tprim26

The Prophecy Revealed In Matthew

Lesson Twenty-six: by Christina Farris

This week as we look at scripture we are going to examine some of the history and prophecy surrounding the events prior to
when Jesus would commission His disciples to first go and share about the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. What is the Kingdom
of Heaven about and what is the reason at the time of Jesus first commission to the disciples to not to go to Samaria. After all is
not are commission to go everywhere. To examine the truth of God’s word is to examine the truth of what God says do. We
understand from other passage in Matthew the message was for all people, yet Matthew gospel was written for the Jews so they
might understand.

Let us begin first looking at scripture, we end last week lesson at Matthew 10:4 so we will begin at verse five.

Matthew 10:5-6 KJV
(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the
Samaritans enter ye not:
(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Why would Jesus give a direct order not to go into Samaria, yet He himself went to the Samaritans and spoke to the Samaritans
on more then one occasion? One has to understand history to understand teh answer to this question. However one has to
understand one has to go to there own first before they can go to the rest of the world. There always will be some that will
receive the gospel when others will reject it. Why would Jesus not encourage to go everywhere at this time? After all at the end
of Matthew the Great Commission is to everywhere. Christ came to the gentiles and of course the gentiles were not Jews. Jews
looked down on Samaria. It had to do with intermarriage as well as some other things, however the final straw came at the time
of Ezra and the building of the temple.

Ezra 4:1-5 KJV
(1) Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD
God of Israel;
(2) Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your
God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.
(3) But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us
to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of
Persia hath commanded us.
(4) Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
(5) And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of
Darius king of Persia.

Israel refused help from their own tribe that had been exiled to Babylon. The tribe had taken foreign wives and had intermarried.

2 Kings 17:22-41 KJV
(22) For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
(23) Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away
out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
(24) And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from
Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in
the cities thereof.
(25) And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions
among them, which slew some of them.
(26) Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of
Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them,
because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
(27) Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them
go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
(28) Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they
should fear the LORD.
(29) Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had
made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
(30) And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
(31) And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and
Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
(32) So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for
them in the houses of the high places.
(33) They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
(34) Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their
ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
(35) With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves
to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
(36) But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear,
and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
(37) And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do
for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
(38) And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
(39) But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
(40) Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
(41) So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did
their fathers, so do they unto this day.

Divisions over the building of the temple in the time of ancient Israel is the same as it is today. It is the same problem as we see
as New age movement runs through churches God forbids the worship of idols, Yet the Samaritans had a fear of God and yet
worshipped graven images. Of course Samaritans reject and killed prophets among them because of unbelief and the worship of
idols.

Jesus forbid the disciples to go in Samaria for a reason they were not ready to fast the demonic attacks they would walk into.
Yet they were given the power to cast out demons, to heal the sick. Yet their time had not come to witness to the world yet, but
Christ time had come to do just that. God would send His Son to Samaria to testify who He is. Jesus would talk the Samaritan
woman at the well in John 4. He would tell the story to the people about the good Samaritan. The sooner we realize that thee are
people that believe in God that also believe in idols the better people will come to terms what is going on in the church world.

However Christ commission did not stop at just saying go the the lost sheep of Israel. He told them how to go, leaving all behind
and going from town to town with a warning to shake the dust off from those who would not receive you.

Matthew 10:7-18 KJV
(7) And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(8) Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
(9) Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
(10) Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
(11) And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
(12) And when ye come into an house, salute it.
(13) And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
(14) And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of
your feet.
(15) Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that
city.
(16) Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
(17) But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
(18) And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

With all the power Jesus bestowed upon the disciples He did not give them power to overcome the beatings, however Jesus did
not require upon us anymore then what He Himself bore for us. Yet He preached the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Meaning
God kingdom was coming. A kingdom not of division but of love for one another and love for God. The universalism of God is
not about idolatry but the worship of one True God. The God that has the power to change lives and the power to move
mountains in our lives. The God who Word is True and that became flesh that anyone that would believe would have life
eternal. Jesus went to Samaria because they had killed prophets before. Jesus spoke to many gentiles, however if we do not start
with out own family first we can not expect the world to listen. Remember Christ had to deal with ministry to His own and they
received Him not. He minister to the world and they rejected Him too. However those that believe received the hope of
everlasting life.

Are you a Samaritan, are you Jew, are you neither as far as you are concern but you realize the need of Christ. Repent and look
to Jesus the author and finisher of truth.

Matthew 10:19-23 KJV
(19) But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what
ye shall speak.
(20) For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
(21) And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their
parents, and cause them to be put to death.
(22) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
(23) But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the
cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

Persecution of religious leaders happened both in Old and New Testament. Fear not death, but the one that can destroy the soul.
Who do you serve today.

Matthew 10:24-28 KJV
(24) The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
(25) It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house
Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
(26) Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
(27) What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
(28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:29-42 KJV
(29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
(30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
(31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(32) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
(33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
(34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
(35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law.
(36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
(37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me.
(38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
(39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
(40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
(41) He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man
in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
(42) And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I
say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Most of Matthew 10 is served as warning to Christians of those that will not receive them as well is about those who do and they
should be blessed by this. Though I have chosen not to do a comparison of this whole chapter, I challenge you to do so. To
think about the prophets of old and their commission to preach and the fact not all was received. There will always be a hazard
in serving God, until Christ return. However the reward for doing so is greater when one is a believers.