Thursday, June 26, 2014

In our last two studies we’ve looked at the importance of noticing when a word is repeated a number of times in a portion of the Bible. Such words will often help you understand the portion better. Another form of an insight word is when the meaning of a verse or portion of Scripture revolves around the meaning of a word. This is where a Bible dictionary or a word study book is helpful. In Mark 7:9-13 the meaning of these verses hinges on the meaning of the word “Corban.” Mark explains that this word “Corban” means, “a gift devoted to God.” I was fascinated by what Dr. Ray Steadman said about this word: “The law says, ‘Honor your father and mother.’ That means more than being courteous to them; it means taking care of them, especially as they grow older. The Jews had worked out a keen little way – a ‘neat’ way, Jesus called it – of rejecting the commandment of God. He almost congratulates them on their cleverness. They took the money which should have been spent on their father and mother and said, ‘This is a gift of God,’ dedicated it to God, and then they were free to use it themselves. Their parents could not touch it because it was dedicated to God. The modern equivalent is to erect a tax shelter.” Without understanding the meaning of the word “Corban” you would not understand what Jesus was criticizing them about. They were twisting tradition to circumvent what God required of them. Tradition can be used in this hypocritical way to justify disobeying a clear command of God to honor and care for your parents, especially during their latter days. This is sinful, so be careful