Chapter 50
PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER
Matthew 13:51-52
Dear Holy Father, Almighty God
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God as we go through the following study please open our ears so we can hear what You are saying. Please Father God open our eyes so we can see the things You are teaching us. And Father, please open our heart so we can receive and accept the truth of Your instruction. We ask You for these things in Jesus’ Holy Name.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Before we begin this study it is important to recall that previously Jesus had given His disciples seven parables concerning the Kingdom of God. After Jesus gave these parables He asked His disciples a very important question. To read what He asked and the disciples’ response we go to,
Matthew 13:51
[51] Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Before we read Jesus’ response, it must be pointed out that in the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible; the term scribe is translated to be “a teacher of the law.” In other words, in the Old Testament, a scribe is a person who is a student and teacher of the Holy Scriptures. With this background let us now go and read what Jesus said.
Matthew 13:52
[52] Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
Jesus just provided us the pattern for Biblical teaching. Specifically, Jesus is teaching us that for good sound Biblical teaching we are to utilize the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.
Now some may ask; “Why, in our teaching and studies should we utilize both the Old and New Testaments?” This question arises from the misconception that the New Testament replaced the Old Testament. However, as we progress through this study we will discover that the New Testament is not really new. Actually, the New Testament records the fulfillment of what God foretold and promised. Specifically, the New Testament records the arrival, activity and teachings of the Messiah who, in the Old Testament, was promised to come to save mankind from their sin.
Thus, to provide and/or receive a more complete and in depth understanding of God’s Word, the student and teacher of the Holy Scripture must bring forth from their treasury both the New and Old Testaments.
To see this we will find that,
1. In addition to important historical information, the Old Testament was written about Jesus Christ, Who is the promised Messiah.
2. The Old Testament system of sacrificial laws and temple services were foreshadows of the covenant we now have in Jesus Christ.
3. The Old Testament provides us examples for how the born-again believer in Jesus Christ, while living here on earth, should live their lives.
Let us begin by first seeing how
THE OLD TESTAMENT TALKS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
To see this, we go to the time when Jesus opened the remaining eleven apostle’s minds to understand the Scriptures and read from,
Luke 24:44-45
[44] Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” [45] And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Notice, Jesus said that the whole Old Testament, which is composed of The Law of Moses, The Prophets and The Psalms speak of Him. To read some examples of this let us first go to,
THE LAW OF MOSES (THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT)
In the Law of Moses there is a myriad of writings that foretold the coming of the Messiah. Thus, for us to have a better understanding and foundation to see how Jesus Christ fulfilled these prophecies, we must read and study them.
One example of this is when God the Father told Moses that after he passed away He was going to raise up a prophet like him, Moses. To read what God the Father said, we go to,
[17] “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. [18] I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. [19] And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”
To see how this prophecy relates to Jesus Christ, let us read an excerpt from the sermon Peter gave after he, through faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, healed a lame man. The passage of interest is in,
Acts 3:12-24
[12] … he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? [13] The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. [14] But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, [15] and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. [16] And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. [17] “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. [18] But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. [19] Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, [20] and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, [21] whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. [22] For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. [23] And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. [24] Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.
Let us notice the following verses,
12 … Peter told the people it was not by his and/or John’s power that made the lame man well.
13-15 … Peter told the people it was them who condemned Jesus, the Holy One, and the Prince of life and gave Him up to Pilate to be crucified.
16 … Peter told the people that it was through faith in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that healed the lame man.
17 … Peter expressed his compassion towards the people by stating that it was through ignorance they gave up Jesus. In other words, he recognized that the people really did not know or believe that Jesus was and is the Holy One, the promised Messiah.
19-23 … Peter used the prophecy God gave through Moses to show that Jesus Christ was the Prophet who would come to save them.
24 … Peter also told them that the Old Testament prophets from Samuel and those who came after him also foretold of the coming Messiah.
This now brings us to
THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS
There are 17 books that comprise the portion of the Old Testament known as the Prophets. As the Apostle Peter said, throughout their writings these Old Testament prophets foretold that God’s salvation and His Grace was to come to you and me. To verify this statement let us read from,
1 Peter 1:10-12
[10] Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, [11] searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. [12] To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.
For completeness let us read just one of the many prophecies given through the Old Testament prophets. For this study let us read the prophecy that is usually quoted during the Christmas season. It was penned by the prophet Isaiah and recorded in,
Isaiah 7:14
[14] Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
To see how this prophecy relates to Jesus Christ let us read what an angel said to Joseph when he discovered his betrothed wife, Mary, to be with child. To do this let us go to,
Matthew 1:20-25
[20] But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. [21] And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” [22] So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: [23] “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, “God with us.” [24] Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, [25] and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Jesus also said He was spoken of in,
THE PSALMS
To read an example of how the Psalms speak of Jesus, let us read the following passage,
Psalm 110:1
[1] The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
Now let us read how Jesus used the above passage to teach the Pharisees that He was the promised Messiah. To do this let us go to,
Matthew 22:41-46
[41] While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, [42] saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” [43] He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: [44] ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’? [45] If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” [46] And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
With the above examples from the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and Psalms we only scratched the surface of what is contained within the Old Testament. Thus, for a more in-depth knowledge, and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the scribe, like a householder, should enhance his study and teaching with things both new and old.
As we read and study the Bible we discover not only does the Old Testament speak of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but we also find that,
THE OLD TESTAMENT SYSTEM OF SACRIFICAL LAWS AND TEMPLE SERVICES ARE FORESHADOWS OF THE NEW COVENANT
Thus, as we read and study the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Temple services we gain invaluable insight and understanding of the precious gift we now have in Jesus Christ. To see this we will touch upon: (1) the forgiveness of sins and (2) the priesthood. Let us begin with,
THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
When God gave Moses the Moral Law, that is the Ten Commandments, He also instituted the Ceremonial Law. The Ceremonial Law was a system of sacrifices to be used in various circumstances and occasions. For this study we will briefly review the sacrifice that was to be given for the forgiveness of sin.
In reading the various laws concerning the sin offering one finds that various types of animals were prescribed. The type of animal to be offered depended upon who committed the sin. However, no matter what animal was to be offered, the method for offering the sacrifice was basically the same.
To see this and better understand what the sin offering was all about, let us read what was to occur when an average Israelite, that is one who was not an elder or priest, realized he committed a sin. To do this let us read from,
Leviticus 4:27-31
[27] ‘If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, [28] or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. [29] And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. [30] Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. [31] He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
Let us notice the following verses,
27a … The following sacrifices were to be made for unintentional sins.
27b-28 … These actions were to be taken whenever he was found guilty or realized that he had sinned. Stop and consider for a moment how often that could be, the cost and the difficulty involved. Not only did the individual have to go to his flock and select a perfect female goat but also had to journey on foot to where ever the Temple was.
29(a) … To symbolically transfer his sin to the animal, he who sinned was to lay his hand on the head of the animal.
29(b) … The person who sinned, was to slaughter the animal. Thus, he knew exactly why the animal was to die…namely for the sin he had committed.
30 … The priest took some of the animal’s blood and presented it to God.
31(a) … The fat of the animal, which was considered the best part, was also to be offered to God.
31(b) … Once completed, atonement was made.
As one reflects upon the above, the question may arise; “What is so special about the blood?” As we read the Scriptures, we find that in God’s eyes
The Life of the Creature is in its Blood
To see this, let us read what God said about the blood in,
Leviticus 17:11
[11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
And again in,
Leviticus 17:14
[14] for it is the life of all flesh. Its blood sustains its life. Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.’
In the above verse we read that; the blood sustains the life. This is why the life of every creature is represented by its blood. Consequently, by offering the blood of the animal, one was really offering its life as a substitute for their own life.
This brings us to the second observation about the laws of the sin offering. Namely, the value of the animal to be offered was correlated to the position of the individual who committed the sin. For example, if the sin was committed by an anointed priest the offering was to be a young bull without defect (Leviticus 4:3). However, if the sin was committed by a leader of the community, his offering was to be a male goat without defect (Leviticus 4:23). And as we saw above, if an ordinary person committed the sin, then the offering was to be a female goat without defect.
Let us now pause for another moment or two and consider how precious you and I are in God’s eyes. Remember, the offering made for the forgiveness of our sins was not the blood of a mere animal or a mere human being. No, the offering given for you and me was the Blood of the Messiah, the anointed one who is our Lord and our God!
Summary
Given the above survey one needs to ask, “What is God teaching the people then and us now with all these sin offerings?” Basically, there are at least three truths being taught to us.
The first truth is that the penalty for sin is death. In addition to all the above illustrations, we also find it is very clearly stated in,
Romans 6:23(a)
"[23] For the wages of sin is death, ..."
The second truth is that in God’s Law atonement or the forgiveness for our sins can only be accomplished through a substitute death. Perhaps another way to see this is to note that we can never do enough good deeds to make atonement for ourselves, it must be accomplished through the life of another. To see this let us prayerfully reread,
Leviticus 17:11
[11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
Finally, and most importantly, all these sacrifices were to teach us about what Jesus, the Messiah, would do for us once and for all. To see this let us read what the Holy Spirit said in,
Hebrews 10:1-10
[1] For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Let us reflect upon the following verses,
1(a) … These Old Testament sacrifices were only shadows of what was coming. In other words, they were instituted to teach us about what was to come in Jesus Christ. They were not the reality in themselves.
1(b) … These sacrifices could never make a person perfect.
2 … Note, if these sacrifices were able to make one perfect then they would not have to be constantly performed. In other words, if an animal sacrifice could make the person offering it perfect; then, once a sacrifice was performed there would be no need to do it again.
4 … It is impossible for the blood of animals to take away sins.
Let us now read what our Lord Jesus Christ said to God the Father.
[5] Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.[6] In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. [7] Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’
To read an explanation of what Jesus said we now go to,
[8] Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), [9] then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. [10] By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Let us reflect upon the following verses,
10(a) … We have been made holy, that is sanctified or set apart, through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ! Just stop for a moment or two and reflect upon what we have just read. Namely, we have been made holy and set apart for Him!!!!
10(b) … Once and for all! In other words there is no longer a reason for any other sacrifice. Jesus did it all. He was the fulfillment of all what the Old Testament was pointing to. Thus, Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice.
This short discussion about the sin offering is only a small taste of how the entire Old Testament sacrificial system helps to explain and provide insight to the purpose and meaning of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Similar studies of the Old Testament feasts, such as the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, etc., also provide much insight and understanding of Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us through His death and resurrection.
Before we leave this portion of our study, let us briefly explore,
THE PRIESTHOOD
Let us recall that it was the Old Testament priest who was to offer the blood of the sacrificed animal to God. Hence, the various descriptions and functions of the Old Testament priesthood serve as examples and illustrations to teach us about the office Jesus Christ now has as our High Priest. To see this, we begin by reading an excerpt of what God told Moses to do to anoint Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. To do this let us read from,
Exodus 40:12-16
""[12] Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water. [13] Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. [14] Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. [15] Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." [16] Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him."
Let us notice the following verses,
12-13 … God commanded Moses to anoint and set apart Aaron as His priest.
15 … God also commanded Moses to anoint and set apart Aaron's sons as priests. Also notice that this call for Aaron and his sons to the priesthood was to extend throughout their generations.
This office was so sacred that, if anyone other person than the priest would enter into the Tabernacle or sanctuary, they were to be put to death.
Numbers 3:10
"[10] Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death.""
The High Priest
Under the direction of God, once a year, the High Priest, Aaron (or after Aaron one of his offspring), was to enter the Holiest of Holies (sometimes called the Most Holy Place) of the Temple. The High Priest did this to intercede for the entire nation by making atonement for the priests, the people and the Temple itself. To see this, let begin by reading from,
Leviticus 16:2-5
"[2] The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. [3] "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. [4] He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on. [5] From the Israelite community he is to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering."
From here on, that is verses 6-28, the Bible describes the various sacrifices that Aaron, the High Priest, was to make. Instead of reading them now, let us skip to:
Leviticus 16:29-34
""[29] This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work--whether native-born or an alien living among you-- [30] because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. [31] It is a Sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. [32] The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments [33] and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. [34] "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses."
For this study let us notice the following verses,
2 … God's Presence was over the Atonement Cover. This is why the room in which it was placed was called the Most Holy Place or Holiest of Holies.
3 … Aaron also had to give a sin offering for himself, that is for the sins he committed.
32-33 … The above instructions were not only for Aaron but for all the High Priests that were to succeed him.
34 … This ritual was to be done once a year. As we read in verse 30 it was called the Day of Atonement.
The question now arises as to; “How all this information about the Old Testament priesthood relates to Jesus Christ?”
To find out we return to the book of Hebrews and read from,
Hebrews 7:23-27
[23] … there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. [24] But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. [25] Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. [26] For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; [27] who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Let us notice the following verses,
24 … Because Jesus Christ lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
25 … Since Jesus is constantly making intercession for you and me,
He is able to save all of us who go to God the Father through Him.
26-27 … Jesus is our High Priest. This is beautifully summarized in,
Hebrews 8:1-2
[1] Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, [2] a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
We now come to the third and last portion of our study, which is
THE OLD TESTAMENT PROVIDES US WITH EXAMPLES OF THE WAY A BORN AGAIN-BELIEVER SHOULD LIVE THEIR LIVES
To see the truth of this statement let us read what the Holy Spirit, through the hand of Paul, wrote concerning the Israelite’s behavior during their exodus from Egypt. The warning the Holy Spirit gave to the Church in Corinth and now to us is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
[1] Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, [2] all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, [3] all ate the same spiritual food, [4] and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. [5] But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. [6] Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. [7] And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” [8] Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [9] nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [10] nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. [11] Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. [12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Let us notice the following verses,
1-4 … All those whom God delivered from the tyranny of Pharaoh started their exodus with the same blessings and provisions.
5 … Unfortunately, most of them were not faithful to their Lord. Hence, God was not well pleased.
6-11 … All that happened during Israel’s exodus from Egypt are examples for us. These examples are to teach us that, during our exodus from our old sinful life to the promised land of Heaven, we are to remain faithful to God.
12 … We are not to become presumptuous or take for granted the Mercy and Grace that God has extended to us.
In addition to Israel’s exodus, the lives of the various people written about in the Old Testament are excellent examples for how we should or should not conduct our selves during our walk with Christ Jesus. Just to name a few, there is much to be learned and gained from reading about the faith of people such as Gideon, David and Samuel. There is also much to be learned and gained from reading about the failings of people such as Samson, King Saul and Solomon.
CONCLUSION
What is the point? What is the message of this study? Perhaps it is best summarized by reading the following excerpt from the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy. The passage of interest is,
2 Timothy 3:16-17
[16] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Let us notice the following verse,
16a … All Scripture is profitable for those who study and share God’s Word.
Blessed be the Lord forever,
Amen and Amen