(1) “Proverb”as found in I Samuel 10:12; 24:13;
2 Chronicles 7:20; Mark 7:17; and Luke 4:23.
(2) A “Prophetic” utterance as in Numbers 23:7
and Ezekiel 20:49.
(3) This may be in the form of an “Enigma, perplexing
or baffling” as recorded in Psalms 78:2 and Proverbs 1:6;
Hebrews 9:9; and 11:19. They may be in the form of an “Allegory”
that is descriptive of one thing under the image of another; these
are used in teaching or explaining a Biblical truth. They may
be as a “Simile or Metaphor” using the likeness
of a person or thing resembling another as in Matthew 15:15; 24:32
and Luke 5:36; 14:7.
Many times we use earthly illustrations
to teach heavenly truths. It is interesting that with earthly
illustrations, we cannot really express heavenly realities, because
of what is written in 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. We cannot comprehend the glories of heaven,
nor the extent of the beauty and holiness found there.
Our Lord used parables extensively
to teach the Jews as we shall see this month and next. Matthew
13:14-15 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which
saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and
seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s
heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see
with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.The
above verses will later be used, but for now, they explain why
the Lord taught with parables. There are times when we “preachers-teachers”
think the same is true in the church today. Have we heard so often
and repeated so much that its old hat with us, and it goes into
one ear and out the other. One closing illustration, “A
college education is a process whereby the professor’s notes
are transferred from the teacher’s notebook to the student’s
notebook without passing through the mind of either the professor
or the student.” Is that also happening in our churches?
RJS
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Sunday, February 2nd
Ears to Hear
Matthew 13:11-15
In 1 Corinthians 2:14we
read … the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Those
without faith and salvation cannot understand, much less, appreciate
spiritual truth. Therefore, they see, but they do not see, and
they hear but they do not hear. The way that we respond to spiritual
truth is very important. We can either open our hearts and let
God's grace work in us, or we can harden our hearts to our own
confusion and damnation. Regardless of our response, the truth
will come, and as surely as the truth comes, we will respond in
one of these two ways.
God is absolute goodness and perfection.
He does not take any pleasure in the death of the wicked. We read
in Ezekiel 33:11 … I have no pleasure in the death
of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live….
For this reason, God does not impart deeper spiritual truth to
those who have already hardened and rejected truth. It serves
no good purpose, and only adds to their condemnation. Jesus told
his disciples in Matthew 7:6, Give not that which is holy
unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine...
It is of God's mercy that He allows the enemy to blind minds to
the truth and it is of God's mercy that Jesus spoke to the people
in parables.
Sadly, many believers today do
not seem to understand this principle. The things that we see
and human reason are things of the flesh. These do not profit
spiritually. In1 Corinthians 1:21, we read … in
the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God ...
If people do not open their hearts to simple spiritual truths,
there is no reason to go any further with them. The truth is both
infinite and complex. It is difficult to communicate it in language.
Therefore, we must often balance precepts. In this case, we need
to balance the command to preach the gospel to every creature
with the instruction not to cast our pearls before swine. We need
to open our hearts to the Spirit of God in order to find important
Biblical and spiritual balance in our lives. I wonder, do you
hear? Is your heart open? DW
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Monday, February 3rd
Concerning the Moabites and Israelites
Numbers 23 - 24
This is a prophetic set of parables,
given from God through Balaam to Balak. It is very interesting
to note that Balaam had set out to bring curses on the Nation
of Israel for the selfish and sole purpose of his own financial
gain. But God had other plans, and as we shall see in our devotional
today, God’s plan and purpose will always be accomplished.
If you know the whole story of
Balaam, you would know that he practiced magic and divination,
which ultimately led the children of Israel into apostasy. Later
on, the scriptures also clearly identify him as a “false
prophet.” God used some interesting details to accomplish
His purpose, even though this “false prophet” was
bent on selfish interests.
First, we see that God told Balaam,
“Not” to go up to Balak and the Moabites, but he went
anyway. God had to speak to Balaam through his donkey, graciously
sparing his life, because he was going down the wrong path, and
an Angel of the Lord would have killed Balaam if he continued.
God’s mercy was evident here! There are many times in our
lives that we “know” we should not do something and
yet we go ahead and do it anyway. God did allow Balaam finally
to go, but used his voice, in spite of his original intent, to
instead “Bless” the nation of Israel. This is really
quite funny as Balaam goes to curse, and instead out of his mouth
came blessings. Not just one, not just 2, but three, and then
a prophecy too, against the other nations for what they had done
to the Israelites. God put the word in Balaams mouth! In other
words, God will accomplish His purpose and His plan regardless
of the good or bad intent of the person. Sadly, Balaam missed
many blessings. Say, where do you stand today? Are you a professing
Christian, but do not have any spiritual fruit that is showing?
Are you living for yourself, or are you seeking the Lord with
all your heart? We reap what we sow. God wants to use us and bless
us if we are willing to obey Him! God always desires a willing
heart. That should be our prayer today!
“Dear God, forgive me of
my sin. Gracious Father, I want to have a willing heart so that
I can be used of You to proclaim Your great salvation to those
who will listen. Guide me and use me as Your will be done and
help me to obey Your sovereign plan in my life. Amen.” DM
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Tuesday, February 4th
The Parable of the Trees
In Judges we see Israel as a nation
“doing their own thing” again and again. There were
no leaders with spiritual responsibility or leadership. Joshua
was dead. The nation was moving from one apostasy to another.
Nine times they were so far away from God that He sent seven heathen
servitude’s to enslave and persecute them. God used sixteen
different judges to retrieve them to Himself. These sixteen judges
were them-selves not always faithful or steadfast to the Lord.
There were five civil wars and untold destruction and agony for
God’s people. We could sum it up by saying there were sins,
prophecies, slavery, wars and 305 years of failure. It’s
no wonder they refused Samuel and demanded a king. They were living
under a theocratic government, but that was not good enough for
them. God was their King and He too was rejected.
In (Judges 9:7-15) we see Jotham,
the brother of Abimelech (verse 21), standing on top of Mt. Gerizim
and taking advantage of the acoustics in a long, deep canyon to
the North of Shechem. Jotham is calling Israel to repentance.
Jotham prophesied by using the “Parable of the Trees”
to alert Israel of his brother’s despotic nature and murderous
rule over Israel, for the next three years. This parable expresses
several deep spiritual truths. The trees were searching for a
king. The olive, fig and the vine refused to leave their God given
responsibilities to become the king of the trees. (The setting
for our story is north of Jerusalem near the present city of Nablus
a stronghold of the PLO in today’s terrorist action between
the Jews and Palestine Liberation Organization). In desperation
they chose the bramble, a small, thorny bush used for starting
fires, to become their king.
The lesson to be learned is that
when we choose leaders at the ballot box, we should not choose
them on the basis of political rhetoric, but on personal character
and spiritual leadership. Christians have divorced themselves
from politics and in so doing, we have lost our ballet strength
in governmental leadership. We too, have chosen “brambles”
or people who seek office for personal gain and power, rather
than for integrity and justice for the nation. America is on moral
skids, leading to internal destruction and producing another godless
generation unable to discern good from evil. Shame on us! RJS
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Wednesday, February 5th
The Gospel Mystery
Judges 14:10-18
Samson is an unusual man. As we
see in our text, he was a gambler. We find that he was very lax
regarding his Nazarite vow and he was a fornicator. In spite of
these troubling flaws, he is listed as a hero of the faith in
Hebrews 11. God's ways are different from our ways. The fact that
he is an Old Testament figure does not eliminate the problems.
At Samson's wedding feast in Timnath,
he gives the friends of his new bride a riddle. We read in Judges
14:14 … he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth
meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. There
is a great paradox here. The lion was strongest of beasts in Palestine.
Even today, the lion is called the king of beasts and the honey
is the sweetest food. It is unusual to get food from a predator.
It is also unusual to get something sweet out of something strong
or bitter (out of "the bitter", so the Syriac and
Arabic read it, "came sweetness"). Henry, Matthew,
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody,
MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997. At these wedding feasts there
was much drinking and the men, as we see here, often posed questions
to each other to prove their wisdom and worth.
This riddle was a part of Samson's
experience. It is recorded for our instruction. After three days,
these guests could not solve the riddle. It is not until they
get the truth from his bride that these Philistines find the answer
on the seventh day. This riddle pictures for us the mystery of
the gospel and Jesus Christ. Our Lord was the lion out of the
tribe of Judah, yet his body is meat indeed, and his blood is
drink indeed. The picture of the cross is one of the bitterest
things that we can imagine, and yet, out of this bitter experience
came something very sweet. This same paradox is a part of the
experience of all who believe. In this life with faith, we can
see good triumph over evil. In Psalm 76:10 we read, Surely
the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain. There is much by way of evil in this world
and in our experience, but God restrains evil that cannot be used
for good. In Romans 8:28 we read … all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose.Wherever sin abounds,
God makes grace to abound even more. DW
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Thursday, February 6th
Poor Man’s Ewe Lamb
2 Samuel 12:1 - 23
Read and listen to the story and
make the Connection by Association! Nathan, the prophet gave this
parable to King David for his sinful behavior with Bathsheba.
There is much for us to learn here. Biblically, we know that having
more than one wife is not according to God’s plan, especially
for the king. We also know that it is not God’s plan to
covet another mans wife. Too, we know that God said, “Thou
shalt not commit murder!” King David, who later is spoken
of as a man after God’s own heart, commits terrible sin
before the Lord, and after hearing the parable from Nathan, is
ready to self righteously put someone else to death, until he
is confronted with the fact that this sin was his own sin.
The main reason that King David
is called a man after God’s own heart, is that when he was
confronted with his great sin, he realized that “he”
was the guilty one. He recognized it and he “immediately
confessed” his sin before the Lord. “He sinned, he
was confronted, and he repented.” This is a very important
lesson for us today! We all sin, but when we are confronted, do
we repent? Oh, that we would humble ourselves before the Lord,
and fall on our faces in heartfelt repentance and shame for the
ungodly reproach and the exceeding sinfulness of our own sin before
our righteous God. How it must cut our precious Savior to the
heart when we will not submit and when we will not turn from our
wicked ways.
We see that King David did repent,
but he paid a high price for his sin. His son died shortly after
birth. Can we realize another lesson here? Sin always costs! “The
wages of sin is death…” Yes, David lost his first
son, but in God’s great mercy, the next son Solomon, was
born and the scriptures record a precious statement, “God
loved Solomon.” Is not our God gracious and merciful?! Yes,
He is! King David asked God to spare his first son, but when the
son died, the King got up, and immediately got back to where God
wanted him to be spiritually. May one more questions be asked?
Are you where God wants you to be spiritually?
“Dear Lord, how we are humbled
when we think of our terrible sin and how it cost Your only Son.
May we be obedient children who, when faced with our sin, will
repent and turn back to You. Guide us, O Great Jehovah, we pray,
in the precious name of Jesus, our Lord, Amen.” DM
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Friday, February 7th
David’s Reconciliation with Absalom
II Samuel 14:1:33
Please read this 14th chapter and
you will better understand this summary of the events and the
outcome. However, we must go back into David’s history of
taking Bathsheba into his house for immoral purposes when she
was the wife of another man. Nathan the Prophet told David he
would be forgiven, but eight troubling things would plague David’s
family because of his sins: 2 Sam. 12:10-14
(1) The Sword shall never depart from your house.
(2) I will bring evil against you out of your own house.
(3) I will take your wives and give them to your neighbor.
(4) He shall lie with your wives in the sight of the sun.
(5) What you did secretly will be done before all Israel.
(6) The Lord has put away your sin and David would not die.
(7) Your enemies will use this to blaspheme the Lord.
(8) The child from your illicit relationship with Bathsheba shall
die. Each and every one of these prophecies was fulfilled.
There are four people involved
in this parable: King David, Absalom, Joab and the woman from
Tekoah. Tekoah is the birthplace of Amos one of the Minor Prophets.
Joab was the instigator for a family restoration between David
and Absalom. David was a man of strong emotions and when he made
a decision to love or hate someone, it was final. The unnamed
woman came to the King with a parable of her two sons having had
a fight and one killing the other. She was asking for a pardon
for the guilty one. She pleads for the surviving son’s life
on the basis that his death would cut off the family inheritance
and name as recorded in the Law of Moses. The deeper she got into
the story the more David began to suspect Joab was the instigator
of her story.
In our modern judicial system the
judge on the bench often reduces the penalty or pardons the guilty
one because of extenuating circumstances. This is what King David
did. The King allowed Absalom to return to Jerusalem, but refused
to see him for two years. There was still enmity in David’s
heart toward Absalom. David had to learn another lesson, he had
to forgive and forget. For a proud person, this is difficult and
often rejected until it’s too late. We forget that God forgave
us all our sins and they are as far removed as the east is from
the west. Finally, David did forgive Absalom and kissed him, 2
Sam. 14:33. RJS
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Saturday February 8th
The Golden Rule
1 Kings 20:35-40
We would be wise to see God at
work in events that are taking place around us. In this story,
God was working through Israel and Ahab, her king, to punish a
pagan king. God delivered Ben-Hadad into the hands of the king
of Israel, however, rather than bringing this man to justice,
Ahab lets him go.
God sends His prophet with a message
of judgment to Ahab. Since Ahab refused to kill Ben-Hadad, God
would require Ahab's life. Ahab went home frustrated and angry.
His heart was far from God. It does not matter whether or not
our heart is right with God, He will still deal with us according
to the same principle. He will deal with us according to the principles
we deal with others. In Galatians 6:7 we are admonished,Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. We find the same principle in
many places in the Bible. In the Sermon on the Mount, we find
Jesus said, Matthew 7:1, 2Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Very few of us go long in life
before we make judgments of others that relate to moral and spiritual
things. Either someone treats us in a way that hurts us or we
see conduct that is harmful to the political, economic and social
order. The thinking of our heart comes out in the things we speak.
We may take such words lightly, but God does not. When he brings
the works of man into judgment, He will do no more than we see
in our text. He will use our own words to judge us. In Matthew
12:37we read … by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Sadly, we are
prone to judge our own hearts by our intentions and the hearts
of others by their actions. Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a
man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.Since
we have the best of intentions, we are never wrong. We would be
wise to look well into our own dealings. It is not enough to have
good intentions. Our lives must be consistent with the principles
of God's word. If not, we can be sure that we have a double standard.
DW
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Sunday, February 9th
The Thistle and the Cedar
2 Kings 14
King Amaziah was reigning in Judah
during this time but we see something very interesting. He did
not follow the Lord in “Everything” like King David
had done. Amaziah did not take down the high places just like
his father, even though King David had set a high standard of
unswerving devotion to the Lord for the descending kings to follow.
This is an excellent example for us today. Our parents may or
may not have given us godly examples, but that does not excuse
us from making our own poor choices. We must always choose to
do things God’s way!
Proud Amaziah began to feel his
kingly oats, so to speak, and challenged Jehoash, the king of
Israel to battle. In Vs. 9, we see the parable given by King Jehoash
back to king Amaziah. (Look at Judges 9:8-15) The thistle, of
course, is King Amaziah who was likened to an irritating and worthless
plant, who wanted to be like the majestic cedar, who was Jehoash,
but a wild animal crushed the thistle. Jehoash counseled Amaziah
that he was overestimating his power and prominence and should
not go to war with Israel, as he would be crushed. He, of course,
did not listen and was defeated. The people lost their respect
for him as king and ultimately killed him. What a sad ending for
this apostate king.
Say, let us take some lessons here
and learn what God would have for us today! We often have much
pride in our own hearts, don’t we! The pride of life infects
many unrepentant hearts. Things get to going good in our lives,
or so it seems, and then suddenly, we are brought low from our
own sin. Would to God, we could learn that “pride goeth
before a fall.” Pride in any way, shape, or form, is something
to completely avoid at all cost. We need to fall on our knees
before God in humble repentance and confess our ungodly sin and
ungodly attitudes that come from ungodly pride. The path of pride
will ultimately take us to the bottom and will totally consume
us. Instead, God desires repentance and confession!
Dear Lord God, we fall on our faces
today and repent and confess our sin of pride. We ask You to forgive
us, gracious and merciful Lord and Savior. We desire to do what
is right in Your eyes, as those faithful ones do that we may know,
who are going before us. We love You, Dear Savior! Cause us to
teach others of Your Faithfulness! Amen. DM
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Monday, February 10th
Israel the Vine
Psalm 80: 8-19
There are three figures of speech
used in the Old Testament referring to Israel: the vine, fig tree
and the olive tree. It is interesting that in our study of Feb.
4th, we spoke of the trees seeking a king and these three national
emblems rejected being king and a bramble volunteered much to
Israel’s disastrous results. Beginning in verse 8, the Psalmist
refers back to the history of bringing the Hebrews out of Egypt
and giving them the Promised Land. Compare Isaiah 5:1-7 …
My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And
He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted
it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it,
and also made a wine press therein: and he looked that it should
bring forth me and my vineyard. What could have been done more
to my vineyard, that I have not done grapes, and it brought forth
wild grapes. … For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is
the house of Israel….” And in Luke 20:9-19,
our Lord speaks again regarding the vineyard. A farmer planted
a vineyard and leased it to the Jews. He sent three messengers
to collect his share of the proceeds, but they mistreated them.
Then the Owner sent His Son and they killed Him. Therefore, the
Owner lent the vineyard out to others, the Church. Again
in (John 15:1-8), we see Jesus as the Vine and we are the branches.
Israel was chosen of God through
Abraham and his posterity. Israel was to be a witness to the nations
around her, but instead she became like them and worshipped strange
gods. She was to be a repository of the Truth, i.e., the Bible.
Instead, she disobeyed and made additional laws to satisfy her
whims in particular times and places. She was to be the channel
through which Christ was to come and set up His Kingly Rule, but
again she rejected her Messiah and to this day rejects Him. The
vine has become woody and worthless. It brings forth leaves, but
no grapes. We, as a church should learn an important lesson. If
we are fruitless, we will be cut off and the word “Ichabod”
because the glory of the Lord has departed I Sam. 4:21
from the tabernacle in the Old Testament and “Anathema”
Corinthians 16:22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be “Anathema” … in the New
Testament. The worst thing that can happen to any church is for
the Lord to write “Ichabod” over the
church door. Don’t let this happen to our church! RJS
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Tuesday, February 11th
God's People
Isaiah 5:1-7
God calls on His people to judge
the spiritual state of things in Israel. Was it possible for God
to do anything more to help His people prosper spiritually than
He did? God poses this question to the people through the prophet.
The answer was very obviously, no. It is impossible for us to
understand to perfection, the ways of God. We know that without
God, we can do nothing and yet we bear important responsibility
when it comes to spiritual things. God deserves all the credit
and all the glory for any good in our lives and we bear all the
guilt for all failure. Israel was continually unfaithful to God
and failed spiritually.
Things were not as they should
have been. In verse 2 of our text regarding the nation Israel
we read … God looked that it should bring forth grapes,
and it brought forth wild grapes.Not only did they fail
to do right, they delighted in doing evil. It would seem that
they were blaming God for their failure. It is no different today.
As we consider evil in this world, we see so many with such good
intentions that people often conclude God is to blame for evil
What is God to do? We see in our
text, that He withdraws His grace from us. We read in verse 6,
I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon
it. God often uses sin as its own punishment. Sin is destructive.
If we only use God's grace to enable us to do evil, he will withdraw
that grace from us. He withdraws that grace so that we will seek
Him. Sadly, people in sin seldom, if ever, get the message and
return to the place of fellowship and blessing.
Yet, regardless of the choices
that we make the principles of truth and justice are upheld. There
is not a more just precept than the golden rule, however, from
the perspective of God’s justice we will reap as we have
sown in this life. We read in Galations 6:7, Be not deceived;
God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap. It is a law that God has built into the natural
and created order. People in our world today, recognize this truth
as they say, “what goes around comes around.” If we
are wise, we will not only do right, but recognize how this brings
forth good fruit. DW
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Wednesday, February 12th
The Vine Tree
Ezekiel 17:1 - 24
This is another messianic prophecy
that is quite interesting, 2 Kings 24. God is speaking
to Ezekiel and starts out with “a Great Eagle” in
vs. 3. This represents the king of Babylon, who took royal and
other captives. “The cedar” represents Judah. In vs.
4, the “topmost young twig” is Jehoiachin, the king,
who was exiled in 597 B.C. Vrs. 5, 6 refers to the “Seed,”
those who were left in Judah. Vs. 6 is “a spreading vine,”
or Zedekiah, the youngest son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar appointed
king of Judah. He was not faithful to his pledge (2 Chr. 36:13)
and began to seek help from Egypt, which Jeremiah protested. (Jer.37:5-7)
In vr. 7, “another great eagle” is Egypt, Pharaoh
Apries. (Hophra) In vrs. 9, 10 we see Zedekiah’s treachery
would not prosper. He was captured, Jer 52:8 and Judah
“withered” as the east wind (Babylon) blasted her.
In verses 11-21, the parable then is explained.
The messianic prophecy begins in
vs. 22 as it speaks of the Messiah as “one of the highest
branches” coming from “the high cedar” which
is the line of David. Messiah will be established in His kingdom,
“like a mountain” (Dan. 2:35) and will be “a
high branch,” “a tender one” vs. 22 growing
into a “majestic cedar” vs. 23 with nations under
His kingdom rule being blessed and Israel restored.
How can we apply these precious
truths to our lives today? God had to deal with a rebellious nation
and He did so with a humbling judgment. Messiah grew out of the
“dry tree” meaning that very few people really believed
and obeyed God. Many of the kings did not follow God nor did most
of the people. This is a sad story of utter disobedience and yet
it is also a chapter that leads those few who have obeyed the
only True and Living God to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Savior.
That He did come through that small, obedient remnant of believers
to fulfill this prophecy along with many, many others. Praise
the Lord, He provided the way!
Dear Lord, how we are humbled to
realize that there were so many people who did not love You nor
obey You and how there are many people today that are the same
way. Heavenly Father, forgive us where we have failed and help
us to obey You fully, that we may tell others of Your saving grace
and mercy, wonderfully bestowed. Amen. DM
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Thursday, February 13th
Parable of the Great Eagle and the Vine
Or Discontent leads to Disastrous Results
Ezekiel l7: 3-10
We need to learn the historical
setting before we get to the parable itself. The Northern Kingdom
of Israel had already been taken into captivity. In our text,
we see an interim between the first and the final carrying away
of the Southern Kingdom, Judah. The two Eagles here represent
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Nebuchadnezzar
named Zedekiah as a subordinate king over Israel. Zedekiah was
to be subject to Babylon, but he was not satisfied, he wanted
more power and sought Egypt to obtain that power.
Now we find the application! Zedekiah
was in a hurry; some progress had been made. Israel had become
a spreading vine of low stature, vs. 6. Zedekiah had given his
oath to be subject to Nebuchadnezzar, but in his discontent and
being urged on by his princes he sought an alliance with Egypt.
He had violated a sacred oath and that was followed by rebellion
against the powers that be. Instead of this being a success, it
became ruinous failure.
The result of Zedekiah’s
rebellion was the final and complete carrying away of the nation
of Israel and the seventy years of captivity. For 490 years, Israel
had not kept the Sabbatical years, or fallow years, as ordered
by the Lord in Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year shall
be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou
shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. So
the Lord used the captivity to give the land its rest, or Sabbatical
years. When God makes a law, it is to be kept or His people will
suffer the consequences.
Should discontent with our station
in life ever prompt us to use ways that are not honorable and
Christian for the benefiting of our finances or material possessions,
we, too, will suffer the consequences. When discontent becomes
strong and active and we grow impatient with God’s purposes
for us, we are tempted to break away from our submission to the
Holy Spirit’s guidance and control of God’s divine
providence. God will not compel us to yield to His guidance. Rather,
God will permit us to go our own way and we will be the losers.
God’s way is the best way! There is a narrow way that leads
to everlasting life. RJS
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Friday, February 14th
Israel and Her Kings
Ezekiel 19:2-9
This text describes the nation
of Israel in terms of a lion and her kings as cubs. … the
lioness/mother in this chapter is the nation Israel. She was the
one who set up her kings but saw them destroyed, and she was the
one who would go into captivity.(1.) In the text, the surrounding
nations trap Israel and her king. Ezekiel writes just 5 years
before the captivity in 592BC. At this time, the nation has many
enemies that help the king of Babylon, and go on to rejoice in
her destruction. Pits were dug to trap large animals. They
were covered over with brushwood, and often approaches were built
so that animals could be driven toward the pit. Ezekiel…
uses it as a picture of what will happen to the princes of Israel...
(2.)
The lion is a predator that takes
no thought for its victims, but rather its own needs. In sin humanity
made in the image of God, becomes like a wild beast. Like a wild
beast, God will use the men of Babylon to deal with this threat.
When God’s people give way to evil, they often become more
corrupt than the world. The Biblical record reveals that Nebuchadnezzar
was more in line with the truth than Israel’s kings. None
sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven, because
they fall from the greatest height. WILLIAM GURNALL(3.)
In this text, God has a particular
king in mind. This lion (strong lion) was Jehoahaz who
came to the throne after Josiah’s death… After a
reign of only three months he was deposed by Pharaoh Neco II,
who led him with hooks(probably literal hooks in his nose
attached to a rope-leash; cf. v. 9) to the land of Egypt.
In Egypt, Jehoahaz died in captivity....(4.) How few of all the
boastful men that reign descend in peace to Pluto’s dark
domain! Juvenal (5.) DW
(1) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge
Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
(2) Gowers, Ralph, The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times,
(Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago) 1987.
(3) I.D.E. Thomas, The Golden Treasury of Puritan Quotations,
(Simpsonville, SC: Christian Classics Foundation) 1997.
(4) Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge
Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications,
Inc.) 1983, 1985.
(5) Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the
Bible (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1997.
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Saturday, February 15th
The Wasted Vine
Ezekiel 19:10 - 14
Here again, we see another example
of Judah, who had prospered as a luxuriant vine, v. 10, with strong
power and eminence, v. 11. However God had to pluck up the vine
in judgment, bringing desolation to her in v. 12, exiling her
in v. 13 and ultimately leaving no strong king in v.14. The blame
for this terrible catastrophe was laid on one ruler, King Zedekiah,
who was responsible for the burning of Jerusalem because of his
treachery in Jer. 38:20-23. The house of David ended in
shame and, for nearly 2,600 years since, Israel has had no king
of David’s line. When Messiah came, they rejected Him and
preferred Caesar. Jesus still became their Savior and He will
return as Israel’s King.
As we consider these words, and
take a look at our own individual lives and country, it causes
us to realize that we, too, could very easily fall into the same
ways as Israel did. Fathers are admonished to train their children
in the ways of the Lord! Husbands are to love their wives as Christ
loved the church. Wives are to submit to their husbands. Children
are to obey their parents. Christians are to obey the laws of
the land. We have the privilege in this country to vote for the
people whom we feel will lead us in the right ways. All these
areas are being satanically attacked and individuals, husbands,
wives, children, families, and our country are falling for the
lies of the wicked one and being destroyed. We must decide today
to STAND UP for the TRUTHS of GOD’s WORD and OBEY God and
do what is right! Complacency needs to be replaced with the Urgency
of the warnings of pending judgment and destruction. We, as Christians,
need to evaluate where we are spiritually and see if there needs
to be any changes made, confess sin, and then get in there and
FOLLOW God with every fiber of our existence. God says, “If
my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will
heal their land.”
O Gracious Father, in weeping humbleness,
we confess our sin to You. Heavenly Father, we pray that You will
guide us in Your truth and in Your Word. Help us to seek Your
face and turn from our wicked ways. We desire Your forgiveness
and healing hand in our land. Amen. DM
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Sunday, February 16th
The Parable of the Boiling Pot
Ezekiel 24: 1-14
The very day Ezekiel spoke this
parable Nebuchadnezzar and his army set up a siege around Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 24:1-2 Again in the ninth year, in the tenth month,
in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto
me, saying, 2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even
of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem
this same day. The sins of the people were in three categories:
(1) Lying, by which we must understand corruption, deceits, frauds
and political insincerity.
(2) Lewdness, immorality, sensual sins, and carnal luxury.
(3) Blood-guiltiness, murder, violence and no respect for self
or others. Sounds like America today!
It is not unusual for the Jerusalemites
to burn bones. There had been so many wars in the Holy Land, that
there were very few trees. One of the age-old practices of an
invading army was to burn the trees, because trees offer a hiding
place for their enemies to use in flanking attacks. When the trees
are removed fertile countryside becomes a desert.
The pot or caldron used by Ezekiel
was made of “bronze.” Brass is made of copper and
zinc and was not in use until the thirteenth century. The King
James Bible uses the word “brass,” but a better word
is “bronze.” It is a symbol of insensibility and
obstinacy in sin (Isa. 48:4; Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18), and
of strength (Ps. 107:16; Micah 4:13).
The Macedonian “Greek”
empire is described as a kingdom of brass (Dan. 2:39). The serpent
of brass “Brazen serpent” was made by Moses at the
command of God (Num. 21:4–9). The Brazen serpent was lifted
up on a pole, so that it might be seen by all people when bitten
by the fiery serpents that were sent to them as a punishment for
their murmuring against God and Moses. It was, afterwards, carried
by the Jews into The Promised Land and preserved by them till
the time of Hezekiah, who caused it to be destroyed because it
began to be viewed by the people with superstitious reverence
(2 Kings 18:4) (NEHUSHTAN). The brazen serpent is used
as a type by our Lord in John 3:14, 15. The serpent on the pole
was a symbol of what Christ did on the cross for all mankind.
We must accept His sacrifice or, we too, will die the second death
in the lake of fire. RJS
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Monday, February 17th
The Difference between Good and Evil
Haggai 2:11-14
It is common for people to see
evil as something external. Most of us have good intentions and
so it is difficult to see the evil that is present in our own
hearts. In this text, God challenges the prophet to ask the priests
concerning the ceremonial law. According to the law, holy things
touching other things did not make them holy, however, unclean
things that touched holy things rendered the holy things unclean.
In this text, God applies this spiritual principle to the nation
Israel. Therefore, since the nation of Israel was spiritually
unclean, all their works were also unclean. They knew about God,
but their hearts were not purified by faith.
We read in Proverbs 21:4 …
the plowing of the wicked is sin. At first, we might
think, how can this be? Yet, if we understand the spiritual principle
revealed in the law, we realize that the wicked are spiritually
unclean. Being unclean, everything that they put their hands to
or touch is also unclean. You see, sin is not just a matter of
the things that we do. Most importantly, it is a matter of what
we are. We choose to do what we do because of what we are. Without
the purification of our hearts through faith in God, nothing we
do is right regardless of how good it is in appearance.
This principle applies not only
to the works of our hands, but also our worship. In Proverbs
21:27 we read, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination:
how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?
Not all is well as far as humanity is concerned. We have all been
touched by Adam’s fall. The spiritual principle illustrated
here ought to make that clear. Without a heart purified by faith
in Christ, we cannot please God. Salvation is a matter of faith
and the heart, not externals. It is common for people to think
that the things they do in life are most important spiritually.
They are not. These things are secondary and they flow from the
heart. We cannot buy our way out of a corrupt heart and gain heaven
with money or deeds. We can be sure of heaven through faith in
Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, God can purify our hearts
and a purified heart will make different choices when it comes
to the things we do in this life. Say, do you trust in Jesus Christ?
If not, why not turn to Him now in faith? DW
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Tuesday, February 18th
Candle Under a Bushel
Matt. 5:15, Mark 4:21, Luke 8:16, 11:33-36
“He who has an (spiritual)
ear to hear, let Him hear.” Jesus uses this phrase many
times in the Bible and it is His call to all people for salvation
and then for obedience. We look at all 4 of these references and
find it interesting that there were a lot of so-called secret
service Christians even in Jesus time of ministry. We see even
more of these today. There are many people who profess to be Christians,
yet their lamps are “hidden under a bushel.” Folks
are ashamed of the gospel message. This statement probably makes
many heads shake in disbelief.
This is the very reason that Jesus
spoke this parable. There were many folks who claimed to be Christian
and yet there was no evidence of any such change taking place
because there was no obedience to Jesus Christ and His commands.
Read John 15. Another clear verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which
says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature. Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become
new.” If you are truly saved, you will have clear evidence
that God the Holy Spirit lives within you. Jesus will be shining
forth in your life. Others will see it. You will be proclaiming
His Word unashamedly. You will bear much fruit and in so doing,
the Heavenly Father is glorified.
The last text in Luke 11:33-36speaks
not only of the lamp shining forth, but also talks of the lamp
of the body. This is crucial to understand. In v. 33, the lamp
speaks of the Word of God. In v. 34 we see the lamp of the body,
which is the eye, speaking of people. Jesus clearly says, if your
(spiritual) eye is good, then your whole body is FULL of (spiritual)
light. But when your eye is bad, (spiritually dead) your body
is also full of darkness. The problem lies with perception. People
don’t lack enough light, because God’s Word is faithfully
and regularly preached, as is His Word readily available to those
who will seek it. No, the problem is that people need genuine
hearts that will believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
man comes to the Father but by me.” The question is,
“Does your heart believe it?”
Heavenly Father, may we pray today
for hearts that will believe what Your Holy Word has said. Forgive
us of unbelief and disobedience. Guide us and help us in the light
of Your Truth. Amen. DM
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Wednesday, February 19th
Is Your House built on the Rock or on Sand?
Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49
The American Southwest is much
like Israel. Israel stretches from Elat on the south at 29.5 degrees
latitude to 33.2 degrees north on the Lebanese border. Southern
California, Arizona and New Mexico are 31.4 to 37 degrees latitude.
Both are semi-desert and prone to flash floods and sedimentary
filled streams that are dry most of the year. Our Lord used such
a piece of land as an illustration of the foolishness of building
on the sand. Here, in Grand Junction, the soil is much like that
referred to in our parable. Most of the Grand Valley is an old
riverbed and is unstable land.
Our Lord was using this parable
to teach the people that to build their faith on fables and superstitions
was to be destroyed when the flood- waters of judgment came upon
them. The Apostle Paul brings this to mind again in 1 Corinthians
3:9-10 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s
husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace
of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have
laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. The “Foundation”
here is Christ and the emphasis is for the Christians to build
on the same faith (i.e. Christ) that Paul was building on. The
writer of the Book of Hebrews reinforces this for us,Hebrews
3:5-6, And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a
servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken
after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are
we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope
firm unto the end. And again in 1 Peter 2:5 Ye also,
as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
The application of the parable
is how we build our spiritual life. We cannot sow our wild oats
on Saturday night and go to church on Sunday morning and pray
for a crop failure. The carnal man builds his house on the sand,
(i.e. the one who lives after the flesh). The spiritual person
builds on the “ROCK,” that is Christ. He or
she walks and talks the same words and deeds. Let’s examine
our hearts and see if there be any wicked ways that need to be
put under the blood of Christ. RJS
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Thursday, February 20th
The New Covenant
Matthew 9:14-17
There is a great difference between
the Old and the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the people’s
relationship with God was indirect through the law. Under the
New Covenant, we have a direct relationship with God. Jesus did
many things that were very troubling to the popular understanding
of godliness. He healed on the Sabbath days. This, above all else,
seems to be responsible for His crucifixion. He ate food with
unwashed hands, and here, the disciples of John the Baptist noted
that Jesus’ disciples did not fast. This did not seem right
to them.
Jesus uses something they could
relate to through life experience. They understood that it was
necessary to place new wine in new wineskins. They understood
that you could not mend old garments with new cloth. New things
have a flexibility that old things have lost. With the New Covenant,
we have a direct relationship with God through His Spirit. It
should come as no surprise to us that the direct presence of the
Holy Spirit has a deeper and more lasting Spiritual impact on
the life, than any fasting. If the Spirit leads us to fast, it
is one thing, but to turn to fasting rather than the Spirit, is
a mistake.
Sadly, many people under the New
Covenant seem to identify more with standards and externals like
fasting, than with the Holy Spirit. This is a mistake. If we are
seeking God, we can raise no higher than opening our heart to
the Spirit of God. If we go elsewhere, our spiritual state will
be made worse and not better. There is nothing better under the
New Covenant than being in Christ and the Spirit of God directing
and empowering our lives. To turn to anything else, however good
it is, can only result in our spiritual ruin. This is Christian
liberty.Romans 8:14 …as many as are led by the Spirit
of God, they are the sons of God. The law was a bondage that
the Jews found they could not keep. As the leaders of the church
discussed circumcision they asked, Acts 15:10 …why tempt
ye God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither
our fathers nor we were able to bear? When the relationship
with God was indirect, the law was an impossible burden. Under
the New Covenant, we should look directly to God for important
spiritual help and direction. DW
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Friday, February 21st
New Wine in Old Bottles
Matt. 9:14-17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37
Traditions; these are situational
things and ways of doing them, which have been passed down from
one generation to the next, and not necessarily good nor bad.
Unfortunately, traditions many times become gospel and are held
higher than the Scriptures themselves. The saying, “It is
hard to teach an old dog new tricks” really fits here. Many
folks will say, “we’ve never done it that way before,”
as if the tradition is more important than the truths and principles
of God’s Word. This was the case as Jesus spoke to the traditions
of the Pharisees and their arguments for fasting. The Pharisees
were steeped in their traditions, and hypocritically placed tradition
way above the Holy Truths of God’s Word, especially as they
spoke of what others ought to do. Many times the things the Pharisees
spoke of that others should do, they themselves were not even
willing to do. Tradition and ceremony should never take the place
of God’s Holy Word!
Jesus got right to the point. He
compared the analogy of using new cloth for the patching of old
cloth that needed mending. This was likened to the New Covenant
Truth with the old Mosaic ceremonial forms. This can be likened
also to the person who claims to be a Christian, but does things
according to the old nature. This simply should not be. If a person
truly has Christ, their lives are clearly changed and different.
Then Jesus spoke of not putting
new wine into the old wineskins. Jesus used this illustration
to teach that the forms of old rituals, such as ceremonial fasting
practiced by the Pharisees and John’s disciples, were not
fit for the new wine of the New Covenant. In other words, what
the Pharisees were doing in fasting or any other ritual had no
part with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead, we should “prove
what is acceptable unto God.” The law condemned man, but
Jesus sets us free! Christ did not come to abolish the law, but
to fulfill it. “Jesus came that we might have life and that
we might have it more abundantly!”
Gracious and Merciful God and Father
of our Savior, Jesus Christ, how we thank You for Your unending
love toward sinners. Guide us, O Great Jehovah, according to Your
loving kindness and Your Truth. Grant us wisdom so that we might
live fully for Thee; in Jesus Name, Amen. DM
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Saturday, February 22nd
The Sign of Jonah
Matthew 12:38-40
Matthew 12:38-40, Then certain
of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master,
we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them,
An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there
shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s
belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights
in the heart of the earth. Signs were given in the Old Testament
to identify the Messiah.
There are many Messianic signs
in the Old Testament, but space will only allow us to turn to
one of the greatest. Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord GOD
is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison
to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the
LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that
mourn. Our Saviour stopped short as recorded in Luke 4:19.
He quit reading before He would have read and the day of vengeance
of our God; to comfort all that mourn. These words apply to
Christ’s Second Advent, when He returns to set up His kingdom
on the earth.
Moses sought a sign and God gave
him the rod-serpent and the leprous hand. (Ex. 4:1-7). Gideon
sought two signs (Judges 6:36-40). The wet fleece on dry ground
and the dry fleece on wet ground. The Jews were always looking
for a sign. Unfortunately, they were given many signs and failed
to see the truth when it was revealed to them.
The sign of Jonah was to show the
Jews how Jesus would die and be raised again. This is the greatest
sign even yet today. It is unfortunate that non-Catholic churches
have accepted the tradition of His death on Friday and resurrection
on Sunday. There is no way you can account for three days in the
tomb. Remember, the Jews counted (and still do) the day as beginning
at sundown rather than as we do at midnight. Therefore, Jesus
was put in the tomb before sundown on Wednesday. He was in the
tomb according to Jewish days, Thurs., Fri. and Sat. He arose
sometime before sunrise on Sunday fulfilling the sign of Jonah.
RJS
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Sunday, February 23rd
The Heart
Matthew 3:4-9
This is really a parable more about
the soil or the heart, than the seed. Only one of the four cases
mentioned brings forth fruit. God’s Word does not have the
same impact on all people. The seed that fell by the wayside did
not even begin to show evidence of life. In this situation, the
person does not even understand and the truth does not even enter
the heart. The Spirit of God and the Word of God must soften the
heart before the seed can even enter the heart. People who have
not had the opportunity to hear the truth of God’s Word
and open their hearts to it, will be blind to the Gospel message.
The other three hearts are able
to receive the word, but only one of the three brings forth fruit.
A hard heart is one that turns from truth and embraces sin. We
read in John 3:19 where Jesus said, this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. It is destructive
spiritually to turn from truth and embrace evil for personal pleasure.
This is what hardens the ground and keeps the seed of God’s
Word from bearing fruit in our lives.
Not all people harden themselves
through sin. Some open their hearts to the Word, but don’t
close their hearts to evil. They are just hearers of the Word.
This too, is destructive. God’s Word can and will do a work
in our hearts if we do not resist. God is not willing that any
should perish. We can resist either actively by turning to evil
or passively, not resisting evil. In the end, the result is still
destructive. It is only as we allow the Word to do its work in
our hearts that we will find a thorough transformation of heart
and life to fruitfulness. All healthy living things bear fruit.
It is only as our lives reproduce spiritually and bring forth
fruit that we are mature in the faith.
Whenever we encounter a heart or
a life that is lacking in either bringing others to faith in Christ
or the fruits of the Spirit, we can be sure something is wrong.
They are either actively turning to evil or passively not resisting
it in their lives. Faithful believers are to put off the old man
and put on the new man. We need to be faithful and fruitful in
our faith. DW
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Monday, February 24th
The Wheat and the Tares
Matt. 13:24 - 43
This parable speaks so loudly today
as to deafen the hearers. This picture is given to true believers
to help us understand that as Christ is building His church, Satan
is also seeking to destroy it. Everywhere that Christ plants (grain)
true believers, Satan also plants (weeds) unbelievers. Many times
these unbelievers are so realistic and convincing that it is very
difficult for true believers to tell the difference.
We ought not to be surprised though.
Jesus told us that this would be the case. The scriptures say
that Satan is a liar, the father of liars, and the truth is not
in him. He will be dealt with in due time, but right now he is
a formidable enemy. True believers need to really come to grips
with this truth. Satan is a liar and he is out to deceive whomever
he can. He is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
This is a picture of a lion on a hill, roaring away and making
a lot of noise, getting the attention of the prey down in the
valley, while, unbeknown to them, the enemy is sneaking up from
behind. Be on guard, O Christian! Jesus has already won the Victory!
Jesus Christ is the Captain of our Salvation! Guard your hearts
Believers, from the sway of the evil one. Protect your minds Children
of God, from the world and its sinful ways. Realize that the enemy
doesn’t come from without, but from within. We need to know
God’s truth if we are to stand, but stand we can, when we
use the tools of the Faith! In the end, God will sort out the
wheat and the tares, the true believers who lived lives of obedience,
from those who only professed to know Him. God will cast the unbelievers
into the Lake of Fire with weeping and gnashing of teeth, but
His own children, He will gather unto Himself in Glory. This is
a precious truth that True Believers can take heart in. “For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.” “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
V.43.
O Dear Lord, we are admonished
to watch and pray. Help us to guard the Truths of Your Holy Word
in our hearts that we might not sin against Thee. Protect us from
the tares and from the evil one. May we be true and obedient children
of light as we stand as Soldiers of the Cross. Guard our hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord! Amen. DM
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Tuesday, February 25th
The Parable of the Mustard Tree
Matthew 13:31-32 and Luke 13:18-19
Matthew 13:31-32, Another parable
put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like
to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his
field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is
grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so
that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
Most commentators equate this with the church. Why? Because Jesus
knew that the Jews would reject Him and His doctrine. The answer
is simple, John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received
him not. He knew before He left heaven that His mission here
on earth was to establish the church, because the Jews would reject
Him as they did the Prophets. Stop and think what a handful of
followers did after Pentecost. Acts 17:6b … These that
have turned the world upside down are come hither also. What a
testimony! Twelve men went forth to preach in an age of polytheism,
heathenism and persecution from the government. It was an impossible
task, and in the flesh they would have failed, but when the Spirit
of God is in dedicated men, nothing is impossible. That small
mustard seed about 1/16 of an inch in diameter would become a
tree so large that it has stood the ravages of time and the opposition
of Satan and all that he could throw at it. “Christ is King
and sovereign Head over His Church and over all things to His
Church (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; Col. 1:18; 2:19). He executes this mediatorial
kingship in His Church and over His Church and over all things
in behalf of His Church.
“Christ’s mediatorial
kingdom may be regarded as comprehending, (1) His kingdom of power.
(2) His kingdom of grace, which is wholly spiritual in its subjects
and administration; and (3) His kingdom of glory, which is the
consummation of all His providential and gracious administration.”
“Christ as Prophet and Priest,
from the time of the fall of man, when He entered into His mediatorial
work. It may be said that He was publicly and formally enthroned
when He ascended up on high and sat down at the Father’s
right hand (Ps. 2:6; Jer. 23:5; Isa. 9:6) after His work of humiliation
and suffering on earth was ‘finished.’” Easton’s
Bible Dictionary RJS
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Wednesday, February 26th
The Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 13:33-35
This parable has prophetic significance.
The kingdom of heaven represents God’s spiritual kingdom
on this earth between the first and Second Coming of Jesus Christ
to this earth. In the Bible, leaven is a picture of evil. During
the feast of unleavened bread, God’s people were to remove
all leaven from their houses. The Bible teaches that the kingdom
of heaven will become increasingly corrupt.
In the book of Revelation, we find
at the end of this church age, Jesus Christ is outside the door
of the church. We read in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus says to
His people, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me. Of this same church, we
read in Revelation 3:17 where they said, I am rich, and increased
with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou
art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.The
same is true of leaven, it is impossible to stop its work. The
enemy cannot stop the truth or the church of God. He can only
take the outward appearance of truth and distort it for his own
personal agenda. The self-deception here is the same we find in
the heart of Eve at the Garden of Eden.
Thus, we have a picture of this
present church age. The truth is unstoppable. People cannot get
away from it. However, they can embrace it outwardly and use it
as a vehicle to further their own selfish and sinful agenda. We
have seen this in varying degrees throughout church history, but
it will be pervasive at the end of the age. The church at the
end of the age will be an outwardly prosperous, but inwardly bankrupt
church.
Before this can happen in the church,
it must first happen in the hearts and lives of individuals. It
is not enough to have the outward forms of faith and godliness.
We need the power of God in our hearts and lives. The power of
God will transform lives. The power of God will impact communities
and the power of God is not present where there is a life out
of tune with the principles of God’s Word. We need to be
sure that the power of God is at work in our hearts. DW
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Thursday, February 27th
The Hidden Treasure
Matt. 13:44
Where your heart is, that is where
your treasure is also. Today’s parable, given here to the
disciples, is crucial for us to understand. Jesus gives us the
precious words of life from this one verse. The gospel is the
treasure that Jesus is speaking of. The kingdom of Heaven is most
precious. We see here that this treasure comes through Jesus Christ
and it is the most valuable treasure that a person can possess.
When a person finds this most valuable
treasure, he does at least 5 different things. First, he hides
and protects this treasure in his heart and life. He lays hold
of the gospel and does not let it go. He resolves to possess the
treasure. Deut. 4:29. Secondly, he approaches Christ and makes
a decision. Christ gives man invitation after invitation to seek
His mercy. Matt. 11:28. Thirdly, this decision involves selling
all a person has. In other words, he repents of his sin, he turns
away from his former life and turns toward God. The person is
willing to sell all that he has and turn to God to gain the priceless
treasure. He is not only willing, but he gives up and denies all.
He lives a life of self-discipline. This involves the sacrifice
of personal desires and ambitions, cravings and wants, lusts and
possessions. It involves the person’s entire life. 2 Cron.
7:14.
Fourthly, he buys; that is, he
commits all and gives all to possess the treasure of salvation.
He realizes that it is worth anything, to lay hold of Jesus Christ.
He presents his body as a living sacrifice, Holy, acceptable unto
God. He is not conformed to this world, but is transformed by
the renewing of his mind that he may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God in his life. Rom. 12:1,2. Fifthly,
he joys; he experiences the completeness and satisfaction of the
treasure of Jesus Christ. He experiences abundant life, John 10:10,
he experiences completeness, Col. 2:10, and he experiences the
fruit of the Holy Spirit, Gal. 5:22, 23. May you and I be this
kind of person, a treasure hunter who loves and lives for Jesus
Christ, the greatest treasure of eternal life.
Dear Lord, Thank You for these
precious reminders of the treasures that You have in store for
those that love You and serve You faithfully. Help us not to be
distracted by, nor desire the temporary worldly things. Instead
guide us in Your Eternally Saving Treasure of Truth! Amen. DM
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Friday, February 28th
Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
Matthew 13:45-46
Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly
pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went
and sold all that he had, and bought it.Some of our songs
seem to teach that there is great reward when we get to heaven.
That’s true, but Christianity is not a “pie in the
sky reward”; it’s something for today. It’s
as real in our hearts and lives today as when we arrive in Heaven.
The merchant in our parable is willing to give up all he owns
to possess this one exceedingly beautiful pearl. Are we willing
to give up material blessings to obtain a Spirit filled life here
on earth? This reminds us of the contrast between the rich young
ruler who was not willing to go all the way in following Jesus
and the merchant who sells all to gain this pearl.
It is the conviction of this writer
that this parable has a much larger application than a pearl.
We believe this refers to the “Spirit Controlled Life”
which should be the desire of every born again believer. It is
unfortunate that most Christians are satisfied just to be saved
and sometimes express themselves by saying, “All I want
is a back seat in heaven.” How sad! We should all desire
to be as close to our Lord as possible not only in heaven, but
right here and now. It should be our desire and testimony to our
loved ones and friends that, by our words and deeds, they may
see Christ.
This parable reminds us of another
scripture, Malachi 3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD
of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. In other
words, the Lord is in the process of polishing and smoothing all
the rough spots off each Christian so that not only in heaven,
but here and now, we will shine for Him. This can only be successful
if we are willing to submit our lives to the Holy Spirit and let
Him lead in every word and action before our fellow men, as well
as, what we do and say in secret. Ephesians 5:18 And be not
drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.
The word “filled” in the Greek is in the present imperative
and is best translated “be ye filled and overflowing moment
by moment,” or 24/7. RJS
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