Category Archives: Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Peace / Rest

Jesus Confronts Pharisees Regarding Sabbath

Jesus confronts the Pharisees regarding the law and Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-14. Jesus reminds us that He is Lord over the Sabbath and desires mercy and love to be demonstrated  more than a legalistic execution of the law regarding Sabbath.

12 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

3 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’[a] 8 For the Son of Man[b] is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

11 And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Jesus does not dismiss the Sabbath as no longer relevant… in fact, Jesus recognized the importance of Sabbath throughout His earthly ministry. However, He clearly demonstrates that it is not to be treated as a legalistic, but rather to be celebrated with mercy and love. “Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

Perhaps most disappointing, we see the hard hearts of the Pharisees. They have already decided that Jesus is not God and refuse to see the clear evidence, even as He heals yet another person right in front of them. Instead of recognizing His miracles as proof He is God, or even celebrating with the man who was healed, they are already plotting to trap and kill Jesus. There are many in the world like this today.

Observing or celebrating Sabbath is not required for salvation… that comes through grace alone by accepting Jesus Christ as lord and savior. But Jesus Himself reminds us that Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people.  We should take heed that it is important and has great potential to benefit us as God’s people.

[Mark 2:27] 27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

I have found it very enriching for my relationship with family and with God to celebrate Sabbath every week. I encourage you to consider the same for your life.

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Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Obeying God, Share the Good News

God Blesses Those Who Do Not Turn Away Because of Jesus

After preparing and sending His twelve disciples to share the good news of the gospel, Jesus also went to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. In Matthew 11:1-19 Jesus addresses some of his critics, speaks about John the Baptist, and reminds us that the prophets and law of Moses all looked forward to the coming of Jesus Christ.

11 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.

2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,[a] or should we keep looking for someone else?”

4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. 6 And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.[b]’”

7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,

‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way before you.’[c]

11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing,[d] and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.[e] 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

17 ‘We played wedding songs,
    and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
    and you didn’t mourn.’

18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man,[f] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”

I am truly impressed by John the Baptist. He spoke out openly for God to common people and leaders alike. He did not fear retribution, or if he did, he feared and trusted God more.  Even after he is thrown in jail, he refuses to stop speaking the truth. And from jail, when he hears about Jesus’ ministry… he does not send his disciples to ask for personal help to get him out of jail but rather he is still seeking to know the Messiah.  John was focused on God instead of his own life and personal circumstances.

Jesus reminds us that all of the Old Testament is a very important part of our Christian faith when He teaches that the law of Moses and prophets were looking forward to the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  We should be careful to heed this and not overlook the importance of continuing to study and learn the Old Testament along with the new. It has much to reveal about God and how He relates to His people and God’s plan for salvation through Jesus.

Once again we see the healing power of Jesus Christ recorded here. John’s disciples and others who were following Jesus were witness to the healing of the blind, the lame, the deaf, lepers, and even the dead raised. Powerful miracles, with many witnesses… yet still “violent people are attacking” the kingdom of heaven as Jesus teaches the people. Many people refuse to see the truth.

Instead of recognizing Jesus as Messiah, by the evidence He provided across many miracles and instances of healing… we see that there is such pressure to reject Jesus that He even comments specifically that God blesses those who do not turn away because of Him.

Jesus then points out the foolishness of those who speak against Him and John the Baptist… like children complaining. They are inconsistent and basically say anything to persuade people to agree with them.

“John is a demon because he does not eat and drink like us.”

“Jesus is a drunkard and glutton because he feasts and drinks.” 

 Wisdom is indeed shown to be right by its results and Jesus demonstrated many miracles and signs with many witnesses and much was documented. The Bible can be trusted.

Let us heed the words of Jesus… ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’ [Matthew 11:6]

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Discipline / Correction, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?

Scripture is Inspired By God and Useful

Far too many people dismiss the value of scripture that God provides us. Even many who claim the label of Christian still reject His holy word in the Bible and instead listen to their own opinion or that of the news or popular culture.

[2 Timothy 3:16-17] All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

[2 Peter 1:20-21]  Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

[Romans 15:4]  Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

All scripture is inspired by God and useful. It is wrong to just pick and choose which scripture in the Bible we “like” and accept those and then decide which we “do not like” and reject those.

God provides scripture to help teach us what is true… to show us when we are wrong and show us what is right. It prepares us to serve Him, and gives us hope and encouragement while we wait for His promises to be fulfilled.

We should challenge ourselves to trust God’s word is true… all of it. If we do not understand part of it, instead of rejecting it, we should invest time to study it and learn more about God. There are amazing tools that make this much easier to do online than you might expect. We have included a collection of links to helpful Bible study resources in the Study The Word section of www.HearingFromJesus.org

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Can I Trust the Bible?, Courage / Fear, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Righteousness / Serving God, Suffering / Adversity

A Righteous Man in an Unrighteous World

Genesis 14:1-16 shows us how Abram responds when war breaks out nearby and his nephew, Lot, is captured. We continue to see evidence in the writing style (e.g. specific details provided about the kings, locations and the war) that the scriptures about Abram document details of historical events and not just parables or make-believe stories.  God graciously provides us evidence that we can trust the Bible as the true and inspired word of God.

There is much more to be gained from this scripture as we study Abram’s actions and see how a man of great faith and close relationship with God deals with this difficult situation.

14 About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia,[a] King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim 2 fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).

3 This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea[b]). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him.

5 One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar.

8 Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea.[c] 9 They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. 11 The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. 12 They also captured Lot—Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned.

13 But one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies.

14 When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. 15 There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

The following are just a few observations from a quick study of the scripture.

  • In war and world events there is not always a righteous side. The scripture gives no evidence to suggest either side in the war honored God. The victors plundered the citizens and took many possessions and captives. Lots of people were hurt who really had no direct involvement in the war.
  •  Once he became aware of the situation, Abram did not hesitate. The scripture does not indicate that he stopped even to consult God.  He had an ongoing relationship with God and recognized immediately the need for action. He gathered a group of trained men in a selfless attempt to help others. Abram had nothing to gain and a lot to lose.
  • Abram could have been bitter with Lot because Lot had previously chosen the best land for himself when Abram and Lot separated earlier in Genesis. Abram was not bitter. He was content with what he had and trusted God. He loved Lot.
  • Abram used wise strategy to divide his forces and attack at night. Scripture does not say, but the opponent is described as an “army”. It is reasonable to assume they may have had more men than Abram.
  • Abram brought back Lot, the other captives, and all the possessions. As we will see in the next section of scripture, Abram refused to take any of the plunder for himself, even when it was offered to him.

As a righteous man, Abram showed courage and wisdom to confront a bad situation and took bold and selfless actions to address it. Jesus calls us as Christians to do the same in our daily lives.

Of course, we are not all called to go to war. Sometimes we have the opportunity to help individuals, churches, or local communities to address specific needs. Other times we may be called to help stop cruelty and murder in places we don’t expect… like helping to educate people on the brutality of abortion and leading them to reject it and to reject organizations that support it.

One thing we know  for sure… Jesus calls us to live differently from the world and to demonstrate God’s love and character through our actions and behaviors towards the situations around us. Abram demonstrates that beautifully in Genesis 14.

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