WORTH THINKING ABOUT IT! HOW TO KNOW WHAT THE SCRIPTURES MEAN: MATTHEW 12:1-7 One of the most interesting experience of studying the Bible is interpreting it RIGHTLY. That is quite a challenge for many people and I wont lie to you, it is quite demanding. You would have heard many people say; all you need is the Holy Spirit to interpret the Bible. The Bible itself reveals that we may need more than the Holy Spirit even though we need the Holy Spirit. Yes. we need the Holy Spirit to guide us but we can only be guided into something that can help us. The Bible says the Holy Spirit will guide into ALL TRUTH(John 16:13). All truth! That raises the question, how many truth exist? Again 1 John 2:27 confirms He the Holy Spirit will teach us all things. ALL? The Holy Spirit guides us in ALL that we need to understand Gods word and mind. And when we seek to understand the Bible text, we seek to find the ALL things that we need to understand as the Holy Spirit guides. Today Jesus explanation of a misquoted Bible text in Matthew 12:1-7 catches my attention. At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.” But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, how he entered the house of God, and they ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests alone? “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? “But I say to you that something greater than the temple is here. “But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent(Matt. 12:1-7). Jesus offered the ANATOMY or structure for understanding what is lawful and unlawful in the Bible. David and his companions ate the food belonging to the priest and when the disciples committed an act similar to Davids, the Pharisees accused them of breaking the law of God. Jesus now offered three of some of the ALL things that the Pharisees needed to understand the scriptures: 1. Understanding the scriptures require asking questions. Any meaningful Bible Study must FIRST often be an answer to a question or a resolution to an impending one. Every time Jesus explained the parable, it is often-times the result of a question or an answer to a complex perception. So ask yourself in your Bible studies, what question it is answering or what future question can it answer? 2. Understanding the scriptures requires ASKING THE RIGHT question(s). The right question is often generated by a 1.seeming contradiction, 2. an abnormal but permitted act or 3.a need to find relevance to the whole context. Jesus asked them why David was allowed to eat what rightfully belong to the Priest? That means, do not just read a Bible text- YOU MUST READ WITH WONDER. Wonder is what many of us loose when reading the Bible. Wonder why? Why did Jesus use mud or saliva or just a mere command when healing the Blind men in the Bible narrations? Wonder is the only way to asking the right question. A man with familiarity looses his or her wonder. Read John 3:16 like you have never seen it before- that is wonder. 3. Understanding the scriptures require FINDING the ultimate intention/purpose of the divine author. You will misinterpret; women shall not wear clothing that belongs to men(Deut. 22:5) if you do not understand the ultimate intention/purpose. Jesus said; “But if you had known what this means, ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT A SACRIFICE,’ you would not have condemned the innocent(Matt. 12:7). ASK+ ASK RIGHT=FINDING. David ate the food unlawful for him because the divine authors intention is to show that HE CARES. People who prophecy to you like Gods protection or love is just a recent invention, deceives you and corrupts the revelation of God. Salvation, healing, prosperity etc are all DELIBERATE DIVINE PROVISIONS not a newly manufactured experiences. The debt paid by Jesus, by His Stripes you were HEALED- it is available. The ultimate intention for the law in the Old Testament was the coming of Jesus Christ, miss that, you get stuck with rituals. So when you read the Bible, FIND THE ULTIMATE INTENTION and you will be able to find the ultimate intention by knowing the CONCERN of God. It has not changed from the time of creation till today. God created man to be in His image and LIKENESS. John 3:16 says For God so Love the world that he gave His First begotten son.... Only Jesus appeared with the Image and likeness of God. God is still looking for people with His image and Likeness. That is what discipleship does- MAKES MEN INTO HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. It is the divine concern. The temple was so sacred in Matthew 12 and so the Jews trusted its reverence. Jesus is greater than the temple- His presence and person must receive the ultimate reverence and if His desire is compassion(feel our pain and share our aches)- then He ultimately determines who is justified not the traditions of Sabbath. Now will you read the Bible armed with some of these truth needed as the Holy Spirit guides you. Shalom! (c) Bishop Ponle Alabi copeainc
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:34:03 +0000
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