BIBLICAL SCRIBES

We have the scribes and Pharisees back with us again, but we're gonna have a little history/geography lesson first. So join me in a small Biblical Scribes Bible study trivia field trip. What is a Hebrew? A Hebrew is someone who is a descendant of Abraham, because Abraham settled in Hebron. Now, what is a Jew? A Jew is a descendant of the tribe of Judah. The area of Israel where the tribe of Judah was given their inheritance was once known as Judea. Here's something that's a little tricky at first but after you think about it, it's easier to understand.

Understand that our Biblical Scribes Bible study is saying that all Jews are Hebrews (because they are all descendants of Abraham), but all Hebrews are not Jews. You may be able to understand it better this way. New Yorkers are Americans, but Americans are not all New Yorkers. Jesus, came in the flesh, as a Jew, because Joseph was from the tribe of Judah and his hometown was Bethlehem, a town in the region of Judea. David was also of the tribe of Judah. Even though Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a city of Galilee, He was still considered a Jew.

Let's get back to the Biblical Scribes Bible exploration ... Okay, now the people who doubted Jesus and His identity and persecuted Him were His own people ... the Jews. Some of the scribes and Pharisees in the Bible that were from Jerusalem in Judea, (Jews) came to do a little investigating of Jesus. When they saw some of His disciples eat bread without washing their hands, they criticized Him because the Pharisees and all the Jews don't eat unless they wash their hands thoroughly, according to the tradition of the elders. They also follow many other traditional customs like the washing of cups, pots, bowls and tables.

The Scribes and Pharisees in the Bible questioned Jesus about it and He said, Isaiah prophesied the truth about you hypocrites when he said (Isaiah 29:13), These people honor me with their words, but their heart is far away from me. They worship me in vain, teaching the commandments of men. They teach the rules of men, like the washing of cups and pots and similar things, but they put aside the commandment of God in order to keep your own traditions.

Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother, and, Whoever curses their father or mother, let them die the death, but you say, If a man says to his father or mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. And you don't allow him anymore to do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God useless through your tradition that you have followed and taught and many other things like that too.

Let’s take a closer look at the Scribes and Pharisees in the Bible ... The Pharisees changed the Word of God from, Honor thy father and thy mother, and whoever curses them, let them die the death, to this: If a man says, The honor that my father or mother receives from me is a gift ... So they may dishonor them and be guiltless. It is obvious from our Biblical Scribes Bible study that this leaves no reason for them to respect their father and mother, and by allowing this ‘tradition’ they have nullified the Word of God.

Jesus called all the people to Him and He told them this parable, Everyone listen to me and understand. There is nothing from outside a man, that entering into him can make him unclean, but the things that come out of him, those are the things that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

The disciples came to Jesus and told Him that he offended the Scribes and Pharisees in the Bible with what He said, but Jesus replied, Every plant that my Heavenly Father has not planted, will be uprooted. Leave them alone, they are the blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, they'll both fall into the ditch.

The next event in our Biblical Scribes Bible teaching is that when He went into the house, Peter asked Him to explain the parable. He said, Are you so without understanding too? Whatever enters into the man can't defile him because it doesn't enter into his heart, but into the belly, and is evacuated, cleansing all food.

What comes out of the man is what makes him defiled, because inside, out of the heart of men, come evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

As we continue in our Biblical Scribes Bible study, I'm sure Jesus wasn't saying to never wash your hands before you eat, because He wouldn’t put us in harms way implying that you can’t get sick from dirty hands. Nor do I think that He was saying that abusing alcohol, drugs, or overeating won’t harm you physically, because as you know, these things can, and abusing them can, in turn, affect your soul.

But the Pharisees and scribes in the Bible were condemning Jesus because He wasn’t following THEIR tradition, not because they cared about His welfare, and those same people even took the Word of God, revised it to their own liking and called it tradition. Tsk tsk tsk.

Our Biblical Scribes Bible study on the Scribes and Pharisees in the Bible reveals that it is because they were hypocrites that caused them to be in trouble. Check out the scribes and pharisees hypocrites studies below to learn more of the danger of becoming like the scribes and pharisees in the Bible.