Category Archives: Bible Study

HYSSOP, CEDAR WOOD, SCARLET WOOL

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Numbers 19: 6  The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer. (NIV) (See my post-Jesus Asked for a Drink )

Cedar Wood  If you do a search on what wood was used as Jesus’ cross you get the basic answer that no one knows.  Some answers are curt and use verses like Numbers 19 to make their point that it was cedar; a nice American tradition is that the cross was Dogwood.  The problem with that is I could not find a species that grew in the Holy Land area.  I would probably throw my vote for cedar as the cross just because the type and shadow needed to be fulfilled.  The Hebrew for cedar is erez and it refers to the tenacity of the root of the tree.  My idea of cedar is the Eastern Red Cedar just because I grew up in the south and that is only one I know but I know that the Cedars of Lebanon are not like that.

Hyssop – Please see

https://ificouldteachthebible.wordpress.com/2014/03/21/crucifixion-thirst/

It is a post from God as a Gardener and is very informative on the topic of hyssop.  Like many words that are describing plants and animals in the Bible, we have a general idea of what is there now and infer what the Bible could have meant.

Scarlet Wool  This part of the verse was fun to search through.  Scarlet is tolaatha in Hebrew and deals with a crimson grub or maggot.  It mainly refers to the color that is gotten from the animal but a few times it refers to the animal itself:   Examples:

  •       Psalm 22:6  “I am a worm and not a man.”  David prophesying about how the Messiah would feel.
  •       Isaiah 66: 24  “their worm will not die” – A picture of an agony in Hell.
  •      Jonah 4:7  “God prepared a worm” the one that ate his vine and made him mad.

I will offer this as a fulfillment of the shadow of the scarlet wool, it was Jesus’ outer garment that they cast lots for.  It would have been stained red with His blood.  The cedar was the cross and the hyssop was the “pole” for the sponge with the drink for Jesus.

Jesus Returned

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I know it sounds simple but unless Jesus had returned and showed Himself to people, Palm Sunday through Good Friday would have made no sense at all.  According to Matthew Jesus had been preparing the disciples for His returning after His death by telling them to meet at a certain mountain in Galilee.  Jesus however knew His disciples and without a little pushing they would not go to that mountain.  They seem to hunker down in the upper room and probably would have stayed there confused instead of going back to Galilee.  Mary’s encounter in the garden with the added instructions, “Go back to Galilee” was a faith and obedience builder.  When they did not leave he met the disciples on the road to Emmaus and finally had to show Himself.  I think He wanted them to leave Jerusalem and go to friendly territory to make them move.  According to Matthew even with all of the visits there were still doubters when they did go to Galilee.

Easter saw several groups “returning” from various places.  Mary Magdalene and the group of women seem to have gone to the tomb several times before she/they saw Jesus.  The disciples even though it was dark returned from Emmaus to tell the Eleven (Ten – no Thomas) that they had seen Jesus.

Jesus’ concern for the disciples had Him return to them even before returning to the Father.  John 20:17 is the phrase, “ I am returning to my Father and my God.”  I have heard several explanations as to why this had to happen but I think our sin that Jesus took on Himself and separated Him from the Father and that had to be corrected.

I guess I wish someone would have chronicled all of the next forty days but some things are just not for us to know.  The bits and pieces we have make them sound amazing and that the Disciples did move around quite a bit from Jerusalem to Galilee and back again.

Matthew 28:1-15, Mark 16: 1-14, Luke 24:1-49, John 20:1-23

http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1395484861/Easter_Clipart/The_Resurrection_Clipart/The_Resurrection016.jpg 

Jesus Preached

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They sealed the tomb as best they could.

He was not there He had an appointment to keep.

Descended to preach, they had to hear.

Ascended to fill the heavens to bring us to God.

Matthew 27:62 – 66, Ephesians 4: 7-10, 1 Peter 3:19

See Saturday of Holy Week

Jesus Asked for a Drink

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Friday of Holy Week has Jesus tried before Pilate, the Roman governor, beaten and sent to Herod, king of Galilee, made to carry His cross through the streets of Jerusalem Crux fish 2and finally nailed to that cross for all to see.  Jesus said very little during this time period, which is part of the type and shadow He fulfilled as the sacrificial lamb.  He spoke to Pilate, women in the street, Mary His mother and John, and asked God a question but for the most part He said little and did not defend His actions when accused.

The_Crucifixion025John 19:28 records one time He spoke and said, “I am thirsty.”  Since He has lost a lot of blood by this time it naturally makes sense that He would be thirsty.  Those three words have caused a lot of thought on my part this week.  Would a man who has resigned himself to die be asking for fluid?  Is this a sign of struggling to stay alive?  The Romans had vinegar there not to ease the suffering of those on the cross but to prolong it.

Verse twenty-eight answers some of my questions.  Jesus knew “all was completed” but that Scripture had to be fulfilled He asked for the drink.  The drink and how it was offered to Him are part of what needed to be fulfilled.  In Matthew 27:34 He was first offered wine and gall (a pain killer) but He refused to drink that.  Remember during communion He said He would not drink wine again until He was with them in Heaven.  The NIV says wine vinegar but vinegar has become a different drink because of the continued fermenting action.  In John it was offered to Him on a hyssop stalk.  Hyssop in the Old Testament deals with cleansing and has several places where this is mentioned. (A new Bible study in the making.)  So this fits in with the “types” being Crucifix from Misson Espiritu in Goliad,TXfulfilled.

My own curiosity drove this experiment.  It seems that hyssop stalks are about two feet long and if the soldier was about five foot eight inches tall that would have put Jesus’ head about eight feet in the air (about standard room height).  We always tend to make our crosses really big, I was just curious.

Think about the power in the statement “knowing that all was now completed.”  The disciples were picked and trained, parables had been taught, miracles and healings had been accomplished, and every type and shadow and prophecy had been fulfilled.  The last thing left to do on this Friday was to ask for a drink and leave.

Matthew 27: 17 – 75, Mark 15:1- 47, Luke 22:66 -23:56, John 18:28 – 19:42

http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1395398461/Easter_Clipart/The_Crucifixion_Clipart/The_Crucifixion025.jpg

Jesus Eagerly Desired

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Luke 22:15 is the only Gospel account that records the statement, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”(NIV)  Luke, the only Gospel writer, who was not present for this meal gives us some very important details, like which disciples went and found the room (Peter and John) and comments of the sharing of the communion. (If all of the accounts had been exactly the same that would be a problem but variations would point that they are remembering it as they saw it/ were told about it.)

Communion005This was not the first Passover meal He had had with them but He included before “I suffer.”  I feel the disciples thought that the suffering, betraying, and death were in the distance future instead of that evening and the next day.  This few hours were very important for them and the direction Jesus wanted them to go.  If you put all of the accounts together it forms a serious block of teaching and Christian doctrine.  (Please note that Judas was allowed to stay through the foot washing and communion; I feel it sealed the guilt that would over take him the next day.)  Five chapters in the Book of John are centered on this meal and they contain marvelous prayers and teaching.

Jesus knew what He was about to face in the coming hours but the meal and what it represented was that important.  He “eagerly desired” the company of His friends and those few moments of fellowship when they would truly realize that He had come from God.  This love and joy on His part is in spite of the fact that they were about to leave Him alone to religious hatred and Roman cruelty.

See Holy Week – Thursday

Matthew 26:17-75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22: 7- 65, John 13:1 -18:27

http://clipart.christiansunite.com/1395312061/Communion_Clipart/Communion005.jpg