Bread in the Bible – Feeding Many

Posted on by
4

Jesus feeding many people at one time in the Bible is found in all of the Gospels. The stories are important because it was one of the signs that the Jews had decided their coming Messiah would do. There are many lessons that you can find in the story of the mass feedings. Here are the references for each Gospel.

  • Matthew 14 – 16
  • Mark 6 – 8
  • John 6
  • Luke 9:10 -17

The timing of these events is important. John the Baptist has been beheaded and Jesus is headed to Jerusalem. This puts these feedings near the end of His forty months of ministry. Matthew and Mark have a feeding of 5,000 in Israel and then a separate feeding of 4,000 people near the Decapolis on the east side of the Sea of Galilee (See Mark 7:31 and 8:1). The miracles and conversations in and around these miracles are important in the big story. The leftovers were epiousios provision.

Luke – This is the basic story; it is before the Transfiguration which agrees with Matthew and Mark. Like them, it has an interesting thought in it. Jesus broke the bread, and the disciples gave it to the people. I see the Great Commission in that simple statement. John has Jesus disturbing the food; that is not a big deal but it is in line with him proving Jesus is the Son of God.

John – The French printer did a great job with Chapter 6 when he selected where to start and end the content of the chapter. Most of the chapter is about bread and Jesus as the Bread of Life. Remember, John is proving Jesus is the Son of God by highlighting miracles. John has more than seven great miracles in his book, but people tend to focus on the major seven.

Starting in verse 25, Jesus covers a lot of theology. His introduction of communion and comparing Himself to manna and the Bread of Heaven upset many Jews. This section does mesh well with the section in Matthew.

Mark and Matthew – The Chosen had good drama in Season 3 that ended with Jesus feeding the masses and Peter’s walk on the water. Our Gospel writers and the Holy Spirit did a better job (lol). The in-between and after is what has gotten my attention. So, please do not separate the two feedings, but view those chapters as one big section with a lot of traveling between the two main courses. My points will not be in order. John’s beheading, for me, is the start of the third block of teaching on the Kingdom of God.

  • Matthew 15:2, the Pharisees, and Clean/Unclean – Both times after Jesus fed the masses the Pharisees swooped in and challenged Him. After the 5,000 they complained all those people in the wilderness did not wash their hands before eating. Jesus took charge and changed the subject to put the focus on them and they did not like it. After the 4,000 they wanted another sign; think of the miracles in John. They had a list of things the Messiah would do and again Jesus did not play along. At this point, they had several years’ worth of miracles to choose from, but religious paradigms are very hard soil for things to sprout and grow in.
  • Yeast/Leaven – In the natural yeast changes the wheat and water and, in the process, makes a gas that causes the bread to rise or grow. (Take several Muse Moments in this section.) To say that yeast is always compared to sin and is bad is not completely correct. The grain offering at Pentecost was two loaves baked with yeast (Leviticus 23:17). Jesus also compared the kingdom of God to yeast that was put into a large amount of dough (Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:21). Yeast bread was part of the daily diet and possibly it was used to make beer; another common food.  The hypocrisy of the leaders is what Jesus did not want His disciples to consume. He had been giving them pure leaven and wanted that to fill them, not the teachings and mindsets of the Pharisees.
  • Travels – Jesus knew His time was about over. He was teaching His followers and wanted to be left alone. After the 4,000 He took His followers and went north to Caesarea Philippi, where Peter finally declared Jesus as the Son of the Living God. He also left the Galilee area after the 5,000 and went to the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. (Elijah met a widow there and helped her.) The distances were not great but the separation was what He wanted. This separation provided quiet but also protection for His followers. The destinations were a shadow of going to the nations.  
  • Matthew 15: 26 – This interaction with a Canaanite woman is a foundation stone for Peter and Paul to preach the Gospel to Gentiles. This woman just needed crumbs, leftovers from the full loaf of bread for her miracle. Because of her faith, she got exactly what she needed from Jesus. Matthew has this trip in between the feeding of the two great masses. Mark places the second feeding in the Greek-influenced east bank. Did the disciples pick up on the connection? First to the Jews, then to the Gentiles. 5,000 were fed with twelve baskets of leftovers, then 4,000 and seven baskets were filled. Jesus gave “crumbs” to a Canaanite mother and then fed many in the Decapolis.
  • Reteach – I am pulling this morsel from a completely different basket. Our Master and Teacher gave His disciples a test and a lesson with the feeding of the 5,000. As a teacher, I see the feeding of the 4,000 as a retest, Jesus wanted them to do the miracles. I do not believe they got an A in that particular lesson.

I see the test of feeding the 5,000 as the end of the lesson from them going out 2×2 in Matthew 10. It has a connection to when the Children of Israel did not ask and seek God for provision AFTER He delivered them out of Egypt.

Bible Map: Genneseret (bibleatlas.org)

It is time to put a wrap on this study of Feeding the Masses. Yes, there are more lessons and things to look at; I did not touch on the symbolic meaning of the numbers involved. The most important reference to bread is left, communion.  

A few musings I picked up along the way.

  1. It takes many individual kernels of grain to make a loaf. They have to be picked, cleaned, ground up, mixed together, and baked.
  2. Were there people who ate twice of the miraculously multiplied bread? Besides His immediate followers.
  3. With Jesus a little can become a lot.

What is your favorite thought of bread?

Repeats and Upgrades

Posted on by
3

Repeats and Upgrades is my second post from my study of righteousness, it comes from Isaiah. I choose to focus on Isaiah first because it has about eighty “right” references (NASB), Psalms and Proverbs have more and Romans has many also.

I feel it is important to know about Isaiah and the times he lived in. Isaiah’s visions came during the reigns of four kings (1:1) and was probably killed by the fifth one, Manasseh, by being sawed in two (Hebrews 13:37). Ahaz did not do right in the eyes of the Lord. From Uzziah to Isaiah 40 is about 43 years and it is approximately 59 years to the time of Manasseh. Hosea, Micah, and Amos also prophesied during his lifetime. His story is found in 2 Chronicles 26-32, and 2 Kings 15–20. I get the feeling at times that Isaiah edited his visions so they may not be chronological, but that is just me.

“Jesus verses” abound in Isaiah, but that will be a different post.

Something I noticed was the repeated translation of the English word “will”. Chapters 53-56 and 59-62 have “will” used many times. They will make an interesting study.

Repeats

The repeats I want to focus on are words and phrases. It may be an attention device, or it may be to bring a legal witness to the text. The idea of two witnesses is found in Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15. It is repeated in Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19, and Hebrews 10:28. Yes, in their courts two or more people were required to determine a fact, but in Genesis 15 God was His own witness in the covenant with Abram. It seems the repeats by the Lord bring righteous relationships into focus; both of the legal and personal nature.

The list will all be from Isaiah, so I will write just chapter and verse with the word or phrase. (I hope I get them all. I used the NASB so there may be different words in your translation.)

  • 24:16 I am finished! I am finished! Woe to me! I think this is Isaiah stating a complaint like Jeremiah and Habakkuk.  
  • 51 and 52, Awake, Awake – 51:9 A call for the arm of the Lord to be strong; 51:17 For Jerusalem, because they were drunk; 52:1 For Zion/Jerusalem to clothe themselves with strength.
  • 51:1,4,7 – Listen to me. 1. Those who pursue righteousness and seek the Lord. 4. His people and nation because His justice will be a light to the nations. 7. Those who know what is right and have His law in their hearts.
  • 51:5,6,8 –5. His righteousness is near and His salvation has gone out. 6. His salvation is eternal and His righteousness does not fail. 8. His righteousness is forever and His salvation is for all the ages.
  • 52:8 Shouts of joy or joyful shouts are commanded 14 times. (NASB translation)
  • 52:11 – depart, depart. To leave the “nations” and not touch unclean things. Levities are highlighted as those who carry the vessels of the Lord.
  • 55:1 Has four invitations to come and get things from the Lord without cost.
  • 55:2 listen, listen. It is a continuation of the offers from verse 1.
  • 57:14 Build up, build up. This is to prepare the road. It sounds like the work of John for Jesus and then Jesus for us to come to the Father. See 62:10.
  • 57:19 peace, peace. It is for those who are far and near, so the Lord can heal them. The work of Jesus.
  • 62:1 The Lord will not keep silent until righteousness and salvation shine out like dawn; for the sake of Zion and Jerusalem.
  • 62:10 Pass through, pass through; build up build up; like 57:14 it is a road.

Upgrades

  • 9:10 The people of the Northern Kingdom are proclaiming upgrades in defiance to God. Their bricks will be replaced with dressed stone and figs with cedars.
  • 41:18-20 Rivers, springs, and pools of water will be in places where they were not or in places to bring life there. Deserts and wastelands will be populated with desirable trees as a sign that the Lord has done this.
  • 60:17 Lesser metals will be replaced with more valuable ones. Peace will be their governor and righteousness their ruler.
  • 61:3 Instead of ashes on their heads there will be beautiful crowns. Oil will anoint the head and bring gladness instead of mourning. Torn garments of despair will be replaced with garments of praise. Verses 4 through 7 also have upgrades for the people.

Righteousness #1 – It really is.

Posted on by
18

Righteousness being #1 with God is a reminder to myself not to start the study process with many of my paradigms. The Father’s thoughts overwhelmed mine and left me with an open-ended study. I am not complaining, just humbled. The list of websites is just to help you get started. I referred to the NASB, KJV, MOUNCE, and NIV (1990 copyright).

Matthew 6:33 was at the top of my page, but it went to Melchizedek (king of righteousness) and then to Abram (Genesis 15). A quick search turned me to Noah in Genesis 7:1 and his covenant with God in Genesis 9. By the time I studied Chapters 1 to 66 of Isaiah, it was apparent that there would be several posts in this study.

I will fly with Matthew (for the last several years) to start a study if I can. So, Matthew 6:33 and Luke 12:31 having the same basic statement is just an added witness. Unfortunately, I have read people who “lose it” if you do not quote Matthew. My take on this is very simple; if you are seeking God and His Kingdom you are going to find righteousness. This belief has led to two thoughts: 1. God is holy and loves righteousness (Psalms 33:5 and Proverbs 15:9); 2. We do not get to tell God what those thoughts mean to Him and how He is to apply them. He has done that quite well!

In the Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, words that deal with righteousness start with H6662 and end with H6666. My concordance is combined with Vine’s Dictionary but online or ink and leaf it is well worth the time it takes to read these entries. H6663 seems to be the main root word. Jots and tittles make a big difference, along with a letter added at the end. Remember to start looking on the right side and go left, they are Hebrew. Now for a look at a few mentions in Genesis.

  • Noah – Genesis 7:1, this reference is H6662. 2 Peter 2:5 identifies him as a preacher of righteousness. It is good to remember what the people were not doing; walking with or following God. Fallen angels had even polluted the human gene pool in an attempt to limit the birth of Jesus.
  • Melchizedek – melchi = king, zedek = righteous. He is also known as the King of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. This word is from H6664 and is a “relational form of the word”. He is mentioned more in the Book of Hebrews than in the Old Testament.
  • Abram – Genesis 15:6 states that he believed the Lord and it was credited to him as righteousness. This word is H6666 and this is the first time it is used in the Bible.

There are two major themes that righteousness is associated with – relational and legal. I believe this started in the Garden when Adam ate from the wrong Tree. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God, He walked in the Garden. When they sinned, the legal component came in because the rulership of Earth changed. The concept of righteousness is often associated with judgment. (An example is Isaiah 43:26.) It is observed that the Father is “jealous” for those who walk with Him.

Okay, my strange sense of humor kicked in when I saw that the numbers in the dictionary for righteous had three consecutive 6’s in it. (It is bad luck to be superstitious:) So, I looked up H666 it is used twice and deals with coverings, turbans, or ashes. G666 is used once and is apousia or being away or absent. It should be compared and contrasted with parousia.

This is my #1 post about righteousness, it won’t be the last.

2 Kings 9 11

Posted on by
1

2 Kings 9:11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. 12 And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I have anointed thee king over Israel. (KJV) This took place in Ramoth Gilead.

God’s love of Abraham and the covenant in Genesis 15 that extends to the Children of Jacob is the foundation for this story of obedience, fear, and respect for the Holy One of Israel. This story in 2 Kings 9:1-13 is God using His prophets to bring the land of Israel back to Himself. Elisha starts by getting a prophet with the courage to go and deliver one serious message to a leader in the king’s army. He is not the only prophet at this time, Micaiah plays an important role in the first defense of Ramoth Gilead, and the unnamed prophet in 1 Kings 20, plus the school of prophets.

The Young Man

No pressure here, right? Elisha the Man of God tells you to go and anoint the next king and gives you some very specific instructions. I can see that verses 2 + 3 were for his safety. Verses 11 + 12 give me the impression that this young man was personally known to the officers and not just a “crazy” man of God. If Elisha was at Mt. Carmel this young man walked more than seventy miles to Ramoth carrying that flask of oil. There was a war going on at the time, so tension had to be high.

It is hard to not notice that his message was much more detailed than what Elisha had said. I firmly believe that when he was obedient to the first part of his mission God poured through him the rest of the message that had started with Elijah in 1 Kings 19.   

The young man is called a “crazy fellow” or meshuga.  Strong’s Hebrew: 5288. נַ֫עַר (naar) — a boy, lad, youth, retainer (biblehub.com) and Strong’s Hebrew: 7696. שָׁגַע (shaga) — to be mad (biblehub.com)   Jehu referred to his speech as babbling or a complaint. Strong’s Hebrew: 7879. שִׂ֫יחַ (siach) — complaint, musing (biblehub.com)

The Message

Three people heard the message and repeated it to three different audiences. The reactions of those who heard are worth looking at. God spoke and things happened.

  • Elisha heard and spoke to the prophet, who believed and did what he was told, the way he was told to do it.
  • The prophet heard Elisha and more from God and spoke it out to Jehu son of Nimshi. (Once he showed his obedience the Spirit gave him more to say.) The prophet running was for his safety as those other officers may have been an issue, also he was not there to get any recognition. Jehu was dripping with oil that may have smelled nice. Did he believe? I think he did, but he did not know how the other officers would receive the message so he downplayed it. They called him a sheker or a liar. Strong’s Hebrew: 8267. שֶׁ֫קֶר (sheqer) — deception, disappointment, falsehood (biblehub.com)
  • Jehu heard the message and tells the soldiers. They quickly responded to the message by proclaiming him king. That conversation needs to be looked at. There was no hesitation because they “knew” the prophet and that he would speak the words of God.   

I found Jehu’s exchange with the other soldiers interesting.

  • 9:11 – One said, “Why has this meshuga come to you.” He knew him or could at least tell he was a prophet.
  • Jehu played off who he was and what he said, again (compare with 5 + 6). He may have been wary of the officers because they could have been loyal to the king and not the word of the Lord.
  • 9:12 – The group then called Jehu or at least what he said – sheker. There was a belief in the prophets, even in the north, that they did speak God’s word. Again, they knew him or at least associated him with Elisha. Remember that Jehu was dripping with oil and that may have smelled nice. 

Jehu son of Nimshi

His story should have started right after 1 Kings 19:16. It is not recorded that Elijah did all three (or four) of the things God told him to do. He did anoint Elisha. Please take this as an example of grace and mercy for Elijah, but God still had Jehu in His plan. 1 Kings 21 is the story of Naboth’s vineyard where Jehu received a prophecy that he talks about in 2 Kings 9:25 concerning Ahab. God was preparing Jehu even though Elijah did not anoint him. For a record of all Jehu did read 2 Kings 9 and 10. In this post, I will focus on his dynasty.

Jehu belongs to a small group of leaders who were offered a dynasty of rulers. The length of his dynasty was only four generations.

  • Jehu – 2 Kings 9 – 12. 2 Kings 10:31 records that he did not get rid of the sin of Jeroboam.
  • Jehoahaz – 2 Kings 13 He was challenged by Amaziah king of Judah to battle, 2 Chronicles 25:17.
  • Jehoash – 2 Kings 13:10 Elisha died during his reign.
  • Jeroboam – 2 Kings 14:23 Jonah was a prophet during his time as king.
  • Zechariah – 2 Kings 15:8 Isaiah, Hosea, and others were prophets by this time.

The references to this promise of a dynasty are 2 Kings 10:30+31, 15:12.

The other rulers who were offered a dynasty:

  • King Saul, 1 Samuel 13:13. He did not keep the Lord’s commands, if he had it would have been a lasting kingdom.
  • David, 2 Samuel 7:13-16. Verse 15 talks about God not removing His love from Solomon. Yes, this goes on to have meaning for Jesus. In my 2 Chronicles 911 post, I stated some doubts about Solomon, verse 15 does cover some of them. Isaiah 55:3 is a reference to God’s promise to David.
  • Jeroboam, 1 Kings 11:38. He was promised a dynasty to match David’s if he did right in the eyes of the Lord. He did not, he caused Israel to sin. He made idols and selected priests from anyone who wanted to be one; this practice continued in the Northern Kingdom and is one reason for its fall and deportation.

Hosea 1:4 And the Lord said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. (NASB)

This is the last reference to Jehu and it talks about his excessive bloodshed. 2 Kings 10:11 tells of the killing of the house of Ahab, as he was commissioned to do. I did not think that would qualify for the prophecy in Hosea. 2 Chronicles 22:8 is a related but different story. He kills the princes of Judah, which leads to Athaliah (she was related to Ahab) taking the throne of Judah. This should be the bloodshed that is referenced, he was not ordered to kill them.

Ramoth Gilead

This city and region were the first conquered by Israel while wandering in the desert. This is also the region that Jacob traveled through to go to Laban. It is on the east bank of the Jordan River Valley (Numbers 21:33, Deuteronomy 4:43). One of its “guard cities” is Lo Debar. Ramoth Gilead was also a refuge city (Joshua 21:38). This area is also known as the Bashan, word search that name in your favorite Bible app, it was known for its cattle and trees. If you watch The Chosen it is where the S2E2 scene of meeting Philip takes place.

The area has been a source of contention and attack since Judges 10:8, 1 Kings 22, and 2 Chronicles 18. The reason Jehu was anointed there is he was a leader in the defense of the region from northern invaders.

Ahab and Jezebel

This power couple from the Northern Kingdom is the perfect example of what not to be. Many times, I look up names and find interesting information, but trying to build your study off of just a name is not a great idea. These two are the case in point: Ahab means brother or friend of father, H256. Jezebel means chaste, H348; and G2403 gives a metaphorical meaning to her name in Revelations because of her treachery. So, the Hebrew meanings are not going to build much of a case for how bad they were. With that said I will bring Ahab’s father into the study.

Not much is said about Omri in the Bible and none of it is good, use the websites to explore more on this unrighteous man. Ahab was his son, but Athaliah was his granddaughter (apparently by another child), so in just those two he produced more evil than the kings before him (LOL). 1 Kings 16:30 has Ahab doing more evil than his father. Omri, however, had put his DNA and disregard for God into the royal line of David and the kings of the south. Yes, some kings of Judah chose to walk in the path of David, but many followed in Omri’s path away from the God of Israel.

These are some references that are for the Northern Kingdom.

  • 1 Kings 16:21 is Ormi’s start. Verse 29 begins Ahab.
  • 1 Kings 17 is the first we see of Elijah.
  • 1 Kings 19 is Jezebel’s threat to Elijah and his running away.
  • 1 Kings 21 is the story of Naboth’s vineyard.
  • 1 Kings 22:51 Ahab’s son becomes king.
  • 2 Kings 9:30 is when Jezebel was killed and eaten by dogs.
  • 2 Chronicles 22 – 23 is Athaliah’s brief and bloody rule over Judah.

Omri – Wikipedia

Who Was King Omri in the Bible and What Made Him He So Evil? – Topical Studies (biblestudytools.com)

Bread in the Bible – Epiousios

Posted on by
6

Because epiousios is in Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3 it is the second best-known bread in the Bible. Those references are in the center of the Lord’s Prayer, along with forgiveness, and they contain the special Greek word epiousios. How special? It is only used twice in the corpus of Greek writings and literature. Okay, I did not say just the Bible, I said all of Greek literature before the time of Jesus. (God bless translators.) It has been rendered “daily”. Never have I heard this word or how special it is; take some time and check out these links. O the verse- Give us this day our DAILY bread. (Mark translation.)

Since there is nothing to compare it to, my first reaction was MANNA! What is this special concept in the Lord’s Prayer that is sandwiched between “give us this day” and “bread”? “Daily” has worked; “for the coming day” may be just as good, or is there even more? As this is a study, I will put it in context with the Sermon on the Mount and then break that compound word down. After all of that, I will share my crust with you (The crust on a loaf of bread is special to me.).

Luke – Only Matthew and Luke recorded this prayer by the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. Luke had heard this prayer many times before he wrote it to Theophilus. There are slight variations between the two in the Greek text but that should be expected. Others have added more and bigger changes than these slight variations. (I am working on a study on the Lord’s Prayer.) Luke 11 to me is the start of his version of the Sermon on the Mount, it does go for a few chapters.

Thoughts on the Word

The Author of Creation and the Word of Life coined a word. Epiousios was not a mistake or an accident. If you look at verse 11, it could have been said “Give us today our bread” and the meaning would have been clear.

I thank the Father for the food we have to eat and His grace for willingly taking care of my family. Do I have a simple explanation for epiousios. No, but the study has moved some “tent pegs” because my God has pushed my box out of shape. I will try to put this compound word into the context of Jesus’ sermon and His teachings for His Kingdom. Now, let’s think above our possessions.

The Sermon – I need to start/mention the baptism of Jesus (3:13), which compares to the Children passing through the Red Sea. He then goes into the wilderness and is tempted (4:1-4). The first temptation is about bread or what He needs to live on. (If it is just a number reference it is from Matthew.) Jesus then picks up and adds to John the Baptist’s message; the good news that the kingdom of heaven/God is near (4:17) and He is healing every disease (4:23). Remember that the Children came out of Egypt healed. Relax take a breath and view the Sermon as a Jesus version of the Ten Commandments and the Law. Now consider how food, water, manna, and quail played into the trip to the mountain where they met God. A note to myself – they had gold, silver, and possessions but no food or water; what did they complain about?

The Sermon has several references to food, eating, and what is needed to maintain our lives. I decided the best way to study these was to list them.

  • 5:6 – those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
  • 5:13 – you are salt (needed for life) stay flavorful
  • 5:42 – help those who need to borrow from you
  • 6:11 – gives us bread every day and “more”. We could be praying every day for what we need tomorrow. It could be a statement to give us above what we need so we can share.
  • 6:19 – watch what you are storing up
  • 6:25 – life is more important than food, Father knows we need it so don’t worry
  • 6:31 – don’t worry about what to drink or eat
  • 7:9 – if you ask Father for bread or fish, He is not going to give you something harmful
  • 7:16-20 – good fruit comes from good trees

Actual and metaphorical these verses help to open the Kingdom and show the righteous relations that God wants with the Body of Christ and that we are to have with the other parts of the Body. Luke 6:38 with the “good measure” being poured for us, then pressed, shaken, and running over is exhorting us to get out of our box and give above what is sufficient. I am beginning to feel that is a good picture of epiousios.

The Parts

Epi is a prefix in Greek, and I have seen it as a word. It can mean upon or above. We are talking about Father God, the owner of the cattle on a thousand hills.

Ousios in our “modern” jargon carries the concept of substance or being. In the Wiki article above that concept was part of the trinitarian doctrine and the controversy that arose in the early church. See Luke 15:12+13.

My Musings

I may say “daily” but I am not sure I can go that small in my thinking ever again.

Metaphorically I can see epiousios as the crust on a loaf of bread. It is on top of the substance that most people like. It has formed from the heat changing the dough to make a shield for the soft inner part. The crust can have a pleasant color. It gives me something to chew on while I enjoy the softer inside. Personally, I like to eat the crust.

Many kernels of grain are needed to make a loaf of bread. They are picked, ground up, and mixed together to make bread. The Body of Christ has many individual “kernels” that are being prepared so we can be the Bride and be presented spotless and perfect.