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BIBLE STUDY LESSON 20

SERIES Q --- THE SAVIOUR

TREASURE

MORE WORDS THAT CHANGE LIVES

From Matthew 6

[Be careful not to display your good works publicly. If you do these things to impress others, your Father in heaven will not reward you for them. When you give to a needy person, don’t try to attract everyone’s attention, as some people do in YHVH’s house and out in the streets. Why do they do it? Because they want others to say good things about them. But that is the only reward they will get. Instead of doing this, keep your giving so secret that even your left hand will not know what your right hand is doing. Then your Father, who shares all your secrets, will reward you publicly. Don’t make a show of your prayers, as some do. They like to attract attention when they pray in YHVH’s house or in the street. But that is all the reward they get. When you pray, go into your room and close the door. Then pray to your Father privately. Your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you. When you pray, don’t recite a prayer again and again, the way the heathen do. They think that they must keep on mumbling their prayers so that YHVH will answer. Don’t be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him. Here is a pattern for your prayers:

[Our Father Which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever. Amen.]

[If you forgive others for what they have done against you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you withhold your forgiveness from others, then your Father in heaven will withhold His forgiveness from you. When you fast, or refuse to eat for a spiritual reason, don’t make a show of it, as some people do. They go around with a sad, hungry look, trying to attract attention to their fasting. The sympathy and attention they get will be their only reward. When you fast, dress well, with your face washed and your hair combed so that you don’t call attention to your fasting. Then only your Father in heaven will know what you are doing. As He shares your secret, He will also share His rewards with you. Don’t depend on the earth as a storehouse for your treasure. It’s too easy here for your riches to get stolen or to rot away. If you want an absolutely safe place for them, put them in the Bank of Heaven. Thieves can’t break in there to steal your riches and there is nothing to take away the value from them. It is also true that wherever you put your treasure, you will put your heart. Your eyes are like windows, letting the light into your soul. If you cloud your eyes with ungodly things, they will cast a shadow over your soul. And the darkness of that shadow can be depressing. No one can serve two masters. If you try, you will give your loyalties to one and your hatred to the other. Beware of trying to make both YHVH and wealth your masters! Do not fret and worry about food and clothing. You’re alive, aren’t you? Your body is far more important than the food you put into it or the clothes you put on it. Learn a lesson from the birds. They don’t plant and harvest and gather their harvest into barns. And yet, your Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds to Him? What will your worries add to your life? Why are you so worried about clothing? Look at the wild flowers growing in the field. They don’t struggle to earn money or make their clothing. But even Solomon, with all his rich clothing, had none as beautiful as these flowers. If YHVH clothes the flowers so beautifully, which are here for only a day or so, how much more will He give you for your wardrobe. How small is your faith! Stop worrying about food and clothing. The ungodly are always striving to possess these things. Of course your Father in heaven knows that you need them! But He wants you to put Him first in your life, seeking to please Him in all that you do. Then He will give you all of your daily needs. Don’t fill your life with worries about tomorrow. Tomorrow will bring its own share of troubles. Concern yourself with each day as YHVH gives it to you.]

COMMENTARY

FLOWERS OF THE LAND

Although some of the flowers have been given new names since Bible times, most of those that grew in ancient Palestine still bloom today in modern Israel.

IRIS

The bright blossoms on the long stem of the iris earned it the nickname of the {yellow flag.} It is often found in large patches in the shallow water at the edge of streams and lakes. The flower was used in old remedies for bruises, snake bite and coughs.

NARCISSUS

The sweet-smelling blossoms of the narcissus cover the fields of modern Israel just as they did during the time of Yeshua. They bloom year after year from the bulbs that lie hidden under the soil.

ANEMONE

Anemones grow wild throughout the land of Israel in the spring. Their bright red, yellow and blue blossoms create large patches of colour. They were called windflowers in Bible times, because they wave in the spring breezes that blow across the fields.

DANDELION

The Jews learned to eat the leaves of this bright yellow flower when they were in captivity in Egypt. It became a part of their Passover Feast when YHVH Commanded them to eat bitter herbs with their roast lamb and unleavened bread. Dandelion leaves are still used in salads today.

CROCUS

The crocus is always one of the first wild flowers to blossom in the spring. In Israel it blooms in a rainbow of colours: white, pink, purple, blue and yellow. A yellow powder made from the centre of the crocus is used as a spice and dye.

TULIP

The tulip is sometimes identified as the rose of Sharon in the Song of Solomon. Because it was a scarce flower in ancient Palestine, its beauty was especially prized. Like the narcissus, the tulip also grows from a bulb.

HYACINTH

In the fields and rocky places of Palestine, the hyacinths grow so thick that the ground is carpeted with their blossoms. In the spring, whole fields are perfumed with their sweet fragrance. They are easily identified by their distinctive blue colour.

STAR-OF-BETHLEHEM

This small white flower that grows so plentifully in the Middle Fast was used for food in times of famine. The root of the flower was dried and ground into meal in Bible times. Mixed with flour, it could then be used to make bread.

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