Study the Bible with Arthur Bailey

Yeshua concluded His series of parables about the Kingdom of God, which exposed the hypocrisy and wickedness of the Chief Priests, elders of the people, Pharisees, and Herodians, only to be confronted with questions from the Sadducees that exposed their lack of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures.  

The Chief Priests, elders of the people, Pharisees, Sadducees and Herodians were some murderous people who would destroy anyone who opposed or resisted their teachings, practices, and commandments. They plotted to destroy Yeshua and attempted to bait and trap Him in public to give them a reason, and convince the people that He deserved to be killed. This is manifest throughout the Gospel narratives.  The Chief Priests’ and Pharisees' fear of the multitude delayed their plot to lay hands on Yeshua.  

Join us in this portion of Matthew as Yeshua responds to those leaders, who had joined forces to trap Him, and answers their questions with questions of His own that finally shuts them down and ends any further questions from them. 

YeHoVaH has no problem prospering those who pursue Him.  He made Abraham rich; He prospered Isaac during a time of famine; and  He prospered Jacob under the harsh treatment from Laban.  The passage we are about to study highlights several Scriptural truths about wealth.    

Jacob has fathered 12 children, 11 boys and 1 girl by his wives and concubines, and desires to move on from Laban knowing what kind of man Laban was.  Laban was a cheat, an idolater, and continued to lay claim to all he had given Jacob.  

Jacob knew he could not just leave, so he requested Laban send him away with his wives and children back to his own country.  Jacob reminds Laban how he has been a blessing to him increasing his wealth.  Jacob has a plan given to Him by YeHoVaH in a dream that he will implement and become wealthy. Jacob does not want Laban to give him anything. Jacob will work for his wages. 

In a series of parables about the Kingdom of God, Yeshua speaks to the Chief Priests, elders of the people, Pharisees, and Herodians on a variety of topics about a father and his sons; obedience and disobedience; John the Baptist; prostitutes; tax collectors; and then, a land owner and tenants.  

The evil and wickedness of the people led Yeshua to speak to them in parables so He could tell them about themselves without having to directly tell them or call them out, but to speak in such a way that they would draw the conclusions about themselves. Yeshua uses local language, events, and scenarios the people would have been familiar with in order for the parables to have their most profound effect.  

In this portion of Matthew, Yeshua spoke to those who inquired of Him, in the presence of His disciples, about a wedding banquet and paying taxes to Caesar. Join us in this Teaching as Yeshua exposes the hypocrisy and wickedness of the religious leaders in the message, Parables and Taxes. 

In this Podcast, we will learn the 3 C’s of Haran: Customs, Culture, and Contracts or Covenants.  These customs set the foundation for the birth of a nation and the 12 tribes of Jacob or Israel. 

Leah not only was the first, but the older sister of Rachel. Jacob never wanted Leah, but was bound by custom to take her as a wife. Jacob loved Rachael, and Leah felt he hated her.  YeHoVaH saw how Jacob was treating Leah and intervened by opening her womb to conceive. 

Leah gives birth to the first four of Jacob’s eventual 12 sons.  Two of Jacob’s sons came through Rachel’s handmaiden Bilhah.  Jacob’s seventh and eighth sons came through Leah’s handmaiden Zilpah.   

Rachel gives birth to her first son, Joseph.  Then Leah gives birth to two more sons and a daughter.  At the end of this passage, Jacob has 11 sons and one daughter.   

Yeshua’s interactions with His disciples, discourses with the Chief Priests and the elders of the people, and the parable of the man and his sons revealed some powerful and dynamic lessons on faith, fear, and the way of righteousness taught by Messiah Yeshua. Yeshua revealed that the Kingdom, He came to bring, was first offered to the Children of Israel, YeHoVaH’s firstborn, but was inclusive of all people who submitted themselves in service to YeHoVaH. According to Yeshua’s references to certain prophecies, all persons, including the eunuchs and strangers, had a part in the Kingdom.  

Yeshua’s lessons on faith, in reference to the fig tree, His challenge to the Chief Priests and the elders of the people about the baptism of the prophet John, and their rejection of His teaching, leads Yeshua to share a parable about a landowner and his tenants.  

In this teaching, Yeshua warns, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees in a parable directed at them and others, about what would happen to those who refused to recognize YeHoVaH’s ownership of His creation and their role in His Kingdom. 

Jacob did not understand the culture, customs, and nature of Contracts or Covenants in Haran.  From his entrance into the region Jacob was introduced to a different way of life, but maintained his way of doing things. 

Jacob makes a covenant or verbal contractual agreement with Laban not fully understanding the firstborn sister marriage-first custom.  Laban knew this going into the agreement, but neglected to tell Jacob the small print.  Leah was in on the misrepresentation because she would have to lay with Jacob and it was clear for seven years that Jacob was working for Laban in order to marry her sister, Rachel.   

We see that in this culture the daughters did what was instructed by their fathers, who chose whom their daughters would marry.   Rachel was in on the plan too.  She knew there was a marriage feast and that Jacob would be wed to Leah, but Rachel kept quiet.  Jacob had to accept the arrangement for he had no choice if he wanted Rachel. 

The joyous occasion of Yeshua’s entrance into the city of Jerusalem, the exploits performed by Him in the Temple Courts, and the prophetic fulfillments of the Prophets spoken hundreds of years prior, presented serious issues for the religious leaders. In addition to Yeshua’s entrance, the shouting of "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest", the scene Yeshua caused by overturning the tables of the moneychangers and driving the merchants from the Temple Courts, infuriated the Chief Priests and scribes.  

The teaching opportunities provided by all of the events of the day, and the following day upon Yeshua’s return to the city, present tremendous lessons for us on Faith, Fear and the Way of Righteousness. Join us as we glean from the lessons learned from Yeshua’s interactions with His disciples, discourses with the Chief Priests and the elders of the people, and the parable of the man and his sons in these powerful and dynamic lessons taught by Messiah Yeshua in the message: Faith, Fear and the Way of Righteousness. 

Rebekah convinces Isaac to send Jacob away after Jacob took the birthright blessing and Esau reveals his desire to kill Jacob. 

As Jacob is on the way to Laban’s house, his mother’s brother, YeHoVaH appears to Jacob in a dream and says to Jacob, 

            “I am YeHoVah Elohim of Abraham thy father, and the Elohim of Isaac: the land whereon                thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.”   

YeHoVaH reiterates the promises made to Abraham and Isaac that culminate in all the families of the earth being blessed. 

Jacob called the name of the place Beth-el (House of Elohim).  Jacob recognized He was conversing with YeHoVaH and began to strike an agreement with YeHoVaH in the form of a vow. 

The big, bold, beautiful ministry of Yeshua is put on full display in this portion of Matthew as Yeshua gives His disciples instructions to go into the city, find His ride, and bring it to Him to make His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. Yeshua’s festive entrance became the cause of much celebration for the inhabitants and visitors in Jerusalem at the time.  

However, the celebration of the people invoked the anger and wrath of the religious community who confronted Yeshua because of the words and phrases the people shouted out.  

Several prophecies are fulfilled in this passage as Yeshua confronts, condemns, and clears out the merchants who conducted their businesses in the Temple Courts. Yeshua’s actions on the scene continued to confuse the leaders of the day and maneuvered individuals to comply with YeHoVaH’s plan to bring about the desired end goal of sending Yeshua into the world as the sacrificial lamb for the sins of mankind.  

Join us in this joyous occasion of Yeshua’s entrance into the city of Jerusalem, the exploits performed by Him in the Temple Courts, and the prophetic fulfillments of the prophets spoken hundreds of years prior, in this teaching, Thieves, Robbers and the House of Prayer. 

In this Chapter, Jacob, with the help of his mother, secures the blessing of the birthright. Rebekah remembers the words of YeHoVaH spoken to her which caused her to do what she did.  Jacob knew what was being proposed and saw the danger in it, but his mother assumed all responsibilities even the possibility of being cursed because she was operating in what she had heard the Father say to her. 

Jacob obeyed his mother and pretended to be Esau in order to secure the blessing of the firstborn.  Jacob honestly and legally secured the birthright from Esau and here he obeys his mother to secure the blessing of the birthright from his father Isaac.