His Word Today

September 23, 2023September 19, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Hidden Treasure.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44 ESV)

Matthew 13:1-50 contains seven parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These include the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30), the Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32), the Parable of the Leaven (13:33), the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (13:44), the Parable of the Pearl of Great Value (13:13:45-46), and the Parable of the Net (13:47-50). Today’s study concerns the Parable of the Hidden Treasure.

Jesus indirectly compared the kingdom of heaven to a treasure. A treasure (θησαυρός; thesaurus) literally means a treasure box filled with objects costing a great deal of money. It was just such a treasure box that was hidden (κρύπτω; krypto) by someone in the past. The text does not say who hid the treasure box or why it was hidden. The text also does not reveal if the individual who hid the treasure did so in a field he owned.

One day a man found the treasure. The word found (εὑρίσκω; heurisko) means to actively discover and learn the location of some object or person. In the context, the object he found was the previously mentioned treasure.

Upon finding the treasure, the man covered it up. To cover up (κρύπτω; krypto) means to hide. The man found the hidden treasure and then hid the treasure that he found. No reason is given as to why the man re-hid the treasure that he found.

Discovering the treasure gave the man joy. Joy (χαρά; chara) refers to a great happiness solely possessed by the man. The joy the man possessed stemmed from having found the treasure that he hoped to possess.

His hopeful intention to possess the treasure that produced his joy prompted him to sell all that he had. To sell (πωλέω; poleo) means to actively sell all of his wealth for money. He in turn uses that money to buy that field. Why that field? It is because that field contains the hidden treasure that he found, re-hid, and seeks to possess because it gives him joy because of its value.

Jesus did not provide an interpretation to this parable. Therefore, it remains for the student of Scripture to accurately deduce its meaning.

We know that the parable is about the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it is about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Rom., 3:21-26; Eph. 2:1-10). It is this glorious justification from God that has a priceless value in delivering an individual from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin (2 Cor. 4:7). It is a treasure that anyone would gladly possess.

However, the tragic irony is that fallen, sinful man would rather seek the treasures of the fallen world than possess a treasure from God beyond all measure. It is only when God regenerates man’s soul that he is able to recognize how truly valuable the treasure of the Gospel truly is (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5).

Do you possess this treasure?

Soli deo Gloria!

September 22, 2023September 19, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Leaven.

³³He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33 ESV)

Jesus continued His parabolic teachings of the kingdom of heaven. He frequently illustrated from the daily life of the Israelites spiritual truths concerning a covenant relationship with the One, True God.

“Men typically worked in agriculture, and women performed domestic chores like the baking of bread in first-century Palestine. In telling parables related to these tasks, Jesus conveys His message in terms that are familiar to ordinary people,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“The Messiah ushered in God’s kingdom in a manner that did not meet the expectations of His contemporaries. Instead of an immediate and final entry of God’s saving presence, there was an inauguration of the kingdom that is followed by a long period of growth before the final consummation. The mustard plant’s growth and the leaven’s permeation, both of which take time, illustrate this point.

Leaven (ζύμη; zyme) is another word for yeast. It is that which makes bread rise. Correspondingly, bread without yeast was/is known as unleavened bread (Ex. 12:14-17). .

“Leaven is any substance that produces fermentation when added to dough. Leaven may signify the dough already infected by leaven, which was put into the flour so that the leaven could pass through the entire mass before baking, or it may refer to dough that had risen through the influence of the leaven. The early Hebrews apparently depended on a piece of leavened dough for transmission of the leaven; not until much later were the lees of wine used as yeast,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

“The ancient Israelites regularly ate leavened bread (Hos 7:4), but in the commemoration of the Passover they were forbidden to eat leavened bread or even to have it in their homes during the Passover season (Ex 13:7). This annual observance ensured even though leaven that the people would not forget their hasty exodus from Egypt, when God’s command gave no time for the preparation of leavened bread.”

Even though leaven illustrates the influence of sin in the believer’s life (Matt. 16:11; I Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:9), Jesus used it here as a positive object lesson. The kingdom of heaven’s initial small and quiet presence will ultimately change the world.

“The tiny bit of leaven has its effect on the entire mass of dough. Like leaven, the kingdom of God starts small, and its work is often hidden and invisible, until its full effect is realized,” explains commentator Aaron Garriott.

“Jesus showed that the manner in which He ushered in the kingdom of God need not sow any doubts concerning the power and legitimacy of His messianic office and the kingdom. The humble inauguration was no mistake—it was planned by God.”

John Calvin noted, “The Lord opens his reign with a feeble and despicable commencement, for the express purpose, that his power may be more fully illustrated by its unexpected progress.”

Take time today to observe how the kingdom of heaven continues to grow from its humble beginnings. Take note of how you have grown in your relationship with Christ from the moment of your conversion. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 21, 2023July 29, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Mustard Seed.

³¹“He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. ³²It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” (Matthew 13:31–32 (ESV)

Immediately following the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23), and the Weeds (13:24-30), Jesus taught another parable about sowing. This involved a mustard seed.

“The kingdom of God held a prominent position in Jesus’ teaching from the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 4:43). He proclaimed that His coming to earth meant that the kingdom of God was at hand. He was inaugurating the kingdom of God in the very midst of His hearers. Accompanying and demonstrating this inauguration were miracles and teaching. His teaching took different forms, but chief among them were parables, which He used to teach His hearers something about the nature of the kingdom. The parables of the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31–32; Mark 4:30–32; Luke 13:18–19) and the leaven (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20) reveal something of the mysterious progress and imperceptibility of the kingdom of God,” explains Rev. Aaron L. Garriott.

Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to a grain of mustard seed. Relatively speaking, it was the smallest of the common seeds sown in first century Israel. The historical context must be kept in clear view.

However, in spite of its small size the mustard seed grew into a large bush; sometimes up to fifteen feet high. The word tree (δένδρον; dendron) can mean a tall plant or bush. The mustard plant provided shelter for birds who made their nests in its branches.

“Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed, whose small initial form compared with its impressive final form furnished Jesus with an apt illustration of the progress of the kingdom of God between its inauguration and consummation. One of the smallest seeds in Palestine, the mustard seed would yield a shrub-like tree over time that would reach more than ten feet tall. The tiny seed would grow to be so large that the birds of the air would find it conducive for habitation,” continues Rev. Garriott.

“At any rate, the point is this: The Word of God—the work of God—typically begins small. Churches are small. Student ministries are small. Whatever you want to do, it’s going to start small. There’s going to be opposition. It will look at times like it’s about to collapse, but there will be a great climax,” explains commentator Daniel M. Doriani.

Take heart and serve fervently. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 20, 2023September 8, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Weeds. Interpretation.

³⁶“Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸the field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ⁴²and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:36–43 ESV)

Recapping the Parable of the Weeds, a man sowed wheat in his field (Matt. 13:24). In Israel, farmers planted barley and wheat in autumn. The sowed grains ripened in spring. However, an enemy of the landowner secretly came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away (13:25). Therefore, when the plants came up and bore grain in spring, the weeds also appeared (13:26).

During the spring harvest time, the land owner’s servants noticed that weeds were growing in the midst of the wheat field. While the master realized that an enemy was responsible for the weeds, there was nothing he could do until the harvest. At that time, the harvesters would separate the wheat from the tares. The workers would place the wheat in to the barn and they also would save the weeds gathering them for fuel.

When Jesus concluded teaching by parables to the crowds, He returned to His home in Capernaum. At that time, His disciples came to Him and asked Him for the meaning of the Parable of the Weeds. Jesus complied with the disciples’ request.

“The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man” This is Jesus Christ.

“The field is the world.” This refers to the fallen world and its human inhabitants.

“The good seed is the sons of the kingdom.” They are those justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone. They are compared to wheat.

“The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.” The evil one is the devil. His sons are the unconverted. He is the enemy of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.

“The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.” They will harvest not only the saved but also the unsaved.

Jesus then said, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ⁴²and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Jesus continued by saying, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Jesus clearly referred to His divine authority when He refers to the future resurrection (Dan. 12:1-3).

He concluded by saying, “He who has ears, let him hear.” Jesus’ disciples, then and in the present day, must understand the reality and finality of the judgment of God upon the unrighteous. We must also give God praise for His grace in calling us to be members of the kingdom of heaven; His wheat.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 19, 2023September 8, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Weeds. Part Two.

²⁷“And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ ²⁸He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ” (Matthew 13:27–30 ESV)

Recapping the story from yesterday, a man sowed wheat in his field (Matt. 13:24). In Israel, farmers planted barley and wheat in autumn. They sowed grains ripened in spring. However, an enemy of the landowner secretly came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away (13:25). Therefore, when the plants came up and bore grain in spring, the weeds also appeared (13:26).

“The most basic staple of the Palestinian diet (and the ancient diet in general) was bread; thus wheat was critical. But a poisonous weed, a kind of ryegrass known as darnel (usually translated “tares”) looked like wheat in the early stages and could only be distinguished from it when the ear appeared,” states commentator Craig Keener.

“And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ The master was responsible for the seed. The servants would not have questioned him during the autumn planting. However, now it is spring and the weeds are growing along with the wheat.

The landowner reaches a conclusion. ^“He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The evidence is clear that someone has tainted the wheat crop, but the land owner does not know exactly who it may have been.

“So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them’?’ The servants want to know if the master wants them to remove the weeds from the wheat. A wheat field might have been several acres. To remove the weeds would have been a hard and exhausting task. Yet the servants are willing to do their master’s wishes.

But he said, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.” The wise master knew that in attempting to uproot the weeds, some of the wheat crop would be compromised. He was unwilling to risk the possibility of financial loss. He seems unconcerned that the weeds would damage the wheat.

The master then gave his servants further instructions. “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

“The fields were normally weeded in the spring, but if the weeds were discovered too late—as here—one would risk uprooting the wheat with them; the master does not want to risk his wheat. Once they were fully grown, however, harvesters could cut the wheat just below the head, leaving the shorter tares to be cut separately,” explains Keener.

The harvesters would gather both the wheat and the weeds during harvest. The wheat would be stored in the barn for food while the weeds would provide fuel for burning.

“Although first-century Palestine was undoubtedly more forested than it became in subsequent times, much of the earlier forest had been cut down, and fuel could not be wasted; once dried, the darnel at least proved useful for something—fuel for burning,” concludes Keener.

What was the meaning of this parable? We do not have to speculate. Jesus provided the interpretation to His disciples. Matthew recorded this in 13:36-43. It is this text that we will study next time. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 18, 2023August 24, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Parable of the Weeds.

^24 “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.” ’ ” (Matthew 13:24–26 ESV)

Agriculture was an economic mainstay in first century Israel. It remains so in the 21^st century. Therefore, a parable drawn from sowing and reaping would be easy to understand. Jesus used the illustration previously in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-23). He used it again in the Parable of the Weeds (13:24-30).

“Wealthy landowners controlled most of the rural land throughout the Roman Empire; their estates were worked either by free peasants or by slaves, whose options in life were roughly the same (except that slaves could also be beaten or sold). Many of Jesus’ hearers (13:34) may have been rural farmers on larger estates, who would have readily identified with the difficulty of the situation he described,” explains commentator Craig Keener.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” As noted, this was a common metaphor. God’s rule and reign in the life of believers in Christ is compared to a farmer sowing seed in his field. Note that the man initiates the sowing, the seed sown is good seed and the sowing is done in his field. Nothing inappropriate has been done.

That is until Jesus introduced another character in the story. “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” The owner of the field sowed the seed by hired workers known as his men. At the end of the day’s planting and while the workers were sleeping. The man’s enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then went away. The workers were unaware of the enemy’s actions and Jesus gave no reason as to why this was done, but such an act could be economically devastating for the owner. As the man initiated the sowing of good seed, so also the enemy initiated the sowing of weeds.

Jesus then said, “So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.”

We will continue our study of the Parable of the Weeds when next we meet. Until then, have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 17, 2023September 7, 2023

Ephesians 5:6-10 (Podcast #55).

September 16, 2023August 24, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: An Oracle of Blessing.

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16–17 ESV)

Jesus previously pronounced an oracle of blessing upon His disciple in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1-12). He invoked a similar blessing in today’s text. It is because of God’s grace that New Testament believers in Christ are doubly blessed.

Today, believers in Christ live in the era in which many of God’s promised are fulfilled. These are promises of which Old Testament believers earnestly longed and hoped (Heb. 11:39-40).

“Some Jewish texts describe how the righteous in the Old Testament longed to see the era of messianic redemption and a fuller revelation of God. Making a statement about someone (here, Jesus) by blessing someone else (here, those who saw him in contrast to the blind of 13:15) was an accepted rhetorical technique of the day,” explains commentator Craig Keener.

Jesus’ disciples saw, heard and believed while the religious leaders did not see, hear, or believe. This is because of the Lord’s enablement upon His disciples. He gave them spiritual eyes to perceive and spiritual ears to understand the truth of the Gospel. This is because God regenerated their hearts by the monergistic work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5). He continues to do so today.

“We have been given the unspeakable privilege of knowing Christ and His saving sacrifice through God’s revealed Word (Eph. 1:17–21). Through the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1–17, we learn that from Christ (the sower) we have been given the seed (the Gospel) to deliver it to the soil (the hearts of men). And we learn that all of this has been freely given to us by God who opened our hearts (Matt. 13:11a). Also, consider this privilege in light of its alternative, which is that this truth would be concealed (Matt. 13: 11b),” explains John Cobb of Ligonier Ministries.

“This privilege is unspeakable because God Almighty, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has chosen to open our eyes and ears, so that we may be able to see and hear the truths of His Word (Matt. 13:16). We are clearly shown that we are not saved by anything that is in us, but that the Lord Jesus has saved us by grace alone. This overwhelming and incomprehensible truth about our sinfulness and God’s grace should humble us to the point where we feel like Job and place our hands over our mouths and speak no more (Job 40:4–5).”

Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 15, 2023August 24, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Purpose of Parables. Part Two.

¹⁴Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” ¹⁵For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ (Matthew 13:14–15 ESV)

Jesus explained the purpose of His teaching in parables (Matt. 13:10-13). First, He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Second, Jesus said, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Jesus concluded by saying, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” This statement is also recorded in Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10.

Jesus spoke to the masses in parables to fulfill Isaiah 6:9-10. It was this portion of Scripture of which Jesus quoted and which is contained in today’s text.

“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive,” (Isaiah 6:9 ESV). It is biblically accurate to say that the unconverted are spiritually deaf and blind (John 9; I Cor. 2:1-14). They hear the Gospel but they do not comprehend what they hear. They see the impact of the Gospel but they do not realize what they see.

The reason is that their hearts have grown dull. To become dull (παχύνω; pachyno) means to become calloused and hard. It means lacking the ability to understand God’s truth.

Romans 8:7 (ESV) says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

The kingdom parables serve as God’s instrument of judgment by hardening the hardened and unbelieving heart.

“We should marvel at God’s grace every time we recall that we have trusted Christ alone for our salvation. Before the Lord quickened us, we were dead in sin and had no desire at all to know or serve Him. But by His Spirit our Creator overcame this stubbornness and changed our hearts, enabling us to believe the Gospel,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Take time today to thank God for His matchless grace and remember that your deeds contribute nothing to your salvation. Have a blessed day in Christ.

Soli deo Gloria!

September 14, 2023August 22, 2023

The Gospel of Matthew: The Purpose of Parables.

¹⁰“Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ¹²For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:10–13 ESV)

What was the purpose for Jesus speaking and teaching in parables? Why did He choose to do so? His disciples wondered about this. In fact, they came to Jesus and asked, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” They were curious? They requested an answer.

Jesus complied. He made three statements explaining the purpose of the parables.

First, He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” Jesus invoked the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. God the Father had graciously given to the disciples an understanding of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. However, to the greater number of unsaved, God the Father had not chosen to give them insight.

“The mystery-religions of the east had all sorts of secrets and signs as secret societies do today. But those initiated knew them. So the disciples have been initiated into the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Paul will use it freely of the mystery once hidden, but now revealed, now made known in Christ (Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7, etc.). In Phil. 4:12 Paul says: “I have learned the secret or been initiated” (μεμυημαι [memuēmai]). So Jesus here explains that his parables are open to the disciples, but shut to the Pharisees with their hostile minds,” explains Greek scholar A.T. Robertson.

Second, Jesus said, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

“To those who have a relationship with Jesus, parables deepen understanding and foster that relationship,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul. “To those who do not, parables increase their confusion and ignorance. Thus the function of parables is both to enlighten and to conceal.”

Jesus concluded by saying, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” This statement is also recorded in Mark 4:12 and Luke 8:10.

Matthew restates this perspective of parables later on in 13:34-35. He records Jesus quoting from Psalm 78:1-2. ³⁴All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. ³⁵This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:34–35 (ESV)

Jesus spoke to the masses in parables to fulfill the Old Testament Scriptures. We will continue our examination of this prophetical passage when next we meet.

Soli deo Gloria!