The template to decode

Have you not read?

Have you never heard?

these are words that Jesus had for the Pharisees

Pharisee-

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 11.49 Φαρισαῖος, ου

The Pharisees were strict and jealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions

They study the word of God

it was there life

they upheld every bit of it

Yet they missed the most important thing which was God Himself

they missed God in His word and in Jesus Christ

JN 5:36-4

John 5:36–47 CSB

“But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me. The Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You have not heard his voice at any time, and you haven’t seen his form. You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. “I do not accept glory from people, but I know you—that you have no love for God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?”

These men who’s whole life were dedicated to the word of God missed God’s heart

even to the point that when Jesus

God in the Flesh

Stood before them they didn’t even recognize

Jesus tells them that the very thing they held onto - The law of Moses was what stood against them

Another time in Matthew Chapter 12

Mt 12:

Matthew 12:1–8 CSB

At that time Jesus passed through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some heads of grain. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry: how he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence—which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? Or haven’t you read in the law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Pharisee interpreted this as an offense and a sin

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:1–8

According to the Pharisees, plucking wheat from its stem is reaping, rubbing the wheat heads between one’s palms is threshing, and blowing away the chaff is winnowing!

Jesus says “If you would have known what this means ‘I desire mercy not Sacrifice,”

What is the Heart of God?

Hosea 6:6 ESV

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 12:1–8

The Pharisees were splitting hairs with their technicalities about reaping, threshing, and winnowing. They failed to understand compassion for people’s basic needs (in this case, the disciples’ hunger; cf. Deut. 23:24–25), but were intense in their concern for the sacrifices. Jesus reminded them of the words in Hosea 6:6, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, that is, inner spiritual vitality, not mere external formality

God desired that we would know Him

that we love Him

So what is the point ?

We so often re just like the Pharisee in our beliefs

it isn’t that we would come out and say we don’t agree with the words of Jesus and the bible

but often times there is a filtering problem

an interpretation problem

We read scripture that say-

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Gensis 1:27

We are created in God’s image

Yet when we look at ourselves we don’t like what we see

we hate ourselves and our lives

we feel no value

which is why we seek it in others

Or we read The God is with us

Psalm 118:6–9 ESV

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

Ps 118

but yet we feel so alone with no purpose or hope

or How about love

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But yet we feel like no one will ever love

like we are destined to be alone

Why is that we miss the truth of God’s word in our lives

why is it that we miss the truth of God’s word when we are struggling with our thoughts, our feeling and even our actions?

It is because like the Pharisees we have missed something

we have a belief problem

and interpretation problem that lies deep inside our hearts

WE filter the word of God through our experiences rather then having the word of God speak the truth into our hearts

Because of Hurts

our parents leaving us

broken families

parents abandoning

our parents drug addiction

boys who have taken advantage of us

emotional wounds

low self esteem

depression

anxiety

We lose sight of the truth

we become like the Pharisee and we trade truth for experience

We don’t say God i doubt your word

but our minds and hearts go down those roads