His Diety. Due to author Matthew's
stipulation, "This is My Son," (as opposed to "You are My
Son" in Mt 3:17, it is implied that the voice of God the Father from
Heaven was audible to others as well as Jesus of which author Matthew was
witness or was advised. Finally, since the phrase "Son of [God]"
in this context implies having the characteristics of God
,
then Jesus Christ being God's Son, fully has all of the characteristics of
God - He is God as well as perfect sinless Man.
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM MATTHEW CHAPTER 3 ******
(Mt 4:1 YLT) '''Then Jesus was led up [into] the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil,
(Mt 4:2 YLT) and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He did hunger.
(Mt 4:3 YLT) And the Tempter having come to Him said, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that these stones may become loaves."
(Mt 4:4 YLT) But He [Jesus] answering [lit., the One having answered] said, "It [has] been written, 'Not upon bread alone [lit., shall] man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God.' "[Dt 8:3]
(Mt 4:5 YLT) Then [does] the devil take Him to the holy city, and [sets] Him on the pinnacle [lit., edge] of the temple
(Mt 4:6 CBL) and says to Him, "If Son You are of God, cast Yourself down: for it has been written, 'To His angels He [the LORD] will give charge concerning You, and in [their] hands shall they bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.' [Ps 91:11-12]"
(Mt 4:7 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God."
(Mt 4:8 YLT) Again... the devil [takes] Him to a very [lit., an exceedingly] high mount, and [shows] to Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them,
(Mt 4:9 NKJV) And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down [lit., having fallen down] and worship me."
(Mt 4:10 CBL) Then says to him Jesus, "Get you away, [behind Me (Var: 05D, 019L, 035, 28:33; 1216, 1241, Lach)] Satan; it has been written for the Lord [your God] shall you worship, and Him alone shall you serve."
(Mt 4:11 CBL) Then [the devil] leaves Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.'''
(Mt 3:13 YLT) '''Then [comes] Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, (Mt 3:14 NKJV) And John [was trying] to prevent Him, saying, "I [have] need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Mt 3:15 NKJV) But Jesus [having] answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He [allows] him [to baptize Him]. (Mt 3:16 YLT) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo [behold], opened to Him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, (Mt 3:17 NKJV) and lo [behold], a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I [have found] delight." (Mt 4:1 YLT) Then Jesus was led up [into] the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil, (Mt 4:2 YLT) and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He did hunger. (Mt 4:3 YLT) And the Tempter having come to Him said, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that these stones may become loaves." (Mt 4:4 YLT) But He [Jesus] answering [lit., the One having answered] said, "It [has] been written, Not upon bread alone [lit., shall] man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God' "[Dt 8:3] =
In Mt 4:1, the
Greek word "tote" rendered "then" in the YLT meant "at
that time," or "immediately after this." Hence immediately
after being baptized by John the Baptist, which Jesus stipulated was "to
fulfill all righteousness" as a symbollic act to be identified with
His mission to make provision for all mankind to be delivered from their
sins unto entrance into the Everlasting Kingdom of Heaven through an
atoning sacrifice; to be administered to each individual who expressed
repentance to a moment of faith alone in Christ alone for such
deliverance, (Mt 1:21; 3:1-17); Jesus was then immediately
led by the Spirit of God up into the wilderness to be tempted by the
devil. The Greek verb "peirasthEnai" rendered "to be
tempted" in the YLT in this context refers to the devil testing God
in order to see how far he can get away with his designs outside of the
will of God. So Jesus' journey went from the Jordan River valley upward
into a wilderness area, evidently the wild Judean desert. There He fasted
for forty days and forty nights. This did not mean that He did not drink
anything, for this would have been beyond the capacity of His Humanity,
requiring supernatural intervention which was not stipulated. At that
time, Jesus became very hungry. He was to be tempted further by the devil
in three significant ways. The Greek word "peirasthEnai"
rendered "to be tempted" in the YLT meant that the faith in God
of Jesus in His Humanity - the sinless and absolutely perfect Son of God,
Who could not sin - was to be tested by God through the work of the Spirit
via being tempted by the evil motivation of the devil. The inevitable
successful testing of Jesus - Who by His nature could not fail - would be
a verification to the world that He was worthy to complete His mission of
an atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. It was also to be a
declaration to the devil that God the Father and His Son Jesus were
absolutely sovereign over all that existed in the universe including the
devil, despite his evil designs. Note that it had already been established
in Matthew chapters 1 through 3 and the book of Isaiah referred to by
author Matthew, (Isa 40:3-5), that Jesus was Perfect God
and Perfect Man Who could not sin, ,
(Mt 1:21; 3:11-17; 4:3). Jesus' temptation would also be
driven by the devil's willful ignorance that Jesus was the
Son of God; not believing that Jesus possessed the attributes of God and
was incapable of committing sin. The devil was motivated by his fallen,
evil nature which had rebelled against the sovereignty of God. He denied
the Deity of Christ, and attempted to seduce Jesus in His Humanity to
break His allegiance to God, if that were possible and it was not, (Mt
4:1-2).
So the devil
came and asked Jesus, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that
these stones may become loaves," (Mt 4:3 YLT). The Greek words "Ei
huios ei tou Theou" in Mt 4:3 rendered "If [since] Son [You are]
of God" in the YLT have the Greek word "Ei" rendered "If"
accompanied by the verb "ei" rendered "You are" which
is in the indicative mood signifying 'If You are - and it is so, i.e.,
since you are ... Son of God ....." Since the definite article is not
present with Son, the statement then signifies that the devil believed
that Jesus had certain qualities of God to a limited extent such that He
had the supernatural capacity to turn stones into bread as he told Jesus
to do. But the devil did not believe that Jesus was the unique, absolutely
perfect Son of God Who could not sin, for he told Jesus to prove to him
that He was Son of God by turning stones into bread, evidently to provide
Himself with physical sustenance to alleviate His extreme hunger after
fasting for 40 days. By this, the devil was tempting Jesus to act on His
own outside of the will of God. For there was no mandate from God to Jesus
to prove that He was the Son of God; and Jesus was commanded by God to
fast after which He would be attended to by ministering angels. Evidently,
the devil did not believe that Jesus was the sinless Son
of God with the nature of God, hence incapable of committing sin...
Matthew 3:13-17 had already stipulated that when Jesus underwent water baptism by John the Baptist, He said that it was "to fulfill all righteousness" implying that in order to fulfill His mission to provide Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, His character had to be absolutely righteous and incapable of committing sin.
When the devil told Jesus to turn stones into bread, Jesus answered the devil directly from Scripture, ''' "It has been written, 'Not upon bread alone shall man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God,' " ''' (Dt 8:3). The phrase rendered "Not upon bread alone shall man live" in the YLT declared that man cannot live, in the sense of sustain his mortal life solely by physical sustenance. It is through every word that comes forth from the mouth of God, which encompasses all things necessary to sustain man, including physical sustenance. Hence the phrase rendered "but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God" cannot be limited the idea that man lives not only by physical sustenance but in addition to that by every word which comes from God's Word, the Scriptures; for the phrase encompasses every word - every decree that has come, figuratively speaking, from the mouth of God - going far beyond what is contained in Scripture. Hence Dt 8:3 / Mt 4:4 has in view that every man and every thing in the universe exists and is sustained exclusively via the absolute sovereignty of God alone - figuratively speaking, "upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God." On the other hand, the devil, had demonstrated his rebellion against the sovereignty of God by testing Jesus' submission to the will of God.
So it is evident in Matthew chapter four that God involved the devil, the Tempter, in testing Jesus not only to prove to all creation that God's Son was worthy of His mission; but also to prove to all sentient creatures - including the devil - that they must live "upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God," i.e., that God is absolutely sovereign in all things.
Furthermore, the fact that Jesus quoted from the Book of Deuteronomy as His exclusive response to the temptations of the devil demonstrated that the battle with the devil was to be made exclusively through Scripture - through the power and truth of the words of God's Word, implying the inerrant authority of that book as God's Word, (Mt 4:4).
(Mt 3:13 YLT) '''Then [comes] Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, (Mt 3:14 NKJV) And John [was trying] to prevent Him, saying, "I [have] need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Mt 3:15 NKJV) But Jesus [having] answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He [allows] him [to baptize Him]. (Mt 3:16 YLT) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo [behold], opened to Him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, (Mt 3:17 NKJV) and lo [behold], a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I [have found] delight." (Mt 4:1 YLT) Then Jesus was led up [into] the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil, (Mt 4:2 YLT) and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He did hunger. (Mt 4:3 YLT) And the Tempter having come to Him said, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that these stones may become loaves." (Mt 4:4 YLT) But He [Jesus] answering [lit., the One having answered] said, "It [has] been written, Not upon bread alone [lit., shall] man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God." [Dt 8:3] (Mt 4:5 YLT) Then [does] the devil take Him to the holy city, and [sets] Him on the pinnacle [lit., edge] of the temple (Mt 4:6 CBL) and says to Him, "If Son You are of God, cast Yourself down: for it has been written, 'To His angels He [the LORD] will give charge concerning You, and in [their] hands shall they bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.' [Ps 91:11-12]" (Mt 4:7 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God." ''' =
The next temptation that Matthew wrote about began when the devil took Jesus to the holy city, (Jerusalem, cf. Isaiah 48:2; 52:1), to the pinnacle of the Temple. The Greek word pterugion rendered "pinnacle" literally means 'the little wing' and was used for the tip, end, or edge of anything, including the edge or eaves of a roof. Although Matthew and Luke do not report the events of the temptation in the same order, there is no contradiction; for the language of either account need not demand strict historical sequence. The devil said, "If [in the sense of 'since'] Son You are of God [without the definite article] cast Yourself down off the pinnacle [falsely implying that Jesus could violate the will of God]." The devil attempted to validate his temptation of Jesus by quoting Scripture, Ps 91:11-12, in a manner that twisted its context. He said, "To his angels He [God] will give charge concerning You, in their hands shall they bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone." Jesus answered the devil, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God,' " implying that the devil had indeed twisted Scripture in order to tempt Jesus to commit sin against the will of God - if that were possible. Note that the word "again" implies that the passage in Scripture that the devil referred to did not truly apply to his temptation of Jesus, but another passage was applicable which commanded one not to tempt the LORD God.
Since the context of Psalm 91:1-16 applies to all men who are trusting in the LORD, then it applies to Jesus especially relative to His being protected by angels insofar as He continued to trust in the LORD - which would not be the case if He decided to cast Himself down off the pinnacle of the Temple deliberately to test God's protection of Him. This would be responding to a personal request of the devil to test the authority, capacity and will of God by Jesus deliberately acting on His own to prove to the devil and the world that He was "Son of God" by casting Himself off the pinnacle to certain physical death forcing God to respond with a supernatural rescue through His angels. Note that the phrase rendered "to guard you in all your ways" from the Hebrew Massoretic Text is not present in Matthew's account of the devil's quotation, evidently one which came from the Septuagint. This phrase makes the message of God's protection more emphatic; but its absence does not change the context of what is being said, (Mt 4:5-6; cf Ps 91:11-12).
****** EXCERPT FROM PSALM 91 ******
(Ps 91:1 NKJV) "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High... [abides] under the shadow of the Almighty.
(Ps 91:2 NKJV) I ... say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust'
(Ps 91:3 NASB) For it is [He,] He Who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence.
(Ps 91:4 YLT) With His pinion [feathers] He [covers] you over, and under His wings [you do trust], A shield and buckler [is] His truth.
(Ps 91:5 YLT) [You - believers] are not afraid of fear [lit., terror] by night, [nor from] arrow that flies by day.
(Ps 91:6 NKJV) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
(Ps 91:7 YLT) There fall at [your] side a thousand, and [ten thousand] at [your] right hand, unto [you] it [does not come near].
(Ps 91:8 YLT) But with [your] eyes [you look], and the reward of the wicked [you see].
(Ps 91:9 NKJV) Because you have made the LORD, Who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
(Ps 91:10 YLT) Evil [happens] not [to you], and a plague [comes] not near [your] tent.
(Ps 91:11 YLT) For His messengers [angels] He [gives charge] over you, to keep [you] in all [your] ways.
(Ps 91:12 YLT) On [their] hands they bear [you] up, lest [you] smite against a stone [your] foot.
(Ps 91:13 YLT) On lion and asp [you] tread, [you trample upon the young lion and the serpent].
(Ps 91:14 NKJV) Because he has set his love upon Me [the LORD]; therefore I... deliver him; I ... set him on high, because he has known My name.
(Ps 91:15 YLT) He [calls upon] Me, and I answer him, I [am] with him in distress, I deliver him, and [honor] him
(Ps 91:16 NKJV) With long life I... satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
(Ps 91:1 NKJV) "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High... [abides] under the shadow of the Almighty. (Ps 91:2 NKJV) I ... say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust' (Ps 91:3 NASB) For it is [He,] He Who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. (Ps 91:4 YLT) With His pinion [feathers] He [covers] you over, and under His wings [you do trust], A shield and buckler [is] His truth. (Ps 91:5 YLT) [You - believers] are not afraid of fear [lit., terror] by night, [nor from] arrow that flies by day. (Ps 91:6 NKJV) Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. (Ps 91:7 YLT) There fall at [your] side a thousand, and [ten thousand] at [your] right hand, unto [you] it [does not come near]. (Ps 91:8 YLT) But with [your] eyes [you look], and the reward of the wicked [you see]. (Ps 91:9 NKJV) Because you have made the LORD, Who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, (Ps 91:10 YLT) Evil [happens] not [to you], and a plague [comes] not near [your] tent. (Ps 91:11 YLT) For His messengers [angels] He [gives charge] over you, to keep [you] in all [your] ways. (Ps 91:12 YLT) On [their] hands they bear [you] up, lest [you] smite against a stone [your] foot. (Ps 91:13 YLT) On lion and asp [you] tread, [you trample upon the young lion and the serpent]. (Ps 91:14 NKJV) Because he has set his love upon Me [the LORD]; therefore I... deliver him; I ... set him on high, because he has known My name. (Ps 91:15 YLT) He [calls upon] Me, and I answer him, I [am] with him in distress, I deliver him, and [honor] him (Ps 91:16 NKJV) With long life I... satisfy him, And show him My salvation." =
Psalm 91:1, rendered "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High... [abides] under the shadow of the Almighty," is in the third person, singular. The phrase rendered "[abides] under the shadow of the Almighty" conveys an image of the protective wings of a mother bird under the shadow of which her baby birds find safety, (Ps 91:1). It conveys that while anyone is the dwelling one (participle) in the "secret place," a place of intimacy and close personal relationship with the Most High God; he is abiding (imperfect = indefinite action) in the comfort, protection and blessings of the Almighty. The words "Most High," (Elyon), and "The Almighty," (sadday), in Psalm 91:1 refer to God's unsurpassed, superlative and sovereign power and majesty, as Creator-God. The writer of Psalm 91 declared in verse 2 in the first person singular that "the Most High," "the Almighty" of verse one, was "the LORD, [Yahweh], 'My refuge and my fortress, my God [elohay], in Whom I trust.' " The words rendered "the LORD" and "my God" in that verse refer to the personal covenant-God Whose love blesses and protects those who trust in Him. The writer included himself in the group of individuals who were dwelling in the secret place of a close personal relationship with the Most High referred to in verse one. This implies a godly kind of righteousness in order to have such a relationship with God, (Ps 91:1-2).
Since God is righteous;
(Ps 11:7a NKJV) "For the LORD is righteous,"
and since no man is righteous;
(Ps 14:1 NKJV) "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.
(Ps 14:2 NKJV) The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
(Ps 14:3 NKJV) They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one;"
and since individuals who are trusting in the LORD for comfort, blessing and protection are declared to dwell in the secret place of intimate fellowship with the LORD, the Most High, Almighty God which implies a godly righteousness in order to have that relationship with God in the first place;
(Ps 91:1 NKJV) "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High... [abides] under the shadow of the Almighty.
(Ps 91:2 NKJV) I ... say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust' "
and since Psalm 4:1 declares that God is the source of man's righteousness;
(Ps 4:1a NKJV) "Hear me [David] when I call, O God of my righteousness!"
then it is implied in Ps 91 that God must impute His righteousness to the one's trusting in Him - trusting in His righteousness, not one's own. For no individual can measure up to the righteousnesss of God required to dwell in the secret place of the Most High, no matter how relatively faithful they are. Their transgressions have to be forgiven, and their sin covered;
(Ps 32:1 NKJV) "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
(Ps 32:2 NKJV) Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."
This further implies that there must be an atoning sacrifice for the unrighteousness of all mankind, in order for a righteous God to provide His righteousness to men who trust in Him.
Ps 91:14-16 corroborates Almighty God's protection, comfort and blessing for those who trust in Him. The verses stipulate that "Because he has known My [the LORD's] name..." i.e., was trusting in Who God is - His Righteous Character and Almighty Capacity - the LORD will be "with him in distress... deliver him, and honor him with long life... satisfy him, and show him [His] salvation, [i.e., deliverance from temporal difficulties]:"
(Ps 91:14 NKJV) Because he has set his love upon Me [the LORD]; therefore I... deliver him; I ... set him on high, because he has known My name.
(Ps 91:15 YLT) He [calls upon] Me, and I answer him, I [am] with him in distress, I deliver him, and [honor] him
(Ps 91:16 NKJV) With long life I... satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
The verbs in Psalm 91 which convey being protected, comforted and blessed by the LORD in the secret place of the Most High through trusting in Him are all in the imperfect tense - an action which is incomplete, i.e., ongoing for an indefinite period of time - conditioned upon the continuation of trusting in the LORD. Therefore, it is implied that one who is not trusting in the LORD is not dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, i.e., he is estranged from a personal relationship with the LORD which would have afforded him comfort, blessing and protection in the secret place of close personal fellowship with the Most High, (Ps 91:1-2).
The writer elaborated in verse three on the comfort, blessing and protection of the LORD afforded those who were trusting in Him: "For it is [He,] He Who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence." The extra third person singular pronoun rendered "He," was used in this verse to amplify that it is solely and exclusively the LORD Who delivers those who dwell "in the secret place of the Most High" from all kinds of destruction. The phrase "snare of the trapper" refers to the adversity perpetrated by evil men. The phrase "deadly pestilence" refers to the deadly plagues which come upon individuals in their mortal lives. But the one who is trusting in God will "dwell in the shelter of the Most High and be delivered / saved from the consequences of these things by the LORD, (Ps 91:3).
Verse 4 continues this message: "With His pinion [feathers] He [covers] you over, and under His wings [you do trust], A shield and buckler [is] His truth." In the first part of this verse, God is pictured as a mother hen under whose feathers and wings is a refuge of blessing, comfort and protection for her young. This implies that there is a potential harm at hand all the time for mortal individuals. Hence all men constantly require God's protection. The word rendered "buckler" is a small protective shield of which multiples were used to cover a warrior all over his body for protection. The words rendered "shield" and "buckler" are stipulated as the truth of God which constitute the protection, blessing and comfort provided by God to the ones' trusting in it - this includes God's commands and the truths of Scripture, (Ps 91:4).
The next three verses corroborate that God provides His almighty, supernatural protection without limit for the faithful - for He is the Most High, Almighty God: "[You - who trust in Him] are not afraid of fear [lit., terror] by night, [nor from] arrow that flies by day. Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. There fall at [your] side a thousand, and [ten thousand] at [your] right hand, unto [you] it [does not come near]." The phrases rendered "terror by night," "arrow that flies by day," "pestilence (disease) that walks in darkness," and "destruction that lays waste at noonday," portray security from fear of every kind of evil - natural and supernatural - for those that trust in the LORD. The phrase rendered "There fall at [your] side a thousand, and [ten thousand] at [your] right hand, unto [you] it [does not come near]," emphasizes God's supreme protection of those that are trusting in Him. Individuals trusting in the LORD will see the calamity all around them; but they will not suffer the consequences of it, (Ps 91:5-7).
And according to verses 8-11, God's justice will always be meted out in an absolutely righteous and gracious manner. The one trusting in the LORD will see that the wicked get their reward. The phrase rendered "and the reward of the wicked you see" in verse 8 implies that those who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, (vv. 1-2) are not wicked, hence righteous. In view of the fact that no one is righteous, (Ps 14:1-3), then this can only come about if this righteousness is imputed by God to the believer when he trusts in the LORD for it. The writer goes on to say, that because one has made the LORD - the Most High one's refuge - one's dwelling place, evil happens not to one, nor does a plague come near to one's tent. For His messengers - God's angels are given charge over one who trusts in Him, to keep one in all his ways, i.e., throughout his day. This is further portrayed in verse 11, "On their hands they [the angels] bear you up, lest you smite against a stone your foot." The extent to which the angels of God went to protect those trusting in the LORD was furthered pictured in verse 13 with the imagery of protection from wild lions and deadly snakes, (Ps 91:8-13).
Verses 14-16 summarize the passage: If an individual set his love upon the LORD, God would deliver him from trouble. Because an individual has known His name in the sense of acknowledging Who the LORD was by the meaning of His names: His Holy and Righteous and Almighty Character, the LORD would set him on high in the sense of putting him on safe / high ground. As an individual calls upon the LORD, in the sense of relying upon Him for comfort, blessing and protection because of Who He is, the LORD answers him in his distress, i.e., delivers him from that distress, and honors him with long life - he will live out the length of his years - and the LORD shows him His salvation in the sense of temporal salvation / deliverance from tribulations in his mortal life. All of this corroborates the beginning of the passage which portrays those who are trusting in the LORD for comfort, blessing and protection make the Most High one's secret dwelling place. This suggests an ongoing close relationship with the LORD. The word salvation in this context is salvation from the temporal difficulties as stipulated in all 16 verses. Salvation unto eternal life is not in view as the context does not mention this available meaning of salvation, (Ps 91:1-2, 14-16).
****** END OF EXCERPT FROM PSALM 91 ******
(Mt 3:13 YLT) '''Then [comes] Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, (Mt 3:14 NKJV) And John [was trying] to prevent Him, saying, "I [have] need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Mt 3:15 NKJV) But Jesus [having] answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He [allows] him [to baptize Him]. (Mt 3:16 YLT) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo [behold], opened to Him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, (Mt 3:17 NKJV) and lo [behold], a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I [have found] delight." (Mt 4:1 YLT) Then Jesus was led up [into] the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil, (Mt 4:2 YLT) and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He did hunger. (Mt 4:3 YLT) And the Tempter having come to Him said, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that these stones may become loaves." (Mt 4:4 YLT) But He [Jesus] answering [lit., the One having answered] said, "It [has] been written, Not upon bread alone [lit., shall] man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God." [Dt 8:3] (Mt 4:5 YLT) Then [does] the devil take Him to the holy city, and [sets] Him on the pinnacle [lit., edge] of the temple (Mt 4:6 CBL) and says to Him, "If Son You are of God, cast Yourself down: for it has been written, 'To His angels He [the LORD] will give charge concerning You, and in [their] hands shall they bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.' [Ps 91:11-12]" (Mt 4:7 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God." ''' =
Since the context of Psalm 91:1-16 applies to all men who are trusting in the LORD, then it applies to Jesus especially relative to His being protected by angels insofar as He continued to trust in the LORD. This would not be the case if Jesus had decided to cast Himself down off the pinnacle of the Temple in deliberate violation of God's will - hence risking His own personal destruction - if that were possible;
and since the devil misapplied Psalm 91:11-12 relative to his temptation of Jesus, hence tempting God in the process - provoking Him to save His Son if He chose to cast Himself from the pinnacle - if that were possible;
then it is evident from Jesus' response using Deuteronomy 6:16 that the devil was tempting Jesus to commit sin if that were possible - doing evil and misusing Scripture to falsely corroborate his actions. Note the word rendered "again" in Mt 4:7 implied that Jesus acknowledged the devil's reference to Scripture; but Jesus indicated that the devil's reference neither applied to the situation at hand of tempting Jesus to sin against the will of God, nor could it be used to override what the passage in Deuteronomy chapter 6 was saying which Jesus quoted, (Mt 4:7; Dt 6:16).
(Mt 4:7 NKJV) "Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God.' "
(Dt 6:16 NKJV) "You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah."
Note that in the temptation in Massah, Israelites in the wilderness were in view. They did not trust in the LORD to provide them with water - provoking God to anger. This was especially egregious because it was just after the LORD had been providing mannah from heaven to sustain them, (Ex 16:1-7:1-7). Likewise, the issue in Matthew chapter 4 was one of provoking God through willful mistrust: the devil, likewise, not trusting in, nor even acknowledging the sovereignty of God and Jesus Christ as the Son of God - "the LORD your God," even provoking God to anger; committed the sin of telling Jesus, the Son of God, to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem to provoke God to save His Son from destruction to prove out Jesus' Sonship as "Son of God," (Mt 4:3) - for an act that would be against the will of God - if that would be possible for Jesus, the Son of God, to commit such an act - and it was not. This was not only a test of the divine will of Jesus the Son of God, but of God the Father Himself - whether He could be provoked to respond outside of His own will and violate His own Righteous Character.
(Mt 3:13 YLT) '''Then [comes] Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him, (Mt 3:14 NKJV) And John [was trying] to prevent Him, saying, "I [have] need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" (Mt 3:15 NKJV) But Jesus [having] answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then He [allows] him [to baptize Him]. (Mt 3:16 YLT) And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo [behold], opened to Him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him, (Mt 3:17 NKJV) and lo [behold], a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is My Son - the Beloved, in Whom I [have found] delight." (Mt 4:1 YLT) Then Jesus was led up [into] the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the devil, (Mt 4:2 YLT) and having fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He did hunger. (Mt 4:3 YLT) And the Tempter having come to Him said, "If [since] Son [You are] of God - speak that these stones may become loaves." (Mt 4:4 YLT) But He [Jesus] answering [lit., the One having answered] said, "It [has] been written, Not upon bread alone [lit., shall] man live, but upon every word coming forth from the mouth of God." [Dt 8:3] (Mt 4:5 YLT) Then [does] the devil take Him to the holy city, and [sets] Him on the pinnacle [lit., edge] of the temple (Mt 4:6 CBL) and says to Him, "If Son You are of God, cast Yourself down: for it has been written, 'To His angels He [the LORD] will give charge concerning You, and in [their] hands shall they bear You, lest You strike Your foot against a stone.' [Ps 91:11-12]" (Mt 4:7 NKJV) Jesus said to him, "It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God," (Dt 6:16) (Mt 4:8 YLT) Again... the devil [takes] Him to a very [lit., an exceedingly] high mount, and [shows] to Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, (Mt 4:9 NKJV) And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down [lit., having fallen down] and worship me." (Mt 4:10 CBL) Then says to him Jesus, "Get you away, [behind Me (Var: 05D, 019L, 035, 28:33; 1216, 1241, Lach)] Satan; it has been written for the Lord [your God] shall you worship, and Him alone shall you serve." (Mt 4:11 CBL) Then [the devil] leaves Him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to Him.''' =
In the third
temptation stipulated by author Matthew, the devil took Jesus to an
exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and
their glory. This implied that the devil had a capability that surpassed
that of man - but not necessarily a supernatural one; for today man can
provide imagery of all the kingdoms of the world from one point of
reference on the earth. The devil, being a finite creature was inferior to
Jesus, the Son of God being uncreated, eternal Diety. The devil offered
the kingdoms of the world to the Son of God if Jesus would fall down and
worship him - if it were possible for Righteous, Almighty God to worship a
sinfully flawed, finite, created being - and it was not. The devil thought
it was possible, evidently neither believing in Jesus' Diety, nor
worshipping Almighty God as Sovereign. Note that the devil attempted to
usurp control over the kingdoms of the world from man by deception,
causing men to be born with a sin nature that could be manipulated by the
devil to his own ends. Nevertheless, the final authority over all things
in the universe remained with God alone. In his temptation of Jesus, the
devil falsely implied that he had absolute rulership over the world, hence
he falsely claimed to have the power to give the kingdoms of the world to
whomever he chose. The devil, named Satan = the Deceiver, was not to be
trusted: for Jesus' proposed rulership still required Jesus to fall down
and worship him, i.e., to be in subjection to the rule of the devil.
Furthermore, God had promised to give the kingdoms of the world to His Son
.
The devil's proposal to Jesus was sinful / evil: Had it been possible for
Jesus to accept the proposal, it would have disqualified Jesus as a
perfect / atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind defeating the plan
and the will of God to legitimately give His Son the kingdoms of the world
and remain a Righteous God. Jesus responded, "Get you away, behind Me
Satan; it has been written for the LORD your God shall you worship, and
Him alone shall you serve."
(Dt 6:13 NKJV) "You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.
(Dt 6:14 NKJV) You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you
(Dt 6:15 NKJV) (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth."
For the third
time, author Matthew records that Jesus used a careful discernment of, a
trusting in and a proclaiming of the truths of Scripture to defend Himself
against temptation and attack. This time, Jesus addressed the devil as "Satan"
which meant Deceiver. It can be concluded that the temptation of Jesus,
which was planned and set up by God, was to prove to Satan, heaven, and
all mankind, that the perfect godly character of Jesus would enable His
Son to fulfill His mission impeccably to provide Himself as a perfect
atoning sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, whereupon He would rule in
an everlasting rule over the whole world, (Mt 4:8-11). This was indicated
in Matthew chapter 3 as author Matthew referred to the book of Isaiah,
(cf. Mt 3:13-17 ).
Then the devil left Jesus and, behold, the angels came and were ministering to Him, evidently providing food, water as well as other temporal as well as spiritual things.
(Mt 4:12 YLT) "And Jesus having heard that John was delivered up [put in prison, (NKJV)], did withdraw [into] Galilee.
(Mt 4:13 YLT) And having left Nazareth, He dwelt at Capernaum ... by the sea, [having come] within the borders of Zebulum and Naphtalim,
(Mt 4:14 YLT) that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
(Mt 4:15 YLT) 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations!' [i.e., Gentiles, (CBL); (Isa 9:1-2)],
(Mt 4:16 YLT) the people... sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and shadow of death - light arose to them.
(Mt 4:17 NAS) From then [that time on] Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "
(Mt 4:12 YLT) "And Jesus having heard that Joh n was delivered up [put in prison, (NKJV)], did withdraw [into] Galilee. (Mt 4:13 YLT) And having left Nazareth, He dwelt at Capernaum ... by the sea, [having come] within the borders of Zebulum and Naphtalim, (Mt 4:14 YLT) that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, (Mt 4:15 YLT) 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations!' [i.e., Gentiles, (CBL); (Isa 9:1-2)], (Mt 4:16 YLT) the people... sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and [in a] shadow of death - light arose to them. (Mt 4:17 NAS) From then [that time on] Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " =
At this point, after Jesus' temptation by the devil in the wilderness, author Matthew moved to the time when Jesus had heard that John the Baptist was delivered up in the sense of being put in prison; whereupon Jesus withdrew from Nazareth to Capernaum in Galilee about 3 miles east of where the Jordan River flowed into the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, evidently to avoid confrontation with those who had imprisoned John and would be coming after Him. The Sea of Galilee had several other names: the Sea of Chinnereth ("Harp Sea") because it is shaped like that instrument... the Lake of Gennesaret ... and the Sea of Tiberias, from the city built by Herod the tetrarch on its western shore and named in honor of Emperor Tiberius, (Jn 21:1). It is about 14 miles long by 9 miles wide at its greatest extremities and is about 700 feet below sea level. Capernaum was within the borders of the ancient Israelite tribes of Zepulun and Naphtali - the region in which those tribes settled after the conquest of the Promised Land in Joshua's time. It had a synagogue and a Roman military presence, (Mt 8:5-13).
So John's mission as forerunner of the Messiah was completed. Furthermore, author Matthew indicated that Jesus' resettlement in that region was a fulfillment of prophecy from the book of Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations, [i.e., Gentiles]. The people... sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and [in a] shadow of death - light arose to them."
The word rendered light in Mt 4:16 specifically refers to a Light Who represents God's blessings, presence and revelation, (cf. Isa 2:5), characterized by His Absolute Righteousness. That Light was Jesus Christ Who began in author Matthew's time to preach in that region of Galilee and say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."
'The phrase rendered "shadow of death," means the darkness of separation from the fellowship of God and His Righteousness. The people of Israel had been walking in darkness for centuries; but a future generation of them in author Matthew's time would see a great light, which the passage in Matthew chapter 4 indicates is embodied in His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, (Isa 9:2; cf Mt 4:14-16).
(Isa 9:1 NKJV) "Nevertheless the [darkness] will not be upon her who is distressed As when at first He [the LORD] [treated with contempt] The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.
(Isa 9:2 NKJV) The people who [who are walking] in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt [are dwelling] in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined."
The phrase in Mt 4:15, quoted from Isa 9:1 rendered "way of the sea beyond the Jordan" meant that way along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee to the other side - in this case to the west side - of the Jordan river. Author Matthew implied that the moving of Jesus westward to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee, which was within the borders of Zepulum and Naphtalim - ancient tribes of Northern Israel, was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isa 9:1-2. On the western side of the Sea of Galilee, there were no geographical barriers to many Gentile nations.
The words referring to the geographical area where Jesus resettled in Isa 9:1-2 rendered "walking in darkness" and "land of the shadow of death" imply not only a material poverty but the grief of the people there who had suffered through hostile invasions by Syrians from Damascus and then Assyrians from Nineveh. In Isaiah's time Tiglath-pileser, ruler of the neo-Assyrian empire, invaded this area and took many people into captivity. Furthermore, there was spiritual darkness due to the pagan influence, even up to the time of Jesus, because many Gentiles had been settled in the area by the Greek and Roman conquerors, beginning in the time of Alexander the Great. So this northern district of Israel was called the 'Galilee of the Gentiles' because many Gentiles lived there as well as Jews even in Jesus' time. It was to these Gentiles and Jews in the Galilean region to whom the Light, God's blessings, presence and revelation, (cf. Isa 2:5), characterized by His Absolute Righteousness and embodied in the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, (Mt 4:15-16).
**** EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 9 ****
(Isa 8:16 NKJV) '''[Isaiah said to] Bind up the testimony, Seal up the law among my disciples. (Isa 8:17 YLT) And I have waited for [the LORD], Who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob, And I have looked for Him. (Isa 8:18 NKJV) Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! [We] are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. (Isa 8:19 NKJV) And when they say to you, 'Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? [Should they seek] the dead on behalf of the living? (Isa 8:20 NKJV) To the law and to the testimony! If they [are not speaking] according to this word, it is because [there is] no light in them. (Isa 8:21 NKJV) They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. (Isa 8:22 NKJV) Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and [they will be] driven into darkness. (Isa 9:1 NKJV) Nevertheless the [darkness] will not be upon her who is distressed As when at first He [the LORD] [treated with contempt] The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. (Isa 9:2 NKJV) The people who [who are walking] in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt [are dwelling] in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. (Isa 9:3 KJV) [You have] multiplied the nation, [have you] not increased the joy? They [rejoice] before [You] according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice [to divide] the spoil. (Isa 9:4 NKJV) For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. (Isa 9:5 HOLMAN) [For the warrior's trampling sandle] and the garments [rolled in the blood of battle] will be burned as fuel for the fire. (Isa 9:6 NKJV) "For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." =
In the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah chapter 8 ends with the verse which most translated versions have indicated as Isa 9:1. In that verse, the ancient Israelite tribal allotments of Zebulun and Naphtali - the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali - which refer to the northern portion of Israel were invaded by Assyria and annexed by Tiglath-pileser III in 733-732 B.C. This included Galilee. The phrase rendered ''The way of the sea" refers to Sharon or Philistia. It describes a major international highway running through this region along the Sea of Galilee. This is the only time this phrase appears in Scripture, but it appears often in Assyrian and Egyptian records. The invading Assyrian soldiers took that route when they invaded the Northern Kingdom. The phrase rendered "Galilee of the Gentiles" refers to the area of Gilead and southeast Syria, when it was under Gentile domination. The Assyrians carved out three provinces for themselves from these areas in three campaigns. These lands were the first to feel the distress caused by Assyrian invasion. But there will be a time when darkness of oppression will not be upon Israel, (Isa 9:1).
Past tenses in Isa 9:2 continue to speak of future events, such that the future was described by the prophet as having already occurred. Light stands for God's blessings, presence, and revelation - all characterized by His absolute Righteousness, (cf. Isa 2:5). The phrase rendered "shadow of death," means the darkness of separation from the fellowship of God and His Righteousness. The people of Israel had been walking in darkness for centuries; but a future generation of them would see a great light, which the passage will indicate is embodied in His incarnate Son, (Isa 9:2).
In the future the LORD will multiply the number of His people. Their joy will be increased as those who rejoiced at harvest time or as men of battle who rejoiced in dividing the spoils of war. In view of the context, Isa 9:3b is best rendered, "[You have] multiplied the nation, [have you] not increased the joy? They [rejoice] before [You] according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice [to divide] the spoil," (Isa 9:3).
And the reason for joy being brought upon the Israelites is that the LORD will finally break the yoke of oppression upon His people. For generations, God's chosen people, the Israelites had been dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, (Isa 9:2), experiencing invasions by such as Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. The phrases rendered "the yoke of his burden," "the staff of his shoulder" and "the rod of his oppressor" in Isa 9:4 refer to the oppression of the people of Israel. The word rendered "yoke" referred to that which controlled and caused a burden upon Israel, "the staff" to that which struck the shoulder in punishment, "the rod" to that which oppressed them; and the word rendered "his" to the agent of the LORD used to discipline His people, such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, etc.
(Isa 10:24 NKJV) "Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: 'O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt.
(Isa 10:25 NKJV) For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.'
(Isa 10:26 NKJV) And the LORD of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
(Isa 10:27 NKJV) It shall come to pass in that day that his burden will be taken away from your [Israel's] shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, and the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil"
The breaking of oppression which the LORD imposed upon Israel to discipline her was paralleled to "The day of Midian" which referred to the miraculous defeat of the Midianites by Gideon brought about supernaturally by the LORD, (Isa 9:4).
The passage in Isaiah chapter 9 goes on to explain that the sandles of the soldier and the garments rolled in blood, (a tactic of war to frighten enemies in an impending battle), would be burned, i.e., the implements of warfare would be destroyed. So the darkness of war would be no more, (Isa 9:5).
Isaiah 9:6-7 explained why the people of Israel would be delivered from its generations of darkness: It would be accomplished through the birth of a Child - a Son unto Israel: (Isa 9:6 NKJV) "For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
Since it is the LORD Who gives children to man; and since a child was born to Israel, a Son given; then this implied that the LORD had given His Son to Israel. Whereupon, the passage declared that His name would be called Mighty God, Everlasting Father, implying Diety as well as Perfect Humanity.
The phrase rendered "the Government will be on His shoulder" referred to the ensign of office worn upon the shoulder to signify the One Who had the position of ruling the nation, (cf. Isa 22:22-23). Then verse 6 declared, "And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace;" "Wonderful" in the sense of being a marvelous, wondrous being; "Counselor," in the sense of having the godly wisdom to convey to others; "Mighty God," in the sense of being Almighty God; "Everlasting Father," in the sense of being Everlasting God; "Prince of Peace," in the sense of being the One Who will bring to Israel and the world, everlasting peace. The Hebrew text of Isaiah 9:6 rendered "Mighty God" cannot be describing a mighty god as opposed to Almighty God, for Isaiah later indicates that besides Almighty God, there is no other [God] , (cf. Isa 43:10; 45:5). All of the terms in Isa 9:6c are unequivocally descriptive only of the human Israelite child, and not anyone else or the nation Israel as some contend.
(Isa 7:14 NKJV) "Therefore the LORD Himself will give you [plural] a sign: 'Behold, [a] virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel,' [which means God is with us]."
So just as Gideon defeated Midian through the supernatural work of the LORD, (Isa 9:4); so the LORD will lead His people from spiritual darkness into light supernaturally - this time through His Son, the Child born unto the nation Israel. Through Him, there will be everlasting peace, (Isa 9:6).
For Isaiah 9:7 said that the increase of His government and peace will be without end. He will sit upon the throne of David and rule over His kingdom and through that kindgom, the world. He will keep order and establish His judgment forever. The phrase rendered "Upon the throne of David" indicates that the God Man will be a Jew and Ruler of Israel. He will rule with an eternal rule of peace and absolute justice. And the zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this, in the sense that it is God Himself alone Who will accomplish this.
**** ..FROM
ISAIAH CHAPTER 9
END OF EXCERPT FROM ISAIAH CHAPTER 9 ****
(Mt 4:12 YLT) "And Jesus having heard that John was delivered up [put in prison, (NKJV)], did withdraw [into] Galilee. (Mt 4:13 YLT) And having left Nazareth, He dwelt at Capernaum ... by the sea, [having come] within the borders of Zebulum and Naphtalim, (Mt 4:14 YLT) that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, (Mt 4:15 YLT) 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations!' [i.e., Gentiles, (CBL); (Isa 9:1-2)], (Mt 4:16 YLT) the people... sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and [in a] shadow of death - light arose to them. (Mt 4:17 NAS) From then [that time on] Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " (cont). =
****** EXCERPTS FROM MATTHEW 3 & ISAIAH ******
(Mt 1:18 NKJV) '''Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 1:19 NKJV) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. (Mt 1:20 NKJV) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. (Mt 1:21 NKJV) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Mt 1:22 NKJV) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: (Mt 1:23 NKJV) "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, 'God with us.' (Mt 3:1 NKJV) In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (Mt 3:2 NKJV) and saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" (Mt 3:3 NKJV) For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying [out] in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight." (Mt 3:4 NKJV) Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.''' =
Author Matthew indicates in Mt 3:1-3 with a qualifying reference to the book of Isaiah that John the Baptist preached exclusively to Israel, saying "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" In verse 3, author Matthew interjected this qualifying reference to Isaiah, '''for this is he [John the Baptist] who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, " A voice of one crying [out] in the wilderness [to Israel], 'Prepare... the way of the LORD, straight make... His paths ." '" So the Greek word "metanoeite," which literally breaks down to: "meta" = "to change" and "noeite" = the mind, and which is rendered "repent" in the NAS, conveys in Matthew 3:1-3 the message that should every one of national Israel change his mind from rejecting to trusting in the coming Messiah / Son to be delivered by Him from one's sins unto eternal life and residence in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, hence to have God account His gift of perfect righteousness to each one as he believes, (cf. Mt 1:21); then God's Eternal Kingdom of Heaven rule would begin on the earth. Author Matthew implied in Mt 3:3 that John the Baptist was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to as the Baptist announced that it was Jesus Christ Himself Who was that Messiah / Son Who would deliver His people from their sins, (cf. Mt 1:21; 3:13-17).
(Mt 1:18 NKJV) '''Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
(Mt 1:19 NKJV) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
(Mt 1:20 NKJV) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
(Mt 1:21 NKJV) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
(Mt 1:22 NKJV) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
(Mt 1:23 NKJV) "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, 'God with us.' "
Note
that in Mt 1:18-21, Jesus was to be born of a virgin, (cf. Isa 7:14-16
). Furthermore, in Mt 1:21, His name, Jesus, signified that He would save
His people, Israel, from their sins. This implied that that He would make
an atoning sacrifice for their sins to make provision for each individual
to receive the gift of the righteousness of God through faith in Him.
Furthermore, in Mt 3:3, when author Matthew described John the Baptist as '''He of who Isaiah spoke when he said "A voice of one crying [out] in the wilderness, 'Prepare... the way of the LORD, straight make... His paths,' " ''' (Mt 3:3); Matthew, as an inspired author of Scripture, added his own personal observations by linking the phrases from Isaiah 40:3: "A voice of one crying [out]" with "in the wilderness" together. By this Matthew identified John the Baptist as that voice "in the wilderness [of Judea]" which cried out the message given to generations of Israelites in the past and which now pointed in Matthew's time to the wilderness of Judea where John the Baptist announced Jesus Christ as the coming One Who would deliver His people, Israel, from their sins unto eternal life in the eternal Kingdom of Heaven, (Mt 3:13-17; 1-3).
(Mt 3:1 NKJV) '''[Now] in in those days John the Baptist [comes] preaching in the wilderness of Judea
(Mt 3:2 NKJV) and saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"
(Mt 3:3 YLT) for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "A voice of one crying [out] in the wilderness, 'Prepare... the way of the LORD, straight make... His paths." '''
(Isa 40:1 Holman) " 'Comfort, comfort My people,' says your God."
(Isa 40:2 NKJV) 'Speak [to the heart of] Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare [has been] ended, that her iniquity [is to have been pardoned], For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins.'
(Isa 40:3 HOLMAN) A voice of one crying out: ["In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD]; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
(Isa 40:4 HOLMAN) Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain.
(Isa 40:5 NKJV) [And] the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [it].' "
The words of
Isaiah 40:1-5 with the context of 7:14-16 and 9:6-7 in view, to which
author Matthew refers in Mt 3:1-3, figuratively convey that when every
individual of a generation of Israel trusts alone in the LORD alone to
deliver him from his sins and hence be provided with the gift of God's
perfect Righteousness within himself unto eternal life in the Kingdom of
Heaven, then that would prepare the way of the LORD and He would come at
that time and begin His Kingdom rule. This mission of the LORD He was to
begin as a Child born of an Israelite maiden / virgin - a Son and Child of
Israel, (Isa 7:14-16); Who was further described in Isaiah 9:6-7 as
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
. So when a generation of all Israel believed in Him, this mission of the
LORD to come to earth and rule would be completed by His establishing of
His Everlasting Kingdom of Heaven rule over the world on the throne of
David from Jerusalem through His people, Israel. So those individuals from
the population of the world, i.e., Jews and Gentiles, who trusted alone in
Christ alone would then be permitted entrance into the eternal Kingdom of
Heaven, implying an unlimited, universal atonement for the sins of all
mankind, (Mt 1:18-23; 3:1-3, Isa 6:3; 7:14-16; 9:6-7; 40:1-5).
****** EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH ******
(Isa 7:14 YLT) '''Therefore the Lord Himself [is giving] to you [plural, i.e., Judah] a sign, [behold], the Virgin [the pregnant one] [the one giving birth to] a son, And she [has called] his name Immanuel. (Isa 7:15 NKJV) Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. (Isa 7:16 NKJV) For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings... (Isa 9:6 NKJV) For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this... (Isa 39:1 NKJV) At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard [lit., was hearing] that he had been sick and had recovered [lit., was recovering]. (Isa 39:2 NKJV) And Hezekiah was pleased [lit., was being pleased] with them, and showed them [lit., was showing them] the house of his treasures - the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory - all that was found [lit., had been found] among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. (Isa 39:3 NKJV) Then Isaiah the prophet went [lit., was coming] to King Hezekiah, and said [lit., was saying] to him, "What did these men say [lit., have these men said], and from where did they come [lit., were coming] to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came [lit., had come] to me from a far country, from Babylon." (Isa 39:4 NKJV) And he said, [lit., was saying], "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, [lit., was answering], "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them." (Isa 39:5 NKJV) Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: (Isa 39:6 NKJV) 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried [lit., have been carried] to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD. (Isa 39:7 NKJV) And they shall take away [lit., be taking away] some of your sons who will descend [lit., shall be descendants] from you, whom you will beget [lit., be begetting]; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.' (Isa 39:8 NKJV) So Hezekiah said [lit., was saying] to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "At least there will be peace and truth in my days." (Isa 40:1 Holman) "Comfort, comfort My people," says your God. (Isa 40:2 NKJV) "Speak [to the heart of] Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare [has been] ended, that her iniquity [is to have been pardoned], For she has received from the LORD's hand Double for all her sins." (Isa 40:3 HOLMAN) A voice of one crying out: ["In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD]; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. (Isa 40:4 HOLMAN) Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain. (Isa 40:5 NKJV) [And] the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [it].' " ''' =
In view in this passage in Isaiah chapter 40 is the imminent return in ancient times of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity to a Jerusalem which was to be rebuilt by them. Israel's past iniquity had been pardoned through having received double punishment for all her sins, (Isa 40:1-2). Whereupon the next verse portrays the voice of a prophet announcing the imminent coming of the LORD in His glory to establish on earth the Eternal Kingdom of God conditional upon all Israelites making the necessary preparation: "A voice of one crying out, 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; Make a straight highway for our God in the desert, Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain," [And] the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken [it],' " ''' (Isa 40:3-5).
The phrases such as "In the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rough places a plain," (Isa 40:3-5), cannot be literal because such a fulfillment of these phrases which portray the world completely without hill or valley, or uneven or rough ground is not literally possible with finite, flawed man; nor useful in enabling the coming of the LORD, Who is Creator and Master of the physical world, and would not be hindered by any physical obstruction. And from whence does it begin and to where does the highway go which is to be built for our God in the desert? One can only conclude that the prophet crying out is speaking figuratively of the way of God's Perfect Righteousness which can only be via every one of a generation of Israelites removing the spiritual hindrances from within oneself to receive the coming of the LORD through trusting alone in the LORD alone to deliver one from one's sins to provide the gift of God's perfect Righteousness within oneself unto eternal life; whereupon the LORD would come to establish His everlasting Kingdom of Heaven on the earth through His people Israel - having prepared His way of Perfect Righteousness within man by providing it for and within each individual by faith as a free gift. In the past, Israel's lack of faith had blocked her fellowship with the LORD and caused punishment and captivity to befall her, (cf. Isa 39:1-8). Nevertheless the ancient Israelites returning from Babylon had their opportunity to see the salvation of their God come into the world but failed to prepare for the LORD to bring in His Kingdom via repentance unto faith. Hence the LORD postponed the completion of His mission for when a future generation of Israelites will prepare itself properly for His coming.
According to the context of the Book of Isaiah chapters 1 through 40, the coming of the LORD and His Righteousness into the world would begin as a Child: born of a maiden / virgin Whom she called His name Immanuel, (Isa 7:14-16).
(Isa 7:14 YLT) '''Therefore the Lord Himself [is giving] to you [plural, i.e., Judah] a sign, [behold], the Virgin [the pregnant one] [the one giving birth to] a son, And she [has called] his name Immanuel.
(Isa 7:15 NKJV) Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
(Isa 7:16 NKJV) For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings'''
So a Child
shall be born of a maiden / virgin. His name shall be called "Immanuel"
meaning "God is with us," (Isa 7:14-16
).
(Mt 1:18 NKJV) "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
(Mt 1:19 NKJV) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
(Mt 1:20 NKJV) But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
(Mt 1:21 NKJV) And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.
(Mt 1:22 NKJV) So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
(Mt 1:23 NKJV) Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, 'God with us.' "
(Isa 9:6 NKJV) "For unto us [Israel, Isa 1:1, 7:14-16; 8:18] a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
(Isa 9:7 NKJV) Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
So He will be
born of Israel, hence a Son of Israel; and be declared, "Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." He will
come to establish His Everlasting Kingdom rule over the world on the
throne of David from Jerusalem through His people, Israel, (Isa 9:6-7).
The time of His everlasting rule would begin when national Israel
responded to Him by faith in order to be delivered each one of his sins,
(Isa 40:3). When that becomes the case in history, every obstacle to God's
rule of Righteousness will be removed; which Isaiah 40:4 expresses
figuratively in order to convey a spiritual meaning of God's provision of
the gift of His Righteousness to man: "Every valley will be lifted
up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will
become smooth, and the rough places a plain." Hence all mankind will
see the glory of the LORD - His Perfect Righteousness - when He comes to
rule over His everlasting kingdom on the earth through His people Israel,
(Isa 40:5).
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"
All of this was declared by the prophet to be true, for the mouth of the LORD had spoken it to him, (Isa 5:16; 6:3; 7:14-16; 9:6-7; 39:5; 40:1-5).
****** END OF EXCERPTS FROM MATTHEW 3 & ISAIAH ******
(Mt 4:12 YLT) "And Jesus having heard that John was delivered up [put in prison, (NKJV)], did withdraw [into] Galilee. (Mt 4:13 YLT) And having left Nazareth, He dwelt at Capernaum ... by the sea, [having come] within the borders of Zebulum and Naphtalim, (Mt 4:14 YLT) that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, (Mt 4:15 YLT) 'Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations!' [i.e., Gentiles, (CBL); (Isa 9:1-2)], (Mt 4:16 YLT) the people... sitting in darkness saw a great light, and to those sitting in a region and [in a] shadow of death - light arose to them. (Mt 4:17 NAS) From then [that time on] Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " (cont.) =
Note that for a time, it was evident that Jesus did not make it clear that He Himself was the Messiah - until He began performing miraculous healing, (cf. Mt 4:18-25).
(Mt 4:18 NKJV) "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
(Mt 4:19 NIV) 'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'
(Mt 4:20 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow Him.
(Mt 4:21 NKJV) Going on [lit., having gone] from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
(Mt 4:22 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the boat and their father, did follow Him.
(Mt 4:23 NAS) Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
(Mt 4:24 CBL) And the report of Him went out into all Syria. And they brought to Him all the [sick] having various diseases and torments, [oppressed with sicknesses], demon possessed, [epileptics], paralytics; and He healed them.
(Mt 4:25 HOLMAN) [And] large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan."
(Mt 4:18 NKJV) "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (Mt 4:19 NIV) 'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' (Mt 4:20 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow Him. (Mt 4:21 NKJV) Going on [lit., having gone] from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, (Mt 4:22 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the boat and their father, did follow Him." =
As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Further on from there, Jesus saw two other brothers, James and John in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him. All of them evidently left their homes and families as well as their incomes in order to follow Jesus. Note author Matthew did not stipulate that this was Jesus' first encounter with these individuals. The context conveys that a significant life changing decision was made by all of them to follow Jesus, implying the possibiliity of having previously met Him and considered becoming His disciple. The phrase spoken by Jesus, "I will make you fishers of men," referred in the imagery of fishing to their becoming His disciples: to learn to proclaim His message to men so that they might be gathered into the Kingdom of Heaven and have eternal life as fish are gathered into nets.
(Mt 4:18 NKJV) "And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. (Mt 4:19 NIV) 'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' (Mt 4:20 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow Him. (Mt 4:21 NKJV) Going on [lit., having gone] from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, (Mt 4:22 YLT) and they, immediately, having left the boat and their father, did follow Him. (Mt 4:23 NAS) Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. (Mt 4:24 CBL) And the report of Him went out into all Syria. And they brought to Him all the [sick] having various diseases and torments, [oppressed with sicknesses], demon possessed, [epileptics], paralytics; and He healed them. (Mt 4:25 HOLMAN) [And] large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan." =
Jesus went
throughout Galilee teaching in synagogues proclaiming the gospel of the
Kingdom of God, which is the substance of the message earlier proclaimed
by Jesus and John the Baptist: "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is
at hand," ,
(cf. Mt 4:17). The word rendered "synagogue," is defined as a
local place where Jews gathered for instruction and worship - a place in
which anyone might be asked to speak. Hence Jesus proclaimed the gospel of
the Kingdom in many synagogues throughout Galilee. Notice that the main
focus of Jesus, as it was of John the Baptist, was the Jewish population
in this case as they gathered in the local synagogues throughout Galilee.
It is implied here that Jesus was an itinerant preacher and teacher Who
necessarily repeated approximately the same material again and again and
again; and Who faced the same problems, illnesses, and needs again and
again. Galilee had over 200 cities and villages - often with a population
of more than 15,000, which added up to a large population - evidently in
the millions.
When the report of Jesus went out into all Syria, which was north of Galilee, people brought to Him all the sick, those that had various diseases, torments, the demon possessed, epileptics, paralytics. Evidently, these were the most serious illnesses of that day - which many regarded as incurable. And Jesus healed every kind of disease and sickness among the people there.
Great multitudes of people followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, and beyond Jordan - meaning from Perea. Decapolis literally meant 'the 10 cities,' because it contained ten cities, including Gadara, Gerasa, and Pella which were founded by the Greeks, and mostly populated with Gentiles. It was a region east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River extending from Damascus in the north to Philadelphia in the south. Originally, it was founded and chiefly inhabited by Gentiles, especially Greeks. What the people saw and heard caused them to follow Jesus from place to place. They may not have been disciples yet, but it was clear that they fol lowed Him, not merely because of the miracles, but because of His teaching.
So Jesus' reputation at this point extended far beyond Galilee, even though that is where the light 'dawned' (v. 16). So the news of Jesus spread very far and very quickly - to millions, (Mt 4:18-25).
CONTINUE
TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 5 