Unlawful Use of Silver Pieces - Matthew 27:6

Matthew the apostle wrote, “Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see you to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse six of his book, Matthew wrote how, “the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, it is not lawful for to put them into the treasury” where we read:

And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said,

It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.

The verse reads, “And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, ...” Matthew began words, “and the chief priests” which means “and the high priests” “took the silver pieces” or “lay hold of the thirty silver coins”, “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”. Matthew shared how the “high priest” within the temple “picked up” the “thirty silver coins” that Judas threw on the temple floor and declared the following.

The verse continues, “... It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.” Matthew added the words, “It is not lawful” or “it is against the law” “for to put them” which means “to throw or cast the silver coins” “into the treasury” or “into the sacred gift offering to God”, “because” which means “since, seeing that and on account that” “it is the price of blood” or “the thirty silver coins are the value, deference and money paid to purchase bloodshed, slaying or murder”. Matthew shared how the “religious leaders” decided it would be against the law for them to put their “bloodshed” money into the “offering for God”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we are amazed at the way these “religious leaders” suddenly decide what is “according to the law”. They tried Jesus at night which was against the law. They called for “false witnesses” which is against the law, and they condemned an innocent man to “death” which is certainly against the law. Yet, now, when it comes to thirty silver coins, they decide to “follow the rules”. We can only imagine the ire of God while He watched this hypocrisy, and the fact that He restrained Himself can only be attributed to the “fulfillment” of His prophetic words through Zechariah the prophet, “And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prized at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD” (See Zechariah 11:3) and His determination to “save” man from His sins. All who read these words should stop for a moment, ponder and ask, “how shall I respond to such a marvelous restraining of God such as this”?

Next time Matthew shares how, “took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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