13:23 2 years
13:28 3 years
14:28 2 years

13:21  We might think that david should have done something about the mater. However he left things in God’s hand because he was compromised on the very mater that he needed to judge as he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

13:25  Why was David reluctant to go to Absalom’s feast? David clearly loved Absalom. Also it is improbable that David and family would have really been a burden to Absalom. Maybe David was suspicious of Absalom’s intentions.

13:23  That Absalom harboured his grudge against Amon for two whole years highlights the character of this man. Whilst David loved him he was hardly a Godly man.

It is ironic that Amnon means faithful.  He raped his sister Tamar which belies his name. 

13:3 Jonadab though being David’s nephew, did not share David’s character and it is clear that he was involved in the plot to kill Amnon - 2Sam 13:32 – because of his certainty that all the kings sons were not dead.

V.1 Tamar means palm.  As a princess, Tamar would have worn a long-sleeved, highly decorative garment (v.18).  Joseph was a recipient of a similar garment (Gen 37:3).

V.20 After the rape, Tamar remained a desolate woman in Absalom’s house.  The term desolate (Heb. shamem) means laid waste in a stupefied condition.  Tamar’s life as a respected person had been ruined, and she had no hope of becoming a wife and mother.  Her whole existence had been numbed by the callous act of a selfish opportunist.

13:4-5 It seems that Amnon was not as evil as his friend who was his cousin but was easily led. Thus we see that simply because someone is a family member it is not always wise to follow their advice!

Who are the Chosen Ones? 

Gen 12:3;Gen 13:15;Gal 3:8,16,27,28 - through Abraham and his seed (Christ) all nations of the world will be blessed. Gen 10:1-32;Exo 15:27 - the 70 nations and then 70 palm trees (Gentile nations?) along with 12 wells (12 tribes of Israel?).  Gen 38:1-2,6-18,24-30 - an illicit relationship between Judah and "Tamar" [(8559) means "Palm-tree"] who was very possibly Gentile but in any event was shamefully treated and initially denied her rights/inheritance which she later received. 2Sam 11:26-27 - similarly, years later we have the Gentile Uriah the Hittite treated shamefully when that which he was entitled was taken from him by David. 2Sam 3:3 - Absalom and seemingly Tamar (a second Tamar) were the children of David and the daughter of a Gentile king of "Geshur" [(1650) means "bridge" which perhaps echos Christ being the true bridge for Jew and Gentile to the promised Abrahamic inheritance when Christ will reign on the throne of David (2Sam 7:16)] as she is referred to as Absalom's sister by David and Ahinoam's (1Chron 3:1) child Amnon (2Sam 13:1-4); In a painful echo to King David of Uriah, Amnon disrespects this second Tamar (2Sam 13:11-22) much like the first with an illicit relationship, shameful treatment and sends her away unbetrothed as a devastated woman deprived of inheritance. There are two mentions of Tamar as a boundary of the promised land (Eze 47:19;Eze 48:28). The first Tamar along with Gentiles Rahab, Ruth and Uriah is mentioned in the account of Christ's genealogy (Matt 1:1-5). While the chosen ones are the Jews, Gentiles are allowed the right to be adopted heirs to the promises made to Abraham (Gen 17:8,18-21;22:18;Deut 7:6;Acts 13:46;Rom 1:16;9:24-27) and thus all God's children (Jew and Gentile) have, in Christ, hope of an inheritance.

Links Between Jeremiah 17 & John 8

So it may be that Jesus had this area of Jeremiah in mind when the woman taken in adultery was brought to him.

v.4 - predicts the Babylonian captivity because of their sinfulness which was a pattern of what happened in AD 70 for the same reason. Jesus may well have been drawing their attention to the consequences of following legalism and ignoring the spirit of the law of Moses.

:1 Judah's sin was graven on their heart.
:7 But the man that trusts God will be blessed
:9 The heart is deceitful.
:10 God searches and knows the hearts of men.

V.8 The symbol of the righteous flourishing as well-watered trees is a theme throughout the Scriptures (Psa 92:12,13). 

An early encounter with well-watered trees in the Bible came at Elim (strong trees) (Exo 15:27).  The twelve wells (springs) represent the twelve tribes, while the seventy palm trees symbolize the seventy elders of Israel (Exo 24:9).

Palms, which symbolize the righteous, were part of the decoration of Solomon's temple (1Kin 6:35).  They will also be part of the fourth temple which shall be built in the Kingdom (Eze 41:18).

In the Kingdom, health and healing will come via trees.  The Redeemed are represented by these trees (Eze 47:12; Rev 22:2).

V.13 It is Yahweh who is the source of living water.  Jesus, the Son of God, is the embodiment of living waters (John 4:14; 7:38).

God made man, and enabled his heart to think and reason, (that’s 1611 language, of-course. We would say “brain”.) 1,600 years went by, and to Noah God described man’s thoughts in his heart as “only evil continually” (Gen 6:5).  Then, a further 2,000 years later, to Jeremiah, God says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9).  How terribly sad!  God had watched his creation, and generally speaking they were rotten to the core – even His specially chosen people.  There were exceptions. Noah and Jeremiah were two godly men. But how it must have hurt the Lord to see what His creation were doing with the heart He had given them.

17:6-7  The contrast between those who trusted in man and those who trusted in God is quoted by Paul – 2Cor 1:9

Verses 7-8 are almost taken verbatim from Psa 1:1-3.  However, notice the change between the two characteristics of "the man". Here in Jeremiah it is the man who trusts in the LORD.  In Psalm 1 it is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD.  Is Jeremiah telling us that our lack of faith simply comes from our lack of delight in God's word? (Rom 10:17)

17:9-10 Notice the God who searches the heart is aware that man’s heart is wicked.

17:8 The man who trusts God being like a tree planted by water picks up the language of Psa 1:3

Vs.19,20  Jeremiah was told to make sure that everybody heard the message of Yahweh.  He was to proclaim God's Word in all the gates of Jerusalem.  He was to begin at the King's gate (Gate of David) and then proceed to the other eleven gates.  All bases should be covered in preaching.

17:10 In speaking of God searching the heart Jeremiah echoes the sentiments of 138:23. However that God searched the hearts had no effect on Judah so they were taken into captivity. Jeremiah then laments – Lamentations of Jer 3:40 – with the same words as he uses here as an appeal after Jerusalem has been taken.

V.8 See Psa 1:3.

V.9 The heart is the center of all human thoughts and emotions.  From the heart come actions. It is from the heart that all ungodly deeds arise (Mark 7:21-23)  And so, the human heart is full of deceit and cannot be trusted for honesty (Prov 28:26).

The heart is desperately wicked (KJV); desperately sick (ESV). Wicked (sick) comes from the Hebrew awnash.  In other passages, this word is translated incurable (e.g. Jer 30:12). This shows the hopeless situation of the heart in terms of godliness.  

V.10 Heart and reins (kidneys) are often mentioned together as the seat of all desires and affections.

V.14 Being all alone, Jeremiah appeals to Yahweh for protection against the hostility from all sides (Psa 109:3).

V.21 The Sabbath Day observance was fundamental to the Jewish worship of Yahweh.  From the breach of the Sabbath came all the other breakdowns in worship.

17:1 Whereas the law was to be written upon the ‘heart’ – Prov 3:1– it was Israel’s sin that was written there. What an indictment of Israel. But what is written in our hearts?

In v2-4 we get a description of the angel that descended from heaven. In Daniel 10v5-8 we find a heavenly being described in exactly the same way, and having the same effect on those who saw him.Well, almost exactly... The one thing that's missing is the "clothing white as snow" (v3). This description apears in Dan 7v9, describing the ancient of days. So in the description of the angel in Matthew, we have links to two chapters in Daniel.

After his disciples had assembled in Galilee, Jesus appeared to them and said "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth". In Daniel 7v9-14 we find a vision of one "like the son of man" coming to the ancient of days, and being given all dominion and glory,... and the reason? "That all peoples and nations and languages should serve Him" (Dan 7v14). What was the first thing Jesus said to the desciples in our Matthew reading? "Go therefore and make desciples of all the nations."

V.19 Trinitarians use this verse as one of their pet quotes.  For this reason, some are uncomfortable having this verse read at baptisms.  Correctly understood there should be no problem. This verse, in no way, agrees with the Trinity.  

Baptizing in is better understood as baptizing into (See 1Cor 10:2).  Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth (v.18).  Jesus is now manifest with His Father, and so all things that apply to the Father apply to Him, in the Deity.   

It is clear that all brothers and sisters of Jesus are baptized into Jesus (Gal 3:27).  But, by extension, Jesus' brothers and sisters come into covenant relationship with Yahweh.  In the Kingdom, and beyond, the Yahweh, Jesus, and the Redeemed will be truly manifest (1Cor 15:27,28).

V.9 We have often wondered why Jesus appeared to the women before he appeared to the eleven disciples? We can go back to V.5 and also ask why did the angel appear unto the women, rather than to the likes of Peter and John? Does anyone have any thoughts?

28:6 in being invited to ‘come and see’ the women are being invited to be eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.

28:9 The worshiping of Jesus is a fulfilment of Isa 27:13. Salvation has been achieved and so the women – representative of the ecclesia – honour the son.

28:6‘as he said’ reminded the women that the resurrection of Jesus should not have been a surprise to them. He had spoken of it often in his life.

V.19  This verse does not admit a triune God.  Name (Gr. onoma) is synonymous with authority.  Authority is the domain of Yahweh, the creator and sustainer of all things.  Yet, He has placed it in the hands of His Son (v.18). 

Therefore, humankind is obligated to listen to and to obey the commandments of Jesus (Psa 2:12; Matt 17:5).  Obedience will bring salvation while disobedience will bring destruction (Heb 5:9; 2Thess 1:8). 

Jesus is the only means of salvation (Acts 4:10,12).  Baptism is essential for salvation (Mark 16:16).  Baptism represents a symbolic burial with Jesus of the old carnal man, so that the new spiritual man might emerge (Rom 6:3-5). 

Hence, we can see the necessity of being baptized into Jesus (Gal 3:27).  That is how the apostles baptized.  However, it should be understood that Jesus is the express image of His Father (Heb 1:3) and was given the Holy Spirit without measure (John 3:34). 

Thus the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are expressions of God manifestation and not three elements of a triune god.

28:12-14 The haste with which the religious leaders were willing to bribe the guards highlights that they actually believed that Jesus had been raised form the dead. They did not think that the disciples had stolen the body.