Brit Chadasha Foundations-Concepts in Matthew-Chapter 8

Now we are going to look at some of the miracles of Yeshua; the cleansing a leper and giving him instructions to show himself to the priests; the healing of the centurion’s servant; Peter’s mother-in-law; Yeshua’s teaching on being a talmid; shows his power over the sea; his power over demons; the people reject him and ask him to leave the area.

v 1…And when he had come down from the mountain (the Horns of Hattin), great multitudes followed him.

v 2…And behold a leper (this word needs to be understood from the scriptural point of view. Leprosy in the Bible is not what we call leprosy today, but it is given that word. Leprosy is called Hansen’s Disease, and this is not what this is here and this word should not be used. Biblical “leprosy” is called “tzara’at” and it is referenced in Lev 13 and Lev 14. How it is described in Leviticus shows that it is not the disease of leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease, for the following reasons. The physical skin conditions are not the same, how it was looked at and treated is not the same, and clothing and houses cannot get leprosy. In fact, if the tzara’at covers all of the body, the person is declared clean-Lev 13.13. Now, tzara’at comes on a person because it is inflicted on the person by God. Some commentators say that it was for the sin of an evil tongue, or lashon hara. For example, Miriam spoke ill of her brother Moses and was inflicted with it-Num 12.9-15. Paul had tzara’at covering his eyes in Acts 9.18, and we know he had much evil to say about the Nazarenes) came to him, and bowed down to him saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

v 3…And stretching out his hand, he touched him, saying, “I am willing, be cleansed.” And immediately his leprosy (tzara’at) was cleansed.

v 4…And Yeshua said to him, “See that you tell no one (because if he did, Yeshua could not enter a city, at least not before the time. He didn’t want the rulers to get infuriated even more, and Rome won’t think he is trying to get a movement together and proclaim himself king-Mark 1.45); but go and show yourself to the priest (as the Torah prescribed in Lev 13-14) and present an offering that Moses prescribed, for a testimony to them (to the priests, to be declared clean and also there were prophecies that said when the Messiah came lepers, those with tzara’at, would be healed).”

v 5…And when he entered Capernaum (village of the comforter), a centurion came to him, entreating him,

v 6…and saying, “Sir, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering in great pain.”

v 7…And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

v 8… But the centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not qualified for you to come under my roof (this centurion was a “God-fearer” and they kept some of the Torah, and this centurion had some Torah teaching to believe Yeshua was the Messiah. The Bible is clear on the fact that Gentiles have a relationship to the Torah, although they do not have to become Jews to be saved-Isa 56.1-7; Zech 8.23; Isa 54.2-3; 1 Cor 11.1-2. He did not want Yeshua to come to his house because the 18 Edicts of the Pharisaic School of Shammai said that a Jew could not enter the house of a Gentile, not even a God-fearer), but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

v 9…For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers (100) under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

v 10… Now when Yeshua heard this, he marveled (he wasn’t taken by surprise. He did this to make a point), and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel.

v 11…And I say to you, that many (Gentiles) shall come from the east and west, and recline at table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven (which was being offered at that time to Israel),

v 12…but the sons of the kingdom (ethnic Israel, the natural branches without true faith) shall be cast out into the outer darkness (some are “karet” or cut off but this does not mean the Lord is finished with Israel according to Paul in Rom 9 through 11); in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

v 13…And Yeshua said to the centurion, “Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very hour.

v 14…And when Yeshua had come to Peter’s home, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever.

v 15…And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and began to wait on him.

v 16…And when evening had come (they waited till then because it was the Sabbath-Mark 1.21-29), they brought to him many who were demon possessed (there are times when there is more spiritual demonic activity than others. With Messiah on the scene, there were many who were stricken with all sorts of maladies, and it will be the same before Yeshua returns again); and he cast out the spirits with a word, and he healed all who were ill

v 17… in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled (given meaning, confirmed), saying, “He himself took our infirmities, and carried away (lifted up their loads) our diseases.”

v 18…Now when Yeshua saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to depart to the other side.

v 19… And a certain scribe came and said to him, “Teacher (rabbi), I will follow you wherever you go (wanting to be a talmid).”

v 20…And Yeshua said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man (Aramaic “bar Enosh” of Dan 7.13-this is not “ben Adam” in Hebrew. Bar Enosh is an eschatological title for the Messiah) has nowhere to lay his head (this has to do with his itinarate lifestyle as he taught. He did have a house in Capernaum).”

v 21…And another of the talmidim said to him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father (possibly meaning he wanted to wait for his father to die and take care of family affairs first, but there was no time for that).”

v 22…But Yeshua said to him, “Follow me; and allow the dead to bury the dead (the word for dead is “metta” and the word for town is “matta”- very close. It is possible this word was mistranslated from the Hebrew to Greek or just a play on words. He may have meant “Allow the town bury their own dead” which makes more sense because they did this when someone died, except for the high priest-Lev 21.11. His main priority was to be the calling on his life, not his family).”

v 23… And when he got into the boat, his talmidim followed him.

v 24…And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves; but he himself was asleep.

v 25…And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!”

v 26…And he said to them, “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm (the sea is a picture of the spiritual realm and the realm of ha Satan/Leviathan. It also is a picture of the nations-Isa 57.20; Psa 107.23; Mark 4.35-39; Luke 8.22-25; Job 26.12-13; Isa 27.1; Rev 13.1. Yeshua has dominion over it all and over all who are in them).

v 27… And the men marveled, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him.”

v 28…And when he had come to the other side, into the country of the Gadarenes ( or “Gerasenes” in Luke 8.26-meaning “a stranger drawing near), two men (Luke says one) who were demon-possessed met him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road.

v 29…And behold, they cried out, saying, “What do we have to do with you, Son of God (a title for “king”)? Have you come here to torment us before the time (of judgment-they knew their time was limited, but the kingdom offer had not been accepted by Israel yet so they were challenging him)?”

v 30… Now there was at a distance from them a herd of swine feeding (probably belonging to a Gentile-symbolic of the enemies of God-2 Pet 2.22).

v 31…And the demons began to entreat him, saying, “If you are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine (symbolic of unbelievers, apostates).”

v 32… And he said to them, “Begone!” And they came out, and went into the swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the waters (the lake-symbolic of the fate of the unbelievers who are cast into the Lake of Fire-Rev 20.14).

v 33…And the herdsmen fled, and went away to the city, and reported everything, including the incident of the demoniacs.

v 34…And behold, the whole city (meaning many) came out to meet Yeshua; and when they saw him they entreated him to depart from their region (they didn’t think this incident was just. They wanted him to leave before something worse happened because of their sins. They loved the darkness rather than healings and cleansings).

Posted in Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Tying into the New Testament, Verse-by-Verse Bible Studies

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