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Gospel of Matthew - Chapter 7 - Discreetness

by Paul George  
4/07/2008 / Bible Studies

Matthew 7:6

"Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

In this commandment "Don't give that which is holy to the dogs" or "throw your pearls before the pigs" is a command not to give to the dogs that which is dedicated to the service of God and set apart for the service of God or throw to the pigs the precious things that come from God, His ordinances and free gifts are precious things.

In this command Jesus is not referring to the animals the Jews regarded as unclean, disgusting, fowl, loathsome, vile, He was referring to the stiff-necked, unwilling to submit to the will of God. The enemies of the gospel. The haters of truth and righteousness. Those incapable of appreciating the precious things that comes from God. The presumptuously self-confident, self-assured, self-righteous. The extremely contemptible vile. Those who walk in the ways of the sinners. Those who have sat down in the seat of the scornful. Those who hate and despise instructions, counseling, and rebukes. Those who defy God's law. The irrecoverable and irreclaimable wicked. Those who return with the dog to his own vomit. Those who return with the washed pig to her wallowing in the mire. Those who follow the immoral ways of the false prophet and teacher. The ungodly and unrighteous. Those who refuse to conform to the standard of what is right and good. Those who refuse to conform to the high standard of morality or virtue. The roadside soil in Jesus' parable of the sower (Matthew 13:4). The rocky and thorny soil in Jesus' parable of the sower (Matthew 13:5, 7). The tare planted in the wheat field.

Before His ascension into heaven Jesus told the apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," these are not the dogs and pigs.

The command do not throw your pearls before pigs is not a reference to animals but a reference to men lacking in the ability to understand the truth. Lacking in the ability to understand the truth they trample the truth under their feet.

The command do not give that which is holy to dogs or throw your pearls before pigs does not mean the disciples are not to preach the gospel to the wicked and profane. The reference is to the unwilling to submit to the will of God after the gospel was preached to them and then now speak profane and abusive word about God and persecute the messengers of God. This should come as no surprise to the messengers of God.

When Jesus sent the apostles to the lost sheep of the house of Israel He told them He was sending as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16). Jesus told the disciples they would be insulted, persecuted, and all kinds of evil said against them "because of Me" (Matthew 5:11).

The reason for not giving that which is holy to dogs and not to throw your pearls before pigs is revealed in verse 6, "Lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

Is this an excuse for not preaching and teaching the gospel? While this is not an excuse for not preaching and teaching the gospel it refers to the method we need to use in the preaching and teaching of the gospel in an evil generation; we need to use discreetness. This does not mean we are to candy coat the gospel message so that it will tickle the ears of the rejecters of the truth.

In the preaching and teaching of the gospel we will find those whose heart has become hardened by their continually rejection of the truth and the calling of the Holy Spirit. Through their rejection of the grace of God they have moved farther and farther away from the presence of the Holy Spirit and they can no longer hear His calling. Whatever we say can do one of two things; it can create anger and rage in the hardened heart. That anger and rage can drive the individual farther away and can also result in the individual taking the anger and rage out upon us. This can be accomplished in one of two ways; a physical attack or an attack upon our name and character.

That is why when we encounter one who has continually rejected the call to repent and believe the gospel we must rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in dealing with the individual. This will also require the use of discreetness.

Many a soul has been driven away from the grace of God because someone has not been led by the Holy Spirit to speak to the person and has approached the individual with a condemning attitude.

Jesus said we are not give that which is holy to dogs or throw our pearls before pigs. If we give that which is holy to those who are haters of the truth and righteousness, enemies of the gospel they would not know what to do with them. This is why Paul told the Corinthians he wanted to feed them meat, the deeper things concerning God, but he had to feed them milk because they were not capable of understanding the deeper things concerning God.

The pearls Jesus said we are not to throw before pigs include the deeper things about God that those who are not capable of understanding. When these deeper things concerning God are thrown before them, not able to understand them they trample under their feet.

Discreetness is a quality in a person that allows him to choose the sensible course and the Holy Spirit can use that quality as a means of bringing the sinner to place where he realizes there is one solution to the situation he is in and that is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Retired pastor,Church of the Nazarene

Author of web site Exploring God's Word

www.thewordofgodonline.net

New American Standard Bible

King James Version

The World English Bible

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