AMFBeM Newsletter
June 4, 2020
Matthew 23:23: NIV, NLT, MSG, TPT
I love receiving revelation knowledge into the Living Word of GOD. Because divine revelation provides us with a clear and concise view of what GOD truly desires from HIS kids. I am most definitely sure that most of us who have read the above scripture, read it without clear understanding all because of these three words, cumin, dill, and mint. If you are a cook then it is most likely that you understood but for those of us who cook well, who will not kill you from the meals we prepare, and people do like what is prepared and will ask for us to share with others. People like me would have never thought that those three little words had anything to do with seasoning/spices.
[Q] What is a scribe
[A] During the times when we find the word scribes used throughout the scriptures, the reference was as follows.
- Jdgs. 5:14; holder of some military office, the marshal’s staff, “pen of the writer, marginal note, the staff of the scribe”. In other words, a scribe is an administrative assistant, clerk, note take/minutes, secretary, writer
- 2 Sam. 8:17, 20:25; 1 Chron. 18:16, 24:6; 1 Ki. 4:3; 2 Ki. 12:9-11, 18:18-37; secretary of state, prepare and issue decrees
- Jer. 36:4, 32; Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah
- Ez. 7:6, 10-12; Neh. 8:1, 4, 9, 13; after the nation lost their independence the Levites turned their attention to the law gaining distinction by their intimate acquaintance with the contents of the law. They made copies and began to teach the law to others.
- Matt. 23; evidence that the scribes belonged to the Pharisees who supplemented the law by their traditions which obscured it and made it of no effect.
- Matt. 22:35; Mrk. 12:28; Lk. 20:39; Scribes and lawyers are interchangeable in these gospels. They were public teachers of the people and frequently collided with JESUS.
- Acts 4:5; 6:12; Scribes became and were very hostile towards the Apostles
- Acts 5:34-39; 23-9; Gamaliel a scribe was a friend to the gospel of CHRIST JESUS and advised the Sanhedrin to leave the Apostle alone
So, now there should be a clear understanding as to why JESUS would say that scribes are just as hypocritical as the Pharisees.
Okay, here is where and why I never gained a full understanding of these words here, cumin, dill, and mint. I understood that a tithe is the first tenth of our income or if we do not have an income our offering would be the very best of self to GOD. Knowing that the Pharisees were extremely wealthy I simply thought that cumin, dill, and mint was some type of ancient money that I never got around to researching its denomination and comparing it to American money of today. Not only that but have we not or do we not use the slang term “mint” in reference to money? This may be a slang that is telling you approximately what generation I am in, lol.
Since during the time that JESUS CHRIST walked this earth, HE was born and lived in HIS humanity under the law and HE is the only person that was able to fulfill the law completely. JESUS CHRIST pointed out that tithing is fine but magnifying tithing over what will form us to be more like HIM is foolishness.
- Scribes were teachers of the law and Pharisees and hypocrites. NIV
- Scribes and Pharisees were moving in the direction of sorrow because they were hypocrites. NLT.
- Scribes were teachers of religious law and Pharisees and hypocrites. NIV, NLT.
- Scribes were hopeless, religious scholars and Pharisees, they were frauds. MSG
- Scribes were moving in the direction of sorrow, they were religious scholars and Pharisees and pretenders. TPT
I know that this comes across repeatedly but I am trying to get across to anyone be they in leadership or not what this historical warning should be teaching us.
Does anyone else agree with me that Pharisees were wealthy? So, my question is why are they only tithing their spices? The NLT version cleared this up for us, the scribes and the Pharisees tithed not only their spices they also tithed the income from the spices. The message is an even better description of what the scribes and Pharisees did, they kept extraordinary accounts in their ledger, they tithed every nickel and dime. Hmm, who today tithe a nickel and dime? They were obsessed with that which is beyond the most important issues that we need. We need to cease being so very meticulous over things that will not develop us into the character and integrity of CHRIST. As our character and integrity develop and we begin to look more like JESUS and less like us, those things that were once magnified that is a written law in the heart because we see them being adhered to in the Old Testament by Cain and Abel and Abraham and Melchizedek. We will know what to do not by legalism but out of the devotion and love that we have to GOD through CHRIST JESUS.
I have finally arrived at the subject matter, I was just trying to paint a picture. CHRIST JESUS cares more about our having and operating in justice, mercy, and faith. It is easy for us to repeatedly do that which comes naturally to our sinful flesh. But it is not natural but rather supernatural that we put into practice how CHRIST desires for us to live and share with others. We need to understand that when we have living inside of us agape love/unconditional love we are able to fulfill justice, mercy, and increase in our faith in the reliance of JESUS. According to the Message Bible, these are absolute basics; justice/fairness, mercy/compassion, and faith/commitment. Living as sinners takes commitment and so does living in righteousness to GOD through CHRIST JESUS. Blood washed CHRISTians cannot and do not want to take it or leave it because we are not religious but in an intimate relationship as with parents to child or children; husband to his wife and so on. The most important duty that we have is to walk in the love of GOD/justice/fairness; to display mercy/compassion towards others and to live with integrity/faith/commitment. The heart transplant that the children of the living GOD through CHRIST JESUS received as well as our willingness to renew our minds will readjust our values not GOD’s values but ours. Then we will know how to prioritize those things that must be received and shared with others.
AMFBeM (™)
amfbem.com