A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
קָנֶ֤ה
qa neh – reed
רָצוּץ֙
bruised – ra sus
In Israel in the springtime there is an abundance of green pasture, the sheep are allowed to graze close to the village where the shepherd’s home is nearby.
After the grain is reaped, and the poor have had an opportunity to glean what is left for them; then the shepherd brings in his flock. The sheep feed on certain fresh growths, or dried blades, or an occasional ear of grain that the reapers may have left, or was overlooked by the gleaners. When this source of food is exhausted then the pasture is looked for in other places.
The wilderness of Judea, which is located along the western side of the Jordan Valley, is carpeted in the spring with a certain amount of grass and this turns into standing hay as the hot weather comes, this becomes food for the sheep during part of the summer
The shepherd spends much time alone with his sheep isolated in desert places; and his reed pipe, helps to pass the hours cheerfully.
This reed pipe is a frail little instrument of two reeds bound together, hollowed out and with holes on the side. Over time the shepherd learns to play many little tunes on it.
The reed pipe is very easily broken and if it falls it can be quickly crushed by a careless foot, then its’ music is silenced.
This simple pipe is of almost no value, a new one could quickly and easily be made and the bruised pipe simply left by the wayside to disintegrate.
However, the shepherd appears to have a great fondness for this pipe; and because he loves it so much, he will not let it go.
He picks up the crushed reed, and with great affection he tenderly repairs it, binding up its broken parts, until once more he can play it, producing the music he loves so well.
A bruised reed shall he not break.
This is such a precious picture of the sinner, bruised and broken by sin, of no apparent value and lying by the wayside, downtrodden and kicked to the side. Then God’s love and concern is turned towards that one and His desire to restore the broken life reaches down and lifts up the crushed, rejected soul; bringing healing and restoration that will cause songs of praise and tunes of worship to gush forth from a thankful heart.
for more on Psalms/Mizmor and the connection to our heart strings.
The Shepherd’s Pipe
A dual-piped flute made of reed is often carried by shepherds in different countries.
These reeds are similar to our bulrushes/cats tails or bamboo/ papyrus.
Only simple musical notes come from this pipe, but the heart of the shepherd is stirred, and the sheep in his flock are soothed by the lively music that comes from the inner being of the shepherd through this simple instrument.
There can be little argument that David probably used such a pipe when he was guarding his sheep, in the same way the young shepherd boys have done for centuries around Bethlehem.
Reeds were also used to make flutes by Jewish children. When they were broken they were discarded and thrown away.
An interesting point is that the word in the Arabic/Aramaic language which is mazmoor
which means:
played on a pipe or flute.
The equivalent of the word in Hebrew word is
מזמור
mizmor.
Which means: a melody.
The phonetic spelling is miz-more’
The Hebrew word for “Psalm” is
tehillim,
The most common reed native to Israel is the Arundo donax (Natural Order Gramineae), known in Arabic as qacabfarasi, “Persian reed.” It still grows today in immense quantities in the Jordan valley along the river and its tributaries.
It also grows at the oases near the Dead Sea, notably around `Ain Feshkhah at the northwest corner. It can often grow up to 20 ft./7metres high, and is still a beautiful fresh green in summer when everything else is dead and dry.
Other scriptures where a pipe is mentioned:
Zechariah 10:8
I will whistle for them –
“hiss, whistle, & pipe”
piping with a shepherds pipe.
Judges 5:16
“Why did you sit among the sheepfolds,
To hear the pipings for the flocks?”
This context does support the shepherd’s reed pipe being used to gather his flock.
He will Strengthen them! (12) He will establish them “back in the land”.
The ancient reed pipe forerunner to gaelic bag pipes with which we are familiar today.
A thought worth mentioning here is that the enemy never created anything, he just takes of our Heavenly Fathers creation and perverts it; changing it to his own nefarious and ugly plans for everything opposed to the good that God has for all of us.
The shepherds pipes makes one recall the pipes of pan. The pan flute is named after Pan, a creature half goat and half man, the Greek god of nature and shepherds!!
Another legend is that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin from the 1300’s. Often what we deem as folklore and old wives tales have very much more truth to them than we choose to believe!
As both of these were the agents of beguiling their followers/children to follow them as they played music, remembering that Lucifer himself was the covering cherub with musical instruments, specifically timbrels and pipes as part of him. see Isaiah 14:12-14; and in Ezekiel 28:13-17
You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created.
The timbrel or tabret (also known as the tof of the ancient Hebrews, the deff of Islam, the adufe of the Moors of Spain) was the principal percussion instrument of the ancient Israelites. It resembled either a frame drum or a modern tambourine
The tabret or timbrel was a favorite instrument of the women, and was used with dances, e.g. by Miriam, to accompany songs of victory; it was one of the instruments used by King David and his musicians when he danced before the Ark of the Covenant.
The Smoking Flax
“The smoking flax shall he not quench.”
Here in this Scripture we see a little clay lamp, with its wick floating in an hour’s supply of olive oil. The oil has been used up, and the wick begins to smoke as it burns. We would probably say,
Just throw it away and get a fresh wick; this one is smoking and it’s of no value.
But the owner does not agree to that,
The old will do just fine, all that’s needed is more oil, and the wick will burn as brightly as ever.
That is just what our Heavenly Father does, pouring out His grace upon us and restoring us when the light is almost out.
The smoking flax will he not quench.
The oil is representative of
His Ruach HaKodesh – His Spirit of Holiness.
Known as anointing when poured over the head of one being consecrated or dedicated to the Lord’s service; and also is a type of the Torah. Oil can also represent the qualifying experiences of our halak/walk along lifes’ WAY (Chaim Derek). This oil represents our life and cannot be bought, sold or given as Yeshua/Jesus speaks of with the parable of the 10 virgins.
Jesus/Yeshuas’ listeners understood what He meant because
a smoking flax was a Hebrew idiom
for an untrimmed lamp casting a dim light and
irritating the eyes and nose with smoke.
The people knew that logically the best thing to do with such a lamp is put it out, extinguish or quench it.
Above is a picture of the flax of which the wick is made, and some of the lamps of ancient times which were made of clay and filled with olive oil.
The wick for such a lamp was a few strands of flax fiber or twisted cotton thread.
The flaxen wick was a quick burner and hard to keep lit.
From this understanding …
A smoking flax
represents a state in which there is a little good.
The words
dimly burning flax.
Indicating it is burning; but it is burning very dimly. There is a tiny spark of good within the center, in our case our hearts; which our savior sees and fans the tiny flame until it burns bright enough to become the light that will shine in the darkness again.
ye are the light of the world.
He does not break thebruised reed.
He does not reach out to extinguish it, but to rekindle and to reinforce and strengthen it.
He does not quench the smoking flax! He will not snuff out that smoldering flame, but He will breathe His life/chaim upon it once again.
We can see from these examples that the believer is likened to the smoking flax; which is a picture of an oil lamp with a flax wick that is not properly trimmed or that does not have any oil in reserve. So instead of burning brightly, it is smoking, and instead of providing light in the darkness as it is designed to do, it is smoldering and producing irritants.
We are to be encouraged that Yeshua/Jesus doesn’t throw away His smoking lamps but rather breathes new life into them giving them another opportunity to burn brightly for Him.
Messiah Jesus/Yeshua was bruised for us, the wick has little light and is mixed with smoke BUT, when He blows upon us until we burst into flame, then the smoke of any residual fleshly life in us is burned away.
It is important to remember that when Matthew wrote these words, he was quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 42:1–4. This prophecy was pointing to the actions and character of the then future Messiah,
the bruised reed and the smoldering wick.
In the prophecy, it’s in reference to those who are weak spiritually, physically, or morally. A reed that is bruised may be damaged, but its’ damage is NOT irreversible. Even though a smoldering wick may be about to go out altogether, it can still be rekindled.
To see these in the new Testament, we can read at the beginning of Matthew 12, where we find the disciples walking through a grain field with Yeshua/Jesus, picking grain because they were hungry. Picking grain was a lawful activity according to Deuteronomy 23:25, but the Pharisees, who were always looking for something against Him were quick to condemn what they did, questioning its’ legality because that day was the Sabbath. They accused the disciples of “harvesting” grain and therefore “working” on the Sabbath day.
Yeshua/Jesus explained that doing good on the Sabbath was acceptable in His and the Fathers sight and that there was something more significant happening here than simply the observation of a holy/set apart day, Matthew 12:6. He further explained that the Pharisees were condemning innocent people because they misunderstood the Scriptures, which said,
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice” Hosea 6:6,7
While the Pharisees sought to judge those who did not keep the man made traditions, imposed rules and laws, Yeshua/Jesus sought to grant mercy to all and to restore the correct interpretation of His Fathers Word and to fulfill it.Matthew 5:17.
The Pharisees challenged Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Matthew 12:10-15,and Jesus /Yeshua again showed mercy by healing a disfigured man in front of them. Later still, in a large crowd that was following Him, Jesus/Yeshua
healed all who were ill.
Why did Yeshua/Jesus warn the crowd not to mention His miracles to anyone else?
His instructions for secrecy could have been for the purpose of timing and must have made Matthew remember the ancient prophecy, of Isaiah bringing it into a new understanding with Messiah’s identity being revealed:
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope”
Isaiah 42:1–4
In fulfillment of that prophecy, He did not shout rather He worked quietly, to accomplish His Fathers’ will, and many times avoiding the public eye on purpose. Not seeking fame or the spotlight to be on Him until the Fathers’ appointed time of His revealing…
My time has not yet come.
Also there is the bruised reed.
To the world, a bruised reed is a worthless thing. It has no power, no stability, no purpose. It cannot be relied on so it’s good for nothing but to be cut down and discarded. We know that in the world there are many bruised people, individuals who have been wounded emotionally, spiritually, or physically. They are, to most of the world, dispensable.
But NOT to God.
The prophecy that Messiah fulfilled is that
the bruised reed He would not break.
This prophecy that speaks of Jesus/Yeshua’s tender, compassionate care. His loving kindness for the weak and downtrodden. In Matthew 12, the disfigured man whom Yeshua/ Jesus met was a bruised reed and He cured his shriveled hand and also gave him strength.
In John 8, another bruised reed was the woman taken in adultery. Yeshua/Jesus forgave her sin, and saved her from being stoned to death.
Another bruised reed was Jairus, as he mourned his daughter’s death, but Yeshua/Jesus strengthened his faith and raised his daughter from the dead.
In Luke 8, The woman with the issue of blood was a bruised reed, too; and Messiah restored her to full health.
After his denial of the Lord, Peter was a bruised reed but after His resurrection Yeshua/Jesus gently and lovingly restored their relationship.
All through the gospels, we see Messiah showing His loving kindness and tender mercies towards all the bruised reeds that He met. Because He was bruised for our iniquities,
Yeshua/Jesus completely understands the
bruised reeds. Isaiah 53:5.
To put it another way,
He was bruised on behalf of those bruised by sin.
He will not despise those who come to Him and they have this promise in Isaiah 61:1 from His own mouth: God has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted
Many are bruised reeds in some way today, pressed down with the troubles of the world. Many struggle with fear, doubt and unbelief. Many may be feeling disheartened and ready to break and give up.
But remember this:
Yeshua/Jesus cares.
He has compassion for the humble,
affection for the repentant hearts,
healing for the afflicted, sick and oppressed
and pity for those with broken-hearts.
We are not to wait on feelings but to come to Him in faith, and to humbly trust in His abilities and strength, and know that we can find He is gracious to everyone.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick
he will not quench.
Matthew 12:20
There is not much that can be said of anything that is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoldering wick!
When any wild bird lands on a reed that grows in the marshlands, it snaps under the weight; and if a man’s foot brushes against it, and it is bruised and broken; and every wind that sweeps across the river blows it to and fro.
No two things have more shaky lives than a brittle reed that is bruised and the smoldering wick; because even though it has a tiny spark within it, it is almost smothered; and even a baby’s breath could easily blow it out.
We need never shrink back from His touch and never fear harsh words from Him; though He might well discipline us at times. Bruised reeds shall not receive any harmful blows from Him, and the smoldering wick no smothering actions. He will not crush the weakest reed, or put out a flickering candle and finally He will cause justice to be victorious.
Our Heavenly Father has not forgotten about us.
Look once more at the smoldering wick and what it is referring to as concerns us… It was a ancient bowl of olive oil with a little flax floating in it for a wick. As long as the lamp had enough oil, the wick would soak up the oil and serve as a catalyst for turning it into light. But when the oil was gone, the flax would begin to burn. Flax doesn’t give much light, it just fills the room with smoke and stinks up the room.
Could this be us at times in our walk?
The solution would be to throw out the smoking flax and start over with fresh oil and a fresh wick.
A point here to think on:
It takes a lot of patience to make a smoldering wick burn bright again. Our father has the patience to stick with us when every one else has given up. He certainly looks beyond our faults and sees our needs. Others might give up on us. But He will work with us until we burn brightly again.
Gentleness. Patience. Persistence. We need all three.
Let patience have her perfect work.
Our healer is gentle: He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:2-3
These idioms will bring comfort when we are disappointed in ourselves.
A bruised or broken reed is unreliable and should be broken and thrown away. Yet Messiah will not do this. He knows all too well His people are all broken reeds, damaged by sin, bad habits, selfishness and weakness. Yet regardless of the failure, He will not break any bruised reed. When we are at our lowest, feeling bruised and broken and perhaps having let Him down in some way just like Peter did when he denied his savior, still, we will not be broken, because as soon as we repent He will receive us back and continue to use us as His vessels.
In Israel, a Smoking Flax is the source of light in the darkness coming from the lamp. It held oil and used a wick to burn brightly. The wick, made of flax, was placed in the lamp and raised or lowered for optimum light. In the parable of the ten virgins, the wise not only took extra oil, but when the bridegroom came..
all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
(Mt. 25:7).
They brought trimmers because as the wick burned, its upper portion became charred and the light dimmed. Once charred, when raised to give more light, it would smolder and smoke.
Even the golden lamp stand hadwick-trimmers Num. 4:9.
As we have seen a smoking flax was an idiom for an untrimmed lamp casting a dim light and irritating the eyes and nose with smoke and the best thing to do with such a lamp is put it out /quench it.
So who are the smoking flaxes?
Once again Isaiah speaks of those who serve the Messiah as His disciple in an obedient/perfect way.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light and you shine as lights in the world.
Lk. 11:36; Phil. 2:15-16.
When we are zealous and holy/set apart; the light does indeed shine brightly, but dims and smokes when we are discouraged or when we sin and fall short. Yet Yeshua/Jesus is not like any other because He will continue to use the smoking flax.
A smoking flax, He will not quench.
What a Savior we love and serve!
He is meek and lowly in heart and in Him we will find rest for our souls.
Isaiah did not justify laziness or unfaithfulness. He gave hope to the weak, the immature, and even those who stumble as mature disciples. Even after a lifetime of working to remove undesirable character flaws we are still
bruised reeds and as the flax, we still smoke sometimes!
But as a bruised reed He will not break us and if our light should become as a smoking flax He will not quench us.
May His true Shalom rest upon each one in Yeshuas’ Name.
You are greatly loved and prayed for daily..
make sure you are secure in the knowledge you are saved
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
“The smoking flax shall he not quench.”
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