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January
25
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Reading
1 - Genesis 41
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here to Listen
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v.14
- The word for dungeon (bowr)
was a word meaning 'pit' or 'cistern'. It was different
from ordinary prison in being more severe as a place of punishment. It consisted
of a deep well or cistern (Jer.38:6)
and it was a punishment common in Egypt - Gen.39:20,
40:3, here, 42:19. Here's food for thought though - and there can
be no references for this! - it is NOT mentioned in
the Law of Moses as a form of punishment. This makes imprisonment a human
method of punishment, of which God does not approve. Perhaps now we realise
some of the reasons why people rejoiced in God while they were there.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.46
- We are given Joseph's age here as 30 - significant in itself, as it was
the age that Jesus started his ministry. The last time we were given his
age he was seventeen and looking after the flocks (37:2).
What a lot has happened in just 13 years!
Peter Cresswell |
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From the
way in which Joseph speaks to Pharaoh and suggests that he appoint someone
to oversee the years of plenty it seems that Joseph did not consider that
he should do that job. Whilst anyone with the skills could have done it
Joseph had to be the one appointed in readiness for the arrival of his brothers.
Again the angels were at work!
Peter
Forbes |
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:2
So two years passes - and Joseph languishes - but still believes in his
God. The time is coming when Joseph who has been 'tried' by the word of
God (Psalm
105:19) was to move to the next stage of his work of delivering his
brethren.
Peter
Forbes |
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Genesis
41 - Joseph is now in his thirtieth year. He
has been in prison a long time, serving time for a crime that he never
committed. At least two years have passed since he told the meaning of
dreams to the butler and the baker. We know not how long before that incident
he had been incarcerated. What a long time for Joseph to experience the
sickness of hope deferred! But the time of his enlargement came when he
had sufficiently learned the lessons of God designed for him; and the
plans of Providence were matured. Thirteen
years have passed since he was forcibly removed from his family dwelling
in Canaan. Where were you 13 years ago? Could you imagine being so long
separated from those you love? How would you or I have handled the incredible
loneliness, the isolation, and the absence of familiar sights, sounds,
smells and mode of worship?
�
Genesis
41:34 - "and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt
in the seven plenteous years" -��It has been asked,
why an half part was not ordered to be�bought up by Pharaoh, since
there were to be as many years of famine as of plenty?�To this it
is�could be�replied, that besides this fifth part taken up,
as there might be an old stock of former years, so there would be something
considerable remain of these seven years of plenty, which men of substance
would lay up, as Pharaoh did. Besides, a fifth part might be equal to
the crop of an ordinary year, or near it: to which may be added, that
in times of famine men live more sparingly, as they are obliged, and therefore
such a quantity would go the further; as well as it may be considered,
that notwithstanding the barrenness of the land in general, yet in some
places, especially on the banks of the Nile, some corn might be produced
during the general famine; so that upon the whole a fifth part might be
judged sufficient to answer the extremity of the seven years of famine,
and even to allow a distribution to other countries, which it obviously
did.
�
Genesis
41:42 - "fine linen" - all will recognise that
such material as is described here, is the�type of material used�of
the priests covering garments. So once again, Joseph is elevated to a
position of priesthood, further evidence of which, is his marriage to
Asenath in v45.
Asenath is a Gentile Bride, taken from a priestly family,�one fit
for a faithful young man who has maintained his integrity and his virginity,
despite being seemingly abandoned by his family and his God.
�
Genesis
41:45 - "Zaphnath-paaneah" - The meaning of this
Egyptian name has been given as "Saviour of the World." Joseph,
"The Increaser" has been true to his Jewish name also.
He has increased in favour with God and with man, his work is about to
increase the exposure of the Gospel that was preached to Abraham his great
grandfather. His policies will increase the provision necessary to feed
and sustain the "world" through a long cycle of drought. Next to Pharaoh,
he is King and he is also a Priest - a King-Priest with policies uncommon
to man, able to "heal" the sickness of Egypt's malady, when the drought
became fully manifest. In so many ways, this young man is a thought provoking
type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Cliff
York
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Reading
2 - Psalm 45
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here to Listen
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v.1-5
It is hard to think what these words could have meant to David at the time,
but to us it is obvious that he is speaking under inspiration about Christ,
in a similar way to the way that Solomon did later throughout his song.
This Psalm (as Bro. Peter says below) is a Psalm
of the resurrection, and as such, these five verses tell us of Jesus' triumph
over sin. Read them again in that context. I'm sure you'll agree.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.7
- The concept of righteousness is the concept of the kingdom here, and there
is at least an indirect reference to the kingdom age each time we read the
word righteousness, as that is the time when righteous reign will occur
(Psa.33:5,
99:4). This perhaps gives a little insight into the words of Jesus at
his baptism (Matt.3:15).
We are reminded on a number of occasions to love righteousness and hate
iniquity e.g. Amos
5:15, Heb.1:9
Peter Cresswell
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What
was the first thing Jesus would smell on the resurrection morning? Psalm
45:8 'all thy
garments smell of myrrh and aloes'� Psalm 45 is a Psalm
of the resurrection. [Heb.1:9]
which is speaking of the risen Christ. Myrrh and aloes
occur together rarely in Scripture Psalm
45:8 Prov.7:17 SofS.4:14 John 19:39. The Song of Solomon reference
shows that the bridegroom views� the bride, still in her mortal state,
as having the 'odour of� the resurrection'
45:13
06441�-
'Within' - used exclusively of the temple/tabernacle. Lev.10:18
1Kings�6:18,19,21,29,30 2Kings� 7:11 2Chron. 3:4� 29:16,18,
here, Eze. 40:16, 41:3. The 'king's daughter' is the ecclesia
which is 'the temple of the living God' [2Cor.6:16]
I am sure you will see the beauty of these points.� had you ever
wondered what Jesus smelt on the resurrection morning?� He would
awake to the realisation that he was alive for evermore.� The first
certain proof that his confidence was justified.� Then the odour
of the myrrh and aloes and his mind would go to Psalm 45 and, I suggest,
SofS.4:14.
Thinking of the ecclesia that he had 'bought' may well have caused him
to think on Psalm
22:22 'I
will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the ecclesia will
I sing praise unto thee'� Also Psalm
31:5 'thou
hast redeemed me ...' continuing the verse which he quoted in his
dying moments on the cross 'into thy hands I commit my spirit ...'
[Luke
23:46]. Wonderful!!!
Peter Forbes
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Psalm
45 - "To the chief musician upon Shoshannim" -
(beginning of Psalm 45) properly belongs as a subscription of Psalm 44.
"For the sons of Korah, a Maschil (teaching song),
A Song of loves" is the superscription and the true�beginning
of Psalm 45. Whilst this Psalm (45) was probably written to commemorate
an event now in the past, the tone and subject of this Psalm tell us much
about Christ's union to His Bride in the very near future.
�
Psalm
45:12 -�"And the daughter of Tyre shall be
there with a gift" -�In the time of the psalmist,
Tyre was probably the most wealthy and luxurious commercial town then
existing; and it is referred to here as meaning that persons of highest
rank, and of the greatest riches, and those who were surrounded most by
affluence and luxury, would come to honour the king [Solomon &
his marriage to Pharaoh's daughter?] �Even the daughter of the
magnificent prince of Tyre would deem it an honour to be present with
a gift becoming her exalted station, and properly representing the wealth
of a king of so much magnificence. This is the imagery. As applied to�Messiah,
it is a description of the honour which would be shown to "Him" by those
of highest rank and largest wealth. Compare Isaiah
60. Some think that the prophetic application of this reference here,
is to Britain at least, if not to all those English speaking, and sympathetic
trading nations who will have vast stores of wealth�available for
the King's enterprises when He has taken His Bride out of all the nations
to Himself, and established His Father's glory here on earth.
Cliff
York
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Reading
3 - Matthew 27
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here to Listen
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v.9,10.
In actual fact this prophecy is not recorded in Jeremiah. He must have said
it as well, but our record is in Zech.11:12-13.
It is a pretty amazing piece of prophecy nevertheless. If we are looking
for detailed prophecy to prove things to our friends, here is, I suggest,
a good place to turn. How could such accurate details be written all those
years previously without the hand of God to guide it?
Peter Cresswell |
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:24
In washing his hands and speaking of the innocent blood of Jesus Pilate
is invoking the provision [Deuteronomy
21:6-8] given in the law when a dead body is found near to a city. In
making this appeal Pilate both shows he awareness of the Jewish law and
dissociated himself from the actions - though of course he was still culpable
for Jesus' death
Peter
Forbes |
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:62
In saying 'Answerest thou nothing' we see that Jesus stood silent. We might
think of
Isaiah 53:7 but also look at Psalm 39 as a commentary of the behaviour
of Jesus and others at the trials.
Peter
Forbes |
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| v.3-8
- Difficulties appear when comparing with Acts
1:18. The first is who bought the field, the Priests or Judas. The second
is what funds Judas used to puchase the 'field', thirdly whether Judas 'hanged
himself' (Matthew) or 'fell headlond and burst asunder' (Acts). And lastly
we shall note that in both instances reference is to 'the field of blood'.
The first
two are resolved by noting that the Greek word for field in Matthew is
'agros', commonly meaning a piece of ground as normally meant by 'field'.
That in Acts is 'chorion' better rendered by our word 'smallholding'.
That they are different transactions is emphasised by the different verbs
applied to the aquisitions. The priests 'bought', Greek 'agorazo'= 'to
buy on the in the open market' whereas Judas 'purchased', Greek 'ktomai',=
to aquire for oneself (from 'ktema'= a possession'). It seems likely therefore
that Acts is recording what has only now become apparent, that (John
12:6) 'Judas was a thief', and that he had been salting away funds
over a long peiod to aquire this smallholding for a personal possession
(remember it was said of all the apostles 'we have left all and followed
thee').
The rather
gruesome explanation of the details of Judas' death may now be reconciled
thus. Judas in his remorse fled to his smallholding, remote from the city,
and there hanged himself and was not found for some time. His body may
well have hung and decayed there in isolation, until the rope rotted and
he fell headlong with the associated detail of Acts
1:18, and was subsequently found..
The apparent
problem of two separate parcels of ground being called 'the field of blood
is answered by the note earlier that the words for field are different.
One became known as the 'field of blood', the other, 'Aceldama' was the
'smallholding of blood' fboth so called for different reasons, points
so clear in the Greek as to allow no confusion See Sidlow Baxter, 'Studies
in Problem Texts'.
Derek
Palmer
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Matthew
27:1 - "When the morning was come" - This was not long
after Jesus had been condemned by the Sanhedrin. Peter�s last denial was
probably not far from three o�clock a. m., or near the break of day. As
soon as it was light, the Jews consulted together for the purpose of taking
his life. The sun rose at that season of the year in Judea not far from
five o�clock a.m., and the time when they assembled, therefore, was not
long after Peter�s denial.
"The
chief priests and elders of the people took counsel" - They had,�at
his illegal�trial -�Matthew
26:65-66 - agreed that he deserved to die, "on a charge
of blasphemy;" yet they did not dare to put him to death
by stoning, as they did afterward Stephen -�Acts
7 - and as the law commanded in case of blasphemy, for they feared
the people. They therefore "consulted," or took counsel together, to determine
on what pretence they could deliver Him to the Roman emperor, or to fix
some charge of a civil nature by which Pilate might be induced to condemn
Him. The charge which they fixed on was not that on which they had tried
Him, and on which they had determined He ought to die, but "that
of perverting the nation, and of forbidding to give tribute to Caesar,"
-�Luke
23:2. On this accusation, if made out, they supposed Pilate could
be induced to condemn Jesus. On a charge of "blasphemy" they knew he could
not, as that was not an offence against the Roman laws, and over which,
therefore, Pilate claimed no jurisdiction.
"To
put him to death" - Having got Jesus in their clutches at last,
they were desperate to devise some way by which He might be put to death
under the authority of the Roman governor.
Matthew
27:38 - Why was�Jesus crucified between two
thieves? Do they represent Adam and Eve who grasped at equality with the
Elohim [angels] in the beginning? - Genesis
3:22.�Or do the two thieves represent Jew and Gentile, both of
whom have robbed God of HIS glory betimes? Or maybe they represent those
who cannot repent, and those who do repent at last? To be certain, we
are all "thieves" having robbed God of the full influence HE might have
had in each of our lives. One wonders what was going through the minds
of James and John and Jesus' Aunty Salome as they viewed this horrific
scene, for it was they who had petitioned Jesus for the right and left
hand positions in His cabinet should the Kingdom have been established
at that time. No wonder Jesus had admonished them, "ye know not
what ye ask" - Matthew
20:20-24.
Cliff
York
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