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.
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