Sermon on the Mount - Part 2

Announcements

Due to maintenance to our power-grid in my town, we were down for a few hours yesterday. However, this does permit me to now do the work for the note each day, a day ahead of time. This has been a desire in my heart for a while now, so I have more hours in each day to work on the formatting of each note and compiling all that is related. With this in mind, pay attention on the blog for word-links to more information, which will be in either blue or red color.)

Audio Version of the Note (Please note it is downloadable to share with friends)

The House of Bread · Voice Note For 20240922 - Matthew 5 KJV - Sermon On The Mount - Part 2

Matthew 5 KJV

Matthew 5:21-26 KJV - Thou shalt not kill

[21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: [22] but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. [23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; [24] leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. [25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. [26] Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.5.21-26.KJV

Note for 20240922

Let us start by clearing up some terms that may be unfamiliar to us. We find the word, "Raca" in verse 22, so let's get the verse in the Complete Jewish Bible.

Mattityahu (Mat) 5:22 CJB

[22] But I tell you that anyone who nurses anger against his brother will be subject to judgment; that whoever calls his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing!’ will be brought before the Sanhedrin; that whoever says, ‘Fool!’ incurs the penalty of burning in the fire of Gei-Hinnom!

https://bible.com/bible/1275/mat.5.22.CJB

Besides learning the terms intended we also find the terms for "council" and also "hell fire." Then, when looking at verse 26, the same way, it ends in, "... every last penny."

Let us look at the term “Gei-Hinnom” from the Jewish Bible that is translated into “hell fire” in the KJV.

GE-HINNOM, or GE BEN-(BENE-)HINNOM:

By: Emil G. Hirsch, Frants Buhl

Name of the valley to the south and south-west of Jerusalem (Josh. xv. 8, xviii. 16; Neh. xi. 30; II Kings xxiii. 10; II Chron. xxxiii. 6; Jer. vii. 31 et seq., xix. 2, xxxii. 35). Its modern name is "Wadi al-Rababah." The southwestern gate of the city, overlooking the valley, came to be known as "the gate of the valley." The valley was notorious for the worship of Moloch carried on there (comp. Jer. ii. 23). According to Jer. vii. 31 et seq., xix. 6 et seq., it was to be turned into a place of burial; hence "the accursed valley Ge-hinnom" ("Gehenna" in the N. T.) came to be synonymous with a place of punishment, and thus with hell (comp. Isa. lxvi. 24; Enoch, xxvi. et seq.; and the rabbinical Hebrew equivalent)

Reference link: https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6559-ge-hinnom

In the same way, "Raca" is defined this way from the same site source as, "Noun formed from the adjective "reḳ" (="empty"), and applied to a person without education and devoid of morals (comp. Judges xi. 3)."

Now that we have looked at these, let us consider the implications of what Christ was preaching on here. You see, today there are quite a few terms that can fit in here, like "idiot" and of course a few terms that are preferable not to write here. Things get said in the same vain, spoken from a place of entitlement, looking down on your fellow man. We forget far too soon, that we are the subject of God's Love, (remember John 3:16) and things like these are said in a form of hate. Hate is literally the exact opposite of love and thus in counter to loving your neighbor as yourself and to love your enemy.

Here Christ places this in direct relation with murder. So, in short, Christ adds to the law, even just that which comes in a word, a thought and in the truth of a heart. This theme carries on in the rest of the sermon on the mount. It is not just about what is seen, but the source of both good and evil, love and hate, comes from within. Therefore, we can also bring it into alignment with the inner truth of everything. Even whether we truly believe, or if it is just an outward projection that is not a truth within the soul.

The question then is to ask ourselves, how does this relate to our lives? And I further suppose, the most common place where we may fail in this today can be found in things like road-rage, sports and politics. It is probably most common on social media and in comedy, where someone is the subject of such scorn. In fact, what Christ speaks of here has become common in every language, both formal and the slang of it. Yes, even in eloquent and proper speech there are seemingly polite ways to say exactly the same, maybe even with a smile, "to keep it civil." Through this, we even find this in forms of gender, race and class discrimination. Truth is, this has become quite common, and Christ rates this at the level of murder.

Do you think maybe, a little more consideration can go into our speech patterns? Love would be best to enter in. What is "proper" to speak in the presence of the LORD your GOD, and Who is the Holy Spirit?

Shalom

(Bonus information: Who is Moloch? Reference Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch)

Verse of The Day

(YouVersion - Expanded from verse 13)

Isaiah 41:8-20 KJV

[8] But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. [9] Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. [10] Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. [11] Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. [12] Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. [13] For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. [14] Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. [15] Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. [16] Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. [17] When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. [18] I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. [19] I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: [20] that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.41.8-20.KJV

From Psalms

(Optional reading)

Psalm 104:1-35 KJV

[1] Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty: [2] Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: [3] Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: Who maketh the clouds his chariot: Who walketh upon the wings of the wind: [4] Who maketh his angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire: [5] Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be removed for ever. [6] Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: The waters stood above the mountains. [7] At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. [8] They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys Unto the place which thou hast founded for them. [9] Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth. [10] He sendeth the springs into the valleys, Which run among the hills. [11] They give drink to every beast of the field: The wild asses quench their thirst. [12] By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, Which sing among the branches. [13] He watereth the hills from his chambers: The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. [14] He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man: That he may bring forth food out of the earth; [15] And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart. [16] The trees of the LORD are full of sap; The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; [17] Where the birds make their nests: As for the stork, the fir trees are her house. [18] The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; And the rocks for the conies. [19] He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down. [20] Thou makest darkness, and it is night: Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. [21] The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their meat from God. [22] The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, And lay them down in their dens. [23] Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labour until the evening. [24] O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches. [25] So is this great and wide sea, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. [26] There go the ships: There is that leviathan, Whom thou hast made to play therein. [27] These wait all upon thee; That thou mayest give them their meat in due season. [28] That thou givest them they gather: Thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. [29] Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. [30] Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: And thou renewest the face of the earth. [31] The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: The LORD shall rejoice in his works. [32] He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: He toucheth the hills, and they smoke. [33] I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. [34] My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD. [35] Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.104.1-35.KJV