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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Bible Questions Answered: Phylacteries

Bible Questions Answered:
I read in Matthew about phylacteries, what are they?
Reita/ Bangalore, India

Bible Answers:

Matthew 23:1-7 KJV
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries*, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

*Phylacteries: Greek-Phulakterion (Foo-lak-tay-ree-on): A guard-case, i.e. “phylactery” for wearing slips of Scripture texts. (Abingdon/Strong Concordance)

Phylacteries, were also known as “frontlets.”

Exodus 13:1-17 NLT
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,
2 “Dedicate to Me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to Me.”
3 So Moses said to the people, “This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of His mighty hand. (Remember, eat no food containing yeast.)
4 On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free.
5 You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that He would give you this land—a land flowing with milk and honey.)
6 For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. Then on the seventh day, celebrate a feast to the Lord.
7 Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. In fact, there must be no yeast bread or any yeast at all found within the borders of your land during this time.
8 “On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’
9 This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: ‘With a strong hand, the Lord rescued you from Egypt.’
10 So observe the decree of this festival at the appointed time each year.
11 “This is what you must do when the Lord fulfills the promise He swore to you and to your ancestors. When He gives you the land where the Canaanites now live,
12 you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to Him.
13 A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.
14 “And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of His mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.
15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’
16 This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.”
17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.


Deuteronomy 6:4-9;13-23 NLT
4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.
9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
13 You must fear the Lord your God and serve Him. When you take an oath, you must use only His name.
14 “You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations,
15 for the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God. His anger will flare up against you, and He will wipe you from the face of the earth.
16 You must not test the Lord your God as you did when you complained at Massah.
17 You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees He has given you.
18 Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
19 You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would.
20 “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’
21 “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with His strong hand.
22 The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all His people.
23 He brought us out of Egypt so He could give us this land He had sworn to give our ancestors.


Deuteronomy 11:18 KJV
Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.


Phylacteries, were leather cases, attached to leather thongs, which were then fastened in one of two places. First at the left arm at the elbow, and the second phylactery was attached to the forehead, with thongs wrapped around the head holding it in place. The wearing of Phylacteries, began some where around the second century B.C.

All male Jews were called upon to wear the two phylacteries. They were worn at morning prayers, but not on the Sabbath and festivals.

In these leather phylactery cases were four scriptures: Exodus 13:2-10, 11-17, and Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 13-23 (See above).

The Jews were admonished never to forget how that God, through His mighty hand had delivered His people from Pharaoh.

The Pharisees, who loved to wear their religion on their sleeve, enlarged their phylacteries, so that all could see them, and know just how devout they must be.

Matthew 23:5 KJV (The Pharisees.)
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries*, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

Our Lord, went on to say....
Matthew 23:11-13 KJV
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

As Christian people, we are responsible always to give an account of our faith!

I Peter 3:15 KJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

But this is not a license for showy spiritual grandeur as the Pharisees exhibited! Far from it the Christian is called to humility.

Matthew 11:29 KJV
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Acts 20:19 KJV
"Serving the LORD with all humility of mind..."

James 4:10 KJV
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

How important the wonderful Word of the Lord is. Are you treasuring it, in your heart, today?
Psalm 119:11 KJV
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.