13:15 Continuing the development of the promises the ‘land’ of chapter 12 is promised to Abram’s ‘seed for ever’ implying resurrection – but as yet Abram had no seed!

14:12 In telling us that Lot ‘dwelt in Sodom’ we see a downward spiral from Gen 13:12 where he (13:12) ‘pitched his tent towards Sodom’

13:1 - "Lot" according to Smith's Bible Dictionary means "veil, covering" and perhaps this refers to Lot being a bit lacking in spiritual vision. 

13:3-4 - the altar was perhaps a bridge between that which is holy (house of God) and that which is unholy sinful flesh (heap of ruins). This altar perhaps pointed toward Christ who is the mediator or bridge between God and man 1Tim 2:5

13:5-11  The strife between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen, like the strife between Jacob and Esau – Gen 36:6-8 - highlights a fundamental aspect of human nature. It is inherently divisive in the way it lives. If ‘brethren’ cannot get on with each other we must appreciate that strife and division is a consequence of our mortality. Of course this does not justify it. It simply explains why it is – it is a manifestation of the flesh and as such should be resisted.

14:23 That Abraham would not take anything from the king of Sodom demonstrates Abraham’s clear separation for all appearance of evil. He did not want it to even appear as if the king of Sodom, rather than God, had blessed him. How does this inform us as to how we should view our association with the world and its riches?

13:14 Abram had been to told to leave his family – Gen 12:1 – now he is on his own, Lot having left him. The promises which had begun in Genesis 12 are expanded

13:12  Lot pitched his tent ‘towards Sodom’ so initially he was outside the city but very soon he was dwelling ‘n Sodom’ Gen 14:12and then sitting ‘in the gate’ Gen 19:1. This we see how once on a downward road it is so easy to progress to a potentially destructive position.

14:24 Abraham recognised that no man goeth to war at his own expense – 1Cor 9:7 – so he is concerned that those who went with him rat lest receive their costs for being involved in the battle/

14:14 This verse tells us how Abram went out to recover his 'brother' Lot.  Note here in this verse; 1) when Abram heard that his brother was taken he took careful action to bring him back. 2) the word 'armed' lit means to pour out or draw out, he was taking his trained men out of the safety of the household of faith. 3) he took his 'trained' men who as the word means were trained/instructed/experienced and is from the root which is the name Hezekiah meaning strength of Jah.  So Abram on hearing of his brother being taken captive took action and drew out of the household of faith only the trained/instructed men (capable of the task) to pursue his brother and bring him back.  We are also reminded of the commitment of these men he took with him in the fact that it was a 400 mile round trip to accomplish this.  In the middle of which they fought the battle (by night).  With all this detail in restoring a brother we are reminded of Paul's letter to the Galatians on restoring a brother Gal 6:1 'if a man be overtaken', 'ye which are spiritual', 'restore such an one' but at the same time the spiritual must be careful, with the same careful commitment.

Gen 14:18-20 - Melchizedek foreshadowed and was a type of Christ as Peter Cresswell pointed out in 2001. "Melchi" means "king", "zedek" means "righteousness" while "Salem" means "peace" and was the ancient name for Jerusalem. The bread and wine echo how we are to remember Christ and his sacrifice 1Cor 11:23-26. In Psa 110:1-6 we have a reference to Christ connected to Melchizedek. We have a number of connections in Hebrews that leave no doubt of the connection between Melchizedek and Christ Heb 6:20;7:1-4,11-12,14-28.

Gen 13:18;14:13-20 - "plain of Mamre" KJV is perhaps more acccurately rendered "great trees of Mamre" NIV ["Mamre" (4471) means "vigor, strength, firm"] and is connected to an altar so perhaps this symbolically refers to those who are firmly in Christ fighting sin, trying to rescue others from sin and given victory by God through Christ (echoed by Melchizedek).

Gen 13:15;Gal 3:16.

14:14 Given the context in which we learn of Abraham’s ‘trained servant’ we might think that the focus is on their military capabilities. However we should note that the word translated ‘trained’ carries the sense of ‘instructed’ and we know that Abraham was faithful in instructing his servants in the things of God – Gen 8:19

WHATEVER WE MAY THINK

Whatever we may think of Lot's behaviour in "lifting up his eyes" (v.10), "choosing him all the plain of Jordan" (v.11) and finally "pitching his tent toward Sodom" (v.12), 2 Peter 2:8 reminds us that " he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds"

Lot was not sinless, but he put his trust in God & His ways, so that his soul was "vexed" or "distressed". If we are not similarily "vexed" by the activities of the world around us, it is just a matter of time before we become insensitive to their sinful ways. Let us take head to Lot's example and be "vexed" daily as we stand up for the truth in the world around us.

Psalm 17:8 - "Keep me as the apple of the eye" - Or, as "the little one or the daughter of eye." Take as much care to preserve me now by Divine influence, as thou have done to preserve my eye by thy good providence. You have entrenched it deeply in the skull; have ramparted it with the forehead and cheek-bones; defended it by the eyebrow, eyelids, and eyelashes; and placed it in that situation where the hands can best protect it.

The apple (Heb. ishon) refers to the pupil. This is jet black in relation to the shadow which follows in the verse.  In other words, being hidden (completely) under the Lord's wing would make the shadow pitch black just like the pupil.  Thus, this is a reference to complete security.

17:4    David had been fleeing from Saul who wanted to kill him – 1Sam 19:1 – but David realises that his deliverance from the hands of Saul is not due to his own prowess but is rather of God.  Now david had taken evasive action on many occasions to avoid being caught by Saul. But still he sees the deliverance as being of God. In like manner we should ‘work out our own salvation –Phil 2:12 - but recognise that it is of God that we will be saved.

The messianic nature of this psalm comes through strongly, and gives us an insight into the heart of the Lord Jesus. The joy that was set before him comes through in the last verse.

v.8 the pupil of the eye is the part that allows all light into the eye (compare Jesus' references to this in the Gospels), and allows the brain to perceive what is around one. He appears to be asking God to always have him in his line of sight, to keep watch over him, and thus protect him from his enemies. Another figure of this is the safety of the young under the wings of a parent bird. The whole psalm is full of references to eyes/seeing.

17:15 David’s hope was the resurrection. He expected to ‘wake’ from death and understood that being like God was the benefit of resurrection – hence he worked at developing God’s character in himself during his life.

17:4    David had avoided being caught by Saul. One might have thought that was by David’s skill however he sees it as being a consequence of God’s care. How do we think God is involved in our lives?

17:10    In describing ‘them’ as being ‘inclosed in their own fat’ sounds disgusting. What it is telling us is that ‘they’ are surrounded by their own possessions and as a consequence are proud. It is so easy to trust in our own possessions as if they save us. Paul taught otherwise – 1Tim 6:17

A prayer

This Psalm is a wonderful prayer if you are in trouble, or simply in need in some way. Verse 2 relinquishes control of the situation to God. v3 acknowledges we can't hide anything from Him. v4 gives Him thanks for His daily help. v5 confesses that we need His help if we want to follow His paths. Then v6-8 is the prayer for complete protection by God, which we may ask for many times a day.

Matthew  9:18 -  "My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." Some have difficulty with this statement of Jairus here in Matthew, for it seems to contradict the companion records, by having Jairus say, "My daughter is even now dead."  The words may understood this way,  "my daughter was just now dying; " or, "is by this time dead." i.e. "She was so ill when I left home that she must be dead by this time." This turn of the expression reconciles the account given here with that in Mark and Luke.

Jairus' petition to Jesus was successful because, first, a man should place himself in the presence of God - "he came unto him." Secondly, He should humble himself sincerely before God - "he fell down before him - at his feet" -  Mar 5:22. Thirdly, He should lay open his wants with a holy earnestness - "he besought him greatly" - Mar 5:23.  Fourthly, he should have unbounded confidence in the power and goodness of Christ that his request shall be granted - "put thy hand upon her, and she shall live" - Matt 9:18.

9:3,21 Notice the contrast. Whilst the scribes said derogatory things about Jesus 'within themselves' the woman showed her faith in Jesus by what she said 'within herself'

It is interesting that in v1 Jesus is said to come into his "own" town. He has just made the comment in Matt 8:20 that "the Son of Man has no place to lay his head". Obviously the perspective is that he does not see Capernaum as his place of rest. cp Heb 11:10

9:2 Whilst we might think that Jesus is often shown in the gospels as forgiving sins there is only one other different occasion – Luke 7:48.

V.9 Matthew was called by Jesus.  Connecting some dots, we see that he was also named Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27).  Being the son of Alphaeus probably connects him to the apostle James as a brother or half-brother (Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). 

Matthew's job was to collect transport taxes.  He would sit in his place (a toll booth would be the modern equivalent) and exact taxes from locals taking their goods to market and from caravans hauling their wares to distant markets.  Highways were comparatively few at this time and could easily be monitored by tax collectors. 

Matthew would have a keen understanding of the value of goods of all kinds, weight, and monetary exchange rates.  He would be competent in several.  He would collect these taxes for his Roman overlords and keep a percentage for himself. 

These publicans (an older term for tax collectors) were hated by the Jews for two reasons: firstly, they worked for the occupying Romans; and secondly, tax collectors had the reputation of becoming wealthy by overestimating the value of goods to boost their commissions.  Another notable tax collector, in the Bible, is Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2).   

9:3       If Jesus knew what people thought – the leaders thought ‘within themselves’ surely we realise that God knows our innermost thoughts.

9:5 There could be no answer from Jesus’ critics when he was able to cure the lame man. The healing was the guarantee that the forgiveness was valid.

Jesus could, and can, forgive sins. He demonstrated this in v2 by a word, and v6 in action. It was necessary for the people to see, physically, the authority Jesus had been given, and this was why he did so many miracles of healing. This was further demonstrated by his raising a girl who had already died in v25-26. The natural conclusion of seeing Jesus do these miracles was that he could be trusted to forgive sins eternally, and therefore take away the rewards of sin, namely death. Very few people came to this conclusion, and so we see very few people coming to Jesus specifically to have their sins forgiven.

We too can get wrapped up in the peripheral parts of Jesus, never fully realising that the primary reason we come to him is for forgiveness of sins. If we never take the step of fully confessing our sins and seeking forgiveness, we are like those who came to him calling "Lord, Lord" to which he replied "I never knew you" (Matt 7:21-23).

V.2 Palsy (KJV) is a word which is contracted from paralysis. Paralysis can be described as: the loss of sensation, or the power of motion, or both, in any part of the body.

V.13 See Hos 6:6.

Vs.16,17 The New Covenant cannot operate with the Old Covenant.  Later, Judaizers would try to force members of the early ecclesia to be circumcised and to obey the Law of Moses.

Vs.29,30 Compare Jesus’ different treatments to the blind.  Some He did not touch.  Others, Jesus touched in different ways (Mark 8:23-25; 10:51,52).

V.34 See Matt 12:24. The Pharisees assigned the power of God to Beelzebub.  Beelzebub literally means Lord of the Flies.  Flies gather where there is garbage and human waste.  No contrast could have been greater than between Yahweh and effluence.

9:14-17  Notice that Jesus does not give a direct answer to John’s disciples. They have some seeking an answer so Jesus, true to form, teaches them with parables showing that John operated under the old dispensation and he was working under a new dispensation. He is not saying that either John’s or his own disciples were either right or wrong. Each group of disciples was right in their own context.

Have you noticed how often faith is mentioned here?: