Who do you fear? Fleeing from God.

As I was scrolling through Facebook, a woman asked a provocative question: “Who do you fear more than God?” The immediate answer which came to mind was, “No one.” As I was reflecting on this thought, I started thinking about Scripture and the erroneous thoughts which pervade all our minds. We do not put our trust 100% in God. We think we can do things better ourselves. We believe the past is better than what God can give us in the future.

Jonah

The first story which came to mind was Jonah. Jonah was a prophet from the Galilee. He was supposed to go to Nineveh to proclaim God’s future destruction on the city unless the people repented. What we may not know as readers in the 21st Century is that Nineveh was a fierce enemy of Israel’s. God calling Jonah (an Israelite) to travel to Nineveh would be like God asking an American to go to Iran and start teaching the Bible in the middle of Tehran, Iran’s capital city. The America would be extremely likely to be captured or killed on sight. This was the same prospects Jonah had going to Nineveh.

Jonah 1:1-3
 1The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah did what we would have all done. He got up, went to Joppa (a city located on the Mediterranean coast) and got on a ship to Tarshish. (The exact location of Tarshish is often debated, but in Scripture it always implies a region far away from Israel. Many believe Tarshish was Great Britain.) Verse 3 gives us clarification of Jonah’s intentions. He believes by leaving Israel, he an escape from God’s presence.

Many people have told me this was a dumb idea. “Doesn’t Jonah know God is everywhere?” The answer is yes, Jonah knows God. Jonah is a prophet. Jonah believes by leaving Israel, God cannot call him to go to Nineveh. By going to Tarshish, Jonah is going in the opposite direction. It is much harder to go to Nineveh if Jonah is halfway around the world.

We are the same as Jonah. If God calls us to do something, especially something which is dangerous, do we jump up and say, “Here I am! Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8)? No, we often make excuses and find something else to do. We may even make plans which will directly interfere with what God wants us to do.


Jonah’s Outcome
Although Jonah boarded a ship and started sailing toward Tarshish, God interferes and causes a great tumult to arise. Jonah is thrown into the sea. A giant fish swallows Jonah and vomits him right back on shore, to the very place Jonah was trying to flee from. As hard as Jonah tried to flee from God, God brought Jonah back. Now Jonah had no excuse for not going to Nineveh. And now Jonah was wearied from his adventures at sea and for his time inside a giant fish. Jonah had to do what God wanted. There was fleeing from his task.


Fleeing from God by not no doing what God wants us to do
If there is one person in the Bible who had a miserable life, it was the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is called from a young age to preach God’s word.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6
Then I said, “Oh, Lord [a]God!
Behold, I do not know how to speak,
Because I am a youth.”
7
But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
8
Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10
See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to tear down,
To destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1: 4-10)

Jeremiah is told the people will not listen to him. Moreover, the people will fight against Jeremiah, but they will not overcome him as God is with Jeremiah.

13And the word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north the evil [d]will be unleashed on all the inhabitants of the land. 15For, behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD; “and they will come and place, each one of them, his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls around, and against all the cities of Judah. 16And I will [e]pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, since they have abandoned Me and have [f]offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17Now, belt your garment around your waist and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, or I will make you dismayed before them. 18Now behold, I have made you today like a fortified city and like a pillar of iron and walls of bronze against the whole land, to the kings of Judah, to its leaders, to its priests, and to the people of the land. 19And they will fight against you but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 1:13-19)

Jeremiah has a rough life. He is constantly attacked verbally, is thrown into prison and his words are never believed. Jeremiah’s life seems to have no utility as everything he does is met with resistance. Jeremiah decides he will do what is logical. He will stop proclaiming God’s word. If Jeremiah does not speak, he will not have to suffer the consequences.

Jeremiah 20:7-18
Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
Everyone mocks me.
8
For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the word of the Lord has [b]resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
9
But if I say, “I will not remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.
10
For I have heard the whispering of many,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
All my trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”
11
But the Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have [d]failed,
An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12
Yet, Lord of armies, who tests the righteous,
Who sees the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have disclosed my cause.
13
Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has saved the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers.
14
Cursed be the day when I was born;
May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
15
Cursed be the man who brought the news
To my father, saying,
“A boy has been born to you!”
And made him very happy.
16
But may that man be like the cities
Which the Lord overthrew without relenting,
And may he hear an outcry in the morning
And an alarm for war at noon;
17
Because he did not kill me before birth,
So that my mother would have been my grave,
And her womb forever pregnant.
18
Why did I ever come out of the womb
To look at trouble and sorrow,
So that my days have been spent in shame?

Unfortunately, this does not work. Jeremiah was a faithful man. God’s word burned within him. As hard as he tried not to proclaim God’s word, he could not resist. Jeremiah is forced to proclaim God’s word and to continue suffering the consequences. Poor Jeremiah. He seems to have a very hard life.


The end of Jeremiah’s Life
Jeremiah continues to preach God’s word, and he continues to face persecution. When Jerusalem is plundered and destroyed by Babylon, Jeremiah is taken into custody. He is given the choice to go to Babylon or to go back to Israel. Jeremiah chooses to go to Israel.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God promised this disaster against this place; 3 and the Lord has brought it and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, this thing has happened to you. 4 But now, behold, I am setting you free today from the chains that are on your hands. If [a]you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will [b]look after you; but if [c]you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, [d]do not come. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go.” 5 As Jeremiah was still not going back, [f]he said, “Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land. (Jeremiah 42:1-6)

Jeremiah goes to Mizpah, where the new Israeli government will be set up. A man by the name of Gedaliah is chosen to be the leader of the government. A coop is formed by some men from Ammon. They kill Gedaliah and his men. The coop takes the Israelis captive. A man by the name of Johanan and his forces rescues the Israelis. The Israelites decide they do not want to receive punishment from the king of Babylon because the leader he had appointed (Gedaliah) was slain. The Israelites decide they will go to Egypt. (Jeremiah 40)

In Jeremiah chapter 41, the Israelites ask Jeremiah what they should do. Jeremiah tells them they should stay in the land of Israel. If they go to Egypt, they will die.

Jeremiah 41:8-22
and said to them, “This is what the Lord says, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea before Him: 10 ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent of the disaster that I have inflicted on you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I am with you to save you and rescue you from his hand. 12 I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. 13 But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” so as not to listen to the voice of the Lord your God, 14 saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, or hear the sound of a trumpet, or hunger for bread, and we will stay there”; 15 then in that case listen to the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “If you really set your minds to enter Egypt and go in to reside there, 16 then the sword, of which you are afraid, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there. 17 So all the people who set their minds to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; and they will have no refugees or survivors from the disaster that I am going to bring on them.”’”

18 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “As My anger and wrath have gushed out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will gush out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation, and a disgrace; and you will not see this place again.” 19 The Lord has spoken to you, you remnant of Judah, “Do not go to Egypt!” You know for certain that I have admonished you today. 20 For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the Lord your God, saying, “Pray for us to the Lord our God; and whatever the Lord our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.” 21 So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the Lord your God in whatever He has sent me to tell you. 22 And now you shall know for certain that you will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague in the place where you desire to go to reside.


Jeremiah delivers God’s words, but the Israelites do not want to believe them. The text says Jeremiah is taken with the Israelites to Egypt. The Hebrew used in the text implies Jeremiah was taken (along with the rest of the men, women and children) by force to Egypt. Oral tradition supports this and states Jeremiah was kidnapped and taken to Egypt.

The rest of the Book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah gives more prophecies about Egypt being conquered by Babylon. The last chapters of Jeremiah are about prophecies against varies enemies of the Israelites—Ammon, Edom, Moab, etc. The destruction of Pharaoh and Babylon are also predicted. In chapter 45, we have a confirmation of God to Baruch, Jeremiah servant, that his life will be preserved. What happened to Jeremiah is not recorded in Scripture.

The lessons we can learn from Jeremiah is no matter the consequences, if we are called to do something by God, we should obey. We may suffer harsh cruelty and persecution, we may be dragged off to a foreign land, but God will not abandon us. If would have horrible for Jeremiah to not proclaim God’s word to the people and the people remain in darkness. Instead, Jeremiah tells the people about the coming destruction and judgment by God. The people could make the decision to follow God or follow their own heart’s desire.

There is an account of one person being nice to Jeremiah, and that person receives a reward for his actions.

Jeremiah 38:8-13
8 and Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and spoke to the king, saying, 9 “My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet whom they have thrown into the cistern; and he will die right where he is because of the famine, for there is no more bread in the city.” 10 Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take thirty men from here [e]under your authority and bring Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies.” 11 So Ebed-melech took the men under his [f]authority and went into the king’s palace to a place beneath the storeroom, and took from there worn-out clothes and worn-out rags, and let them down by ropes into the cistern to Jeremiah. 12 Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these worn-out clothes and rags under your armpits under the ropes”; and Jeremiah did so. 13 So they pulled Jeremiah out with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, and Jeremiah stayed in the courtyard of the guardhouse.

For his faithfulness and kindness to Jeremiah, Ebed-melech receives a word from God.

Jeremiah 39:11-18
11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders regarding Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, 12 “Take him and [h]look after him, and do not do anything harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the [i]Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the [j]Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; 14 they even sent word and took Jeremiah out of the courtyard of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.
15 Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the courtyard of the guardhouse, saying, 16 “Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for [k]prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. 17 But I will save you on that day,” declares the Lord, “and you will not be handed over to the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will assuredly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as plunder, because you have trusted in Me,” declares the Lord.’”

The Woman Caught in Adultery

Introduction
In John chapter 7, Jesus is at the Feast of Sukkot teaching in the Temple. Many believe starting in John chapter seven verse 53 through John chapter eight verse 11 another story of Jesus is added to the text. This addition to the text is the story about the adulterous woman. There is no doubt this encounter actually occurred. Many believe when the text was copied, this story may have been taken from another section of Scripture and added here because there was room in the text. I only mention this as this story most likely did not happen during the Feast of Sukkot which is mentioned in chapter seven. Also, if you take out this story, chapter eight verse 12 picks up with Jesus still at the Feast of Sukkot. Some translations have chapter seven verse 53 through chapter eight verse 11 in parenthesis to emphasis this section may not be in the exact order as it was written in the original text.

The adulterous woman has been preached by many throughout the centuries. There have been many good points made, but also there have been many essential pieces which have been overlooked. Many believe Jesus freed this woman by simply setting her free by grace. Preachers proclaim Jesus triumphed over the law (Torah). Jesus forgave this woman her sins, and she was set free from the Torah. However, this teaching is quite erroneous. Jesus uses the Torah to show the scribes and Pharisees their inaccuracies in interpreting Scripture.

(Remember, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

The Text
John 8:2-11
Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?" They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more."

Brief Overview
The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in the temple. They want to test Him as to what should be done regarding this woman. The Pharisees and scribes believe it should be an easy case. The woman was caught violating Torah (for committing adultery is sin). There should be no way Jesus should be able to set this woman free. The Pharisees and scribes believe they have an iron clad case. If Jesus shows mercy to this woman, He would not be following Torah. If Jesus does not follow Torah, the Pharisees and scribes would have evidence to prove Jesus was not the Messiah. (Remember, Jesus MUST follow Torah. Violating Torah is sin. "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness (Torahlessness); sin is lawlessness (Torahlessness)" (1 John 3:4).

Text breakdown
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery: The scribes and the Pharisees were some of the most learned people of the Torah. The Pharisees were a denomination of Judaism. During Jesus' time, there were seven factions of Pharisees. The scribes copied down the Torah to create new Torah scrolls. They also taught the Torah. The Pharisees and scribes knew the Torah backwards and forwards. Most of them had the Torah memorized.

We are not given the exact details, but this woman was supposedly "caught" in adultery. We do not know how she was "caught". Did one of the scribes and Pharisees actually see the adultery being committed? Or was this woman's adultery told to a scribe or Pharisee and he "arrested" the woman and brought her to the temple?

Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act: The scribes and Pharisees are trying to prove their case that this woman is 100% guilty. There is an error with their case. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, where is the man? A woman cannot commit adultery by herself.

Now in the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such a woman: One thing we are not told is if this woman was a married woman or betrothed. It is not extremely important to know if the woman was married or betrothed since the penalty for adultery was death of both the man and woman. The Torah considers a betrothal (engagement) the same as being married.

"If there is a man who commits adultery with another man's wife, one who commits adultery with his friend's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10).

"If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman; thus you shall purge evil  from Israel" (Deuteronomy 22:22)

"If there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city and you shall stone them to death; the girl because she did not cry out in the city, and the man, because he has violated his neighbor's wife. Thus you shall purge evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).

Again, the scribes and Pharisees are setting themselves up for failure. They bring up the Law of Moses, which states if a woman commits adultery, she must be put to death. However, the Torah also states the man must be put to death. If the woman was "caught" in adultery, the man should have also been apprehended and brought before Jesus. However, the Pharisees ans scribes only brought the woman.

But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground:  This sentence has puzzled many scholars for many centuries. People want to know what Jesus was writing on the ground. While we are not told what Jesus is writing, we can use Scripture to perhaps shed light on this topic. In Jeremiah 17 verse 13, we find the following:
"O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD."

According to Jeremiah 17:13, all those who forsake the LORD  will be written down. It is possible as Jesus was stooping down, he was writing the names of each of the Pharisees and scribes in the dirt. Being well versed in Scripture, when they saw their name, they would have been reminded of this verse in Jeremiah.

But when they persisted in asking him: Jesus seems as though He becomes deaf to the Pharisees and scribes for a little bit. We see from Psalms, Jesus appears to be acting out some more Scripture.

"They also that seek after my life lay snares for me and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs" (Psalm 38:12-14).

Jesus' silence also leads us into Jesus' rebuke. This continues a theme we see in Psalm 50:
"But to the wicked God says, 'What right have you to tell of My statues and to take My covenant in your mouth? For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you associate with adulterers. You let your mouth loose in evil and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes" (Psalm 50:16-21).

He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her: Jesus tells the Pharisees a very interesting thing: whoever is without sin, that man is to throw the first stone. There is a major stumbling block here. Torah states a crime can only be committed if two or three witnesses see the infringement to Torah. "At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worth of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death" (Deuteronomy 17:6).

We can be fairly confident none of the Pharisees and scribes present saw the woman in the act of adultery. Furthermore, if they did see her, they would have been obligated to bring both the woman and man with them to accuse them.

By Jesus answering the Pharisees and scribes, He is speaking in terms the Pharisees and scribes can understand: "Answer not a fool according to his folly, least you also be like onto him. Answer a fool according to his folly; least he be wise in his own conceit"(Proverbs 26:4-5).

When they heard it, they began to go out one by one: Jesus' words seem to have pierced the hearts and souls of the scribes and Pharisees to such a point that no one was able to continue standing before Jesus and no one was able to throw a stone. This emphasizes two points:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened onto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:12-13).

"Judge not that you not be judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged and with what measure you use, it shall be measured to you" (Matthew 7:1-2).

Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?:  Suddenly, the woman is left alone with Jesus. All her accusers have vanished.

"Behold, all they that were incensed against you shall be ashamed and confounded. They shall be as nothing, and they that strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and shall not find them, even them that contended with you. They that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nothing. (Isaiah 41:11-12)

And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more": Jesus is acting as the judge in the woman caught in adultery's case. In order for a crime to have been committed, there has to be at least two witnesses. Now that all the accusers have left, there are no witnesses. If there are no witnesses, no violation of the Torah has occurred. Jesus is rendering a just decision.

"Judges and officers shall you make in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment." (Deuteronomy 16:18)

Jesus next tells the woman to sin no more. This implies although the woman has not been charged with a violation of the Torah, Jesus knows the woman has sinned.

"He that covers his sins shall not prosper, but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13)

"Wash you, make you clean, put away evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins be as scarlet,, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.'" (Isaiah 1:16-18)

"Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call upon him while He is near." (Isaiah 55:6)

"'Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,' says the LORD God. 'Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have not pleasure in the death of him that dies,' says the LORD God. 'Wherefore turn yourselves, and live.'" (Ezekiel 18:30-32)


In Summary
The scribes and the Pharisees are trying to set a trap for Jesus. They want to have Jesus execute a woman caught in adultery. Jesus uses the Torah to vindicate the woman. The Torah requires both the man and woman to be brought to justice. Only the woman was brought. If the woman was actually caught in adultery, the man would have been also apprehended. Since the scribe and Pharisees did not actually see the adultery take place, they could not be witnesses to the crime. Torah states on the evidence of two or three witnesses may a person be convicted of a crime (Deuteronomy 17:6). None of the Pharisees or scribes can honesty state he saw the act. Thus, with no witnesses, the scribes and Pharisees cannot bring charges against the woman.

The Path to Freedom: Having Faith God will Deliver Us

As we read the story about Moses receiving the call from God to return to Egypt after being exiled for 40 years in the land of Midian, we witness God’s amazing hand at letting the people of Israel out from the oppression of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

As we read about plague after plague God sends on Pharaoh, his servants and the Egyptians, it can be hard to comprehend the effects of all these afflictions. Can we imagine having gnats, flies and frogs cover the earth?

Frogs over the Land
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants.” ’ ” 5Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’ ” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?”

10Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13The Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Insects
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

20Now the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. 23I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.” ’ ” 24Then the Lord did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 8:1-24)

Can we imagine having intense storms with hail and lightning which have not been seen in Egypt before?
The Plague of Hail
18Behold, about this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19Now therefore send, bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.” ’ ” 20The one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who paid no regard to the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22Now the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 26Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail. (Exodus 9:18-26)


Can we imagine living for three days in complete darkness?
Darkness over the Land
21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. (Exodus 9:21-23)

No, most of these plagues are beyond our ability to imagine. We whine and complain when our phone does not work or the internet goes down—things which Pharaoh and the Egyptians would never ever consider a necessity.

And then there came the final plague—the death of the firstborn.
The Last Plague
1Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 2Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4Moses said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ (Exodus 11:1-7)

29Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said. 32Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.” (Exodus 12:29-32)

When the Israelites are preserved if they put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts and remain inside their dwelling, a great victory comes to the Israelites. Despite this triumph, it is recorded in Jewish literature, only 20% of the Israelites leave Egypt. Yes, that’s right. It is recorded 4 our of every 5 Israelites remain behind in Egypt. Despite God’s many wonders, it was easier to remain in the land of slavery than to leave the comfort and safety of the unknown to travel to freedom.

Fleeing from the enemy; pushed up against the sea
After God delivers Israel from the hand of Pharaoh, the Israelites travel into the wilderness. Before they are able to completely escape the clutches of Pharaoh, the find themselves trapped between the sea of Reeds and Pharaoh’s army. The situation looks bleak. God did 10 incredible miracles and now everything is going to end. If the Israelites are captured, they will be executed by Pharaoh and his army. There seems to be no hope.

10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided
13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”

15Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

19The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”
26Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:10-31)

Verse 31 seems to be a poignant one. The Israelites only began believing in God once the Sea of Reeds was parted and God drowned their enemies. This seems unbelievable to many people. How could God do so many miracles, and yet, the Israelites had so little faith?

The answer is that they were hardened under the harsh hand of slavery. They lived in constant fear. The Egyptians punished them and treated them cruelly. It is often easier to stay in an abusive relationship than to flee to safety because there is comfort in the known, even if that comfort comes at a high cost.

For the Israelites, being rescued from Egypt was still not enough. Throughout the 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites constantly whined and complained to Moses that it would have been better for them to stay in bondage in Egypt. Do we do the same thing? Does God rescue us from oppression and then we lament to God how hard our life is?

Often freedom comes at a high price. We must travel on an unfamiliar path. We must be brave and be willing to fail. We must trust God and know that even if it takes 40 years to reach the Promised Land, God is faithful. He will not break His oath. He will guide us and lead us.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

Introduction
As Jesus travels across Israel, He performs numerous miracles. Some of these incredible feats are recorded for us in Scripture. Others have been lost to history. While it is easy to gloss over many of the details of these events, it is important to carefully dissect every word written. Parchment is expensive. Few used to know how to write. Whatever was written down in our blessed Bible is there for a reason. We should be diligent students to read and understand how each word, each detail gives us great insight into our Messiah's teachings. If we truly take the time to unpack the layers and layers of meaning behind each story, we will find a rich multitude of treasures.

The woman with the issue of blood is told is three separate narratives in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48. Each telling gives us different insight into the story. Although all three stories are about the same miraculous healing, they each present the story with different details and information.  Like interviewing witnesses to a historic event, we will find each narrative has a unique flavor and perception. To get a full picture, we need to read each narrative.

The Scripture
Matthew 9:20-22
And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak; for she was saying to herself, "If I only touch His garment, I will get well." But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well.


Mark 5:25-34
A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse--after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched his cloaked. For she thought, "If I just touch His garments, I will get well." Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched me?'" And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Luke 8:43-48
And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?" And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You." But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith had made you well; go in peace."


Exploring the text
A certain woman: In many Bible translations, the word "certain" is omitted from the text. However, this is an important word. It means this woman was not a stranger. She was a woman known to the authors. All three accounts have the same wording, "a certain woman". Hence, we can be sure this woman was known to many in the Jewish community. In many of Jesus' story, names are not given. Although we can wonder why we do not know this woman's name, we can be grateful we do not have her name. Without a name, this story can be expanded to include many folks with various medical conditions similar to this woman's. Without knowing this woman's name, we can insert our name or a loved one's name into the story. Although this woman's identity was known at the time, its concealment allows us to imagine and present this story as a means of hope for those going through trying medical ordeals.


Blood: Blood is an immensely important concept in Scripture. We are told, "The life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11) and "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life" (Leviticus 17:14). Thus, we can see from Scripture, blood is connected with life.

Now this certain woman had an irregularity with her blood. She was bleeding for 12 years. Although I have no concrete evidence for this, I am going to tell you this woman's issue of blood symbolizes the woman was dead. Immediately preceding all three narratives, we are told a man named Jairus, who has a little girl at the point of death. The story about the little girl, who happens to be 12 years old, is interrupted by this woman with a blood issue who also happens to be afflicted for 12 years. When the woman is healed, we are immediately told Jairus's daughter dies. We can extrapolate from this, when the woman's blood issue is resolved, i.e., she is brought back to life, the 12 year old girl perishes. The woman's issue of blood was as though she was living the life of a dead person.


An issue of blood: In the Torah (the first five books of the Bible--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), there are specific rules and guidelines one must follow concerning various conditions. One of these conditions specifically laid out is a woman who is bleeding. In Leviticus 15:19-30, we read the following:

"When a woman has a discharge, if her discharge in her body is blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Everything also on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean, and everything on which she sits shall be unclean. Anyone who touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. Whoever touches any thing on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening. Whether it be on the bed or on the thing on which she is sitting, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. If a man actually lies with her so that her menstrual impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

Now if a woman has a discharge of her blood many days, not at the period of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond that period, all the days of her impure discharge she shall continue as though in her menstrual impurity; she is unclean. Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her like her bed at menstruation; and every thing on which she sits shall be unclean, like her uncleanness at that time. Likewise, whoever touches them shall be unclean and shall wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.

When she becomes clean from her discharge, she shall count off from herself seven days; and afterward she will be clean. Then on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons and bring them to the priest, to the doorway of the tent of meeting. The priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement on her behalf before the LORD because of her impure discharge." (Leviticus 15:19-30)

Unclean
Before we examine the above text, first we need to know what it means to be unclean. To be unclean is not a sin. It is simply a state of not being pure. When one was unclean, he had the ability to make others unclean. Think of uncleanness like a piece of fruit covered in mud. If you place the dirty fruit next to a clean piece of fruit, if the two touch, the clean fruit will now become dirty. The only way both can become clean is by washing them off in water.

This same concept applies to people being unclean. If a person is unclean and touches a clean person, now the clean person is unclean. The only way for the person to get clean who became unclean by contact with an unclean person (or the unclean person's belongings) is by washing and waiting a set period of time. Now there is nothing physical which is being washed off. It is a spiritual cleansing, although it is done in water. The process is called mikvah in Hebrew, baptizo in Greek. In English, baptizo is transliterated into English as baptize. (When John the Baptist was calling people to be immersed in the Jordan River, this was not a new concept. The Hebrews were already familiar with this process as they "mikvah" when they are in a state of spiritual uncleanness.)

Moreover, being unclean does NOT mean you have sinned! The woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus. Although Jesus is now unclean, He has NOT sinned. He does not need to bring a sin offering to the Temple. Uncleanness is simply a state in which a person must ritually wash and wait a set period of time before being clean. Being unclean has nothing to do with physical dirt or sin.

Isolation
You can see from the guidelines given in Leviticus 15, if a woman was unclean due to her menstrual blood, people would stay away from her (otherwise they would be unclean). Perhaps in today's society, it would not be a big deal to be unclean and have to take a shower, launder our clothes in the washing machine and wait until evening to become clean. However, in ancient times, this endeavor would have been a tiresome process. Water would have to be draw from a well or cistern and carried to the home. The water would need to be heated and doled out into various tubs--one for the clothes and one for yourself. It would have been an energy and time consuming process. And to think you have to do this EVERY TIME you touched the unclean person or the unclean person's belongings.

One could say, "Well, I am not going through this process. I will just stay in a state of uncleanness." One could do this. However, you MUST BE CLEAN to go to the Temple, share in the Temple sacrifices and gather with others for the feasts. So, a person living with the woman with the issue of blood could stay unclean for most of the year, but there would be specific times in which the woman would be abandoned by even her closest family and friends in order for them to stay clean.

Moreover, the woman, since was was in a constant state of uncleanness, could not for 12 years go to any religious gathering. She would have been barred from the Temple, excluded for all holidays and would not have been able to join in for circumcision, bar-mitzvahs, weddings or any other life cycle event which would include the presence of a religious official. The woman with the issue of blood would have been a social outcast. She would spend her days at home with few, if any, visitors. Although she was physically alive, she was socially dead.

Marriage relations
The woman with the issue of blood would have had very strained marriage relations. If she was married when this blood issue arose, her husband would have had a bad relationship with his wife. The woman, since she was having menstrual bleeding, would not have been able to become pregnant. A male child was the family's insurance policy the family name and the fortune would continue into the future. Without an heir, specifically a male heir, the woman had no guarantee of her future when her husband died. Israel had no social welfare system. If you did not have a son to provide and care for you, whenever your husband ceased to exist, the woman would have been forced to the streets as a beggar.

Also, the since the woman was constantly bleeding, her husband could not lay in the same bed with her without becoming unclean for sever days. It would be a huge inconvenience to figure out if being unclean for the next seven days would affect his ability to celebrate a life cycle event or if he had a need to go to the Temple. Additionally, just living in the same house with the woman meant the man would inevitably be unclean from touching anything his wife touched. If the woman was married before the issue of blood began, her husband probably divorced her.

Moreover, the man could not have sexual relations with the woman without both of them being cut off from society. "If there is a man who lies with a menstruous woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her flow, and she has exposed the flow of her blood; thus both of them shall be cut off from among their people" (Leviticus 20:18).

(To be cut off means to be shunned. There would be no communication between the shunned person and his family. The person would be excluded from the nation of Israel.)


Twelve years: As previously stated, the woman was suffering from her affliction for 12 years. We also are told a man named Jairus had a daughter who was 12 years old. One can imagine when Jairus's daughter was born, this woman began suffering from her illness. When we imagine a child being born and growing through their toddler years and into grade school and becoming a preteen, we can grasp how long 12 years of life is. It is not just a number. It is a large amount of time in which a person grows and changes. Although these changes are often hard to see in adults, we do continue to evolve mentally, physically and spiritually. For all the important landmarks of this young girl's life, the woman with the issue of blood would have been alone and abandoned. While the little girl was surrounded by numerous family and friends, the woman was ostracized to the fringes of society. If the woman lived or died, few people would know due to her isolation.


Spent all she had on physicians: In Mark 5:26, we are given precious insight into the woman's finances. What resources she had, she spent every penny on medical cures. She sought after physicians, but she found no relief. She only continued to get worse. This is a very poignant point in the story. The woman desperately wanted to get better. She did not accept her medical situation and do nothing. She went to doctor after doctor looking for a cure. But she found nothing.

My heart breaks reading this verse. I think about all the people I have seen chase from medical professional to medical professional trying to find answers to mysterious medical ailments. They are seeking relief from their symptoms which seem to never end. They desperately want to be well...and yet, healing never comes.

This verse reminds me of Scripture which rebukes us for putting our trust in man. "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes" (Psalm 118:8-9). So often we seek out all of man's ways first. When everything else fails, we turn to God.

Instead, we should first come to God with our worries and afflictions. He is our Healer. "Saying, 'If you diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in His eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statues, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer'" (Exodus 15:26).

Touching the "fringe" of His garment: This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood verses in all the Gospels. I have seen paintings of a woman kneeling in the dust of the road, reaching through people's feet to touch Jesus' hem of his garment at his ankles. I have heard preachers go on and on about how this woman would have had to crawl on her hands and knees, a true act of servitude, to reach Jesus' garment at his feet. As lovely and idealistic as these images may be, they are all wrong. What is translated in English as "fringe", "border" or "hem" are all trying to capture their idea of tzitzit (tzitziyot in the plural).

Tzitzit
Most Christians are very unfamiliar on the subject of tzitzit. These are strings, usually braided, which hang off the edges of their garments. Usually they are hung from a belt around the waist or attached to the hem of a shirt. They may also be hung off the end of a prayer shawl. Wherever they are attached, they need to be visible to the person wearing them. If the tzitzit were worn around Jesus' ankles, He would not be able to see them. The reason people wear tzitziyot is to remind them of God's commandments. This is all explained in Numbers 15, verses 32 through 41.

"Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on Shabbat. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation; and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, 'The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.' So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. The LORD also spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God." (Numbers 15:32-41)

Going back to the woman with the issue of blood, she very likely did not touch the fabric around Jesus' ankles. She most likely touched the tzitzit near his waist. Since the tzitzit are usually four sets of tassels (one tassel on the front right, one tassel on the front left, one tassel on the back right and one tassel on the back left), the woman most likely grabbed one of the tassel sets on the back of Jesus' garment. She could have easily touched it and gone undetected due to the large crowd surrounding Jesus.

Fulfilling Prophecy
She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.": The woman with the issue of blood knew Scripture. Specifically, she knew the book of Malachi which includes this prophecy: "But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall" (Malachi 4:2).

A few notes about this text:
In Hebrew, the word translated as "sun" can also be translated as "servant". The "wings" of the garment are the tzitzit. There is no gender neutral in Hebrew. Things are he or she. The text actually translates as "with healing in his wings".

The woman with the issue of blood believes Jesus is the servant of righteousness. She believes if she touches the "wings" (aka, tzitzit), she would receive healing. When Jesus tells her to go, for her faith has made her well, the faith Jesus is speaking about is the woman's acting out and believing the prophecy written down in Malachi 4:2.


Verses about Healing
Psalm 30:2
O LORD my God, I cried unto You, and You have healed me.

Psalm 66:16
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what he has done for my soul.

Psalm 103:2-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your disease, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tend mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth in renewed like the eagle's.

Bartimaeus: A Blind Man Who Spiritually Sees

In the Gospel of Mark and Luke, we read about a man named Bartimaeus. He is near the city of Jericho. The narrative is short. The man is blind. He cries out to Jesus. Jesus heals the man. A similar story is also told in the Gospel of Matthew. However, in Matthew’s account there are two blind men, and both ask to receive their sight. For this study, we will focus on Mark and Luke’s account.

Mark 10:46-52
46 Then they *came to Jericho. And later, as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a beggar who was blind named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the man who was blind, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 And throwing off his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And replying to him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man who was blind said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.


Luke 18:35-42
35 Now as Jesus was approaching Jericho, a man who was blind was sitting by the road, begging. 36 But when he heard a crowd going by, he began inquiring what this was. 37 They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He asked him, 41 “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” 42 And Jesus said to him, “Regain your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus is two words. It is “bar” which means son and timaeus which is a person’s name. Timaeus is the Latinized form of the Greek name Timaios. Timaios is derived from the word timao, which means to honor. So, Bartimaeus means son of honor.

Jericho
Jericho is located in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley. The Jordan River lies to the east and Jerusalem is to the west. Since 1967, Jericho has been under Israeli occupation. However, administrative control was handed over to the Palestinian Authority in 1994. It is believed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It has the oldest known protective wall in the world. Springs in and around the city have attracted inhabitants to this area for thousands of years.

Jericho is the place where the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River and defeated this city in the Promised Land. Israel sends two spies into the area and they search out Jericho. They find shelter in the home of Rahab the harlot. Rahab is questioned by the city guards as to the whereabouts of the Israeli spies. She lies and says they have left the city. For Rahab’s protection of the spies, she is told to gather her family and friends into her house which is on the city wall. A scarlet cord is placed outside her window. (Joshua 2:1-21)

This is the city in which Israel circled the city for six days. On the seventh day, they circled it seven times, and then God caused the walls of the city to fall. Israel defeated the city. Rahab’s household is saved when Israel attacks the city. (Joshua 6:1-25)

The Importance of Rahab
Rahab married Salmon from the tribe of Judah. They have a son named Boaz. Boaz married a Moabite woman named Ruth. Ruth and Boaz had a son called Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David. David is a man after God’s own heart. He was the second King of Israel after King Saul.

When Bartimaeus calls Jesus the Son of David, it should not be lost on the reader the importance of Jericho in David’s lineage. David’s great-great grandmother is Rahab from Jericho.

A Blind Man
Blind was and still is today an affliction which often has no cure. Once eye sight is lost, it cannot be regained. Blindness is one medical challenge which is seen as being lifelong.

Being cured from blindness is viewed as being miraculous in the Bible. Once a person lost his sight, there was no hope of regaining it. If a blind person regained his sight, it was often questioned if the person was actually blind to begin with since curing blindness meant a miracle must have occurred.

Having one’s sight restored is often described as something God does as one of His promises when the kingdom is restored.


Psalm 146:8-10
The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!


Isaiah 29:18-23
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

  19The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD,
            And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
      20 For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished,
            Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off;
      21Who cause a person to be indicted by a word,
            And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate,
            And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments.
      22 Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:
            “Jacob shall not now be ashamed, nor shall his face now turn pale;
      23 But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst,
            They will sanctify My name;
            Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
            And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Isaiah 32:1-4
1Behold, a king will reign righteously
            And princes will rule justly.
      2 Each will be like a refuge from the wind
            And a shelter from the storm,
            Like streams of water in a dry country,
            Like the shade of a huge rock in a parched land.
      3 Then the eyes of those who see will not be blinded,
            And the ears of those who hear will listen.
      4 T he mind of the hasty will discern the truth,
            And the tongue of the stammerers will hasten to speak clearly.


Isaiah 42:5-8
    5 Thus says God the LORD,
            Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
            Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
            Who gives breath to the people on it
            And spirit to those who walk in it,
      6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
            I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
            And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
            As a light to the nations,
      7 To open blind eyes,
            To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
            And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
      8 “I am the LORD, that is My name;
            I will not give My glory to another,
            Nor My praise to graven images.




Son of David
The title, “Son of David” is a messianic title. If someone was thought to be the messiah, they were called the Son of David. This title is taken from 2 Samuel 7, when Nathan tells David a prophecy.

Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains within the tent.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place. 7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

8 Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously, 11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, 15 but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. (2 Samuel 7:1-17)

The most important verses are 12-15. Note, God says a descendant will come from David, and God will establish His kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish his kingdom forever. This means, the person God is going to raise up will be a ruler forever and ever. In other words, Messiah is going to come from King David’s lineage. Also note in verse 14, it says God will be his father and this ruler will be a son of God. When he does wrong, God will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind.

Isaiah’s Promise
The prophet promised that one day a new branch would grow up from the old stump of the Davidic dynasty. A new king would arise from the House of David:

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:1-2)

The prophets called the new shoot the mashiach, which means anointed one. The prophets anointed the kinds of Israel with oil to symbolize the LORD’S spirit resting upon them to rule the nation. The word mashiach has the same meaning as our English word Messiah and the transliterated word Christ, which both mean anointed one. Moreover, the word mashiach also referred to the king of Israel. Thus, the name Jesus Christ could be translated as Jesus the King and the name Christ Jesus as King Jesus.

The community of Israelites who returned and rebuilt Jerusalem after the captivity in Babylon hoped their governor Zerubbabel, a descendant of David who had returned with them from Babylon, might be the promised king, the shoot from the stump of David’s house. He was not. Judah’s political subjugation to Persia prevented the possibility of restoring the crown.

Generations passed. The heirs to the throne of David continued to wait. Empires rose and fell. Still no Davidic king emerged.

The descendants of David held on to the promises. They kept careful records of their genealogies because they knew that the coming Messiah must be born from their family. Their genealogical records were like legal deeds to the throne of Israel. Before anyone could claim to be a candidate for Messiah, he must first prove his ancestry was from the house of David. This is the reason why rabbinic literature uses the title Son of David as a name for the Messiah. This also explains why Matthew calls Jesus “the Messiah, Son of David”. To say Jesus is a son of David means He is an heir to the royal dynasty and a legitimate contender for the throne of David.

The early Believers, Jesus’ first followers and His family members all recognized Him as a Davidic heir. Paul states, “He was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh” (Romans 1:3).

If Jesus was not a descendant from David, He is not Messiah at all. God entered into an eternal covenant with King David, promising him that his family and his throne will endure forever, and the throne of Israel will belong to his seed. The true and rightful king must come from David’s house.

Bartimaeus calling Jesus the Son of David
When Bartimaeus calls Jesus the Son of David, he is proclaiming Jesus is Messiah. People in the crowd try to silence Bartimaeus, by he yells louder. It is interesting that Bartimaeus is blind. He could not see Jesus. Of everyone in the world, he should have been one of the last people to recognize the Messiah by sight. However, he seems to be the only person in the crowd to recognize Jesus as Messiah.

This situation reminds me of Isaiah 6:9-10:
9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not understand;
And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’
10 Make the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes blind,
So that they will not see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

Although these people could see, their eyes were blind. Bartimaeus was blind, but he was the only one who could see Jesus for who He was.


Back to the Gospels…
Immediately preceding both Luke and Mark’s account of Bartimaeus, we are told about Jesus’ sufferings He will experience in Jerusalem.

Mark 10:32-34
Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him; and three days later He will rise from the dead.”

Luke 18:31-34
31 Now He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be ridiculed, and abused, and spit upon, 33 and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise.” 34 The disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

When reading Luke 18 and Mark 10, we should be reminded about the messianic prophecy given to King David which states his offspring will be disciplined and will be disciplined with strokes given by man. Jesus says such in both Luke 18:34 and Mark 10:34 that He will be flogged. Flogging is being thrashed with a whip or a stick. By Jesus stating what type of punishment He will receive, we should again be reminded that Messiah is prophesied to suffer similar punishment.

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
 And like a root out of dry ground;
 He has no stately form or majesty 
That we would look at Him,
 Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him.
3 He was despised and abandoned by men,
 A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
 And like one from whom people hide their faces, 
He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.
4 However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,
And our pains that He carried;
 Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
 Struck down by God, and humiliated.
5 But He was pierced for our offenses,
 He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
 The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
 And by His wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:2-5)


Throwing off his cloak
In Mark 10:50, we are told Bartimaeus threw off his garment. We can easily overlook this as something unimportant; however, this details is VERY important.

During the Temple period, people who wanted to beg had to be certified by the Temple officials. Not anyone could beg. You must have a limitation such as being lame or blind which impeded you from gaining employment. Unlike today where anyone can hold a sign and beg for money, during the Temple period you had to be declared to be a beggar.

To beg, you were given a special garment. It was an outer cloak which the person had with him at all times. The cloak was the outer symbol that the person was certified by the Temple to beg. If you did not have the cloak, you could not beg, or could not beg legally.

When Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, he is telling everyone around him that he will no longer need to beg. He is going to be healed. He will be made well. He will be able to work and make money to support himself. This is a profound statement about his faith. If Jesus did not heal him, Bartimaeus would have lost his ability to beg. The cloak would have been lost in the crowd. He was blind and would have had a very hard if not impossible time trying to find the garment again. Bartimaeus may have been able to get another cloak from the Temple, but it would have been a lengthy process, with the intervening time being a period in which he could not beg for money.


Your faith has made you well
Jesus tells Bartimaeus his faith has made him well. We have seen Bartimaeus demonstrate his faith by loudly proclaiming Jesus is Messiah when he called Him “Son of David”. Also, when Bartimaeus throws off his beggar’s garment, again, Bartimaeus knows Jesus can and will heal him.

If we were Bartimaeus, would we be willing to give up our security blanket—perhaps our retirement savings, car or home—in an instant because we had so much trust and faith that Jesus could give us a better life. Bartimaeus had a tremendous amount of faith. Although he was blind, he could see clearly who the Messiah was and who would be able to do what man and medicine had not been able to do—to heal Bartimeaus and allow him to see the world with his eyes.

John 9:39-41
39And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

God heals the blind and those crying for help
I will exalt You, Lord, for You have lifted me up,
And have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
2 Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. (Psalm 30:1-2)


The Lord opens the eyes of those who are blind;
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,
But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146:8-10)


“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
 My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
 He will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry out nor raise His voice,
Nor make His voice heard in the street.
3 A bent reed He will not break off
And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;
He will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not be disheartened or crushed
Until He has established justice on the earth;
And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”
5 This is what God the Lord says,
Who created the heavens and stretched them out,
Who spread out the earth and its offspring,
Who gives breath to the people on it
And spirit to those who walk in it:
6 “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
8 I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to idols.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they sprout I proclaim them to you.” (Isaiah 42:1-9)