SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/12/2023 10:20 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Attack”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
22:15-17
Message of the verses: “15 Then the
Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap Him in what He said. 16
And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth,
and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. 17 “Tell us then, what do
You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?’”
I
mentioned that my SD was short yesterday because of my wife and my celebration
of our 50th wedding anniversary.
We had many people at our daughter and son-in-law’s house to help us
celebrate and it was a very, very enjoyable evening even thought it did rain a
bit. I got to talk about my relationship
with the Lord to a few people, including two of my wife’s cousins whom I have
spoken to before. Her one cousin got
emotional in telling me how he felt about our family, how much he thought of
how things went. Many in her family our
on multiple marriages and seem to think that money is very important. I was thankful for what he said to me and
relayed the fact that shortly after we were married that both of us received
Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and that made all the difference. I really wanted the Lord to be glorified and
I really think that He was through our party last night.
I
also mentioned that we would look at the Herodians in today’s SD as they were
people that not a whole lot is said about in the Bible. First the Herodians were not normally friends
with the Pharisees, and it kind of reminds me of Pilate and Herod who were
enemies. One thing that brought the
Herodians and the Pharisees together along with Pilate and Herod was Jesus
Christ and what they wanted to do with Him.
I realize that Pilate did not really want to put Jesus to death, but he
was a very weak leader and the Pharisees had things against him so he finally
gave in to having Jesus crucified. The
Herodians and the Pharisees were usually at great odds with each other. MacArthur writes “Not much is known about the
Herodians besides what can be inferred from their name. The Herod family was not Jewish but Idumean,
descendants of Israel’s ancient enemies the Edomites. Beginning with Herod the Great, they had received
favors from Rome in the form of various high political appointments, including
rulerships over parts of Palestine.
“The
Herodians had no love for Jesus and may even have been instructed by Herod
Antipas to try to instigate His death or at least imprisonment. It was that tetrarch who had imprisoned and
eventually beheaded Jesus’ forerunner and friend, John the Baptist, and when
Herod heard for Jesus’ miraculous works, he was afraid that He was John risen
from the dead.” Now we see later on in Scripture that he had always wanted to
see Jesus, and when he got that opportunity right before His crucifixion Jesus
would not speak a word to him.
MacArthur
continues “Any Herodians, even if they were Jews as these men were, would have
had strong allegiance to Rome, and it was doubtlessly for that reason that the
Pharisees asked some of them to accompany their disciples as they confronted
Jesus. Should Jesus fall into their trap
and make the expected objection to paying Roman taxes, the Herodian Roman
sympathizers would serve as credible witnesses.
Although the Pharisees despised the Herodians as irreligious traitors,
it well suited their purpose to enlist these men’s help in entrapping Jesus.”
Lord
will we will continue to look at this section in the morning.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I look at this section it reinforces the
fact that God is in charge of everything that goes on, including the
crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is what this is leading up to.
My Steps of Faith for Today: It is because the Lord is in charge that I
must trust Him!
8/12/2023 11:08 AM
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