(Mat 7:1 NASB) “Do not judge lest you be judged.
Mat 7:1: This is another one of the classic misinterpreted passages in Scripture. People take this one phrase and use it without the ensuing passages following it.
If we look at the entire passage, the message is clearly that we are not to judge others if we too are involved in that same sin, even to a worse degree.
(Mat 7:2 NASB) “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
(Mat 7:3 NASB) “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
(Mat 7:4 NASB) “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
(Mat 7:5 NASB) “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Mat 7:5: The passage clearly states that we are to help others remove sin from their own lives too. But first we are to clean our own house. That is clearly stated in the Tanakh (Psalm 51:9-13).
(Mat 7:6 NASB) “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Mat 7:6: This is comprised from several Proverbs (Prov. 9:7-8, 23:9).
(Mat 7:7 NASB) “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
(Mat 7:8 NASB) “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.
Mat 7:8: Yeshua repeated this to His disciples at His last Passover. However, He also mentioned that obedience was necessary (John 15:7). The Apostle John interpreted this to mean that if we obey His commandments, we will receive what we ask for (1 John 3:21-22).
(Mat 7:9 NASB) “Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone?
(Mat 7:10 NASB) “Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
(Mat 7:11 NASB) “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Mat 7:11: Yeshua is teaching from the Tanakh how our heavenly Father provides for His children (Psalm 103:11-13, 84:11-12).
(Mat 7:12 NASB) “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Mat 7:12: This teaching form Yeshua comes from Lev. 19:16-18.
(Mat 7:13 NASB) “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.
Mat 7:13: Yeshua tells us to enter into the narrow gate. He is referring to righteousness. This is the gate of Yahweh (Psalm 118:19-20, Isa. 26:1-2).
The way is broad that leads to destruction. It is the way of man and his desires (Prov. 3:5-7. Ezek. 18:27-32).
(Mat 7:14 NASB) “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
Mat 7:14: The gate of righteousness is narrow (Prov. 4:26-27, 8:20, Isa. 35:8, Jer. 6:16).
The way is narrow that leads to life (Prov. 6:23, 12:28, 16:17).
(Mat 7:15 NASB) “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mat 7:15: We are to beware of false prophets. How do you determine a false prophet (Deut. 13:1-4, Isa 9:15-16, Jer. 23:13-17)? Isaiah tells us one way to know if someone is speaking the Truth (Isa. 8:20).
(Mat 7:16 NASB) “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
Mat 7:16: The reference to fruits is a reference to works (Prov. 1:29-31, 8:18-20). Yeshua is saying that a tree will produce the type of fruit that it is. In the same way, we will produce works that reflect our love for our Father and our position in Him.
(Mat 7:17 NASB) “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
(Mat 7:18 NASB) “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
(Mat 7:19 NASB) “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:19: Yeshua is speaking of the judgment of the unrighteous (Ezek. 15:2-7, Isa. 5:5-7).
(Mat 7:20 NASB) “So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Mat 7:20: We have seen that the fruit of a person is their works, whether they be righteousness or unrighteousness. This is a good time to ask a question. According to Scripture, what is righteousness? (Deut. 6:25, 1 John 3:7-10).
(Mat 7:21 NASB) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:21: Just because one proclaims Yeshua as “Master” does not mean they will enter the kingdom of heaven.
A very similar instance is described in Hosea 8:2-3.
We are told that if we do not do the will of His Father, we will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Keep in mind that the Kingdom of heaven is the Kingdom Elohim will set up on earth. If we do not do His Will, we will not enter it (Rev. 22:14). Scripture tells us that we are to keep His Word. That is how He can bless us (Luke 11:28).
(Mat 7:22 NASB) “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
Mat 7:22: Many claim to prophesy in His name. How do you know if someone is prophesying in the name of Yahweh? If they call the people to obedience to Him (Jer. 23:21-22).
Also, those who cast out demons and perform many miracles in the name of Yeshua will not necessarily enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Elohim does not call us to be demon-stompers or miracle-workers. He calls us to obedience to His Word.
The claims of the people in this verse (prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles) are not the things the Elohim tells us to do in His Torah.
(Mat 7:23 NASB) “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Mat 7:23: He will say to those who do not obey His Word, “I never knew you.” This is consistent with His Word throughout (John 14:15, 21-24, 1 John 2:3-7).
He will say, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Psalm 5:5, 6:8).
(Mat 7:24 NASB) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
Mat 7:24: A wise man is defined in Scripture (Job 28:28, Psalm 119:98-100). Paul reminds us that wisdom comes from Torah (2 Tim. 3:15-17).
(Mat 7:25 NASB) “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.
Mat 7:25: Our foundation is to have Him as our Rock (Psalm 92:13-15, Psalm 125:1-2).
(Mat 7:26 NASB) “And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.
Mat 7:26: Foolish men are ones who reject the Word of Elohim and His Son (Jer. 8:9). James tells us that we are foolish if we think that our faithfulness without works is meaningful (James 2:20).
(Mat 7:27 NASB) “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.”
Mat 7:27: This is very similar to the passage in Ezekiel where Elohim is speaking of false prophets (Ezek. 13:10-16).
(Mat 7:28 NASB) The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching;
(Mat 7:29 NASB) for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Mat 7:29: Yeshua was speaking with authority and not like the teachers of that day. This is the sign that He is the Prophet spoken of by Moses (Deut. 18:18-19).
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas