Engraving of “Jonah Cast Out by the Big Fish” published in “The Story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation” Published by Charles Foster in 1883. The engraving is now in the public domain.
Introduction
The Book of Jonah is read every year to the assembled congregations of the Jewish people in their synagogues, all over the world, on the afternoon of Yom Kippur to the present day. Yom Kippur, יוֹם כִּפּוּר (Yōm Kippūr), which means ’Day of Atonement‘, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism, which occurs on the 10th day of the seventh month (Tishri). The central themes of Yom Kippur are:
Atonement (which God ordained to include a sacrificial “offering made by fire unto the LORD“)
Self-reflection (which God ordained to include self affliction of one’s soul)
Sabbath Day of Rest and Repentance.
This special sabbath day was established by God in Leviticus 23:26–32 and Numbers 29:7–11, during the time of Israelites exodus wilderness sojourn. Today, the Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast, confession, and intensive prayer…often spending most of the day in synagogue services that include five distinct prayer and reading sessions.
Following the afternoon reading (Minchah) from the book of Jonah, the concluding prayer service of Yom Kippur, Neilah ( נְעִילָה, meaning ‘locking’), involves final prayers of repentance leading up to the “closing of the gates” at sunset, which is followed by the shofar blast, marking the end of the fast, victory over the devil, and heralding the promise of a sweet new year.
Notably, the one thing that is missing is the obligatory atoning sacrifice of “one young bullock, one ram, [and] seven lambs“, to be the “offering made by fire unto the LORD.” Due to the absence of a functioning earthly Temple, the substitute being currently offered is that which can be viewed as conforming to Hosea 14:2, “Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive [us] graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.” Repentance is good, but it cannot atone for one’s sins. The problem is that no one, no matter how repentant, with or without animal sacrifices, can sufficiently atone for his or her own sins, that is why there is such a desperate need for a sin bearer; a Savior, Who is only the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why Jonah? How Does He Relate to Atonement?
The Book of Jonah is often dismissed by many people (regardless of their religious beliefs) as nothing more than a fanciful “fish story”, and thus having no basis in reality. It has also been downplayed by some professing Christians as not having any intrinsic spiritual value beyond the obvious in the historical account as provided in the Bible and Jesus’ reference to it. Nonetheless, it can be shown that the Book of Jonah is not only a true historical account (and NOT some fairytale), but, even more importantly, that God perfectly, Spiritually, crafted both the historical account, and the recording of it, to serve as a “Sign” (as an Historical Parable) pointing everyone to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice.
So, Yes, God orchestrated the historical events described in the Book of Jonah and the recording of them, such that they would directly relate not just to “atonement”, but more specifically point to Jesus and His Atoning Sacrificial Work.
The “Sign” of the Prophet Jonah Points to the Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ! “Behold, A Greater Than Jonah [Is] Here“!
The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:22, “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:” and Jesus specifically said that Jonah was the only “sign” that the Jews would be given in both Matthew 12:39-41, “But he (Jesus) answered and said unto them , An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:For as Jonas (Jonah) was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas (Jonah) [is] here.” and in Matthew 16:4, when the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus for a sign, He said, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas (Jonah). And he (Jesus) left them, and departed.“
In Luke 11:29&30, Jesus provides additional insights, “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas wasa sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.” And then, as was just noted above in Matthew, to underscore the point, Jesus said in Luke 11:32, “The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.“
The Greek word Jesus used is σημεῖον (sēmeion)G4592, rendered in the King James as : sign (50x), miracle (23x), wonder (3x), token (1x). The Jews were asking for a visible miracle. To believe by seeing is not believing by faith, and Jesus treated the Jews demand as the mark of the unregenerate/unsaved. Yet God did give them a “Sign”…The Sign of the prophet Jonah.
That is why Jonah belongs with Yom Kippur—and why the choice is so ironic. Jonah was appointed by God to serve as a prophetic “Sign” of The Messiah, Who Is Jesus Christ, Who epitomizes “Atonement”. Jesus paid the full Atonement price for the sins of His people (the Eternal Israel of God), through His sacrifice as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), fulfilling Passover in the first month of the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur points forward to the Final Atonement, the Last Day (John 12:48), the time when God’s Plan of Salvation ends, at the sound of Last Trumpet, when the Gates of Heaven will be closed (and all the Believers are secured). It foreshadows the day when all those who remain unsaved will have to atone for their sins by themselves for an eternity in Hell.
The Book of Jonah Provides a True Historical Account Based Upon Jesus’ Own Statements
Jesus’ own words establish that:
Jonah was a real historical person,
Jonah was a real prophet, who preached to Nineveh, and they repented (and they were not destroyed),
Jonah was actually swallowed by a great fish/whale,
Jonah suffered there three days and three nights, and
Jonah served as a “sign” pointing to Jesus. Anyone who disbelieves the book of Jonah ischallenging the validity of God’s Word.
The very first verse of Jonah, Jonah 1:1 provides immediate useful insights on how perfectly Jonah serves as a “Sign” pointing to Jesus:
The Word of the LORD (יְהֹוָה (Yᵊhōvâ))H3068 came to Jonah, hence Jonah was indeed a prophet of God.
Jonah (יוֹנָה (yônâ))H3124, which means “Dove” (or “Turtledove” of “Pigeon”) a “sacrificial animal” for the poor and leprous. (Jesus is identified in Revelation 13:8 as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world“, and lambs, like doves, are sacrificial animals for sin.)
Jonah’s father was named Amittai (אֲמִתַּי (‘ămitay))H573, which means “Faithful”, “Trustworthy”, “True”, or “My Truth”.
2 Kings 14:25 tells us “Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gathhepher.“Gathepher (“winepress of shame”) was a village adjacent to what later became known as Nazareth. The same town where Jesus was raised and began His Ministry.
A Little Discussed Great Conversion in the Book of Jonah: We should also note that the mariners’ plight in Jonah 1:3-16 (when the ship was hit with the tempest of God’s wrath) forms a second, smaller picture of the same Salvation Gospel: their idols failed, the truth was spoken to them by a prophet of God, the substitute is given up, the storm stops because of the sacrificial atonement of Jonah (Jesus), and then the men fear the LORD, and make vows to Him only.
A Christian reader may well ask why God instituted a Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in addition to Passover. Passover was not only the day in Moses’ time when the Angel of Death saw the blood of the unblemished lamb placed upon the doorposts of Israelite homes and “passed over”; it was also the very day that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, died on the cross to atone for the sins of God’s people. In effect God created two Days of Atonement—and therefore two Judgment Days—one for the saved, and one for the unsaved.
Judgment Day #1 is Passover. Jesus became the Sin-Bearer and was judged for the sins of His Elect, His Church, His Bride, the Eternal Israel of God (past, present, and future). His resurrection proved the payment was made in full. Easter Sunday also opened the New Testament era that continues until the Last Day.
Judgment Day #2 is typified by Yom Kippur. God placed it in the seventh month, at harvest time, marking the end of the world as Jesus said in Matthew 13:39. It points to the Last Day. All who remain unsaved when that day is fulfilled must atone for their own sins with no Savior in their place.
Conclusion
The choice of Judaism to choose the Book of Jonah to read on Yom Kippur is most fitting. This is because:
The salvation of both Nineveh and a group of mariners was because of the “sacrifice” of Jonah being thrown into the sea and in the “belly of Hell” “forever” (picturing an atoning offering made by fire) within the temporal space of three days and three nights.
The prophet Jonah is the very “sign” that Jesus referenced as pertaining to Himself and to His Atoning death and Resurrection establishing that Jesus was victorious over sin and death.
Therefore the book of Jonah provides insights on the only way that anyone can avoid “atoning” for his or her own sins when the final trumpet blows and when the doors to Heaven are shut.
If only the readers of Jonah would understand the reality that Jonah was used by God to typify (be a “sign” pointing to) the Person and Work of the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can be the “offering made by fire” to pay the full atonement price for the sins of any and all those who believe on Him. And just as Jonah cried from within the belly of the great fish/whale in Jonah 2:9, “Salvation [is] oftheLORD.“
The earthly Jonah may have been rebellious or fearful in apparently seeking to elude God’s providence, but God still used Jonah as a “sign” to represent Jesus Christ: leaving the Father’s presence, entering the storm of wrath, being cast out into the sea, being sacrificed so that others would live, spending three days and three nights in what Jonah’s prayer identifies as “Hell” “forever” (Jonah 2:2 & 2:6), rising again to life, and sending a warning to the Gentile world. Because of God’s benevolence, those who hear, repent, and cry out to God for mercy are spared. Those who will not repent, and do not trust in God’s Son as the atoning “offering made by fire” for their sins, will bear their own judgment.
That is why the same holy day, Yom Kippur, can look so different depending on one’s perspective. While it is clear that Yom Kippur points to the Last Day…
With Christ, the Atonement Day (Judgment Day #1) already happened at the Cross on Passover in 33 AD; Yom Kippur, while still prefiguring the Last Day, is no longer to be feared as Judgment Day, but as the day that sorrow will be turned to joy when Jesus returns on the clouds of glory to take His people up to Heaven to be with Him for eternity! .
Apart from Christ, Yom Kippur remains a day of mourning and affliction: a Day of Atonement (to remind us that no one can possibly pay the price for sin, no matter how repentant one might be). Sadly it is only typifying the affliction of souls that will begin when Jesus returns as Judge of Judgment Day #2.
For that reason, perhaps the believer should instead look at Yom Kippur as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Jesus for His victory over the devil, his minions, and our sin-cursed flesh. The payment of sin has been paid in full by Jesus for the believer. There is no longer any fear of death for the believer, as only Jesus and His Heavenly Kingdom awaits. Yom Kippur should therefore be more of a day for feasting and joy, similar to when God saved His people from a prefigurement of the last day in Esther 9:22: “As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.“
And speaking of “Atonement”, there is another place where we can find it in the Bible…”Atonement” was there, hidden, in Noah’s Ark!
The message that this review seeks to leave with the reader is the same warning preached by Jonah to Nineveh. Judgment Day, the final Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), is coming, and it will not be postponed forever. In John 14:6, we read “Jesus saith unto him (Thomas), I am theway, thetruth, andthelife: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Have you made peace with God for your sins through the Atoning Sacrificial Work of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you have, then Yom Kippur (representing the Last Day) will not be a day of mourning and condemnation, but rather a day of rejoicing and salvation!
Much has been made of Jesus’ miracles from a purely literal, temporal point of view. One of the better-known miracles is the feeding of about five thousand people with five barley loaves and two small fish, recorded in all four of the New Testament Gospels (Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17, and John 6:1–15). Afterward the disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftover fragments.
Many treat this miracle (and others) as little more than a demonstration that Jesus is the Creator. That is not its primary purpose. While the event had a real earthly setting and a real physical result, it is also an Historical Parable. It carries deeper spiritual meaning that Scripture itself interprets.
John 6:1&2 places the scene by the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). A great crowd followed Jesus because they had seen His healings. “¶After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is [the sea] of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”
Then “Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.” (John 6:3). This is not an attempt to escape the people. Mountains or the mountain was a place to where Jesus resorted to commune with The Father. More broadly, it can refer to Heavenly Realm (Luke 6:12).
John 6:4 inserts an important note: “¶And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.“ was a meal, instituted by God, prepared in haste when God delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. The entire feast was typifying and commemorating God’s salvation through the redemption from death of the first born, and the necessity of blood atonement in the sacrifice of a lamb without blemish.
By Jesus’ day the feast had generally become a mere cultural ceremony. The language “a feast of the Jews” (compare John 5:1) distinguishes it from the true “feasts of the Lord.” However, Jesus is about to demonstrate, by way of a new miracle/sign, a feast that points to the salvation of the true eternal Israel of God from every nation.
In John 6:5, we read, “When Jesus then lifted up [his] eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?“
The initial part of the verse is a bit strange considering the context. If Jesus and His disciples had gone up into a mountain, then anyone who followed Jesus would have been ascending from below. Jesus lifting His eyes to see the approaching multitude (John 6:5) maybe a hint that Jesus, referring to him, seeing among those following him, individuals who truly belong to His Heavenly Kingdom.—the “cloud of witnesses” of Hebrews 12:1.
Philip (Φίλιππος (philippos)G5376, “lover of horses”) was recruited to be one of Jesus’ Apostles in Matthew 10:3, and was from Bethsaida, in Galilee (the city of Andrew and Peter; John 1:43), and would have known local markets.
“Buy” (ἀγοράζω (agorazō)G59) can also mean “redeem.”
“Bread” (ἄρτος (artos)G740) is both ordinary food and a symbol of Christ and His Word.
Jesus asked Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But Jesus, Who already knew what He would do; He asked “to prove him” as we read in John 6:6, “And this he (Jesus) said to prove him (Philip): for he himself knew what he would do.“
Philip answers, in John 6:7, that two hundred pennyworth—roughly two hundred days’ wages—would not buy even a little for each person: “¶Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” [Note that the word “pennyworth” is in the original Greek, δηνάριον (dēnarion)G1220, which means “containing ten”, and the denarius was the principal silver coin of the Roman empire or about a days wage according to the parable in Matthew 20:2-13.] Man’s resources cannot feed this multitude.
Jesus instructs later in John 6:27, “Labour (earn wages) not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
Note also that the “200” pennyworth is 2 x 10 x 10 and is therefore suggestive of a “complete” “witness” to what is in view, given what we can glean regarding the use of Numbers in the Bible.
Andrew reports,”…There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” Barley is the first grain to ripen each year (2 Samuel 21:9) and is associated with the season of Pentecost / the Feast of Firstfruits. The scene therefore looks ahead to the harvest of souls that begins at Pentecost in 33 AD (Acts 2:1-47) when 3000 were saved.
“Two” (found both in the “two” hundred pennyworth and the two fishes) is representative of being a “Witness“.
[Note also the role played by the “barely harvest” in the Book of Ruth here: The Threshing Floor of God.]
We have already been put on notice that there might be something in this historical parable that is pointing to us to the Feast of Pentecost…or more simply, “The First Harvest”. Could it be that we are being prepared to see a miracle that is pointing us to the means and method of evangelizing the world as represented by “Galilee of the Nations” (Isaiah 9:1)?
John 6:10, “¶And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.“
Jesus instructs for the men to sit on the grass—about five thousand. The grass provides the “comfort” to those who sat down to “eat”. Much like Psalm 23:2, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.“
Note that the “number“, ἀριθμός (arithmos)G706 was “about” “five thousand“. In a previous study it was shown that Numbers in the Bible Convey Spiritual Concepts. We should note that 5000 is 5 x 1000 (or 10x 10 x 10). “Five” in the Bible (as with the five barley loaves) can picture “grace” for those who are saved, or “judgment” to those who are condemned, as we are taught in the “Parable of the Ten Virgins” [five wise (saved) opposed to five foolish (condemned)]. “Ten” or its multiple, athousand can refer to the totality (in number), especially, as we read in Revelation 20:1&2, which describes the total time of the New Testament Era.” The seated multitude can therefore represent the corporate church, elect and non-elect, collectively fed throughout the Gospel era from throughout the whole world.
Jesus’ Prayer of Thanks:
John 6:11, “And Jesus took the loaves (ἄρτος (artos))G740; and when he had given thanks (εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō))G2168, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would (θέλω (thelō))G2309.”
Jesus gives thanks (εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō))G2168and distributed the loaves/bread and the fishes to both the disciples and to those who sat down “as much as they would“. There are several spiritual implications that we can draw from this verse.
Jesus Is Eternal God, and as we read in James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Therefore, Jesus in His submission to, and recognition of, His Father’s Gifts, gave “Thanks“.
The word translated as “when he had given thanks” is from the original Greek word, εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō)G2168 —the same word used at the Last Supper, in Mark 14:23, “And he (Jesus) took the cup, and when he had given thanks, εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō)G2168, he (Jesus) gave [it] to them (the disciples): and they all drank of it.” Thus we are provided a subtle link to the Holy Eucharist, where in Jesus instituted “the Lord’s Supper”, that Jesus provided to His beloved church with a perpetual, continual, remembrance meal of “thanks” for His Atoning Sacrifice. The bread representing His Body and the wine representing His shed Blood.
The Lord’s Supper is not the only time or way that for the believer to remember God’s gifts and to be thankful, but it was instituted by Jesus to make sure the believers remember THE GIFT, Who is Jesus, and His Atoning Sacrifice for their sins that grants the believer eternal life as we read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
Indeed at every opportunity, but especially, at the eating of every meal (which is a shadow of God’s continual feeding of our souls), we should always “give thanks.” Psalm 55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.“
The word translated as “would” is (θέλω (thelō))G2309, which can also be translated as “intended”, “willed”, or “desired”. It hearkens us back to the bread from Heaven, the “manna”, that God provided as a gift to the Israelites in their wilderness sojourn where we read in both Exodus 16:18, “And when they did mete [it] with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.” and in 2 Corinthians 8:15, “As it is written, He that [had gathered] much had nothing over; and he that [had gathered] little had no lack.” So all the people were satisfied by what was provided to each from the five loaves and two fishes and no one lacked for hunger.
Abundance, but Nothing Lost
John 6:12, “When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)G622.” The original Greek word translated as “lost” is the compound word, ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)G622, which is formed by the combination of “apo“, which means “away”, and “ollymi”, which means “destroy” as in “cast away to perish and be destroyed”. The King James translators interpreted ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi)G622 variously as: perish (33x), destroy (26x), lose (22x), be lost (5x), lost (4x),
Note how this also relates to John 6:37-39, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (ἐκβάλλω (ekballō))G1544. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))G622 nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
John 6:13, “Therefore they gathered [them] together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” The amount leftover far exceeded that was available from the start.
“Twelve” (the number of baskets filled with leftovers) is a number that represents “Fullness“, which in this case points to the fact that the food was fully sufficient for the feeding and that none was destroyed. The number 12 is the number assigned to the corporate body of Christ, the church of God, like the 12 tribes, the 12 Apostles. This is another hidden point, that Christ’s Church, which is being fully built beginning with His First Advent, will have sufficient gospel “food” and it (the church and it’s message) will not be destroyed.
Spiritual Meaning of the Elements
Loaves/Bread. We should already be thinking that this relates directly to Jesus:
In John 6:35, we read, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.“
In John 6:48, Jesus said, “I am that bread of life.”
In John 6:51, Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.“
And we also know that Jesus is the Word incarnate as we read in John 1:14, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.“
We also know that “bread” typifies the Word of God as we read in Matthew 4:4, “¶But he (Jesus) answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” and in Amos 8:11&12, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].
We should also be aware that the loaves can be a symbol that Jesus gave to depict His Body, the Body of Christ, which is the church, the body of believers. Therefore loaves/bread not only represent The Word, but also those who possess it and bear it!
Fishes. Jesus as the Creator, particularly designed and created fish, and hence fishing, from the beginning of Creation. The spiritual purpose being to depict and teach about the evangelism of mankind.
Men are represented by fish to be caught.
Fish live in the waters/seas which are spiritual representations of the world.
Jesus called and ordained fishermen (Simon Peter and his brother Andrew) to be his disciples and were explicitly told by Jesus that they would be fishers of men in Mark 1:16, “¶Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.“
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has also been likened to a net that catches the fish of God, men’s souls, who are the evangelized. And the fishers of men, the believers, who preach the Gospel, are the evangelists.
Conclusion
The miracle of the feeding of the five thousand is not about producing food from almost nothing. It is Jesus teaching, by deed, the Gospel message of why He came and how His Church will play the primary role in the distribution of that message, both to save and nurture His Elect People (made up of multitudes of mankind out of the whole world).
So then we can see that the various factors in this historical narrative each form a piece of a puzzle that together complete a spiritual message:
The “Multitude” = humanity to be evangelized.
The “Hunger= the to be fed” equates to the spiritual need everyone has for the Word of God for salvation, the Bread of Life, that is the only sustenance that can bring eternal life.
The small supply = the seemingly inadequate gospel and the relatively few messengers; God nevertheless provides enough for the whole New Testament. The twelve baskets leftover declare that Christ’s provision for His people is more than sufficient, and that not one fragment of His saving work will be lost. And we also know from Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.“
“Nothing be lost” = the Father’s will that of all given to the Son, none should perish.
John 17:12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost(ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))G622, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.” and in
John 18:9, “That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))G622none.”
Again, as noted earlier in John 6:39, Jesus said, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose (ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi))G622nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.“
We are introduced to a man named Baruch in the Book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Baruch served as the scribe and servant/confidant/friend of the prophet Jeremiah. As Jeremiah received messages from the Lord, Jeremiah would evidently dictate them to Baruch, who would then write them down on scrolls.
The Book of Jeremiah was written in the era roughly spanning the period between 609 BC just before Jerusalem was first captured by Babylon and later entirely destroyed in 587 BC. The historical essence of the book of Jeremiah involves Jeremiah’s pronouncement that the king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would be victorious against Israel and conquer Jerusalem and all of Judea. That foretold destruction was the consequence of God’s anger toward the Jewish people because of their adulterous pagan practices and the failure of both the secular and religious leadership of Judah. That message was not met with repentance, but rather only more rebellion against both God and His messengers (both Jeremiah, and his faithful scribe Baruch).
The very first mention of Baruch is in Jeremiah 32:6-15, where Jeremiah is told by God to buy a piece of land, and Jeremiah then assigns Baruch to handle all of the legal requirements regarding the deed. In Jeremiah 32:12, we read, “And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s [son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.” The purpose of this transaction was to be a clear public testimony by God that He would bring back a remnant of His people to restore the land of Israel and that normal temporal activities would resume (which did certainly follow after seventy years of prophesied captivity Jeremiah 29:10).
This was a God ordained prophetic act: “For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.“
Then in chapter 36, Jeremiah was commanded to write down all the words the Lord gives him. It seems clear that the command was not that Jeremiah himself commit the words to the scroll because he called on Baruch to do the actual writing:
Jeremiah 36:1, “¶And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, [that] this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Take thee a roll of a book, and write there in all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. ¶Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.“
Once those words were inscribed, they were required to be read to the people. However, Jeremiah was prohibited from entering the temple grounds, due to previous altercations with the Jewish leadership, so he sent Baruch to read the message to all who would listen.
Jeremiah 36:5-8, “And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I [am] shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great [is] the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people. And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’S house.“
Some of the leaders heard what Baruch read and asked him to read it to them again, which he did (Jeremiah 36:11-15). We then read in Jeremiah 36:16, “¶Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words.“
Then they asked Baruch about the source of the prophecy, and Baruch explained that Jeremiah had dictated all the words and that Baruch had written them in ink on the scroll (Jeremiah 36:17-19, “And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote [them] with ink in the book. ¶Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.” We also read in Jeremiah 36:26, that “the LORD hid them“, “But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.”
However, the leaders kept the scroll to read to the king. During the course of their audience with the king, every time several columns (“leaves”) had been read, the king cut them with a knife from the scroll and threw them into the fire. Eventually, the whole scroll had been burned up, but not before the king heard the word of the Lord (Jeremiah 36:20-23).
After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah as we read in Jeremiah 36:27, “¶Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David:and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. ¶Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.” Burning the scroll could do nothing to prevent the words from coming to pass, and thus a new scroll was prepared. God’s Word will endure forever as Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Shooting the Messenger: Falsely Accusing Baruch of Deceit
Later in Jeremiah 43:1-3, we read where Jeremiah brings Word from God that the people still residing in Jerusalem and Judea must submit to capture by the Babylonians and not flee to Egypt. They dismissed Jeremiah’s warnings as not being from God but rather a deceitful and treasonous effort by Baruch to coerce Jeremiah to say those words to put them into captivity in Babylon: “¶And it came to pass, [that] when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, [even] all these words, Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.“
Jeremiah Chapter 45 is Entirely Focused on Baruch
Baruch had his name besmirched as both a collaborator with Israel’s enemy (Babylon) and an instigator for alleged false prophesy by Jeremiah, and was most likely not happy about it while also fearing for his life (Jeremiah and Baruch fled and were hid by God according to Jeremiah 36:17-19, and 26.
Baruch was deeply grieved for having heard all the words of God at the voice of Jeremiah in advance (circa 607 BC) and written these woeful prophesies of Judgment upon the apostate Jews (his people). God then dedicated six verses that form the entirety of Chapter 45 (Jeremiah 45:1-6) to Baruch, to make a point that holds particular salience for all believers today…in these very last days before the final Judgment Day.
From Jeremiah 43:8 and all the way to the end of Jeremiah chapter 44 (Jeremiah 44:30), great calamities were also prophesied by God via Jeremiah including the death and destruction to all but a remnant of the Jews. Also prophesied was the destruction of the Egyptian empire and the capture and killing of the Egyptian Pharaoh by Babylon.
Then in about 587 BC, when all the Jews ignored God’s warnings (Jeremiah 44:16,) both Jeremiah and Baruch were taken into Taphenes in Egypt, where all those remaining in Judea had fled.
Baruch Was “Blessed” and Exemplary of Every “Child of God“
We need to stop for a moment to look closely at the name Baruch in the original Hebrew, which is בָּרוּךְ (bārûḵ)H1263, and we find that it means “Blessed“. According to Jeremiah 32:12, Baruch was also the son of Neriah, and the grandson or Maaseiah. Neriah in the original Hebrew is נֵרִיָּה (nērîyâ)H5374, which means “Lamp of Jehovah“. Maaseiah in the original Hebrew is מַחְסֵיָה (maḥsêâ)H4271, which means “Jehovah is a shelter“. These are all VERY positive names from the standpoint of a believer, because every true believer in Christ is a “Child of God”.
God’s Promise to Baruch
Jeremiah, chapter 45, is the last we ever read of Baruch in the Bible. This is not incidental (actually nothing in the Bible is ever “incidental”). In this case, it is most likely because of the spiritual implication that it presents. God makes a promise to Baruch of “life” while Baruch (and Jeremiah) are in a setting of promised imminent total destruction of his world. The spiritual implication applies to all believers throughout time but particularly those living in the time of Great Tribulation, just prior to the destruction of all creation on Judgment Day.
Jeremiah 45:1-6, “¶The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest (מְנוּחָה (mᵊnûḥâ)H4496. ¶ Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, [that] which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek [them] not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.“
Baruch was bemoaning his situation and said that he could find no “rest”, which in the original Hebrew is (מְנוּחָה (mᵊnûḥâ)H4496, which has been translated variously by the King James translators as rest (15x), resting place (2x), comfortable (1x), ease (1x), quiet (1x), still (1x). Baruch was essentially saying that he was burned out and could find no rest or consolation. God responds by providing Baruch with a comforting assurance.
The Reader should NOTE that God is Sovereign and He had warned of exactly this judgment upon Israel back in Jeremiah 12:17, “But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.” (See also Isaiah 5:5-7 ) Also, at the beginning of that same chapter, in Jeremiah 12:1&2, Jeremiah petitioned God by saying, “¶Righteous [art] thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of [thy] judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? [wherefore] are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou [art] near in their mouth, and far from their reins.” God can plant, and God can pluck up, as He sees fit.
Most importantly God promises to Baruch that, even though the devastation will be great all around him (all the people and city), which undoubtedly brought great sorrow to Baruch, he was assured by God that he personally would be spared wherever he would go. (NOTE: God made a similar promise to Jeremiah when he despaired of his situation in a perverse and apostate world in Jeremiah 15:21, “And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.“) In at least the case of Jeremiah, it would have done well to remember what God also says in Psalm 37 and 73 (e.g., Psalm 37:1, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.”)
The Lord also cautions Baruch not to seek “great things” for himself. He should be satisfied with the great deliverance that the Lord has promised to him. We should also note that Baruch’s “life” was not just referring to this earthly temporal life, but rather signifying “eternal life” with God (Jesus) in Heaven.
In Philippians 3:17-21, all believers are similarly told by God (via the Apostle Paul), “¶Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end [is] destruction,’ whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”
And similarly in Colossians 3:2-4, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, [who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.“
And more specifically, in Galatians 5:24-26, “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Finally, in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “¶Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
and Matthew 6:24, “¶No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
and then at the end of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, Jesus offers the cure for anxiety (see also Luke 12:22–31 ), in Matthew 6:31-34, “¶Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.“
This point also seems to parallel what Jesus warned with regard to the very last days: Matthew 24:15-18, “¶When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.“
Note here what Jesus also said in Luke 17:31-33, “¶In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.“
And just as the complete destruction of Jerusalem and Judea and also Egypt’s destruction were foretold (as well as prophesies against all surrounding lands in the subsequent chapters of Jeremiah, closing the book), so too is the end of this entire world and universe. All of creation will be destroyed by fire on the Last Day, that great and dreadful Day of the LORD, Judgment Day, exactly as we are told in 2 Peter 3:10-13, “¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“
Conclusion:
God’s Words to Baruch Directly Apply to All Believers Today!
Jeremiah Chapter 45 is actually an Historical Parable. This is because, while it clearly had a specific and literal historical focus regarding the man, Baruch, this final word to Baruch (in the Bible) is also pertinent to all true believing Christians today. Particularly so, because Christians are now living in a world that is steeped in sin and doomed to total destruction, exactly as God told Jeremiah, but on a much larger, universal, scale of which the world of Jeremiah and Baruch served as an allegory.
God used some key words that let us know this is the case:
“all flesh“–which at the time represented the whole Jewish nation and surrounding foreign peoples (Jeremiah 25:26). But we should also remember what God told Noah in Genesis 6:13 with regards to the world’ first Judgment Day, “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.“
The coming Judgment Day is real, and it coming very soon (and it will also be Final)! Christians should not be focusing on great things for themselves or seek to become great in the kingdom of this world (which is not of God, as Jesus said in John 18:36). Jesus also warned about this in the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4:19, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”
This world is temporal and will soon pass away, and in the meantime nothing is certain for anyone. Christians should simply be faithful in desiring to do what God requires (sharing the Gospel of Salvation and warning others of the Judgment to come, just like Jeremiah and Baruch did in their day) They should also rejoice in the fact that they will escape the coming Judgment and have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus.
Moreover, whatever may be our lot in this world, we should also remember what we are told in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.”
And to not end on a negative note, please remember this from Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
Finally, dear reader, please take a look at this very short post,“Day of Judgment, Day of Wonders” and “Amazing Grace”, Two Hymns, Both by John Newton noting in particular the 4th stanza of the first hymn, which ends where the Lord will say: “Come near ye blessed, See the kingdom I bestow; You forever Shall my love and glory know.” “Baruch“=”Blessed“! Hallelujah!
Of the many doctrines (teachings) of the scriptures, few topics generate as much disagreement in Christendom as the reason, meaning, and mode of baptism. This division ultimately arises because truth is revealed only to God’s elect. God deliberately established distinctions between truth and error, good and evil, saved and unsaved—not always according to human logic. Ceremonial laws, such as not plowing with an ox and an ass together (Deuteronomy 22:10) or not wearing garments of wool and linen together (Deuteronomy 22:11), exemplify how God’s thoughts and ways differ from carnal man’s (Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD.“).
In the New Testament, God instituted only two ordinances/ceremonies: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Questions surrounding baptism include who should be baptized, when, by what method, by whom, where, and—most importantly—what baptism means.
Etymology and Meaning
The words “baptize” and “baptism” derive from the Greek βαπτίζω (baptizō)G907, meaning ceremonial ablutions or washings, and appear only in the New Testament. They represent the washing away of sins and connect back to Old Testament Levitical washings. God guided the King James translators not to render the term simply as “immerse,” “dip,”, “wash,” or “sprinkle”, thereby preserving both temporal and spiritual senses.
As a verb: Matthew 3:6, “And were baptizedG907 of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.“; Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizingG907 them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:“; Matthew 3:11–12 (John baptizes with water unto repentance; Christ baptizes with the Holy Ghost and with fire).
Hebrew equivalents for washing (רָחַק (rāḥaq)H7368) appear inGenesis 18:4; 24:32 apply to washing feet; We also read in Genesis 43:31, where Joseph after weeping following seeing his long lost brothers went at washedH7364 his face, which would not require immersion. This confirms the wisdom of not forcing a single English equivalent such as “immerse.”
The Mode of Baptism
Objections that infant baptism or sprinkling must be rejected because they are associated with Roman Catholicism are inconsistent; the same logic would require rejecting the Trinity, heaven and hell, and Christ’s incarnation.Biblical evidence favors “sprinkling”, “pouring”, and “washing” vice “immersion”:
Hebrews 9:10 uses βαπτισμός (baptismos)G909 for “divers washings”; Hebrews 9:13, 19, 21 employ “sprinkling” (ῥαντίζω (rhantizō))G4472 of blood and ashes.
Revelation 1:5&6 links “washing”(λούω (louō))G3068 away sins in Christ’s blood.
Exodus 29:4; 30:20; “washing” (רָחַץ (rāḥaṣ))H7364 of both the sacrifices and the priests.
Leviticus 14: In Verses 2&3, the leprosy is determined to be healed (physically) by the priest…the “fleshly” healing. But cleansing is still to be performed. In Verses 4-6 required a bird to be killed (two birds total) with one bird “dipped” (טָבַל (ṭāḇal)H2881 in the blood of the first bird. In Verse 7 Then the leper is sprinkled (נָזָה (nāzâ))H5137with the blood of the dead bird and the live bird is set free (one died and the one dipped in the blood goes free…Symbolic of Barabbas being set free and Jesus dying in his place). Verse 8 &9 The leper also had to wash his clothes, shave off his hair, wash his flesh (entire body)…then cleansed “so far”…but then symbols introduced pointing to “spiritual” healing. Verse 10 …the 8th day, same as circumcision, which is also the 2nd “first” day of the week…two male Lambs, one female ewe, three tenth deals of fine flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil (the oil representing God’s Holy Spirit). Verses 11-12, Present him and them “before the Lord” in the Tabernacle (representing the Lord’s Body). The priest makes him clean…Etc.
2 Kings 5:1-10, The Syrian leper Naaman washes רָחַץ (rāḥaṣ)H7364 in the Jordan River);
Numbers 8:5-7, “Sprinkle (נָזָה (nāzâ))H5137water of purifying“;
Ezekiel 36:25-27, “Then will I sprinkle (זָרַק (zāraq))H2236clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness…”;
Isaiah 52:15, “So shall he sprinkle (נָזָה (nāzâ))H5137many nations;”;
Leviticus 14:7, “And he shall sprinkle (נָזָה (nāzâ))H5137upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean“
New Testament:Hebrews 10:22 “having our hearts sprinkled (ῥαντίζω (rhantizō))G4472from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed (λούω (louō))G3068with pure water.”;
1 Peter 1:2, sprinkling (ῥαντισμός(rhantismos))G4473of the blood of Jesus Christ:;
1 Corinthians 10:1&2, “allbaptized (βαπτίζω (baptizō))G907unto Moses in the cloudand in the sea;“.
The Holy Spirit’s baptism is described as “pouring out,” not immersion. Ezekiel 36:25-27 links sprinkling (זָרַק (zāraq))H2236 of “clean water” with regeneration, instilling a new spirit and a new heart, and Isaiah 52:15 states, “So shall he (Jesus) sprinkle (נָזָה (nāzâ))H5137many nations;
Water Baptism as a Sign, Not the Substance
Water baptism is a sign of the New Covenant of Grace, parallel to circumcision as the sign of the Old Covenant under the Law (Genesis 17:1-14). Circumcision pointed to the cutting off of Christ at the cross and the need for heart circumcision (Deuteronomy 30:6); it never ensured salvation ( Esau (like Ishmael earlier) was circumcised yet both were unsaved; Romans 9:10–13). Likewise, water baptism points to the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, but does not itself ensure salvation. Colossians 2:8-14 links circumcision “made without hands” with burial and resurrection in baptism. Galatians 5:1-4; Ephesians 2:8+9; Romans 4:9-11; Galatians 2:16, 21; 3:1-3 emphasize salvation by grace through faith, not works of the law or outward signs. Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16 refer ultimately to the Spirit’s baptism that remits sins. Remember that the thief on the cross was saved without water baptism.
So then, baptism was instituted as a “sign” to point to everyone’s need to be washed and cleansed from sin and baptism is a “sign” that God uses to remind us of that need…of which the “substance” (essence) that it represents is spiritual. Baptism in the outward sign of the hope of the inward Washing of Regeneration by the Anointing of God’s Holy Spirit. And God’s Holy Spirit was symbolized for us in the form of a dove after the baptism of Jesus to underscore this point, as we read in Matthew 3:16&17, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
John’s Baptism versus Jesus’ Baptism
Titus 3:5-7: “”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
John the Baptist, representing the last of the Old Testament prophets, who spoke of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, had a water baptism that was a ceremonial “sign” of cleansing of spiritual uncleanness, but which could never cleanse anyone of his or her sins. John’s baptism was only a “sign” pointing to the future spiritual cleansing through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which could only come by the washing of regeneration by the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.”). John 3:27 and 1 Corinthians 4:7 underscore that every spiritual gift, including regeneration by The Holy Spirit, is from God Alone.
Summary Conclusion
Water baptism is an important New Testament ordinance and outward sign of the believer’s repentance and identification with Jesus Christ as Savior, and for hope of the Spirit’s inward cleansing, which is administered to confessing believers and their children, just as circumcision once signified identification with the Old Covenant people of Israel. Yet, just like circumcision, Baptism was never meant to be the means, or trigger, of salvation, only an outward identification with a corporate body that honors God. Remember that both Jacob and Esau were both circumcised when they were eight days old, but yet we read in Romans 9:13, “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.“
True baptism—the only one that saves—is the regenerating work of God’s Holy Spirit. Only the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will wash away sin, create a new heart, and unite the elect to Jesus Christ. All human modes of application and timing of water baptism must remain secondary to this sovereign, gracious act of God, lest the sign be mistaken for the substance, and the true Gospel of Grace be obscured, even to the destruction of souls. [For more on what “election” means please see: “The Potter and the Clay“.]
Finally, let us remember what happened in Acts 2:37-39 when roughly 3000 people heard the Apostle Peter preach the Gospel of Salvation through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, “¶Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do? ¶Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized (βαπτίζω (baptizō))G907 every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remissionof sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.“
We are introduced to a new admonition in Chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians with this phrase in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.“ Followed by the warning in 1 Corinthians 8:2, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.” Whereby, we are being told, as Matthew Henry so eloquently put it, that “even lawful liberty must be used with charity and not to the prejudice of weaker brethren.”
This is followed by asserting the vanity of idols and making clear that there is only One True God, Our Father in Heaven, and that the sole mediation between man and God is the Lord Jesus Christ (implicitly instructing us by God’s Holy Spirit).
The rest of the chapter addresses the proscription against eating meats sacrificed to idols, and its substance, and to what degree it might be heeded will be a matter of individual conscience, which should be respected out of love for those who feel differently as a matter of their individual consciences. While the chapter focuses on this one prohibition regarding eating of certain meats, it actually applies across the board to all situations where differing spiritual understandings come into play between fellow believers. One believer, who may have a more well Biblically grounded understanding of what is an acceptable practice before God, another believer may not have the same view. This chapter is telling all believers that whatever situation arises, we are to not abuse our liberty based on our knowledge to conduct ourselves in such a way to cause our brother (or sister) in Christ to stumble, if his or her conscience is opposed to it. To do otherwise is (as the last two verses tell us) as written:”But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” The essence is to love others above ourselves.
Again, as Matthew Henry noted, “Strong Christians should be very careful to avoid what will offend weak ones, to not lay a stumbling-block in their way. Shall we sin against Christ who suffered for us? Shall we set ourselves to defeat his gracious designs, and help to ruin those whom He died to save? We must show compassion to those to whom Christ has shown so much.”
1 Corinthians 8:1, “¶Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge (γνῶσις (gnōsis))G1108. Knowledge (γνῶσις (gnōsis))G1108puffeth (φυσιόω (physioō))G5448 up, but charity (ἀγάπη (agapē))G26 edifieth (οἰκοδομέω (oikodomeō))G3618.“
This verse has four key words that in the original Greek provide us with some insights that could be missed when reading only the English translation.
“knowledge“in the original Greek pertains to intellectual understanding, which in this case is Biblical understanding.
“puffeth” in the original Greek has the primary sense of blowing; to inflate, but in figurative sense is to make proud, haughty, and arrogant.
“charity” in the original Greek pertains to brotherly, benevolent love.
“edifieth” in the original Greek pertains to building up, establishing, and edifying
Before looking at some cross references, this teacher would like to remind the reader of some verses that relate to “knowledge”, which is often closely linked to “wisdom”.
Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For in much wisdom [is] much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.“
Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning תְּחִלָּה (tᵊḥillâ)H8462of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy [is] understanding.” The Hebrew word that is translated here as “beginning” is another word, תְּחִלָּה (tᵊḥillâ)H8462, which also means “beginning or “first time” (or “initial time”). We also see a similar verse in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning (רֵאשִׁית (rē’šîṯ)H7225of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.“
Romans 12:16, “[Be] of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.“
Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.“
For more on Biblical Knowledge and Wisdom, please see these posts:
Acts 15:20, “But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.“
1 Corinthians 10:19-22, “What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I [say], that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the tableof devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?“
1 Corinthians 10:23&24, “¶All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s [wealth].“
Romans 14:14, “¶I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with [thy] meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.”
Romans 14:3, “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”
1 Corinthians 8:2, “And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.“
1 Corinthians 13:8&9, “¶Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.“
Galatians 6:3, “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.“
1 Timothy 6:3&4, “¶If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,”
And let us not forget, Pro 16:18, “Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.“
1 Corinthians 8:3, “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.“
Exodus 33:12, “¶And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.”
Matthew 7:23, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.“
Galatians 4:9, “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?“
1 Corinthians 8:4, “¶As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that [there is] none other God but one.“
Isaiah 41:24, “Behold, ye [are] of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination [is he that] chooseth you.”
Deuteronomy 4:39, “Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.“
Mark 12:29, ҦAnd Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
1 Timothy 2:5, “For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;“
1 Corinthians 8:5, “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
John 10:34, “¶Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?“
1 Corinthians 8:6, “But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him (or “for” him); and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.“
Malachi 2:10, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every managainst his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?“
Ephesians 4:6, “One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Acts 17:28, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.“
Romans 11:36, “¶For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.”
John 13:13, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am.”
Acts 2:36, ҦTherefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Philippians 2:11. “And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Colossians 1:16&17, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.“
Hebrews 1:1&2, “¶God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;“
1 Corinthian 8:7, “¶Howbeit [there is] not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat [it] as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.”
1 Corinthians 10:28, “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth [is] the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:”
Romans 14:1-4, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, [but] not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” (Remembering also Acts 10:9-17 and Acts 11:9, “But the voice answered me (Apostle Peter) again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.“)
Romans 14:14, “¶I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.“
1 Corinthians 8:8, “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.”
Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.“
1 Corinthians 8:9, “¶But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.“
Galatians 5:13, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.“
Romans 14:13, “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in [his] brother’s way.”
1 Corinthians 8:10, “For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;“
1 Corinthians 10:28, “But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth [is] the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:”
1 Corinthians 8:11, “And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?“
Romans 14:15, “But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.“
1 Corinthians 8:12, “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.“
Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.
1 Corinthains 8:13, “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
Romans 14:19-23, ¶Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but [it is] evil for that man who eateth with offence. [It is] good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor [any thing] whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have [it] to thyself before God. Happy [is] he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because [he eateth] not of faith: for whatsoever [is] not of faith is sin.“
2 Corinthians 11:29, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?“
Romans 15:1, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”
1 Corinthians 4:10, “We [are] fools for Christ’s sake, but ye [are] wise in Christ; we [are] weak, but ye [are] strong; ye [are] honourable, but we [are] despised.“
2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Luke’s parallel account reads in Luke 11:3, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Many assume this petition concerns only our physical needs—food, clothing, and shelter. Scripture certainly affirms our total dependence on God for these things. Jesus assures us in Luke 12:22-30 not to worry about daily provisions, pointing to the “the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” And Jesus plainly states in the last verse, in Luke 12:30, “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” Yet from an eternal perspective, physical sustenance is secondary. The deeper question is whether we are being spiritually nourished for everlasting life?
So what is the “bread” that the Bible is really talking about?
The True Bread of Life: The Lord Jesus Christ
When we go back to Isaiah 55:1-4, God instructs us with these words, “¶ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
Isaiah 55:1-4 makes clear that it cannot bet earthly bread, because that bread can only sustain our physical bodies for a time and then we are hungry, and hence unsatisfied again. Rather these verses are talking about bread that sustains the soul! Moreover, the eating of that bread involves “hearing”, thus it is pointing us to God’s Word, Who Is Jesus, and the command to come to Him! John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” And the Lord Jesus Christ was given by God to be the “witness to the people“, the “leader“, and “commander to the people” under the “everlasting covenant“! [Note that we are told in Hebrews 2:10, regarding Jesus, “¶For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.“]
And if we go just a few verses further to Isaiah 55:10&11, we get additional confirmation that this is the correct: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.” Please also see the post on “the Parable of the Sower“.
And we should also remember that this Jesus plainly identifies Himself as the Bread that we need for everlasting life. In John 6:35, Jesus declares “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Later He adds in John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.“
And regarding being satisfied in the eating, we are told in Psalm 22:26, “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.“
“This Day” and “Day by Day”
When we look closer at Luke 11:3, where Jesus said to pray, “Give us day by day our daily bread.”, This spiritual meaning becomes even more clear when we examine the original Greek of Luke 11:3. The phrase can be rendered more literally as “give us daily our bread sufficient for each day.”
The word “daily” is from the original Greek word, ἐπιούσιος (epiousios)G1967, which means “sufficient or needful (for the day)”
The first word translated as “day” is from the original Greek word, κατά (kata)G2596, which has been translated in the Bible variously as “according to (107x), after (61x), against (58x), in (36x), by (27x), daily (with G2250) (15x), as (11x), miscellaneous (165x).
The next words, “by day” are from the original Greek word, ἡμέρα (hēmera)G2250, which have been translated in the Bible variously as day (355x), daily (with G2596) (15x), time (3x), not translated (2x), miscellaneous (14x). Note that we are also told in 2 Peter 1:19, “¶We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day (ἡμέρα (hēmera))G2250dawn, and the day star(Jesus) arise in your hearts:“
Matthew’s wording, “Give us this day,” uses the Greek σήμερον (sēmeron)G4594 means “this (very) day/today“, while Luke emphasizes ongoing daily dependence. Both point to the same reality. “This day” carries rich biblical resonance. In Psalm 2:7 (quoted in Hebrews 1:5), God says, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” This does not suggest that Jesus had a beginning—He is eternal—but refers to His resurrection, when the Father declared Him victorious over sin and death and having paid the full price for the sins of His Elect.
Similarly, Psalm 118:24 proclaims, “This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” a verse often understood as pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ.Thus, when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are in effect asking the Father to give us Jesus—our living Bread—today and every day. We are requesting the spiritual nourishment and strength that comes through His Word, the Bible, so we may walk moment by moment in fellowship with Him.
Thus, this portion of the Lord’s Prayer is a petition for spiritual sustenance—Jesus Christ Himself—Who will carry us through every day, much like the manna , the bread that came down from Heaven, which God provided to Israel in the wilderness, and which had to be collected on an ongoing (“day by day“) basis, and to be eaten “daily“.
The Manna in the Wilderness Was a Sign Pointing to Jesus
Gathering “Manna” in the morning during the 40 year wilderness sojourn
For forty years in the desert, God fed the Israelites with manna (מָן (mān))H4478, meaning “What is it?“, which formed a daily Heavenly provision that pointed forward to Christ. They were instructed to gather only what they needed each morning; any surplus kept overnight bred worms and spoiled (Exodus 16:15-36). On the sixth day they collected twice as much so they would have enough for the Sabbath, when no manna fell.
NOTE regarding Manna: In Exodus 16:31, we read, “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it [was] like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it [was] like wafers [made[ with honey.” Numbers 11:7 also tells us, “And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.” The fact that the manna was equated to “honey” is another reference to both the Word of God and Heaven as is exposited here: Honey in the Bible.
Deuteronomy 8:3 explains God’s purpose for providing the manna: “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; thathe might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Jesus later quoted this exact verse when Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread after forty days of fasting (Matthew 4:1-4) when Jesus responded with, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” The lesson is unmistakable: physical bread sustains the body temporarily, but the Word of God—Jesus Himself—gives eternal life!
Daily Nourishment Through the Word
No one can claim to be a genuine follower of Christ while remaining unfamiliar with the Bible. Scripture repeatedly calls upon the believer to hide God’s Word in his or her heart as we see in Psalm 119:11. We are also told to seek out the Word diligently in Isaiah 34:16, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” In Deuteronomy 11:18&19, God instructs, “¶Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.“
We also recognize God’s Word (Jesus) as having eternal authority as is made clear in Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.“and Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.“
Just as manna had to be gathered fresh each morning, we need daily time in the Scriptures. Jesus is “the Word made flesh”, as we read in John 1:14, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”… and Jesus is the only Bread that satisfies forever.
Jesus makes this connection between Himself and the Manna unmistakable in John 6:47-58, where Jesus contrasts the wilderness manna (which sustained life only temporarily) with Himself: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:”
Subsequent references to eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood provide another vivid metaphor for trusting in His Atoning Death and Resurrection—believing in Jesus as Savior, so completely, that we are united with Him for eternity. This also brings to mind the Last Supper as described in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, “¶For I (the Apostle Paul) have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. ¶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (See also Matthew 26:26, Mark14:22, and Luke 22:19).
In the preceding chapter, in 1 Corinthians 10:16&17, we read, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” We can see then that this “communion” is becoming one with Jesus Christ, The Bread of Eternal Life
Conclusion
The petition “Give us this day our daily bread” is far more than a request for physical food. It is a daily plea for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, the true Manna from Heaven, Who alone can sustain the believer both now and for eternity. Whatever tomorrow holds, partaking of Him through His Word will refresh the believer’s soul in this life, just as manna sustained Israel in the wilderness, but more importantly, the “daily” is equal to “day by day”, providing a reference to “forever” or “eternally”; with the Living Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Eternal God, the sole source and sustainer of that eternal life.
Just as we read in Deuteronomy 8:3 where God wants us to “know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.“, a time will come when God withholds the “hearing” of His Word that causes a spiritual famine, hence no eternal life. In Amos 8:11&12, God says, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].” Note how entirely consistent this is with what God was saying above in Isaiah 55:1-4 and Isaiah 55:10&11!
The Lord’s Prayer is provided in the Word of God as instructed by Jesus in two passages, Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4:
Matthew 6:9-13 reads, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.“
While the “Lord’s Prayer”, as was presented by Jesus to His disciples, can be prayed verbatim by every believer at any time, and for any number of times (if it is prayed from the heart, by the Spirit, and not simply a “vain repetition”), it can also be viewed as a formulary, or a template, by which it teaches us about God, the believer’s humble relationship to Him (and our fellow man), and the petition for Salvation from sin to relieve us of His coming Judgment. Jesus specifically rebuked the heathen who use “vain repetitions” in their prayers in His preface to the “Lord’s prayer”, as we read in Matthew 6:7&8, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.¶Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.“
Similarly, we should also heed the two other related admonitions from Jesus in regards to prayer that we find just preceding the above one in:
Matthew 6:5 “¶And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.” and,
Matthew 6:6, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” and
We are also admonished indirectly with regards to petitioning in prayer for carnal purposes in the Book of James where we read in James 4:3, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.“
Moreover, before proceeding with this exposition, we should also bear in mind what Jesus also said in John 14:13, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” and John 14:14, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do [it].” Whenever a believer prays, then he or she is in effect petitioning God the Father with Jesus Christ as his or her Intercessor and Mediator (Who is both the Kinsman Redeemer and High Priest) and is trusting entirely in Jesus’ work and merit, not their own. We know that Hebrews 4:14-16, “¶Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
“Our Father“
When Jesus prayed, He addressed God as His Father. Amazingly, God commands us to also address God as “Our Father.” Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, “And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.“
We do not fully understand such condescension on God’s part, but we do know that the Bible speaks of the Father as the giver of every good and perfect gift. We read in James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
The greatest gift of all, which is also the focus of the Lord’s Prayer, is the merciful gracious gift of Salvation. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
The Old Testament also has references to God as our Father. For example, Psalm 68:5, “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.“
In the Bible, the fatherless (orphans) is a reference to the spiritually destitute, the people unsaved by nature. Every person who has ever lived or ever will live has by nature been estranged from God because of the sin of Adam (and therefore are conceived and born in sin). Spiritually, all human beings are destitute orphans, but God comes to us as a Father to the fatherless. God will be a Father to those who acknowledge their orphaned condition, their spiritual bankruptcy because of sin. As a result all believers are viewed as the children, begotten of God through regeneration by God’s Holy Spirit. Please see: “The Children of God.”
The Lord Jesus is also spoken of as the “everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.“
We read in Psalm 103:13, “Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” God cares for His children, His Anointed.
See also:
Isaiah 63:16, “Doubtless thou [art] our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD, [art] our father, our redeemer; thy name [is] from everlasting.”
Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.“
Romans 9:21, “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” For more on this, and for understanding how it relates to Election, please see “The Potter and the Clay“.
Romans 8:15-17, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.”
John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.“
Luke 15:18 (in the example God uses of the Prodigal Son who repents), “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.” Please see also: “The Prodigal Son“.
Jesus prayed in John 17:11, “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are].“
John 10:29&30, “My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand. I and [my] Father are one.“
Jesus’s Oneness with the Father: John 14:7-11, “¶If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. ¶Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ¶Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I [am] in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.“
“Which art in heaven“
God has revealed many things, but who God Is remains a mystery. Mankind by nature has always strived to have a “god” whom they can see, whether the sun, an idol, or a river. Even if they become identified with the Christian religion, many still cling to having all kinds of paraphernalia in their place of worship, because they want to see something tangible that they want to believe relates to God. Ultimately that is nothing more than a “god” that is either a creation of their own hands or their own minds.
When we become saved, our relationship to the True God is a relationship of faith. In faith we believe that which we cannot see as we read in Hebrews 11:1, “¶Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.“
We believe with fervency, abandonment, and trust. Some might say, “Well, we can see the Father in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus said in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” It is true that He is the express image of the Father, and together are One, but that does not tell the whole story. Jesus was on this earth to pay for our sins; He emptied Himself of His glory. He was not seen as the glorious God Who He really is, and He prayed to the Father while He was on this earth. He is the Father and yet the Father is a separate Person, which is a mystery that our minds cannot comprehend. For more on the great mystery of this oneness relationship between Jesus and God the Father (and the Holy Spirit), please see: The Holy Trinity.
If we sincerely pray, “Our Father who art in heaven,” effectively we are saying, “Oh, God, we cannot see you with our physical eye, and we have no idea of how majestic, infinite, and great you are, but we know that you are the one to whom we look for redemption.”
“Our Father who art in heaven,” means that salvation is rooted in Heaven. Some people passionately want a salvation modeled upon this life and of this sin-cursed earth. They long for a day when they will see Jesus on this sin-cursed earth, which is an entirely carnal perspective (misunderstanding the “thousand year” reign for example), but a believer’s salvation is infinitely more glorious than anything currently existing in this entire Creation. The believers become citizens of a wholly new Creation, with new Heavens and new Earth, being eternally with God according to 2 Peter 3:13, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Remembering also the newness of the transformed believer, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
“Hallowed be thy name“
The word “hallowed” is the word “holy,” which means “set apart.” Holy is thy name. Holy (set apart) is thy name. Each of us has a name to identify us among the people of the world. There are
The name of God, as revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures, is יְהֹוָה (yᵊhōvâ)H3068 or YHWH (the closest English equivalents to the Hebrew letters, which the King James Bible translates as most translate it as “LORD” in all capital letters) meaning is essence, “The Eternal Existing One” (hence “I AM” as discussed below). Ancient Hebrew did not have vowels, so the exact pronunciation of YHWH is uncertain, but is generally interpreted to be Jehovah in English.
There is no biblical command that limits our vocabulary to Jehovah, when addressing God. Anyone who says that God must be addressed only by the name YHWH is speaking without biblical validation.
“God” is first presented as אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm)H430, which means “Creator, Mighty and Strong” in Genesis 1:1 for a total of 2,346x in the Old Testament.
In Genesis 15:2, we are first introduced to another reference to God directly as אֲדֹנָי (‘ăḏōnāy)H136, which means “Lord” and is interpreted in the Old Testament as Lord 431x.
Ruth 1:20, God is referred to as שַׁדַּי (šaday)H7706, which in the original Hebrew means “Almighty” and is found 48x in the Old Testament.
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God inspired the human scribes of the Bible to refer to Him using generic terms such as “God”, “Lord”, and “Almighty”. YHWH is as close to a personal name as God has revealed to us. That Name was revealed to Moses and was unknown before his time as we read when said in Exodus 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by [the name of] God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.” The name Jehovah seems to refer to God’s self-existence, being linked to Exodus 3:14&15, “¶And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this [is] my name for ever, and this [is] my memorial unto all generations.” This name would distinguish Israel’s God from all false gods.
However, God does reveal Himself using many other descriptors and titles as we read in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” We also know that the Son of God, Who is also God, is named Jesus, which is a Greek variant of Joshua, יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (yᵊhôšûaʿ)H3091, which means “Jehovah is Salvation“. Other descriptors include: Christ (Messiah) meaning “Anointed”, the “LORD of Hosts”, “Faithful”, “True”, “The Good Shepherd”, “KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS”, “Lord of Hosts”, etc. These names describe attributes or characteristics of God.
The references in the Bible which speak of the “name” of God are speaking of God in all of His Fullness, in all of His Essence, everything pertaining to Who God Is. And He in all of His Fullness is set apart (hallowed) as The Only True Holy God, Whom we are to fear, reverence, obey, glorify, serve, worship, and praise. He Alone Is supremely righteous.
He is the Creator of the world and upholds it by His power. He Alone is the Savior; He Is supremely Holy and Majestic and deserves all honor as our Father and our Creator.
Remember what God tells us in Malachi 1:6, “A son honoureth [his] father, and a servant his master: if then I [be] a father, where [is] mine honour? and if I [be] a master, where [is] my fear?saith the LORD of hosts unto you,O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?” (In the subsequent verses God explains and promises the following to the non-Jews of the world in Malachi 1:11, “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name [shall be] great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense [shall be] offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name [shall be] great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.” And LORD of hosts means “Jehovahof an organized army“. See for instance: “God’s Army on Judgment Day“.
“Thy kingdom come“
We read about the kingdom of God in John 3:3, “¶Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And in John 3:5, “¶Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.“
Jesus is talking about the kingdom that God has established through the Lord Jesus Christ, which the believers enter into when each become saved. That kingdom of God is NOT of this world. Jesus will never come and reign on this sin-cursed earth, rather this creation will be destroyed. (Please see: “The Holy Temple of God, Will It Ever Be Rebuilt?“)
Remember what Jesus said in John 18:36, “Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world,then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” The reason is that the devil had obtained rule over the earth by right of conquest when Adam sinned in listening to the devil’s lies and disobeying God’s command. God’s Kingdom is a Heavenly Kingdom that consists of all who will become saved and live with Christ forever in an entirely new Creation: the “new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (Please see 2 Peter 3:13, Isaiah 65:17, and Isaiah 66:22). When we pray, “thy kingdom come,” the believer is saying, “Oh, God, I want to be part of your kingdom; I want to be saved. Come quickly Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 3:11, 22:7, 22:12, 22:20)
The believer is also saying, “Oh, Lord, I want Thy Kingdom to finally overcome this evil world and bring to Thee all who have and are to be saved and fulfill all of Thy promises.” The believer is praying that the program of Salvation, wrought through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which God designed from before the foundations of the world, will come to full fruition.
As shown above, this world is temporal and will be completely and utterly destroyed on Judgment Day whereupon God creates the new heavens and a new earth. For insights on God’s current heavenly kingdom and majesty, God gives us some additional insights when we look at King Ahasuerus and his kingdom in Persia in the Book of Esther. Please see: King Ahasuerus: A Spiritual Portrait of Almighty God/The Father in Heaven
“Thy will be done“
The will of God is expressed, for example, in Matthew 16:18, where Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (The point being that Jesus is the Rock of Salvation, the Chief Cornerstone, whereby He laid Himself down as the foundation upon which He would build His Church)
The Will of God is that He will redeem a people for Himself. He will bring Salvation to this world, and that relates personally to each of believer, i.e., “Thy will be done” in his or her life. God’s Will will be done in saving a people for Himself.
For the unbeliever, God’s Will is not part of his or her life; the unsaved will continue to live according to his or her own will and not care about God’s Will. “Thy will be done,” prayed from the heart means, “O God, make me obedient to thee; help me to abandon myself to thee. I want You to be my Savior.”
The Will of God ultimately also includes the damnation of the unsaved on Judgment Day. God’s justice according to His Immutable Law must be satisfied. When Judgment Day comes, God will bring vengeance upon the unsaved; that is God’s business, and yet that is also implied in the phrase, “thy will be done.” Please see “Judgment Day is Coming Soon!“
“in earth, as it is in heaven“
God’s Will was established in Heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ, throughout eternity, is in perfect obedience to the Father’s Will. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said, in Mark 14:36, “...Abba, Father, all things [are] possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” Christ in His perfect obedience going to the cross, illustrates the perfect Will of God. The believer ought to pray as Jesus prayed, desiring that his or her will becomes conformed to God’s Will, while also knowing each’s weaknesses in the flesh require continual forgiveness from God.
“Give us this day (day by day) our daily bread“
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Luke’s parallel account reads in Luke 11:3, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Many assume this petition concerns only our physical needs—food, clothing, and shelter. Scripture certainly affirms our total dependence on God for these things. Jesus assures us in Luke 12:22-30 not to worry about daily provisions, pointing to the “the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?” And Jesus plainly states in the last verse, in Luke 12:30, “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” Yet from an eternal perspective, physical sustenance is secondary. The deeper question is whether we are being spiritually nourished for everlasting life?
So what is the “bread” that the Bible is really talking about?
The True Bread of Life: The Lord Jesus Christ
When we go back to Isaiah 55:1-4, God instructs us with these words, “¶ Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
Isaiah 55:1-4 makes clear that it cannot bet earthly bread, because that bread can only sustain our physical bodies for a time and then we are hungry, and hence unsatisfied again. Rather these verses are talking about bread that sustains the soul! Moreover, the eating of that bread involves “hearing”, thus it is pointing us to God’s Word, Who Is Jesus, and the command to come to Him! John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” And the Lord Jesus Christ was given by God to be the “witness to the people“, the “leader“, and “commander to the people” under the “everlasting covenant“!
And if we go just a few verses further to Isaiah 55:10&11, we get additional confirmation that this is the correct: “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.” Please also see the post on “the Parable of the Sower“.
And we should also remember that this Jesus plainly identifies Himself as the Bread that we need for everlasting life. In John 6:35, Jesus declares “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Later He adds in John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.“
“This Day” and “Day by Day”
When we look closer at Luke 11:3, where Jesus said to pray, “Give us day by day our daily bread.”, This spiritual meaning becomes even more clear when we examine the original Greek of Luke 11:3. The phrase can be rendered more literally as “give us daily our bread sufficient for each day.”
The word “daily” is from the original Greek word, ἐπιούσιος (epiousios)G1967, which means “sufficient or needful (for the day)”
The first word translated as “day” is from the original Greek word, κατά (kata)G2596, which has been translated in the Bible variously as “according to (107x), after (61x), against (58x), in (36x), by (27x), daily (with G2250) (15x), as (11x), miscellaneous (165x).
The next words, “by day” are from the original Greek word, ἡμέρα (hēmera)G2250, which have been translated in the Bible variously as day (355x), daily (with G2596) (15x), time (3x), not translated (2x), miscellaneous (14x). Note that we are also told in 2 Peter 1:19, “¶We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day (ἡμέρα (hēmera))G2250dawn, and the day star(Jesus) arise in your hearts:“
Matthew’s wording, “Give us this day,” uses the Greek σήμερον (sēmeron)G4594 means “this (very) day/today“, while Luke emphasizes ongoing daily dependence. Both point to the same reality. “This day” carries rich biblical resonance. In Psalm 2:7 (quoted in Hebrews 1:5), God says, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” This does not suggest that Jesus had a beginning—He is eternal—but refers to His resurrection, when the Father declared Him victorious over sin and death and having paid the full price for the sins of His Elect.
Similarly, Psalm 118:24 proclaims, “This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” a verse often understood as pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ.Thus, when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are in effect asking the Father to give us Jesus—our living Bread—today and every day. We are requesting the spiritual nourishment and strength that comes through His Word, the Bible, so we may walk moment by moment in fellowship with Him.
Thus, this portion of the Lord’s Prayer is a petition for spiritual sustenance—Jesus Christ Himself—Who will carry us through every day, much like the manna , the bread that came down from Heaven, which God provided to Israel in the wilderness, and which had to be collected on an ongoing (“day by day“) basis, and to be eaten
The Manna was a Sign
Gathering “Manna” in the morning during the 40 year wilderness sojourn
For forty years in the desert, God fed the Israelites with manna (מָן (mān))H4478, meaning “What is it?“, which formed a daily Heavenly provision that pointed forward to Christ. They were instructed to gather only what they needed each morning; any surplus kept overnight bred worms and spoiled (Exodus 16:15-36). On the sixth day they collected twice as much so they would have enough for the Sabbath, when no manna fell.
NOTE regarding Manna: In Exodus 16:31, we read, “And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it [was] like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it [was] like wafers [made[ with honey.” Numbers 11:7 also tells us, “And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.” The fact that the manna was equated to “honey” is another reference to both the Word of God and Heaven as is exposited here: Honey in the Bible.
Deuteronomy 8:3 explains God’s purpose for providing the manna: “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; thathe might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Jesus later quoted this exact verse when Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread after forty days of fasting (Matthew 4:1-4) when Jesus responded with, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out ofthe mouth of God.“ The lesson is unmistakable: physical bread sustains the body temporarily, but the Word of God—Jesus Himself—gives eternal life!
Daily Nourishment Through the Word
No one can claim to be a genuine follower of Christ while remaining unfamiliar with the Bible. Scripture repeatedly calls upon the believer to hide God’s Word in his or her heart as we see in Psalm 119:11. We are also told to seek out the Word diligently in Isaiah 34:16, “Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.” In Deuteronomy 11:18 God instructs, “¶Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.“
We also recognize God’s Word (Jesus) as having eternal authority as is made clear in Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.“and Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.“
Just as manna had to be gathered fresh each morning, we need daily time in the Scriptures. Jesus is “the Word made flesh” John 1:14, “¶And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten ofthe Father,) full of grace and truth., is the only Bread that satisfies forever.”
Jesus makes this unmistakable in John 6:47-58, where Jesus contrasts the wilderness manna (which sustained life only temporarily) with Himself: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:”
Subsequent references to eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood provide another a vivid metaphor for trusting in His Atoning Death and Resurrection—believing in Jesus as Savior, so completely, that we are united with Him for eternity. This also brings to mind the Last Supper as described in 1 Corinthians 11:23, “¶For I (Apostle Paul) have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the [same] night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake [it], and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me. ¶For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (See also Matthew 26:26, Mark14:22, and Luke 22:19)
The petition “Give us this day our daily bread” is far more than a request for physical food. It is a daily plea for the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, the true Manna from Heaven, Who alone can sustain the believer both now and for eternity. Whatever tomorrow holds, partaking of Him through His Word will refresh the believer’s soul in this life, just as manna sustained Israel in the wilderness, but more importantly, the daily=day by day, provides a reference to forever or eternally; with the Living Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Eternal God, the source and sustainer of that eternal life.
Note to the Reader: Just as we read in Deuteronomy 8:3 where God wants us to “know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.“, a time will come when God withholds the “hearing” of His Word that causes a spiritual famine, hence no eternal life. In Amos 8:11&12, God says, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].” Note how entirely consistent this is with what God was saying above in Isaiah 55:1-4 and Isaiah 55:10&11! Please see this post: “A Famine in the Land“
“And forgive us our debts“
At least three words are commonly used in the New Testament to signify “sin,” including the word “debt.” We are debtors to God because we have sinned. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”). There is a penalty that everyone must pay to God (apart from Jesus Atoning Sacrifice) for his or her sins, and that payment is eternal damnation.
When a believer prays, “forgive us our debts,” he or she is effectively praying, “O God, have mercy on me. I’m a sinner, and in debt to Thee and Thy Law, which demands eternal death in Hell.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
Can anyone on his or her own pay the full price for the penalty that he or she rightly deserves to pay? Only the Lord Jesus Christ, as the sinner’s substitute, could and did. Jesus endured the equivalent of an eternity in Hell on behalf of those who constitute His Church. Jesus came to ransom the believers from the power of the grave, from eternal damnation, from the Wrath of God.
“As we forgive our debtors“
The Lord’s Prayer is focused on God our Savior until this phrase, which could be a bellwether or indicator as to where an individual stands before Christ.
The unsaved can be bitter, resentful, and angry, if they believe they have been wronged by another person’s word or deed. The reason is because mankind by nature is egotistical and proud and therefore murderers in his or her heart.
When God calls us, He effectively says, if you pray and acknowledge God as your Savior, and there is resentment in your heart for some individual whom you cannot love, then examine your heart. You do not know the essence of what constitutes Salvation. Mercy and Grace by God are undeserved. Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (See also the entirety of Ephesians Chapter 2).
When anyone has resentment, he or she must ask, Am I born again? How can anyone expect God to forgive him or her if he or she continues with any unforgiving relationship? The phrase “As we forgive our debtors,” therefore, is a reminder to examine ourselves to determine whether we are truly saved.
There is a whole lot more that can be said on “forgiveness”…please see what is elaborated upon in the post that addresses Jesus’ Parable of “The Unforgiving Debtor.“
“And lead us not into temptation“
The word “lead” here is “bring,” and ought to be translated, “bring us (me) not into temptation.” The original Greek word that is here translated as “temptation” is πειρασμός (peirasmos)G3986, which has been translated variously as temptation (19x), temptations (1x), try (1x). Satan is the tempter; the word tempter and the word temptation are derived from the same Greek word, πειράζω (peirazō)G3985 which has been translated variously as tempt (29x), try (4x), tempter (2x), prove (1x), assay (1x), examine (1x), go about (1x).
Does “bring us (me) not into temptation” mean, “Oh, Lord, bring us (me) along so that we (I) will not be tempted by Satan”?
The problem with that conclusion is James 1:2, “¶My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations (same word)”, and James 1:12, “¶Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” God is saying it is a blessing, something to be joyful about, when Satan tempts you.
We read in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].” God is saying it is normative for the believer to walk in the path of temptation. Therefore, “bring me not into temptation” cannot be understood to mean “bring me not into a situation in which I am tempted of Satan.”
The solution to understanding this phrase is found when we substitute the word “trial” for “temptation.” Of course, in every temptation we are being tried, but there is a trial which every human being must face because of his or her sins.
Another usage of the word “temptation,” is found in Revelation 3:10, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation [same word],which shall come upon all the world, to try [same word] them that dwell upon the earth.” This verse, too, should be translated “the hour of trial.”
God is speaking about Judgment Day. Just as the man who is suspected of committing a crime is brought to trial, so, too, the unsaved are going to be tried, to be tested, at the Judgment Seat of God. Because there is none righteous, they will be found guilty and cast into Hell. That is the “trial” we desperately wish to avoid as we pray, “bring me not into trial.”
Born-again believers do not come into that hour of trial; they do not have to stand before the Judgment, because Jesus already paid the price for each of them in the first Judgment Day at the cross.
The believers have already been tried before the Judgment Throne of God when Christ stood before Pilate. Christ had become sin for each an all of the believers. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Jesus has already paid the full penalty for all the sins of all believers.
When Satan comes to tempt a believer through the various circumstances of life, he is “trying” you to discover whether you are going to remain faithful to God or whether he can cause that person to sin.
God never comes with that kind of temptation. God tempts no man to evil. James 1:13, “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:“
Sometimes God will remove His hand of restraint from us, and we will go deeper into sin, but He would never cause us to sin. The unsaved will be brought, not lead, into trial. Jesus Christ is coming as the Judge, and every eye shall see Him, and every one of the unsaved is going to give an account of his or her sins on Judgment Day.
“Deliver us from evil“
The word “evil” here can be understood as Satan, as sin, and as the wrath to come.
Before we are saved we are in bondage to Satan, and we are in bondage to sin. These are the terrible evils to which every human is enslaved. But in ultimate evil is to come under the wrath of God! We should remember what God tells us in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things].” For more on the meaning of all this please see this post: The Real Inconvenient Truth.
The judgment of God is a terrible evil that man is under because God’s perfect justice demands full payment for sin. Therefore, the prayer “deliver us from evil” is also a prayer for Salvation. To become saved is to be set free from bondage to sin and Satan and to be delivered from the wrath of God.
“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.Amen.”
The Lord’s Prayer concludes with this marvelous doxology. The focal point is on God: “Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed by thy name,” then the focal point shifts to God’s Salvation program in the world and in my heart, which is all about the Person and Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God is entirely Sovereign, and everything, in both Heaven and Creation, is a reflection of God and His Majesty and Power. God, The Father, lovingly offered His only begotten Son, Jesus, to be the Lamb of God to take away the sins and the just punishment for those sins for His chosen people (John 3:16). And Jesus sacrificed Himself voluntarily to make Salvation ensured for those chosen, His Church, His Bride. God alone deserves all honor, praise and glory! Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.“
Conclusion
The Lord’s Prayer is a magnificent, but succinct, prayer for all mankind who desperately need eternal Salvation from sin. It serves as a model by which Jesus instructs us on the manner by which we are to pray. Apart from God’s forgiveness and Divine intercession of Jesus’ Sacrifice, everyone would remain dead in trespasses and sins, and thus destined for Hell. Jesus in this beautiful prayer instructs us to pray to God the Father (and elsewhere in Jesus’ Name). We also see how this petition, in the form of this prayer, Salvation is manifested by figures like “our daily bread“. And in the end we see that all of the glory throughout eternity deservedly goes to God. Praise God for His wonderful Salvation!
Postscript
The Book of James gives us some additional insight with regard to praying in faith to God: James 1:5-8 tells us the following: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind andtossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.”
This is also consistent with what we read in Psalm 37:4&5, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring [it] to pass.“
And let us not forget what we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”!
There are many aspects associated with the life of Joseph, who was Jacob/Israel’s first born son by his beloved wife, Rachel, but one historical account in particular is how Joseph was raised up from both a pit and a prison to sit at the right hand of the Pharaoh with full rulership of the kingdom, just as Jesus was put into Hell at the hands of His people, the Jews, but after three days was resurrected from the dead and now sits at the Right Hand of God the Father…providing the spiritual Bread of Life to those who “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). And Joseph’s rescue from prison to rulership served God’s purposes as it provided the only means by which Joseph’s family would be saved from a seven year-long famine.
NOTE: This post is excerpted in part from a study of the spiritual meaning of “Famine in the Bible“
Joseph was a “Type” of Jesus Christ during the Great Famine in Genesis 41-47
Remember how, back in Genesis chapters 41-47, when there was a great physical famine in the land, from which we learned the following:
Genesis 41:55-57, “And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread:and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy [corn]; because that the famine was [so] sore in all lands.“
But then, in Chapter 42 we see that Joseph’s brothers came to him from the land of Canaan to buy sustenance, Genesis 42:5&6, “And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph [was] the governor over the land, [and] he [it was] that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph’s brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him [with] their faces to the earth.”
Then later in Chapter 43, Genesis 43:1 ¶ “And the famine [was] sore in the land.”
However, later in Genesis 45:11 we read that Joseph, after having revealed himself to his brethren, told them that he had prepared a place for them during the famine, in the the land of Goshen (the “best of the land” in Egypt Genesis 47:6), “And there will I nourish thee; for yet [there are] five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.” and finally in Chapter 47, we read in Genesis 47:12 “And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families.
Please also note that these were the same brothers that threw Joseph into the pit and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Nonetheless, Joseph, like Jesus, showed no recrimination on his part and was lovingly merciful to them and said to them first in Genesis 45:5, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” and second in Genesis 50:19 ¶ “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for [am] I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.” Jesus was put to death for the sins of all of God’s elect, His brethren, but God meant it for good that all those who would believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
And it is no mistake what we read in Psalm 105:16-22, “Moreover he (God) called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, [even] Joseph, [who] was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; [even] the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.”
The Lord Jesus Christ was God’s Servant Who went to Hell (represented by the fetters and being laid in iron) and Jesus was tried by God’s Word as the Atonement for the believers’ sins. Then Jesus was resurrected and freed from Hell and raised to the Right Hand of God the Father (typified by the pharaoh at that time) as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The “princes” are the princes of this earth who will be bound and cast into Hell on Judgment Day, while the “senators” are those who are the believers, God’s servants, to whom God teaches wisdom and understanding from His Word. Note how there is a similar to what we read in Psalm 119:23, “Princes also did sit [and] speak against me: [but] thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.” In the first instance this is speaking of Jesus, but also all of the believers in Him.
CONCLUSION
Joseph stands as one of the clearest and most beautiful “types” of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Betrayed and sold by his own brothers, cast into a pit to die, but subsequently sold into servitude, and later imprisoned, Joseph was raised up by Pharaoh (used by God as another “type” to represent God, The Father) from the lowest place to the highest seat of authority in Egypt. There, at the right hand of Pharaoh, Joseph became the sole source of life-sustaining bread during a devastating global famine—exactly as the Lord Jesus, Who was similarly betrayed by His own people, and was put to death and descended into the depths of Hell, only to rise again on the third day and be subsequently exalted to the right hand of God the Father.
What man had intended for evil, God meant for good. Joseph’s suffering preserved the physical lives of his family and famine affected nations; Christ’s suffering and resurrection provide eternal salvation and the spiritual Bread to all who are drawn to Him. Just as the starving Egyptians and Joseph’s guilty brothers had to come to him, bow before him, and receive bread from his hand, so every sinner must come to Jesus, acknowledge Him as Lord, and receive the Bread of Life that satisfies forever. This account is not merely ancient history—it is a divine foreshadowing of the Gospel. The same God who sent Joseph ahead to save his people sent His only begotten Son to save His people. The famine in Egypt points to the deeper spiritual famine of not knowing God or His life giving Word. The storehouses of Egypt point to the inexhaustible grace found in Christ. May we, like Joseph’s brothers, come humbly before the exalted Savior, receive His mercy instead of the judgment we deserve, and find our place in the “best of the land”—safe, nourished, and eternally cared for in the presence of the One who was once rejected, but now reigns as King of kings. In Joseph we see the shadow; in Jesus we see its perfect, glorious fulfilling substance.
The Helix Nebula NGC 7293, Credit: NASA, ESA, C.R. O’Dell (Vanderbilt University), M. Meixner and P. McCullough (STScI)
Introduction
This is an exposition of Hebrews 4:13 by comparing Scripture with Scripture. It reveals the comforting and convicting truth that God sees and knows everything — nothing is hidden from His gaze.
Hebrews 4:13, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things [are] naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.“
God’s All-Seeing Eyes
Job 34:21&22, “For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. [There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.“
2 Chronicles 16:9a, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them]whose heart [is] perfect toward him….”
Psalm 11:4, “The LORD [is] in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne [is] in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.“
Psalm 113:5&6, “Who [is] like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth [himself] to behold [the things that are] in heaven, and in the earth!“
Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
Proverbs 15:11, “Hell and destruction [are] before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?“
Zechariah 4:10, “For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel [with] those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.“
Psalm 94:7-11, “Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard [it]. Understand, [ye] brutish among the people: and [ye] fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, [shall not he know]? The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity.“
Psalm 102:19, “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;“
NOTE: In Genesis 16:13 we also read where Hagar, the bondwoman of Abraham who was outcast with her son Ishmael, “…called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?…” The name, אֵל (‘ēl)H410 רֳאִי (rŏ’î)H7210 (“God of Seeing”) was ascribed to God by Hagar, when she met the Angel of the Lord and realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She also realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.
No Place to Hide
Psalm 139:7&8, (Note: there are several pertinent verses in Psalm 139) “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].”
Psalm 139:11&12, “If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee].“
Psalm 139:15&14, “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.“
Psalm 139:23&24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.“
Jeremiah 23:23, “[Am] I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.“
Job 26:6, “Hell [is] naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.“
Jeremiah 16:17, “For mine eyes [are] upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.“
Matthew 10:26, “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.“
Mark 4:22, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.“
Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.“
God Knows the Heart and Secret Things
Psalm 44:21, “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.“
Psalm 90:8, “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy countenance.”
Proverbs 15:11, “Hell and destruction [are] before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?“
Psalm 139:16, “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.“
Psalm 139:23&24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.“
The Lord Looks Down from Heaven
Psalm 66:7, “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.” Selah” means “pause” and hence to “meditate on this“
Proverbs 5:21, “For the ways of man [are] before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”
Mark 4:22, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.”
We can also see that when The Word is faithfully preached, and effectuates salvation, it will result in the what we read in 1 Corinthians 14:25, “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.“
1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.“
Revelation 2:23, “And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.“
Psalm 33:13&14, “The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.“
Psalm 53:1-3, “¶[[To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, [A Psalm] of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, [There is] no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.“
Psalm 14:2&3, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, [and]seek God. They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.”
When God’s Word Exposes the Heart
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
1 Corinthians 14:25, “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.“
Matthew 10:26, “Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.“
Mark 4:22, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.“
Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.“
1 Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.“
Revelation 2:23, “…; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.“
Conclusion
God makes it clear, and undeniable, that He is Omniscient and completely Sovereign! Moreover God is a Spirit Who is outside of space and time as we read in John 4:24, “God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.” This is the real and ultimate “Inconvenient Truth” Nothing escapes God’s gaze. No thought, no secret, no hidden motive, and no dark corner of our hearts or lives is concealed from God “...with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). God’s eyes run to and fro throughout the earth, searching hearts, beholding all.
And let us not forget what we are told in Psalm 143:1&2, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.“
This reality brings both solemn warning and profound comfort. It warns the rebellious and the self-deceived person that there is no hiding place from God and that every evil work will be exposed on Judgment Day (and even one sin is sufficient to send a person to Hell for eternity). Yet it comforts every believer with the assurance that the same all-seeing God is also the sole means for Redemption and Salvation from all of his or her’s otherwise hidden sins, The believer knows that it is only through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ that there is forgiveness for sin and the hope for Salvation and life eternal with Him.
So then dear reader, do you want to have your every deed and idle word examined suddenly on Judgment Day, or heed God’s command to examine yourselves NOW, whether you are in the one true faith? Only the Lord Jesus Christ can have paid the full price for a person’s life of sins, because Jesus is the only acceptable Sacrificial Lamb of God and He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.
This teacher has come to learn that although the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is, without doubt, the best English translation available, it can still obscure some “Hidden Gems” within the Bible, which can easily be glossed over in general reading and, therefore, literally, “lost in the translation“. This is not to say in any way that there was any “error” in the translations, rather only that God deliberately interwove hidden treasures within the various passages, which God Is Willing to allow His children to discover. This is all according to God’s predetermined plan, particularly near the end of time as Judgment Day draws near. Discovering those hidden treasures ultimately glorifies God and honors the believers because the process draws believers ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Savior exactly as we are told by God in Proverbs 25:2 (please see below).
The Word of God Is Holy, as God Is Holy, and Sacrosanct. God’s Word, the Bible, is to be viewed as One and the Same with Jesus Christ, because Jesus Is The Word made flesh as we read in John 1:14 (in harmony with John 1:1 and 1 John 5:7). For more detail on how the Bible is uniquely and magnificently crafted by God to convey Himself to us in written form, please see the Bible Study Guide
The Bible was first transcribed by holy men of old, beginning with the Hebrew texts of Moses (in the Old Testament) and ending with the Greek transcripts of Revelation (in the New Testament). 2 Peter 1:21makes clear, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.” Therefore, the Bible was not written in English required very careful and God inspired and blessed translation into English by the KJV translators for English speakers to have a Bible that they could read and understand.
The original Hebrew texts of the Old Testament, every jot and tittle, remain, in fact, the irrevocable True Word of God as provided to mankind by God the Holy Spirit. The KJV translation is trustworthy and true to the original meanings to the extent of what God allowed those English translators to see at the time. It has been made available to us in English entirely and only by God’s Providence, according to God’s purpose and under God’s Spiritual guidance, and the KJV Bible can thus be safely viewed to be inspired. (for more on why the KJV Bible is the best available English translation please see this post: “A Word to the Wise“.) The KJV Bible is therefore both sufficient and perfect for the sending forth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls. Nonetheless, God has concealed some “words”, which He has graciously allowed the believers to subsequently search out, as we will see below.
Searching the Scriptures for Hid Treasures (Proverbs 2:4)
However, If anyone desires to have a more complete understanding of the nuances involved in the original Hebrew texts, those of us who are not educated and proficient in the Hebrew language (or Greek and Aramaic when reading the New Testament) are forced to use other means for correlation. Historically, this had meant resorting to, and painstakingly searching through, heavy bound printed books such as Strong’s and Young’s concordances and interlinear Bibles. In today’s world, however, that task has become greatly simplified, and it only requires a few key strokes on a computer to access various online tools such as the BlueLetter Bible or Bible Hub to gain greater insights on the original meanings, as well as some of the unique nuances in both the Hebrew and Greek texts to further enhance understanding and thereby strengthen one’s faith.
Four Hidden Gems
There are several examples that this teacher has been allowed by God so far to find in the study of the Bible, of which we will now look at only four of them for illustration purposes.
Dear reader, this teacher highly recommends that you please read all of Proverbs Chapter 2 as it will greatly help to understand the context of the following examples
In Proverbs 25:2 (KJV) we find this extraordinary verse, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.” If we look carefully at the text as it reads in the original Hebrew using an Interlinear Bible or Online cross-reference like this: http://biblehub.com/text/proverbs/25-2.htm, we find that it can also read like this…”[It is] the glory of God to conceal a “word” (because it is from the Hebrew דָּבָר (dāḇār)H1697, a masculine noun): but the honour of kings[is] to search out a “word” (because the word that was translated into English as “matter” is also the same word found in the original Hebrew to be דָּבָר (dāḇār)H1697, which is translated more than eight hundred times in the Old Testament as “word.”)*. It appears, therefore, that God is telling us that He is glorified by the concealing of The Word (Jesus Christ) in the Bible, and the believers are “honored” by being made able to search out The Word (Who is Jesus Christ) when reading the Bible.
And is it not interesting that we are told in Proverbs 2:1-6, “¶My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.” and then, in Paul’s reference to the church in Laodicea, we read in Colossians 2:2 &3, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.“
It should also be noted that Jesus makes all believers “kings” and “priests”, as we read in Revelation 1:5&6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” This is reiterated in Revelation 5:10, where we see from the preceding verses that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has redeemed the believers by His shed blood, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Note how this is also consistent with what we read in Job 36:7 when speaking of God regarding the believers, “He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.“
And in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
Ephesians 2:4-7, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.“
“Dāḇār” is also found in other key verses:
Note what is found in Proverbs 16:20 where the King James Version translation reads, “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good:…” but in the original Hebrew it reads, “He who wisely understands or heeds unto the word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697 shall find good…”
And in Psalm 56:10 we read (as also translated in the King James Version), “In God will I praise his word (דָּבָ֑ר (“dabar”))H1697: in the Lord will I praise his word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697.”
And in Psalm 33:6 we read, “By the word(דָּבָר (dāḇār)) of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”
And in Psalm 145:5, “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrousworks(actually “words” (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697 in the original Hebrew).“
And in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.” Therefore this verse can be more correctly interpreted as: “”¶Let us hear the conclusion of the WORD(S) (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole[duty] of man.
It is hoped that the reader will, by the grace of God, come to know The Word, the Lord Jesus Christ [Remember that we read in John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” and in John Chapter 1, verse 14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”]. In 1 John 1:1 we find, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Wordof life;” And to make the connection between Jesus (the Son of God) and the Word as unmistakable as possible, we read in 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
In the “Historical Parable” we read about in 2 Kings, Chapter 4, verses 38-41, we read of the account of Elisha and the poison pottage. During a time of famine in Gilgal, wild gourds (which turned out to be poisonous) were placed in a seething pot for the sons of the prophets to eat, and they cried “Death in the Pot”! However, after Elisha had “meal” to be cast in to the pot, and the account ends with this marvelous statement: “And there was no harm in the pot.” It should be noted however that the word “harm”, as is translated into English by the King James translators, is actually derived from two key words in the original Hebrew.
The first word is רַע (raʿ)H745, means “evil“, and it is the very same Hebrew word that we found all the way back in the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 2:9, “And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil (רַע (raʿ))H7451“.
The second word in the original Hebrew is דָּבָר (dāḇār)H1697, which means “word(s)“. (To see just how important that the word “dabar” is in the Bible, which is translated over 800 times as “word” or “words” (and over 200 times as “thing(s) and over 60 times as “matter”, but sometimes erroneously as is shown in the Appendix Below.)
So then, God is telling us that when it says “no harm”, when we look closely at the original Hebrew, we find that “no harm” is really saying that there are “no evil word(s)” in the pot. Is that not most interesting? Since when do “words” go into a pot? This is why at least one translator (e.g., Young’s Literal Translation) felt compelled to substitute “thing(s)” to say “no evil thing” in the pot, because it would seem, from a human perspective, to better conform to the “plain sense”. However, such a translation effectively nullifies the “spiritual sense”, which God has imbedded in His Word. This is just more evidence of how God has perfectly, magnificently, and supernaturally crafted the historical events of the Bible, and the recording of them, to convey spiritual truth to those to whom God graciously grants the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
And as a result, we can more clearly see how this historical parable is really telling us that, even in a time of famine, the “sons of the prophets” were nonetheless adequately and safely nourished, just as in times of apostasy, the true believing Christians will be spiritually fed with the True Word of God (Jesus Christ) and that there will be no evil, or false, words/gospels to poison them.
In the “historical parable” of Judges chapters 4&5, we read of the historical account of Deborah and Barak, where Deborah was a prophetess (one who declares the word of God) and a judge in Israel. We also learn that she was the wife of a man named Lapidoth (לַפִּידוֹת(lapîḏôṯ)H3941), which is a plural form of the Hebrew word, “lapid” (לַפִּיד(lapîḏ)H3940 ), meaning “lamp” “torch” “lightning“, see below under Barak). We see the word lapid is used 14 times in the Bible:lamp(7x), firebrand(2x), torch(2x), brand(1x), lightning(1x), burning(1x).
The first time “lapid” appears in the Bible, it is quite terrifying, as we read in Genesis 15:1-21 where God promised Abram (Abraham) a future land of inheritance, and instructed that Abram prepare a sacrifice of five animals (heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon; of which the first three were divided (cut) into pieces), and afterward Abram fell into a deep sleep and had a horrible vision where God revealed that the descendants of Abram (Abraham) would be in servitude in Egypt for 400 years, spanning four generations (to wit, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Aaron), but then would come out with great substance. Then we next read in Genesis 15:17“And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burninglamp (“lapid” לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940) that passed between those pieces.” And then the LORD made a covenant with Abram (Abraham) regarding the Promised Land of Israel for an inheritance to his descendants.
In Isaiah 62:1, we read, “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 )that burneth.”
In Nahum 2:4 we read, “The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches(לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940), they shall run like the lightnings (בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300).” (More on this below under Barak)
In Zechariah 12:6, we read, “In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch(לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940)of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, [even] in Jerusalem.“
The word “lapid” (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) thus appears to have more generally been used in the verses above in a manner that speaks more to God’s Holy Covenant, His Justice, His Atonement for Salvation, and His Righteous Judgment, just as the word “Barak” also implies. The use of the original Hebrew word (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) is therefore much more ominous than the other word found in the original Hebrew (נִיר (nîr)H5216), which the King James translators also interpreted as “lamp” (or “candle”, please see below).
We should also remember that Jesus is The “Lamp,” that was translated by the King James translators from a different Hebrew word (נִיר (nîr) H5216), which and has been interpreted to mean variously: lamp (35x), candle (9x), light (4x). It is translated in English as “lamp” here in 2 Samuel 22:29 “For thou [art] my lamp (נִיר (nîr) H5216), O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.” and Psalm 119:105, “Thy wordis a lamp (נִיר (nîr) H5216) unto my feet, and a light (אוֹר (‘ôr)H216),unto my path.” We can derive the correlation between Jesus and the lamp because Jesus is The Word made flesh, as we read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Barak, a Portrait of Jesus Christ as the Ultimate Judge
Next we read in Judges 4:6, “And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, [saying], Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?“
This is the first reference to Barak. Barak (בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300), interestingly enough, also means “lightning” (exactly as Lapidoth, the husband of Deborah!), but also “glittering sword.” Might Barak therefore also be a type or allegorical prefigurement of Jesus Christ?
In Exodus 19:16, we read of when Moses was on Mount Sinai and God made His presence known to the people, “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings(בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300), and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.“
It should be noted that immediately following the giving forth of the Ten Commandments, we also read in Exodus 20:18, “And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ), and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw [it], they removed, and stood afar off.“
It is as if God is saying that Barak and Lapidoth are essentially the same!
For more evidence that this is indeed the case, in Ezekiel 1:13, we read in the same verse where Ezekiel describes the “visions of God,” “As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance [was] like burning coals of fire, [and] like the appearance of lamps (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ): it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning (בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300).” This is repeated in Daniel 10:6, where we read how Daniel, just like Ezekiel, describes Jesus in a vision, “His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning(בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300), and his eyes as lamps (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.” And is it not most interesting, that we see the same two words together again in Nahum 2:4, where judgment is being pronounced against Nineveh, “The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ), they shall run like the lightnings (בָּרָק(bārāq)H1300).” These three verses inextricably link “lapid” and “barak” together.
Moreover, as if the picture of Barak representing the Lord Jesus Christ is not clear enough, we find in Psalm 77:18 and Psalm 97:4 the following declarations of the LORD reigning and His works and judgments, “The voice of thy thunder [was] in the heaven: the lightnings(בָּרָק bārāq)H1300) lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.” and “His lightnings (בָּרָק bārāq)H1300) enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.”
When we consider that all of the above verses are talking about Judgment Day, we must conclude that not only does “Barak” clearly and irrefutably represent Jesus Christ, but Barak also represents Jesus Christ as Both The Judge, and The Means of Judgment coming on Judgment Day! And Given that Deborah is the wife of Lapidoth (who can be shown have equivalence with Barak) then it would seem that Deborah is therefore to be a typological representation of the true believers during a time of great apostasy who actively, and faithfully, declare the whole counsel of God’s Word that brings the message of both deliverance and judgment when the devil is loose according to Revelation 20:3and Revelation 20:7. Deborah is indeed an allegorical picture of the remnant of the Christian church which remains faithful to the end, enduring the end-times’ “Great Tribulation” as Jesus described in Matthew 24:21. Such true believers, together with all other believers throughout history, are described in the Bible as the Bride of Christ as described in Revelation 21:2.
The following is excerpted from a previously posted study on Nehemiah, Chapter 2, which exposits a short, but amazing, historical vignette (another “Historical Parable”) in the Bible that typifies Jesus’s three days and three nights of the Atonement within a larger contextual account, in the rest of the book, that typifies and highlights Jesus Christ (together with His eternal Church) in His ongoing battle with the devil and the devil’s minions in the course of building His Church. Similar typological accounts can very clearly be seen in the Book of Esther and Judges 4&5.
Nehemiah (meaning “Jehovah comforts“), as the governor (note that the root word in Nehemiah is like Nahum, meaning Comfort), along with Ezra (meaning “Help“) the priest and the scribe (according to Nehemiah 8:9), was part of the Jewish captivity living in Persia as part of the Persian King’s court that was sent back to Jerusalem by the King of Persia (possibly Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes) from the book of Esther) to restore the destroyed walled city of Jerusalem and rebuild the desecrated Temple of God. Moreover, we read in Nehemiah 1:11 that Nehemiah was the King of Persia’s “cupbearer” (butler). Nehemiah’s sojourn at Jerusalem was three days (and nights) as was Jesus’s Atonement at Jerusalem, which spanned three days and three nights. During that period…
In Nehemiah 2:13 and Nehemiah 2:15 we read the following, “And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.” and “Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned.“
The word “viewed” was placed there by the King James translators, because it would only make sense in the historical temporal context, but it was, nonetheless, not in the original Hebrew texts. The translators therefore must have “assumed” (but also being guided by God at the same time) that there was an otherwise inexplicable “error” in the transcription…despite the fact that it was entered that precise way twice in the original manuscripts!
The Hebrew word for “viewed” שָׂבַר (sâbar), saw-bar’H7663 was put there by the translators because they assumed that the word in the original text was written “erroneously” as שָׁבַר (šāḇar), shâbarH7666 in both Nehemiah 2:13 and Nehemiah 2:15). While שָׂבַר sâbar is a primitive root; meaning “to scrutinize”; by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience):—hope, tarry, “view”, wait; alternatively שָׁבַר shâbar is interpreted as “buy” or “purchase” as in buying wheat or corn. The fact is that the jot (dot) was on the top of the right arm rather than the left arm of the Hebrew letter in the original manuscripts was NOT an error or accident! This is because God made sure that it was repeated twice for confirmation!
So then, while it would seem perfectly correct and logical from a temporal, earthly, historical perspective that Nehemiah would have “viewed/examined” the wall; nonetheless, from a the spiritual perspective, we know that Jesus (who is clearly being presaged by Nehemiah in this particular Biblical account), would not only viewed the walls from an eternal perspective, but because of His Atoning sacrifice (that started on Passover night the Garden of Gethsemane after crossing the Brook Kidron/Cedron), also “purchased” the wall!
We know this to be true when we remember that all believers are purchased by the shed blood of Jesus as we read in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Also in 1 Corinthians 7:23, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.”
And, moreover, all the believers, the elect and chosen people of God, are the “lively stones” that are built into the wall of the spiritual temple of God of the spiritual New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2) of which Jesus Christ is the “Chief Cornerstone.” See 1 Peter 2:5-8, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in scripture, (Found in Isaiah 28:16 and Psalm 118:22) behold I lay in Si-on a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he (The Lord Jesus Christ) is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (See also Isaiah 8:14-16, Matthew 21:42, Mar 12:10&11, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, and Romans 9:33)
See also Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
The believers are also not only the “lively stones” in the wall, but are also “co-builders” of that wall with Jesus Christ, as we are informed in 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Note how this is also consistent with the last words of Nehemiah 2:16…as “the rest that did the work” is historically referring to those co-laborers with Nehemiah in building the earthly wall of the physical Jerusalem, who spiritually represent the believers with Jesus Christ in building the eternal church encompassing the New Jerusalem.
SUMMARY CONCLUSION
This Bible study illustrates how the King James Version, though highly faithful and inspired for its purpose, sometimes veils deeper “hidden treasures” embedded in the original Hebrew (and Greek) texts. These nuances, deliberately concealed by God for His Glory, yet made discoverable to honor the believers, consistently point to the Lord Jesus Christ as the living Word (John 1:1& 14) and glorify Him by drawing readers closer in faith and understanding. The four examples powerfully demonstrate this principle:
“Dabar” (דָּבָר, word/matter) in Proverbs 25:2 and related verses reveals God’s glory in concealing the Word (Jesus) and the honor of “kings” (believers, per Revelation1:6) in searching Him out. Multiple passages reinforce that wisdom, creation, praise, and blessings come through heeding the Word.
“No harm in the pot” (2 Kings 4:38-41) literally reads “no evil dabar (words)” in the original Hebrew. This historical parable spiritually assures that, even amid famine or apostasy, God’s people are nourished by the true Word (Christ) without harm from poisonous/deadly false gospels.
Deborah and Barak (Judges 4–5) function as rich typology. Deborah (a prophetess faithfulling declaring God’s Word) pictures the faithful remnant, the Church and Bride of Christ. Barak (“lightning,” spiritually linked to “lapid”/lamp, torch, but also “lightning” via Deborah’s husband, Lapidoth) typifies Jesus as the ultimate Judge and source of righteous judgment and salvation, echoed in visions of God’s glory, covenants, and end-time Judgment Day.
“Jots and tittles” in Nehemiah 2 illustrate magnificent Divine precision: the perceived error in the Hebrew spelling allows for the historical/temporal “viewing” by Nehemiah of the broken walls, while the correct Hebrew spelling points to Jesus’ spiritual/eternal “purchasing” them . This foreshadows Christ’s three days and nights of atonement, paying the full price for His Church (the believers as “lively stones” in the New Jerusalem’s wall, with Jesus as Chief Cornerstone) through His shed blood and Sacrifice, while co-laboring with His people in building His eternal Temple.
In every case, careful attention to original words, contexts, and cross-references uncovers layers that honor Christ’s centrality—from creation and covenants to redemption, judgment, and the Church’s role. These “hiddengems” affirm Proverbs 2:4–6 and Colossians 2:2–3: searching the Scriptures as for hidden treasure yields only greater fear (awe and reverence) of the Lord with understanding of the riches of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ.
FINAL TAKEAWAY
I pray that the reader will now more clearly understand that the Bible is supernaturally crafted so that its literal history simultaneously conveys profound spiritual truths. Far more Truth than meets the physical eye. Believers, being made kings and priests by God’s grace, are commanded to diligently search the Scriptures to behold more of Jesus, the Word made flesh. This pursuit will only strengthen faith, expose false gospels, and bring Glory to God, Who Alone reveals these treasures according to His perfect timing and His perfect Will by His Holy Spirit. As Jesus said in John 5:39 , “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” and in John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.“
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