Bible in Ten (2026)

23/05/2026

Saturday, 23 May 2026

and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Matthew 20:4

“And to them, he said, ‘You go, also you, into the vineyard, and whatever if it should be righteous, I will give you.’ And these, they departed.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus noted that in the third hour, the housemaster went out and saw others standing idle in the marketplace. He continues, saying, “And to them, he said, ‘You go, also you, into the vineyard.’”

With a quarter of the day gone, the chances of getting a job are waning. This offer was certainly good news for the men who were dependent on work to make ends meet. It may be preferable to wait a bit more for a good tiling job in someone’s house out of the full sun, but what if such a job didn’t materialize?

And more, this guy was willing to be fair, as Jesus says concerning their conversation, “and whatever if it should be righteous, I will give you.”

If he is a man of integrity, his word is a surety that he won’t cheat them at the end of the day. That is as much a risk as waiting, because he may be a person looking to cheat those who are getting desperate for any work just to make enough for dinner. But he has promised, and work is needed. Therefore, it says, “And these, they departed.”

No easy job like being a donkey valet has arisen. No exciting job, like laying mosaic tiles, has been offered. Working in the vineyard means standing, cutting, weeding, carrying heavy buckets of grapes, or whatever else is demanded by the on-site foreman. And all of it will be in the weather, even if a storm arises, but at least it is a job. And so, off they go.

Life application: When we have a job with a steady income, we generally don’t worry a great deal about how we will get through the day, week, or month. Yes, we may have mechanical problems with our car, but that will just mean less fun stuff like movies and going out for dinner for a few weeks.

But what happens when we suddenly lose our jobs? We have to mentally reconstruct our entire life’s paradigm. What can we do without? What will we be willing to do if no comparable job arises to fill our void? How will we be able to keep our children in their favorite activity next becomes how will we be able to keep our car? That soon turns into, how can I keep the house?

Each part of our existence gets a bit more precarious, starting with the least important, but leading to the most important. Sometimes, these are self-inflicted wounds. But other times, such a loss comes right out of the blue. The company isn’t doing well, and jobs are being cut. Then what will you do?

During such times, we have spiritual decisions to make that we may have avoided during times of prosperity. If we believe in God, or if we “think” He might be there, we start to think about Him. Then we start to talk to Him. Then we start to really call out to Him. Eventually, we ask friends who know Him well to pray for us. Finally, we even begin going to church.
God has allowed the catastrophe to occur. In this allowance, we start to put Him first. This is good. If it is a permanent change, this is very good. However, we may get a job out of the blue. It is better than the one before. Things suddenly take an upturn in our lives. We forget to thank God for the relief. We stop going to church. We reprioritize with even more stuff in our lives.

This is just one set of possibilities. Maybe the return to church becomes permanent. We now see everything through a new and permanent God-centered paradigm. We become unshakeable in our faith, even if the new job collapses after a few months.

Where does your ultimate hope lie? If it isn’t in God in Christ, it is a futile hope indeed. But even that hope must have a sure context to ground you –

“And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

If we have the hope of the resurrection deeply grounded in us. Everything, good and bad, that comes our way is just a blip on the road to eternal glory. What is it that motivates you above all else?

Lord God, may we find our hope in You alone. Everything else is temporary and ultimately tragic because it cannot last. But our hope in You is based on what is eternal. Thank You for the sure hope we possess in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

22/05/2026

Friday, 22 May 2026

And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, Matthew 20:3

“And having exited about the third hour, he saw others having stood in the market, inactive.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus continued the parable of the workers in the vineyard, noting that the housemaster agreed to hire laborers for a denarius and then sent them into the vineyard. He continues now, saying, “And having exited about the third hour.”

The Pulpit Commentary does a great job of describing the timing of the day –

“It seems that at this time the Jews divided the day, reckoned between sunrise and sunset, into twelve equal parts, the length of these divisions varying according to the season. The day in Palestine at longest consisted of fourteen European hours twelve minutes, and at shortest of nine hours forty-eight minutes, so that the difference between the longest and shortest division of the so called Jewish "hour" was twenty-two minutes. It is usual to consider the Hebrew day as lasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the sixth hour corresponding to our noon, the first hour being 7 o'clock and the third 9 a.m. This estimate, though not absolutely correct, is near enough to the fact to serve all expository purposes. The four periods mentioned in the parable are quarters of the working day, in which a proportional part of the day's wages might be earned.”

By this time, a quarter of the working day has expired. It might be that in checking the progress in the vineyard, he sees that there is a need for more laborers. Or it may be that at the early hour, these men had not yet arrived at the gathering place. Or it may be that the laborers were there and declined his original offer for one of various reasons. Whatever the case may be, Jesus next says of the housemaster, “he saw others having stood in the market, inactive.”

The agora, market, was already seen in Matthew 11:16. It is from ageiro, to gather. It is a place where people gather. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas were dragged to the agora before the rulers by those looking for a judgment against them. In Acts 17, Paul witnessed to people in the agora in Athens.

One can see that the market was a place where the community gathered for various reasons, including judicial matters, at least in some places. In the case of the housemaster, he was still looking for ready hands to assist in the vineyard. Arriving there, he found some just lolling around twiddling their fingers.

Life application: Above, various possibilities were given concerning why the men were in the agora at this hour. Some of them may not have wanted to work in vineyards, instead hoping to get a job laying tile. Others may have been off getting a breakfast burrito when the housemaster showed up.

By this third hour, they may be regretting not being more aggressive in getting a job for the day. With each waning hour, the chance of getting hired would go down. Likewise, one would normally get less money for less work. The words, therefore, speak of seizing the opportunities set before you.

Each of us must prioritize what we will do throughout the day. Circumstances may not be perfect, but is it more important to work inside laying tile, or is it more important to have a full day’s wages to pay for food for the family? The way we look at opportunities will say a lot about where our ultimate priorities lie.

Foolish people will stick stubbornly to foolish choices. At the end of the day, they may regret what they decided upon, they may turn to theft to cover their bad choices, or they may lie to their family about why there is no food. And yet, quite often, they will go out the next day and make more bad choices.

So we can learn from watching others as much as through our own errors, if we are willing to pay attention. Above all, there is one choice that must be decided upon. As there truly is no guarantee of tomorrow, we should be wise and discerning about this particular choice –

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:‘In an acceptable time I have heard you,And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:1, 2

Be wise. Call on Jesus today. If you are reading this, it means that you were brought to this commentary for a reason. God has done the necessary work to align your life with this choice. He has also done all that is necessary for you to be saved. All He asks is for you to believe what He has done is sufficient. Accept His offer of peace today.

Glorious Lord God, thank You for having brought us to the place where we have heard the message of salvation and applied it to our lives. Help us now to walk faithfully in that salvation all our days. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

21/05/2026

Thursday, 21 May 2026

Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. Matthew 20:2

“Having also harmonized with the toilers from ‘denarius, the day,’ he sent them into the ‘vineyard, his’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus began the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. He continues that now, saying, “And having harmonized with the toilers.”

An amount was agreed on (harmonized) between him and those who will be in his employ. This is what will happen with any day laborer, and it is what happens with any hired staff in any job. Even military service sets the terms of payment, regardless of if it is compulsory or voluntary enlistment.

People want to know what to expect for their labor before entering into it. This goes back to the earliest records of the Bible. In Genesis 29, it says –

“And he said, Laban, to Jacob, ‘(Indeed) not my brother, you. And you served me gratuitously? You must (surely) cause to declare to me what your wages!’ 16And to Laban, two daughters. ‘Name, the whopping’ Leah, and ‘name, the diminutive’ Rachel. 17And ‘eyes, Leah’ tender. And Rachel, she was ‘beautiful, form’ and ‘beautiful, appearance.

18And he cherished, Jacob, Rachel. And he said, ‘I will serve you seven years in Rachel, your daughter, the diminutive.’

19And he said, Laban, ‘Good I giving her to you from my giving her to ‘man, another’. You must (surely) sit with me!’ 20And he served, Jacob, in Rachel seven years. And they were, in his eyes, according to ‘days, ones’ in his ‘cherish, her’.” Genesis 29:15-20 (CG).

Such arrangements are wholly appropriate, and they are considered binding. If either side defaults on the agreement, it is considered theft. If the owner doesn’t pay, he has stolen the time and effort of the laborer. If the laborer refuses to work according to whatever standard was set forth, he is considered to have stolen the property of the owner. Understanding this, Jesus notes that the agreement was “from ‘denarius, the day,’.”

The denarius was introduced in Matthew 18:28. It was a small silver coin used in Roman currency. It was approximately 53 grams of silver. Its value changed according to the strength of the Roman currency system, as any nation’s currency does. But for this parable, it is accepted as a day’s labor by both parties. With that agreed on, “he sent them into the ‘vineyard, his’.”

It is his property. The vineyard was either planted by him or tended to since he acquired the property. His time, money, and resources have been used to keep the vineyard in proper shape. On the other side, the laborer has needs and desires that he anticipates based on what he will earn. His abilities have been evaluated, and he is to perform according to what the owner expects from those abilities.

Life application: In the story of Jacob and Laban, Laban cheated Jacob. Instead of giving him Rachel for seven years of labor, he gave him Leah. Only after the marriage was consummated did Jacob realize what had happened. He had his years of labor essentially stolen from him.

Laban then offered Rachel for another seven years of labor. Jacob agreed to this, but it was not the original agreement. Laban had seven years to marry off Leah, and he didn’t do it, connivingly setting Jacob up to serve him longer so that Laban could unjustly benefit from him.

Understanding this, be sure to count your pay before you take it for a deposit. And for sure, gents, be sure to lift the veil on the woman you are about to marry. Under it, she might not be who you think.

Lord God, what a wonderful story is found in Jacob’s two wives and two concubines. There is law, and there is grace. And there are two exiles during those periods for the nation of Israel. And yet, You have brought them back again to fulfill the final promises in Your word to this unruly people. May that day be soon. Amen.

19/05/2026

Wednesday, 20 May 2026

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. Matthew 20:1

“Like, for, it is the ‘kingdom, the heavens’: man, housemaster, who he exited concurrently early to hire toilers into ‘vineyard, his’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Chapter 19 concluded with Jesus’ words concerning many who are first will be last and last who will be first. Continuing with that thought, He now begins another parable, saying, “Like, for, it is the ‘kingdom, the heavens’.”

As with His other parables about the kingdom of the heavens, we can anticipate that what Jesus will say is to be considered a recognizable truth about how the workings of God concerning redemption are played out in humanity.

In other words, there is the kingdom of the heavens, an example of which is given for us to learn from. This will help us see and understand more clearly what God is doing in the redemptive process. As such, Jesus says the kingdom is like a “man, housemaster.”

It can already be speculated that the man is the Lord. He is overseeing His plan of redemption, which is typified by the house. The house in this case doesn’t just mean a physical house. Rather, it involves everything under the authority of the house.

For example, the house of David signifies his person, authority, descendants, scope of influence, etc. It is an all-encompassing thought concerning that which belongs to David. Of this house master, Jesus says of him, “who he exited concurrently early.”

Though a bit clunky, evaluating the words will help understand the meaning. The word hama signifies “at the same time.” A single word to suit the purpose is “concurrently.” The word prói is an adverb that means “at dawn.” Thus, the man exited his house “concurrently early.” This was “to hire toilers.”

A new word is seen here, misthoó, to hire or let out for wages. It will only be seen here and in verse 7 of this chapter. This practice has probably existed since the first people on the earth. It continues today in companies with names like Labor Ready, Jobs Today, Hire Me, etc.

It is also not uncommon for people to go to work sites or various locations where workers hoping for a job gather. Temporary hire solves many immediate labor problems while allowing the laborers freedom to move, choose what they will do, etc. In this case, the housemaster wants employees to go “into ‘vineyard, his’.”

The ampelón, vineyard, is introduced here. It is derived from ampelos, a vine. In many cases, it would make no sense to have a lot of permanent employees to tend to a particular type of job all year. Hence, people may hire employees for a day, a week, a month, or a season.

There may be a few permanent servants or employees, but until the vines are ready to be clipped and the grapes gathered, there is no point in having people sit around doing nothing while being paid. This is the setting Jesus begins with to explain what it is like in the kingdom of the heavens.

Life application: Jesus is using examples that the people would have been intimately familiar with. This is true both from Scripture and from the society in which the people lived. Although many of the things He talks about are understood pretty much anywhere, there are things He mentions that are unique to the land and culture of Israel.

If you had never seen a palm tree, you would have no idea what it was without seeing a picture of one. Many of the things Jesus speaks of in the gospels can be understood if one has read the Old Testament, even if it isn’t generally known in a particular society.

Without reading the Old Testament, a person may not have any idea what He is talking about. Inferences can be made, and understanding in a general sense can be obtained, but like going to Israel itself to see the land and grasp the layout for a better understanding of Jesus’ movements, it is important not to neglect reading the Old Testament.

Redemptive history did not just begin when Jesus started His ministry. Everything about what He does and where He does it is intimately connected to what has already been recorded. So, don’t neglect reading and thinking about the contents of the Old Testament.

For those parts that are difficult to understand, there are scholars who have laid out what is meant for pretty much every part of the Bible. The more you study, contemplate, and consider the Old Testament, the more alive and meaningful the New Testament will be to you. Be sure to read your Bible... the whole Bible!

Lord God, what a wonderful thing You have done. You came and participated in Your creation in the Person of Jesus. He was a real Man who dwelt in a particular land among a particular group of people. Everything about Him reveals intimacy and fellowship. May we now participate in that as we interact with You through Your word that tells us all about Jesus. Amen.

19/05/2026

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 19, the Book of Psalms, and Isaiah 19 For Bible in Ten – By DH – 19th May 2026
Yesterday we completed Matthew 19. Nineteen according to E W Bullinger is “a combination of 10 and 9, and would denote the perfection of Divine order connected with judgment.”
During our episodes through Matthew 19, we already learned how “..the words of Chapter 19 span all the dispensations of time.” CG . In Matthew 19 Jesus brought judgments which referenced creation, the law, the insufficiency of human merit, faith and grace, and looking forward to the millennial kingdom. As we will see in this bonus episode we can also find these references in Psalms.
Isaiah 19 also adds a sharper prophetic focus. It lends support to the judgment theme. According to BibleHub “It presents a two-fold prophecy against Egypt, revealing not only a looming divine judgment but also an ultimate transformation and redemption. This dual-nature prophecy exemplifies the complexity of God's plans for nations and His sovereignty over all things.”
In Matthew 19 every false confidence is judged: confidence in legal argument, in religious achievement, in wealth, in status, and confidence in the flesh. In the end, the chapter points to Christ alone.
Consider the following seven sections which trace Matthew 19 as a historical sweep: from creation order and marriage, through law and human hardness, into grace, kingdom promise, final judgment, and the believer’s reward before Christ.

Innocence and Creation

When answering the Pharisees’ question about breaking up marriage, Jesus does not begin His answer with Moses. He goes further back. He goes to creation:
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female?”
Psalms has many Creation references too:
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God…” Psalm 19:1 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made…” Psalm 33:6
“How many are Your works, LORD! In wisdom You have made them all…” Psalm 104:24
To Him who made the heavens with skill,For His faithfulness is everlasting;
6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,For His faithfulness is everlasting;
7 To Him who made the great lights,For His faithfulness is everlasting:
8 The sun to rule by day,For His faithfulness is everlasting,
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,For His faithfulness is everlasting. Psalm 136:5–9
3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens!5 They are to praise the name of the Lord,For He commanded and they were created. Psalm 148:3–5
The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,The world, and those who live in it.2 For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers. Psalm 24:1–2

You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;You greatly enrich it;The stream of God is full of water;You prepare their grain, for so You prepare the earth.10 You water its furrows abundantly,You settle its ridges,You soften it with showers,You bless its growth.11 You have crowned the year with Your goodness,And Your paths drip with fatness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness drip,And the hills encircle themselves with rejoicing.13 The meadows are clothed with flocksAnd the valleys are covered with grain;They shout for joy, yes, they sing Psalm 65:9–13
Man was created for ordered life beneath the Lord. Marriage belongs to that created order. It was established by God at the beginning and Psalm 128 references it in verse 3.
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house…” Psalm 128:3

Law and the Hardness of Heart

The Pharisees then press the matter further:
“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
Jesus answers:
“Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”
The law could regulate certain consequences of sin, but it could not cure the heart of man. Moses’ allowance was not the original ideal. It was an accommodation because of hardness of heart.
Psalm 1, Psalm 19, and Psalm 119 all uphold the goodness of the law. The law is not evil. The commandments of the Lord are righteous. The word of God is pure, true, and desirable.
But Psalms also makes clear that man himself is the problem.
Psalm 14:3 says:
“They have all turned aside, together they are corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one. ”
Psalm 143 says:
“And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For no person living is righteous in Your sight.” verse 2.
Psalm 51 gives the heart of the issue. David does not merely need external correction. He cries:
“Create in me a clean heart, God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me..” verse 10.
The law highlights sin in man but cannot correct man’s fallen state.
Psalms illuminates this powerfully. Psalm 49 says:
“None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.”
That is the heart of the matter. Man cannot redeem himself. Wealth cannot ransom the soul. Moral seriousness cannot purchase eternal life.
Psalm 62 warns:
“If riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”

Grace through Faith

After this, children are brought to Jesus so that He might place His hands on them and pray. Psalm 131 verse 2 says:
“I have certainly soothed and quieted my soul; Like a weaned child resting against his mother, My soul within me is like a weaned child.”
That is the spirit of Matthew 19. The kingdom is not entered through self-confident legal achievement, but through humble dependence.
Psalm 8 also says:
“From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.”
Jesus later cites this psalm in Matthew 21. The children, the weak, the dependent, and the seemingly insignificant often perceive what a more mature mind misses. The disciples wrongly rebuke the children. Jesus corrects them.
The Lord is near to the humble, the broken, the dependent, and the trusting. The children become a living illustration of the kind of faith that enters the kingdom.

The Royal and Millennial Hope

Peter then asks what will be given to the disciples, since they have left all and followed Jesus. Jesus answers:
“You who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
This moves Matthew 19 forward to the millennial kingdom.
Psalm 2 presents the Lord’s Anointed as King:
“Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.”
Psalm 72 looks forward to the righteous reign of the King, marked by justice, peace, dominion, and blessing.
Psalm 89 recalls the Davidic covenant and the certainty of God’s promises.
Psalm 110 presents the Messiah seated at the right hand of God until His enemies are made His footstool.
Psalm 122 says:
“For thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.”

The Dispensational Sweep of Matthew 19

The chapter begins with creation order: male and female, marriage, and God’s original design.
It moves to law: Moses, divorce, hardness of heart, and the insufficiency of legal accommodation.
It then displays grace: the children come to Christ with nothing, and Jesus receives them.
It exposes human inability: the rich young ruler cannot obtain life through personal merit, morality, or wealth.
It reveals divine possibility: with man salvation is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
It then looks forward to the millennial kingdom: the apostles will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Isaiah 19 and The Great White Throne Judgment

At the Great White Throne, all false confidence is finally exposed. Only those who are in Christ have a righteousness that can stand before God.
Isaiah 19 gives a searching picture of Egypt brought under the judgment of the LORD. Egypt’s idols tremble. Her wisdom fails. Her princes become fools. Her counsellors are unable to give true guidance. The nation that once appeared ancient, powerful, wealthy, and secure is shown to be helpless before God.
This is a stark picture of misplaced confidence.
Matthew 19 teaches the same spiritual lesson. Do not trust law-performance, wealth, status, fleshly advantage, religious seriousness, or human ability. With men this is impossible.
The rich young ruler appears clothed in morality, youth, wealth, and religious seriousness. But when Christ presses the true demand of perfection, the man is exposed. His confidence cannot save him. His possessions have his heart. He goes away sorrowful.
He is like Egypt in Isaiah 19. What seemed wise, strong, and secure is brought to nothing before the LORD.
This points forward to the Great White Throne Judgment, where every person outside of Christ will stand fully exposed before God. The books will be opened. No earthly confidence will remain. No religious appearance will cover the soul. No wealth, status, morality, wisdom, or human achievement can answer the demands of divine righteousness.
Isaiah 19 shows the collapse of national confidence before the LORD. Matthew 19 shows the collapse of personal confidence before Christ. The Great White Throne shows the final collapse of every confidence outside of God’s saving righteousness.

Matthew 19 and the Judgment of the believer

Matthew 19 ends with the judgment:
“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
In the 19th book of the Bible, Psalms repeatedly shows divine reversal. The proud are brought low. The humble are lifted up. The wicked may flourish temporarily, but they do not endure. The righteous may suffer for a time, but they are finally vindicated.
Psalm 37 says the meek shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 73 shows the prosperous brought to nothing.
Psalm 113 says the Lord raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy out of the ash heap.
Psalm 118 speaks of the rejected stone becoming the chief cornerstone.
Isaiah 19 dramatizes the same reversal negatively. Those who seemed powerful and reliable, Egypt and Cush, are exposed in shame. Their apparent strength becomes humiliation.
So Matthew 19 teaches that the judgment of believers will expose the true value of a life. Some things that looked great on earth will be shown to be small. Some sacrifices that looked foolish or unnoticed will be openly rewarded by Christ.

Life Application
At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the question is not, “Are you saved?” No. The believer’s condemnation has already been dealt with in Christ. The question is rather: “How have you as a saved person followed, served, sacrificed, and valued Christ?”
Let us not measure our life only by what we keep now, but by what Christ will count then.
Lord God, thank You that salvation does not rest upon our merit, wealth, strength, or status. Thank You that what is impossible with man is possible with You. Help us come as children, trust in Christ, and await the kingdom You have promised. For your glory! Amen.

19/05/2026

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

A summary of Matthew Chapter 19.

Chapter 17 revealed that there is a future for Israel in God’s redemptive plans. Chapter 18, above all, showed that childlike faith is required to enter into the kingdom. The final parable, that of the wicked servant, was a clear indicator that the law is set aside but that Israel rejected Christ’s fulfillment of it and, instead, went to reimpose the law that Christ had fulfilled.

The parable ended with the thought that Israel would be delivered to the torturers (symbolized by the wicked servant being delivered up) until he should pay all that was due. Until Israel enters the New Covenant, they fulfill the typology of that wicked servant.

Chapter 19 takes the reader through various topics to reveal what God prioritizes. One can see the contrasts between law and faith as the verses progress.

Verse 1, using the word after-lifted, indicated a transition in Jesus’ ministry was taking place. The same is true with the narrative that is to be revealed. Jesus departed from the Galilee and “He came unto the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.”

The east side of the Jordan typologically indicates a time prior to Israel’s acceptance of Jesus, the Descender, symbolized by the Jordan. The Pharisees came to Him, asking about divorce. Could a man dismiss his wife for every cause? Jesus’ answer took them back to the creation.

At the creation, God made the two one. Therefore, man was not to separate what God had conjoined. As this was the only instruction on the matter until the time of Moses, it was the ideal from the dispensation of innocence, even until the time of the law. Being the ideal, however, does not mean this is what man practiced.
As such, Jesus explained that the accommodation, which came during the dispensation of the law, was because of the hardness of their hearts. This is why Moses gave the allowance for divorce, but it was not that way from the beginning.

The covenant of marriage was to be considered binding. So much was this the case that Jesus noted that divorcing and marrying another was to be considered an act of adultery.

The intent of conveying this is to show that the law could not change the heart of man. Rather, it only highlights sin in man, something explained by Paul in Romans 7. Having heard Jesus’ words, the disciples exclaimed that if this was the case of a man with a wife, it would be better not to marry.

Jesus’ response showed that, despite the baggage of marriage, it is God’s intent. Only those who have been eunuchized in one of various ways were to be considered the exception to God’s original mandate to be married and to remain faithfully married. God’s original ideal, despite the law, was to be upheld.

With that thought complete, it was noted that children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and to pray. The disciples admonished them concerning this, but Jesus told them not to do so, but rather to allow them to come in this manner because, as He said, “for such, it is, the kingdom of the heavens.”

The intent of His words is that those of childlike faith, not those who are obedient to law, are granted entrance into the kingdom. Immediately after that, the thought of law observance was again brought to the forefront with the introduction of the young ruler, relying on an unstated precept of the law (Leviticus 18:5), to gain him perpetual life.

He wanted to know what good he should do to obtain that state. Jesus cited commandments and precepts specifically relating to one’s relationship with his neighbor, assuring him that if he did such things, he would enter “the life.”

After claiming he had done those things, Jesus reset his thinking by telling him that one thing was lacking. He was to sell all he had, give it to the poor, and then he would have treasure in heaven. With that, he went away sorrowful.

He had failed to see that he could not meet the law’s standard, a law that pointed to Christ. Jesus was essentially telling him exactly that. “The law points to Me. If you want to be perfect under the law, sell what you have and come, follow Me.” That is how you will merit favor under the law.

With his departure, Jesus told His disciples about how difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of the heavens. With the disciples’ incredulity at Jesus’ words, He told them that with men, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.

It again points to trust and salvation by grace. The wealthy ruler wanted to merit his eternal life. Jesus showed him it could not be done. Only God can provide it, and it must come through faith. Something revealed in the dispensation of grace.

The final paragraph began with the thought introduced by Peter’s question concerning what would be there for him and the other disciples. They had given up all to follow Jesus. Jesus assured them that they would sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

That will occur during the dispensation of the millennium. As such, the words of Chapter 19 span all the dispensations of time. With that having been assured to the disciples, Jesus then assured all who sacrifice of themselves for His name will receive their just reward. The chapter finished up with His words that the many who are first will be last and who are last will be first.

That sets the tone for Chapter 20, where Jesus will give a parable and summarize it with that same thought.

Life application: The flow of Chapter 19 is one that repeatedly returns to the thought of the insufficiency of the law to bring about a right state before God. Rather, the law highlights sin in man, but it can do nothing to correct man’s fallen state. The supremacy of Jesus is thus on prominent display in this chapter.

Coming on the heels of Chapter 18, it stands as an admonition for Israel to give up on trying to earn God’s favor through personal merit and to come to Christ for renewal. In that, they will receive all of the promised blessings given to them throughout the prophets.

As Jesus promised the disciples that they would sit and judge Israel, it is a clear indication that these millennial blessings can only come to the nation when they acknowledge Jesus, the recognized Messiah by these disciples and the One they will serve. They have entered the New Covenant. When Israel does, it is these men who will judge them under that New Covenant.

Lord God, thank You that salvation comes through what Jesus has done. We don’t need to fret over what we must do. He has done it all! Thank You for the hope of eternal life because of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Bible in Ten

23/05/2026

22/05/2026

21/05/2026

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share