Matthew 6 – Page 4 – The Core of the Bible

Trusting God above the stubborn idolatry of our own hearts

Those who trust in Yahweh become a refreshment and a resource for others, continuing to produce fruit when no other fruit is to be found.

Jeremiah 17:5-6 – This is what Yahweh says: Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind. He makes human flesh his strength, and his heart turns from Yahweh. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah; he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.

This judgment from God described by Jeremiah is being leveled against Judah in the context of their continual unfaithfulness with idolatry.

Jeremiah 16:10-13 – “When you tell these people all these things, they will say to you, ‘Why has Yahweh declared all this terrible disaster against us? What is our iniquity? What is our sin that we have committed against Yahweh our God? ‘ “Then you will answer them, ‘Because your fathers abandoned me – this is Yahweh’s declaration – and followed other gods, served them, and bowed in worship to them. Indeed, they abandoned me and did not keep my instruction. “You did more evil than your fathers. Look, each one of you was following the stubbornness of his evil heart, not obeying me. “So I will hurl you from this land into a land that you and your fathers are not familiar with. There you will worship other gods both day and night, for I will not grant you grace.’

Jeremiah tells them “each one of you was following the stubbornness of his evil heart, not obeying [Yahweh].” At its core, this is what idolatry is. What I find interesting in this passage is that this stubbornness of the evil heart is extended to “the person who trusts in mankind. He makes human flesh his strength, and his heart turns from Yahweh,” (v. 5-6). Idolatry is not always just the worship of false gods, but false humans.

Ancient literature surrounding the Bible conveys that the root of idolatry began when people began “honoring” images of humans and human leaders, not just pagan gods (Wisdom of Solomon 14:12-31). All of this blended together over time to become a mash-up of deities and exalted humans which people began to trust more than the true God of the universe.

This gross idolatry of Judah is an example for us today. People may say, “We don’t worship idols today,” yet, how we look to our leaders and how much we trust them to solve the world’s problems can easily become idolatrous for us. This may be even more prevalent now than in the time of ancient Judah, as exposure to these idols assault us through the availability of 24/7 online media. In the stubbornness of our evil hearts, just like ancient Judah, we choose to trust in mankind, “turning our hearts from Yahweh.”

However, the relief in all of this is contained within the blessing contained within Jeremiah’s stern admonitions and curse against the idolatry of the day. The curse against stubbornness of idolatry is contrasted with the blessing of trusting in Yahweh.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – The person who trusts in Yahweh, whose confidence indeed is Yahweh, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.

Notice the blessings that come with truly trusting in Yahweh, and not the stubbornness of our evil hearts by looking to false gods and humans. There is no fear or worry of future calamity, the source of nourishment remains strong, even when all else may be drying up around us. Those who trust in Yahweh become a refreshment and a resource for others, continuing to produce fruit when no other fruit is to be found.

Yeshua encouraged his listeners to place their trust in Yahweh by believing in him.

John 12:44, 49 – Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. … “For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said.

If we can trust in Yahweh by trusting in the words of Yeshua, then we have our renewed objectives away from the idolatry that can so easily consume us. When we remove our stubborn focus off of the kingdoms of men and place it on the kingdom of God, we can rest confidently and without concern in the care of the Almighty.

Matthew 6:33-34 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube! Just getting started, but new videos will be added regularly on many different topics, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

Living righteously removes fear

Doing what’s right instills confidence in those who practice it.

Psalm 112:1 – Praise Yahweh! Happy is the person who fears Yahweh, taking great delight in his commands.

The idea contained within the completeness of this psalm is that the righteous individual, one who fears God and abides by his word, is blessed by God.

v. 2 Their descendants will be powerful and blessed
v. 3 They will have wealth and riches

They are:

v. 4 industrious, gracious, merciful
v. 5 just in all dealings
v. 9 generous
v. 9 they receive honor

This is the picture of a righteous person who lives with integrity. This is also the idea that the disciples of Yeshua had of someone who is considered righteous by God. If someone was rich and powerful, they thought, it was clear they were blessed by God.

However, Yeshua provided further insight regarding wealth and power.

Matthew 19:23-26 – Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved? ” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Yeshua took the disciples perspective that all wealthy people must be blessed by God and turned it on its head, a concept which astonished the disciples. True wealth, he says, is maintained by those who are rich toward God and toward his righteous standards.

Matthew 6:19-21 – “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In fact, that was the very discussion he had just had with the rich young ruler, and which caused the disciples to be considering this question of God’s blessing on the wealthy in the first place.

Matthew 19:21-22 – “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

Our perspective must always be based on the overall message of God’s word, not just certain aspects of it, or verses taken out of context here and there. When God says the righteous will be blessed, he means it; but being blessed by God should not be the reason and motivation for living righteously.

Living according to God’s standards provides for needs and also allows one to be generous with others as God provides above and beyond. Yet, being wealthy, something many people seek to attain, should not be an end in itself. When it is, then the attainment of riches becomes the standard, and any means will be used to reach that goal.

Instead, Yeshua encourages believers to focus on doing what’s right, and God will bless as he sees fit and in his own timing. When this understanding is the focus of the individual, the confidence of the believer is that, though they may not have attained their own personal financial desires, doing what God requires according to his wisdom is more valuable than any riches in the world.

A sampling from the Proverbs can easily demonstrate this:

Proverbs 3:13-14 – Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold.
8:11, 19 – “For wisdom is better than jewels, and nothing desirable can equal it. … “My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver.
16:8, 16, 19 – Better a little with righteousness than great income with injustice. … Get wisdom — how much better it is than gold! And get understanding — it is preferable to silver. … Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.

True wealth is not measured in dollars and cents, but in the abundant measure of doing what’s right. When this is the true stance of the believer, there is no fear of losing that abundance, because it is not something that can be taken away.

Psalm 112: 7-8 – He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in Yahweh. His heart is assured; he will not fear.

This should be the central core of the believer’s perspective. Doing right according to God’s standards, living with integrity, allows one the privilege of confidence and dominion over fear; fear of loss, fear of failure, fear of the unknown. When one is operating from this confident place of a settled mind, they can be more assured in their just dealings, and this can naturally lead to increased abundance. However, abundance in and of itself is not the measure to attain. It may be the by-product of faithful work and just dealings, but it should not be the end-goal of all industry.

While God can provide bountifully for his own, the larger perspective is that everything we have belongs to him and can be given up in a moment. When this is the heart perspective of the believer, then all confidence is in God, not in the abundance of things. There is no bad news that this type of assurance cannot overcome.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive at https://core-of-the-bible.simplecast.com/ or your favorite podcast streaming service.

Now also on YouTube! Just getting started, but new videos will be added regularly on many different topics, find us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvR_aNEyA7WEZJtF4B8fZ6g

Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.

The distinct prayers of God’s people set them apart

We have been given very specific motives and process on why and how to pray, and yet most of us struggle with doing so.

One of the aspects that should truly set God’s people apart should be our prayers, specifically the unique aspects of prayer that may not be recognized or practiced by other religious adherents. Historically, people have prayed for millennia, yet Yeshua distinguishes the practice of prayer by God’s people through being extremely specific about what believers should pray for, and how to pray.

While not an exhaustive list of prayer, the following points are comprehensive in the main ideals put forth throughout the New Testament teachings that should stand behind our regular communication with God.

First and foremost in the narrative, believers should pray for persecutors.

Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Prayer is then identified as a private matter between the individual and God.

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Prayer should be concise and specific.

Matthew 6:7 “When you pray, don’t babble like the nations, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. …

From Matthew 6:9-15, Yeshua teaches us that private prayer should include the following points:

For God to be recognized as the one true God.
That his kingdom would become evident on the earth
For personal daily provision
For forgiveness based on our forgiveness of others
For deliverance from being led astray

Other types of communal prayer are listed, as we are also encouraged to pray with like-minded believers.

Matthew 18:19 “Again, truly I tell you, if two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
James 5:16 …confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

We are to pray continually.

Luke 18:1 Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.
Ephesians 6:18 Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.
Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray constantly,

We are to pray guided by the Spirit of God and with full assurance of faith.

Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
1 Corinthians 14:15 What then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with my understanding. I will sing praise with the spirit, and I will also sing praise with my understanding.
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for – believe that you have received it and it will be yours.

Personal and communal prayer should be the distinctives that set God’s people apart from other religious groups in the world. We have been given very specific motives and process on why and how to pray, and yet most of us struggle with doing so. For me personally, I am usually so busy trying to solve my own problems throughout each day that I get lost in the blur of activity and don’t stop to involve God in my process, or to involve myself in praying for others. I find it more natural to think about God and about the Bible than I do to actually participate with him and invite him into my situations for his purpose and plan to be enacted in tangible ways.

Following the command to intercede for all the saints, my prayer for believers everywhere is that we may all learn how to be more obedient and faithful in this practice that sets us apart. If you join with me in that prayer, we are agreeing in faith that this can be so, and God will be glorified through our faith and unity.

If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive here. Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.