We are going to begin this exploring the Gospel series in Matthew, and we will cover all 28 chapters in their own set apart article.

So lets begin.

I always find it exciting starting a Gospel, I don't know what it is about them, perhaps a deep set or ingrained idea of their importnace that was put in me as a child, even though I grew up without a church or religious parents, the Gospel, the Bible and all of its impacts on society around us still gave it an awe, that to this day still gets me excited now when I read it. 

And this goes for many other books in the Bible too, but of the four Gospels if I had to pick, which is hard, I would say Matthew is my favourite, and I hope to show you why.

We open the first Gospel with the geneology of our Mashiach, From Avraham to David to Yekonyahu to Yoceph and Yahusha. 

Now this is something we have covered before in an exploring Hebrew post, but I want to share it again because I know for many people, once they get the gist that Yahusha is indeed of the line of Avraham they tend to skip over it and jump straight to chapter 2, not realising that there is so much wrapped up in the word, just in the meaning of all of these names and their very specific order. 

So...

If we take all the names from Abraham to King David and translate them to what the words mean in English it reads,

'High Father of many nations, who reigns in supplanting. I will praise Yahuah, Burst forth from the walled city on the hill. My kinsmen are noble, that foretell peace and strength. Worship Elohiym's gift beloved.'

If we take the next 14 names from David to Yekonyahu it reads;

'Beloved man of peace. He enlarges the people. He is my Father, my healer. The Lord is my Judge, Yahuah is exhaulted. Strength comes from Yahuah. The perfection of Yahuah has held and strengthened me. Caused me to forget, secret and faithful. Elohiym has healed, Yahuah has established.'

And if we take the final 14 names from Yekonyahu to Yahusha it reads;

'Yahuah has established he whom I asked of Elohiym. The one sown of Bablyon. Father of Praise. Elohiym will establish a helper, just and righteous. He whom Yah has set up, is grand. Elohiym is my help, giving in supplanting. He will add to me, Yahuah's saviour who brings us to victory.'

HalleluYah!

I mean what a way to start the Gospels than that.

And there is more in the names than this if you want more.

Lets look at the line again, we obviously start with Avraham, Yitschaq and Ya'aqov, being that Yahuah is the Elohiym of Avraham, Yitschaq and Ya'aqov, and is often referred to as such throughout the Torah and Old Testament. But lets go on down the list, It is the tribe of Yahudah, not the first born Reuben, nor Leviy whom Yahuah sets apart for his inheritance and lot of the people, and is the Tribe of Mosheh. But it is Yahudah, whose name means Praise Yahuah. Fitting.

Then we go on down and it is the line of Perets from Yahudah, who if you remember Genesis ch38 is one of the two sons born to him from his daughter in Law Tamar, when she disguised herself as a harlot on the road to Timnathah. This at first glance seems a little less clear and obvious when thinking of the bloodline to Yahusha.

Then we have another name we don't expect, Rachav, who we read in Matthew ch1 v5, "And Salmah begat Bo'az of Rachav."

Rachav is the lying whore of Jericho, who hides the spies and after declaring this in Joshua ch2 v9-11 she in integrated into the tribes, "And she said unto the men, I know Yahuah has given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how Yahuah dried up the water of the Red Sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Emoriy, that were on the other side of the Yardan, Ciychon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain anymore courage in any man, because of you: For Yahuah Elohaykem he is Elohiym in heaven above and in earth beneath."

And if we keep reading chapter 1 v5 we see another familar name, "...And Bo'az begat Oved of R'oth."

This is R'oth, who has her own book, and is the grandmother of Yashai and great grandmother of King David. The R'oth who again like her mother in law Rachav is not a blood born Israleite but from Mo'av a nation who neither feared nor recognised Yahuah as Elohiym. We read in Numbers ch23-25 that Mo'av again and again goes against Yah and Yashar'el, first bring Bil'am to curse them, and then using their daughters to seduce the men and make them worship their gods and eat unclean things and commit whoredoms within the camp.

So what is special about R'oth? What makes her different from these other women who were leading men away from Yah? Look at that famous line R'oth ch1 v16, "whither you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay, and your people shall be my people, and your Elohiym shall be my Elohiym." She wants to be part of Yashar'el, to stay with Naomi and to worship Yahuah.

One more name I want to pull out now is Shalomah, the son of King David. Remember who his mother was? Matthew ch 1 v6 "And David the king begat Shalomah of her that had been the woman of Uriyahu."

This is the woman who David commits adultery with and then has her man, Uriyahu killed in battle. Again these people, the various Torah breaking, unlawful, non Israelite people, and or those who fall from the Torah and path of righteousness, still end up in his lineage. Why?

Look at their fruit, they all bring forth fruits meet for repentance. David fasts and lies on the temple floor for days, and then after the death of the illegitimate child takes her to be his woman and eventually gives her child the kingdom over his older sons. Ruth obviously seeks to be part of Yashar'el and walk in the ways of their Elohiym not her own people's ways. Rachav fears Yahuah and Yashar'el and is grafted into the tribes. And we see other examples of this also in the later entries in the list of names. 

It's not just the names that matter to show us a deeper message in his lineage, it is their actions, and their hearts.

Now, lets move onto v18 and look at the rest of this short chapter.

His mother Miryam is found with child "of the Ruach Ha'Qodesh." We know from other gospel accounts such as Luke, that there is a long story and Angelic meeting here, but lets stay in Matthew for now.

v19 "Then Yoceph her man, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily."

Yoceph is acting as the Prophet Micah said, "Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly after your Elohiym." He is being merciful yet seeking to be just with his espoused woman. Being humble and kind. In Deuteronomy ch22 v 13-21 we can see the Law for when a women is found not to be a virgin when she marries a man. To sum up the law, if she is indeed a virgin then the man must pay the damsels father 100 shequels of silver because "he has brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Yashar'el: and she shall be his woman; he may not put her away all his days." But if she is found to not be a virgin then, "They shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she has wrought folly in Yashar'el, to play the whore in her father's house: so shall you put evil away from amoung you."

So we can see here Yoceph's mercy and just actions, knowing that as Miryam is pregnant and they have not been married yet she would very likely be stoned outside the camp if he did not put her away privily.

Now as we read in Matthew ch 1 v20 "while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of Yahuah appeared unto him in a dream, saying 'Yoceph, son of David, fear not to take unto you Miryam your woman: for that which is conceived in her is of the Ruach Ha'Qodesh."

This as it tells us in ch1 v22-23 is fulfilling Yesha'Yahu (Isiah) ch7 v14-16 "Behold! a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth an infant son, whose name is called Immanu'el. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that your abhor shall be forsaken of both her kings."

Wow.

Lets look at a few more names before I make the final point tonight.

Firstly, Immanu'el means  - Elohiym is with us

Miryam means - bitterness / rebellion

Yoceph means - Yahuah has added

And the name they chose to call the child : Yahusha, means - I am he who brings Salvation

So, into the woman named rebellion, Yahuah has added he who brings salvation... Elohiym is with us. 

Wow.

Even to a rebelious nation, he sent is beloved son. Even to a world lost in darkness, he came to save it. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life...

Finally to sum this whole section up, lets look at ch1 v21 "She shall being forth a son, and you shall call his name Yahusha, for he shall save his people from their sins."

He will save his people.

Think of John ch 15 v16 "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit..."

Or Exodus ch9 v1 "Thus says Yahuah Elohai of the Ivriym, Let my people go, that they may serve me."

Or Zechariah ch13 v9 "They shall call upon my name and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, Yahuah Elohai."

He has come to save his people, those who "Love Yahuah Elohaynu with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your might."

And remember what this saviour said, in John ch 14 v15 "If ye love me, guard my commandments. "

I have learnt a lot in this short study. And I hope it blesses you to. 

So let's continue with our Gospel read through with Matthew Chapter 2.

And in verse one we have a great little piece of Hebrew symbolism that cannot be over looked. Matthew ch2 v1 reads, "Now when Yahusha was born in Beyt'Lechem of Yahud, in the days if Herod the king, behold, there came Magi from the east to Yerushalayim."

Just like last time I want to start with a Hebrew word because it is fun, gets the ball rolling and is often overlooked in now Hebrew translations. Do you know what the word Beyt'Lechem means?

Beyt means house or home, and Lechem is bread, so Beyt'Lechem means house of bread. And as we can read elsewhere in the Word, Yahusha is the bread of life.

Such as John ch6 "I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst."

or Matthew ch26 v26 which we will get to eventually, "And as they were eating, Yahusha took the bread and blessed it, and broke it and gave it to the Talmidiym, and said, Take, eat; this is my body."

So right away we have a cool deeper connection to Yahusha.

Now with regards to the Magi it is clear not just from this scripture, but also from Luke's Gospel that the christian version of the Nativity is total nonsense. The wise men do not arrive with the Shepherds to give him gifts on his birthday, rendering the christmas / birthday gift arguement totally invalid for yet another reason, never mind that it is a blasphemous Pagan holy day any way. But I'm getting of topic.

The Magi come from East to Yerushalayim, because that is where the Temple and Palace are, and as we see in verse 2 they want to know, "Where is he that is born King of the Yahudiym? for we have seen his star rising in the east, and are come to worship him." They go to the capital of the region to look for the king, having seen the star.

If you turn to Genesis ch1 v14 we can read, "And Elohiym said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for appointed feasts, and for days and years." This is where the star comes from, he created every star and light in heaven above to be signs for appointed times, and these Magi have seen the sign of the comming Mashiach. This leads to the quote from the Prophet Micah "And you Beyt Lechem, in the land of Yahudah, are not the least amoung the princes of Yahudah: for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Yashar'el."

The full quote from Micah ch5 continues with, v2-4 "...to be ruler in Yashar'el; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth: then the remnant of his brethern shall return unto the children of Yashar'el. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of Yahuah, in the majesty of the name of Yahuah Elohaynu; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth."

This is both pointing to his birth and life then and his return at the End of the times, as we will see later when we look at Matthew Ch24.

This quote from Matthew and Micah is also referencing the Psalms, as we can read in Psalm 22 v28 "For the Kingdom is Yahuah's and he is the Governor amoung the nations." This is a psalm we will be coming back to as well before our Gospel series ends.

2 other references to non-bible texts include, Ecclesiasticus ch23 v1 "O Yahuah, Father and Governor of all my whole life, leave me not to their counsels, and let me not fall by them."

And to 3 Maccabees ch2 v2-3"Oh Yahuah, Yahuah, King of the heavens, and Ruler of the whole creation, Holy among the holy, sole Governor, El Shaddai, give ear to us who are oppressed by a wicked and profane one, who exalts his confidence and strength. It is you, the Creator of all, Yahuah of the universe, who are a righteous Governor, and judge all who act with pride and insolence."

So this is a title and prophecy repeated throughout all forms of scripture of the comming Governor of Yahuah, who would be born in Beyt'Lechem.

Now as we continue through Matthew we learn that Herod "inquired of the diligently" and tells the Magi to bring him word where the child may be found so he can "worship him also." However we already read in v3 that "he was troubled, and all Yerushaliym with him." when he heard ther Magi's words. And we see later in the chapter what he is going to do. But first let us follow the Magi. They find Yahsuha with his mother in a house in Beyt Lechem, having followed his star, and present him with 3 gifts. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Gold, being the tribute to the king and the treasure of the Tabernacle. It is also a key ingredient in making many parts of the Tabernacle of the Assembly from the Menorah, the breastplate, and the Ark of the testimony.

Frankincense is a type of perfume or incense, it was one of the ingredients Yahuah instructed the Israelites to use in making the pure and sacred incense blend for the most holy place in the tabernacle. As seen in Exodus ch30 v34-25.

Myrrh was both another incense ingredient and also was the core ingredient of the holy anointing oil seen in Exodus ch30 v22-29. In which we can read, "Take unto you principle spices of pure myrrh...and you shall anoint the Tabernacle of the assembly therewith, and the Ark of the Testimony, and the table...And you shall sanctify them, that they mny be most holy."

So not only are they incredibly valuable gifts fit for a king but each ties directly to the temple, and Tabernacle of Yahuah, and are core materials required to build, ordain and anoint the Holy place.

What is more they all have someting to do with his walk, the gold for the kingdom, the frankincense for when he is annoitned before crucifiction, and the myrrh for embalming him when he is dead.

There are so many layers to unpack, and I encoursge you all to go as deep as you like on all of this.

We see here that the Magi are providing Yahusha with all he needs to be king and to anoint and ordain his temple on earth.

We continue on in Matthew ch2 v12 that "being warned of El in a dream," that they do not return to Herod. And in v13 "The Angel of Yahuah appeared to Yoceph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother and flee to Mitsrayim (Egypt), and be there until I bring you word." Because Herod wanted to kill Yahusha over fear of losing his kingdom. So Yoceph does as Yahuah commands and we see in verse 15 this was to fulfill another Mesianic prophecy from Hosea ch11 "When Yashar'el was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Mitsrayim."

And while this happens Herod, in his anger at the Magi and in desperation to kill Yahusha, orders all male babies in Beyt'Lechem to be killed. This again fulfills prophecy from Jeremiah ch31 v15-17 "Thus says Yahuah; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus says Yahuah; refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears: for your work shall be rewarded, says Yahuah; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in your end, says Yahuah, that your children shall come again to their own border."

There are many layers to this section of Jeremiah ch31, but looking at it from a Yahusha perspective today firstly why is Rachel weeping? She isn't related to Yahusha as Le'ah was Yahudah's mother. But Rachel was burried as we can read in Genesis ch35 v19 "in the way to Ephrathah, which is Beyt'Lechem." So Rachel, one of the mothers of the 12 tribes is burried there and weeps for the children who are being killed in their streets.

Also look at v 16 of Jeremiah ch31, "they shall come again from the land of the enemy." sounds a lot like the Hosea prophecy, and v17 "there is hope in your end, says Yahuah" why? because Yahusha is the hope, he is all of our hope.

Now this section of Matthew and of the Yahusha story also reminds me a lot of Exodus and the story of the 12 tribes in general. From the fleeing to Mitsrayim to survive, as Ya'akov and his family did in Genesis to survive the famine, and the murdering of children, specifically male children by a king worried about an uprising, when we read in in Exodus what happened and why Mosheh was placed in the famous basket to survive this slaughter. It is as if Yahusha has to walk out the entire history of the Tribes and overcome it all in the Father's perfect will rather than the endless stumbling and sin that the Tribes committed between Genesis and the birth of Yahusha.

And we will see this again and again as we go on in Matthew.

To finish up ch2 of Matthew we see that when Herod and all those who sought to kill Yahusha were dead the Angel of Yahuah comes again to Yoceph and tells him to return home, but being warned of El in a dream again he "came and dwelt in a gity called Natsareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Netseriy."

This prophecy is not directly linked to any scripture but 2 options of academic thought exist to try to understand what Matthew is getting at. One comes from Isaiah ch 11 v1-5 which is a heavy peice of Messiah prophecy. But sepcifically verse 1 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Yishai, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."

The Hebrew word for Branch is Netser, hence the Netseriy link. The second option is that the Netseriy is in reference to a person who is “despised and rejected.” Natsareth was a small town about 55 miles north of Yerushaliym, and it had a negative reputation among the Yahudiym. Galiyl was generally looked down upon and Natsareth of Galiyl was especially despised, for example John ch1 v46 "Can there any good thing come out of Natsareth?.

If this was Matthew’s emphasis, and the prophecies Matthew had in mind could include these two passages concerning the Messiah:

Psalm 22 v6-7 “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads” As we have already seen Psalm 22 in this chapter.

And Isaiah ch53 v3 "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem”

Both linking Ha'Mashiach with being despised by the people and tying to the general feel of the Netseriy. Either way it is the final note of chapter 2.

There was so much to unpack, from the links to the gifts and the tabernacle, the links between Yahusha's early life and the lie of the tirbes throughout the early biblical texts and the endless fulfuillment of prophecy surrounding this birth, where, when and how he would be.

The first two chapters of Matthew have been really laying out the claim that Yahusha is Ha'Mashiach, from the lineage and meaning behind that in chapter 1, and now prophetic fulfilment and heavely signs surrouning his birth and early life,

Matthew wants to leave us in no doubt that Yahusha is Ha'Mashiach. And there is no doubt.

So lets move forward in this series with this Truth; that Ha'Mashiach has come, and will come again. 

Amein

ch3 v1 "In those days came Yahuchannon the baptizer, preaching in the wildnerness of Yahud. And saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, for this is he that was spoken of by the prophet YeshaYahu (Isaiah) saying, 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of Yahuah, make his paths straight.'

The full quote comes from YeshaYahu ch40 v1-8

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your Elohiym. Speak ye comfortably to Yerushalayim, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of Yahuah's hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of Yahuah, make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohiym. Every valley shall be exhalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the croked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of Yahuah shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together: for the mouth of Yahuah has spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withers, the flower fades; because the Ruach Yahuah blows upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our Elohiym shall stand forever."

There , as always in scripture is so much to unpack, luckily for us chapter 3 is short enough that we can go deep in this YeshaYahu quote and pull out so much of what Matthew, Yahuchannon and Yahusha tell us from this.

Firstly Yahuchannon the baptizer. A man spoken of in great detail in the Gospel of Luke ch1-4, the son of Zakaryahu, a preist of Yahuah and his mother Elisheva was of the daughters of Aharon, the original high priest after the Exodus.

Whats more it tells us in Luke ch1 v6 "And they were both righteous before Elohiym, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahuah blameless." So Yahuchannon grows up the son of a Priest, and in a house who walk in all the commandments of Yahuah, and he is chosen before his birth to "go before him in the ruach and power of Eliyahu (Elijah) to turn the hearts of the fathers ot the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for Yahuah."

Take what I have just shown you from Luke ch1 and look at the YeshaYahu quote again, 

"Prepare ye the Way of Yahuah, make straight in the desert a highway for our Elohiym."

"And the glory of Yahuah shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together"

"The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our Elohiym shall stand forever."

Prepare the Way of Yahuah, what is the Way?

Deuteronomy ch5 v33 "Ye shall walk in all the ways which Yahuah Elohaykem has commanded you, that ye may live, and that it might be well with you..."

The Way is the way to follow, serve, obey and Love Yahuah.

It is his outlined, preordained path for us to walk on as we serve him. Psalm 119 v105 "Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

It is the Word, it is Mashiach, it is the Torah it is the way.

As Mashiach said, "I am the way the Truth and the Life." He is the way we ought to live, he is the Truth and he is the life. If we walk as Mashiach walked full of mercy, Truth and righteousness and with a sincere and zealous love for Yahuah.

What's more Yahuchannon uses the YeshaYahu quote speaking of making 'his paths straight.'

We see so often in the Torah Yahuah saying;

Deuteronomy ch5 v32-33 "Ye shall guard to do therefore as Yahuah ELohaykem has commanded you, ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which Yahuah Elohaykem has commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you..."

And again in Deuteronomy ch28v14 "And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them."

This is the message, turn back to my ways and follow me, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. As it said in the quote from YeshaYahu - "and the glory of Yahuah shall be revealed, and all flesh will see it together: for the mouth of Yahuah has spoken it."

Yahuchannon has come to call us to repent before the unveiling of Ha'Mashiach.

Now lets continue in Matthew ch3

We see that in v6 Yahuchannon is baptising people in the Yardan River, "confessing their sins." and calling them to repentance.

However in the very next lines when the Pasrashiym and Tsadoqiym arrive he has something more to say, lets look at it in full;

ch3 v7-12 "O offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, we have Avraham to our father: for I say unto you, that Elohiym is able of these stones to raise up children unto Avraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance: but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Ruach Ha'Qodesh, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Again here there is so much we can unpack.

First lets look at what he says directly to the Pasrashiym and Tsadoqiym;

He calls them, "O offspring of vipers" a clear reference to Ha'Satan, the snake from Eden. This identity as the children of HA'Satan is also used by Yahusha when he speaks to them in Joh ch8 v44 "Ue are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do."

Yahuchannon then calls for them to "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance" as he has with everyone, but adds, "And think not to say within yourselves, we have Avraham to our father: for I say unto you, that Elohiym is able of these stones to raise up children unto Avraham." Again this is all reiterted in John ch8 when Yahusha and the Pasrashiym go back and forth on sin and who Yahusha is.

Then he tells them, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." They must bring forth fruit, obedience, love, mercy. The fruit is the works they must do, turning from their own lusts and wickedness and walking in his Way in his Truth and in obedience and love of Yahuah,

Now, he swithces gears and begins to tell them of Yahusha, " he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Ruach Ha'Qodesh, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

The baptism that Yahusha will give is incredible, but I want to talk more about that along with the final section of Matthew chapter 3.

So lets look at that now;

We can read about Yahusha's baptism in v13-17 of Matthew ch3. First lets look at the exchange between Yahuchannon and Yahusha. 

He comes to be baptised and Yahuchannon at first "Forbade him" saying "I have need to be baptised by you" but Yahusha says, "suffer it to be now, for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness."

Now before we move on lets talk about baptism and the two types mentioned in this chapter. 

Yahuchannon is baptising with water, calling people to repentance and turning from sin. This is the way we see people be baptised today, and many also examples in the book of Acts. We repent of our evil ways and are emersed in water and begin a new life. But this idea of water baptism to clean us from sin is out of the Torah.

So many times we can read, and he will wash and be unclean until evening. Everything from touching unclean things, to being sick, having sex and many more things can make us unclean, and so we emerse ourselves in water and are made clean.

Now, the difference is that what Yahuchannon is doing with water, Yahusha will do with the Ruach and Fire. But lets talk about that, because it is often overlooked.

The Ruach and fire baptism is echoed throughout the bible, and especailly in the Prophets and by Yahusha himself.

Verses from the prophets like;

Zephaniah ch13 v9 "And I will bring the thrid part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name , and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say Yahuah Elohai, (Yahuah, my God)"

Jeremiah ch31 v33 "But this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Yashar'el; After those days, says Yahuah, I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their Elohiym, and they shall be my people."

Or when Yahusha tells us in;

John ch15 v1-2 "I am the Vine of Truth, and my Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit he prunes it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

or in Revelations ch 3 v18 "I cousel you to but of me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich."

Both baptism's are important, we need the water and repentance to turn fro our own ways and accept him, to die to ourselves and be ahed clean. But then we need the baptism of the Spirit, to emerse ourselves in the spirit and let him teach us, guide us and purge us, refine us in his fire, so that we can bear more fruit, or as Yahusha said to Yahuchannon in Matthew ch 3 "for thus it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness."

And what is the righteousness that he is speaking of?

His RIghteousness is the Torah, the commandments, the statutes and Judgements of Yahuah, 

Psalm 119 v142 "Your righteousness is and everlasting righteousness, and your Torah is the Truth."

Pslam 119 v144 "The rightrousness of your testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."

After all we read in Hosea ch4 v6 "My peole are destroyed for lack of the Knowledge: becauyse you have rejected the knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the Torah of your Elohiym, I will also forget your children."

We had forgotten and rebelled against Yahuah and his commands, and unless we repent, turn back and are reformed, refined and pruned by the Ruach Ha'Qodesh, we can never fulfil all righteousness as he desires of us.

After all this is fortold in Deuteronomy ch30 speaking about after he has driven the children of Yashar'el out of the Land because of their disobedience, he tells us, "Then Yahuah Elohayka will turn your captivity, and have compassion on yo, and will return and gather you from all nations wither Yahuah Elokayka has scattered you...And Yahuah Elohayka will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahuah Elohayka with all your heart, and with all your soul that you may live.... And you shall return and obey the voice of Yahuah, and do all his cimmandments which I command you this day."

So truely if we are to be circumcised in heart and obey his voice then we must be baptised with water unto repentance and with the purging fire of the Ruach Ha'Qodesh unto all righteousness.

After all, Yahuchannon said, "he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Wheat and Chaff are part of the same plant, the chaff being the non-edible part of the grain, so he is purging this from us and burning it, saving our fruit, just as he told us in John that we would be pruned to bear more fruit. It is all about refining, improving, molding us to his ways and in his image.

Finally in Matthew chapter 3 let us look at Yahusha's Baptism. 

"The heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Ruach Elohiym descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

He is Ha'Mashiach, but even here we see the baptism of water followed by baptism of spirit, the difference being as John tells us in ch3 v34 "For he whom Elohiym has sent speaks the words of Elohiym: for Elohiym gives not the Ruach by measure unto him."

Yahusha received it in full, he was given all of the Ruach Ha'Qodesh, whereas we will be pruned over and over, tested, tried, refined and perfected with time. 

Let us all look at this short chapter and focus on the main messages, repent, die to your old ways and make his ways striaightm let his perfect you in his spirit, and be set apart, Qodesh to him, obeying his voice alone and walking in his Way, not turning to the right hand or to the left, but walking ever closer to his Perfect Will.

Amein

I feel like I start every chapter break by saying something like there is so much in this chapter, but really, lets be honest for a second, there is so much in every single sentence in the Bible, let alone chapters, but this chapter and chapter 5 may be some of the deepest and most interesting chapters we cover in Matthew.

Lets go,

We open with

"The was Yahusha led up of the Ruach into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he was afterward hungry."

Yahusha is led by the Ruach to go into the wilderness alone. The holy spirit, which in its full title is the Ruach Ha'Qodesh or the set apart spirit, leads him to be set apart in the wilderness. Just like The 12 tribes were set apart in the wilderness after the Exodus.

Also note that in Exodus ch16 v4 we can read regarding the Manna that "I may prove them, whether they will walk in my Torah, or no."

It is also written in Deuteronomy ch8 v2 "And you shall remember all the way which Yahuah Elohayka led you these forty years in the wilderness to humble you, and to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would guard his commanments, or no."

The phrase to prove means to test or refine, rather like the test through fasting and temptation Yahusha is about to go through.

Exodus ch24 v18 ends by telling us, "and Mosheh was in the Mount forty days and forty nights." This is a common theme in the Torah books, for example, it rained during the flood for "forty days and forty nights," (Genesis ch7 v12). So there is a very symbolic patern here to Yahusha's actions going into the wildnerness, alone, like Noah, and Mosheh, and in the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and tested by Yahuah as was all the tribes of Yashar'el.

Ok so now we have set the stage, the temptation of Yahusha, like the temptation of Yashar'el in the wilderness, will Yahusha pass or fail?

Test one,

Matthew ch4 v3 "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If you be the Son of Elohiym, command that these stones be made bread."

So he has been fasting 40 days and nights, and now he is tempted in the lust of the flesh, going after food. And pride of life, prove you are the son of God, show of your power.

And what does Yahusha answer?

He quotes Torah, he quotes word for word Deuteronomy ch8 v3 "And he humbled you and suffered you to hunger, and fed you with manna, which you knew not, neither did you fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahuah man lives."

He humles himself before Yahuah as it says in that quote, and he does not succumb to the lust and desire of the flesh for food.

Second test,

Matthew ch4 v5-6 "The the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the Temple , and said to him, If you be the Son of Elohiym, cast yourself down: for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your footn against a stone."

So Ha'Satan has tempted him with miss-using scripture, and again pride, you are important, you are the Son of Elohiym, the angels won't let you die, you are to important. Just like he tempted eve, whe he realised she did not understand the commandment of Yahuah in the garden, when she mis interpreted it to not being able to touch it lest she died, when Yahuah only said do not eat.

How does Ha'Mashiach respond?

Matthew ch4 v7 "Yahusha said unto him, It is written again..."

So he is rebuking him with scripture, but which scripture is he using?

Deuteronomy ch6 v16-17 "Ye shall not tempt Yahuah Elohaykem, as ye tempted him in Maccah. Ye shall diligently guard the commandments of Yahuah Elohaykem, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you."

Final test, Matthew ch4 v8-9 "Again, the devil took him up into an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And said unto him, All these things will I give you, if you will fall down and worship me."

His response?

Matthew ch4 v10 "The said Yahusha unto him, Get you hence, Satan; for it is written..."

then quotes Deuteronomy ch6 v13, but we will write it out v13-15 because it adds so much to the chapter, "You shall fear Yahuah Elohayka, and serve him, and shall swear by his name. Ye shall not go after other elohiym, of the elohiym of the people which are round about you; (for Yahuah Eohayka is a jealous El among you.) leat the anger of Yahuah Elohayka be kindled against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth."

3 times he is testes and 3 times he quotes from the Torah, from Deuteronomy, the second telling of the Law right before Yashar'el enters into the promised land. 

He rebukes Ha'Satan with the Torah, with the Word. WHats more he over comes the temptations that Eve fell to, as John writes in 1st John ch2 v16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the World."

And as James tells us, "Submit yourselves therefore to Elohiym. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you."

How does Yahusha resist Satan? with the Word of Yahuah, after all Paul tells us in Ephesians ch6 to put on the whole armour of Elohiym and stand against the adversary, but the only weapon he mentions is "the sword of the Ruach, which is the Word of Elohiym." We fight with the Word, the Truth, the Torah.

Notice also that unlike Yashar'el, Eve and many others before him, nothing Ha'Satan threw at him could work, because he knew what was written in the Torah, he knew the Word, and he was humble, and Loved Yahuah with all his heart and soul and might.

Now lets look at the rest of Matthew ch4.

After learning that Yahuchannon the Baptiser had been put in prison, Yahusha left Natsareth and dwelt in Kapharnachum in the borders of Zevulun and Naphtaliy, fulfilling scripture as it tells us in Matthew ch4 v14-15 from Isaiah ch9.

Leta look at the Isaiah quote in question, 

Isaiah ch9 v1-7 (note that Matthew only includes v2 in his gospel but the entire passage is so much deeper.

"Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zevulun and the land of Naphtaliy, and after ward did more greviously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond the Yardan, in Galiyl of the Nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined. You have multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before you according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For you have broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midyan. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, El Gibbor (the mighty El), The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahuah Tseva'oth will perfrom this."

Wow.

Not only that but do you see the line in verse 2, "they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death..." can you not hear psalm 23 now?

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow fo death, I will fear no evil for you are with me...."

HalleluYah!

Now what does he do here?

He picks up the message from Yahuchannon in ch3, 

"Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"

We must repent, and turn to him.

We must be like him in the wilderness, relying on Yahuah, and guarding his Word, fighting of the temptations of Satan with humbleness, self control and obedience to Yahuah.

For as Isaiah wrote in ch9 his kingdom will be established "with judgement and with justice from henceforth even forever." So unless we repent we will be judged and found to be lacking as all have transgressed his Torah, all have fallen short, so repent.

Now, to finish chapter 4 we have the calling of the first disciples, coupled with lots more amazing Prophet quotes and forshadowing.

First he calls Shim'om Kepha (Peter) and his brother Andrai saying "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

This is quoting Jeremiah ch16 v16 "Behold, I will send many fishers, says Yahuah, and they shall fish them..."

Then he calls Ya'aqov and Yochanon the sons of Zavdiy, this Yochanon being that Yochanon (John) who wrote the Gospel. 

Note that it says after he called that they "immediately left the ship and their father and followed him." and in the case of Kepha and Andrai, "They straight way left their nets , and followd him." Both immediately leave their old lives and follow him.

This is truely amazing, and we will come back to this later in Matthew when he pronounces "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me"(Matthew ch10 v37)

Finally let us end with the healing and preaching, he is come to preach repentance of sin and to heal those who are ill. Liberating them from bondage and the curses of disobedience. 

As we read elsewhere in Matthew ch 9, which we will talk more on this there, he says, "Whether is easier, to say, Your sins be forgiven you; or to say, Arise, and walk?"
He is healing them in their bodies by liberating them from sin and the punishment thereof.

And how are we forgiven sin, by his grace and mercy, and by turning from our ways and following him, obeying his voice and repenting of our own wicked ways.

If Matthew chapter 4 teaches you nothing else, let it teach you this;

Obey the commandments, resist the devil and sharpen yourself in the Word and Torah that you may use it as a sword to fight of temptation and sin. Repent and he will heal you, leave the world behind, and follow him.

Amein.