"But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied." (Psalm 38:19, NKJV)
THE MAN OF GOD acknowledges the conflict brought on by his faith. There are individuals in the world that are "my enemies." If this were not so, Jesus would not have told us to "love" our "enemies." (Matt 5:44). They are against us, and are determined to reject the light they see in us. They oppose us because they have no alternative if they prefer this "present evil world" (Gal. 1:4). Such enemies are "lively," or living and active, taking the initiative against us. Their aggression is sometimes remarkable, lacking any support from reason or logic. But these enemies are also "strong" – at least that is how they appear. They are able to adversely affect us by accomplishing what we do not want them to accomplish. These enemies are in society. They are in our homes. They are also in our churches. They bring suffering and sorrow upon the people of God, and they often do so with apparent impunity and strength.
ENEMIES ARE NUMEROUS"They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away" (Psa 69:4). Sometimes our enemies outnumber our friends. Their aggression often provokes us to give rather than take, and to bless when there is no apparent reason to bless. In this, we have our blessed Savior as the supreme example. While men took from Him, He brought blessing to them! He also said, "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you" (Matt 5:44).
ENEMIES DRIVE US TO OUR GOD"All Thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help Thou me" (Psa 119:86). Here, adherence to the Word of God incurred the indignation and hatred of the world. Further, their hatred erupted in persecution: the infliction of pain. Although this takes differing forms, ranging from excommunication from their society to bloody persecution, it all has a common effect: it provokes the persecuted one to call upon the Lord.
AGGRESSION AGAINST THE SAINTS"The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully" (Ezek 22:29). I do not cease to marvel at the hostility of the ungodly. Given due opportunity, they resort to oppression, robbery, and vexation. They seem to care little about the grief experienced by the godly. Whether it is hating Joseph, criticizing Moses, refusing to listen to Jeremiah, or the stoning of Stephen, the enemies of the saints have no regard for their persons, feelings, or advantage."
BEHOLD, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me" (Job 21:27). The wicked concoct reasons to oppress the godly, even creating "devices" to bring the oppression to pass. Many are the believers that have experienced these sufferings – not only from the world in general, but from their own mates, members of their family, or even members of their church.
IT IS NOT OVER YET!"Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause" (Psa 35:19). The persecuted know more than the persecutors! Those who oppose the godly must not take delight in what they have done. By opposing the people of God, such have aligned themselves against God Himself, and He will "avenge His elect," though He appears to "bear long with them" and their prayers seem to be unanswered (Lk 18:7). The day has been appointed when the oppressors of the saints will bow at their feet, worship them, and acknowledge that Jesus has loved them (Rev 3:9).
PERSECUTION FROM PRINCES"Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word" (Psa 119:161). Opposition often comes from those in high circles. Herod killed John the Baptist, and Pilate joined with him in aggression against the Son of God (Lk 23:12). Today we are experiencing subtle opposition from the princes of the world. But it is "without cause" when inflicted upon those living by faith. What will be the reaction of the godly to this ungodly persecution? They stand in awe of the Word of the Lord! They will not tremble and fear before the rulers of this world, but will consider the commitments of the Lord in His Word. There is coming a time when opposition and enemies will cease, and the weary will be at rest. Until that time, we admit we have enemies, but we also admit they are vastly inferior to our God. We choose to put our trust in Him, and have no fear of man.
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
WHAT IS MAN???
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psa 8:4)
THE CROWNING WORK OF GOD was the creation of man. Everything else led up to this wonderful creation. Hear the marvelous words again. "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion . . ." (Gen. 1:26-27).
THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MAN AND THE BRUTE CREATION have proved a stumbling block to the evolutionist. Viewing apparent progression in various forms of life, the uninformed scientist concludes man was the result of a natural progressive process. Independently of purpose, and without the involvement of a Creator, man is thought to have evolved over a lengthy period. The seriousness of this heresy has escaped the attention of many. If random evolution is the "mother of us all," then morality, or the judgment of right and wrong, is something to be determined by every individual. Rather than supporting the false postulate that man evolved from a lower form of life, the similarities between man and some of the brute creation provides evidence of God anticipating His crowning work, humankind.
SCRIPTURE DECLARES THAT the world was created as an arena for mankind. From the higher vantage point, it is a stage upon which the drama of redemption is being enacted. Although man was made from the dust of the earth, it is not his mother. The earth owes its existence to God's purpose for man, and therefore is not an end of itself.
AFTER THE FLOOD
Following the flood, humanity received a fresh start. The mandate to replenish the earth would be given, as the human enterprise resumed. Had the divine image been destroyed? Indeed, it had not. Capital punishment, for instance, was instituted because of God's image within man. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man" (Gen. 9:6). Those who oppose capital punishment only reveal their fundamental variance with God. If it is true that God's image is found in humanity, the effrontery of the malicious taking human life is the ultimate rebellion against God. That is why it is not treated lightly. Human life has value because it has come from God in a special way. Men and women are still in the similitude of God, and thus must be respected (James 3:9).
AS SEEN IN THIS TEXT, the divine image was not destroyed when sin entered the world. Its presence, though marred, became the basis for valid and productive rationality.
THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD
When dealing with confusion in the church, the Spirit reminded the thoughtless of the divine imagery in man. "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God" (1 Cor. 11:7).
THE MARVEL OF THIS STATEMENT is that man is the "glory of God" as well as His image. Here is where God is made known in a unique way. If you were afforded the benefit of seeing and studying an angel, it would be overwhelming. Their might, wisdom, and glory would be staggering. Yet, you would not see as much of God in that angel as enlightened eyes can see in people, particularly the redeemed of the Lord. Divine qualities are found in humanity that are not found anywhere else. Affinity with God is offered to the race of Adam that has not been afforded angels like Michael and Gabriel. Man is an extension of God himself, capable of transcendent things when forgiven and blessed by God.
THE OFFSPRING OF GOD
The thought of God having "offspring" is striking. One term describing Adam is "son of God" (Luke 3:38). Paul dealt a devastating blow to idolatry when he reminded the Athenians and Stoics that even certain of their own heathen poets had perceived this. "For we are also His offspring." (Acts 17:28-29).
IT IS INEXCUSABLE TO THINK of man in isolation from God, and yet we are continually challenged to do so by the world. Sadly, even the professed church joins in this conspiracy of Satan to rob the soul. Forgetting that we are God's offspring constrains men to consider the problems and difficulties of life as though there was no God or relationship with Him. The Spirit well says that it is "God with Whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13), and again, "the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" (Psa. 14:1; 53:1). Proper thought requires that God Himself be a primary consideration.
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF GOD
The early church soon began to drift from the Lord. It became easy for some to claim identity with God without living by faith. James, the brother of our Lord, wrote to correct this condition. He found believers railing on their fellow man, and quickly brought them to task for it. Because man is in the image of God, James resorted to reason. "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God" (James 3:9). There is something to consider.
– Given O. Blakely
THE CROWNING WORK OF GOD was the creation of man. Everything else led up to this wonderful creation. Hear the marvelous words again. "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion . . ." (Gen. 1:26-27).
THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MAN AND THE BRUTE CREATION have proved a stumbling block to the evolutionist. Viewing apparent progression in various forms of life, the uninformed scientist concludes man was the result of a natural progressive process. Independently of purpose, and without the involvement of a Creator, man is thought to have evolved over a lengthy period. The seriousness of this heresy has escaped the attention of many. If random evolution is the "mother of us all," then morality, or the judgment of right and wrong, is something to be determined by every individual. Rather than supporting the false postulate that man evolved from a lower form of life, the similarities between man and some of the brute creation provides evidence of God anticipating His crowning work, humankind.
SCRIPTURE DECLARES THAT the world was created as an arena for mankind. From the higher vantage point, it is a stage upon which the drama of redemption is being enacted. Although man was made from the dust of the earth, it is not his mother. The earth owes its existence to God's purpose for man, and therefore is not an end of itself.
AFTER THE FLOOD
Following the flood, humanity received a fresh start. The mandate to replenish the earth would be given, as the human enterprise resumed. Had the divine image been destroyed? Indeed, it had not. Capital punishment, for instance, was instituted because of God's image within man. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man" (Gen. 9:6). Those who oppose capital punishment only reveal their fundamental variance with God. If it is true that God's image is found in humanity, the effrontery of the malicious taking human life is the ultimate rebellion against God. That is why it is not treated lightly. Human life has value because it has come from God in a special way. Men and women are still in the similitude of God, and thus must be respected (James 3:9).
AS SEEN IN THIS TEXT, the divine image was not destroyed when sin entered the world. Its presence, though marred, became the basis for valid and productive rationality.
THE IMAGE AND GLORY OF GOD
When dealing with confusion in the church, the Spirit reminded the thoughtless of the divine imagery in man. "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God" (1 Cor. 11:7).
THE MARVEL OF THIS STATEMENT is that man is the "glory of God" as well as His image. Here is where God is made known in a unique way. If you were afforded the benefit of seeing and studying an angel, it would be overwhelming. Their might, wisdom, and glory would be staggering. Yet, you would not see as much of God in that angel as enlightened eyes can see in people, particularly the redeemed of the Lord. Divine qualities are found in humanity that are not found anywhere else. Affinity with God is offered to the race of Adam that has not been afforded angels like Michael and Gabriel. Man is an extension of God himself, capable of transcendent things when forgiven and blessed by God.
THE OFFSPRING OF GOD
The thought of God having "offspring" is striking. One term describing Adam is "son of God" (Luke 3:38). Paul dealt a devastating blow to idolatry when he reminded the Athenians and Stoics that even certain of their own heathen poets had perceived this. "For we are also His offspring." (Acts 17:28-29).
IT IS INEXCUSABLE TO THINK of man in isolation from God, and yet we are continually challenged to do so by the world. Sadly, even the professed church joins in this conspiracy of Satan to rob the soul. Forgetting that we are God's offspring constrains men to consider the problems and difficulties of life as though there was no God or relationship with Him. The Spirit well says that it is "God with Whom we have to do" (Heb. 4:13), and again, "the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" (Psa. 14:1; 53:1). Proper thought requires that God Himself be a primary consideration.
IN THE SIMILITUDE OF GOD
The early church soon began to drift from the Lord. It became easy for some to claim identity with God without living by faith. James, the brother of our Lord, wrote to correct this condition. He found believers railing on their fellow man, and quickly brought them to task for it. Because man is in the image of God, James resorted to reason. "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God" (James 3:9). There is something to consider.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, September 24, 2010
NOT CONFOUNDED
"Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." (1 Peter 2:6)
THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS sends us to the Scripture, anchoring our faith in Divine utterance. In the Kingdom of God, the ultimate proof of a matter is not human logic, visible evidence, or popularity with the people. It is always God's Word – what He has said on the subject. And, if God has said nothing concerning the matter, it is unlawful for it to be the primary focus of our thought and speech. This is a principle of God's Kingdom, and is to be embraced.
NOW THE SPIRIT WILL CONFIRM the truth stated in preceding verses. He will justify the choice of Jesus as the Foundation for life, as well as our total dependency upon Him. He will also confirm why our sacrifices are accepted of God "by Jesus Christ."
THE WORD "CONTAINED" is an unusually strong word. Most of the Standard versions are consistent in using this word. The RSV reads, "it stands in Scripture," and the NIV reads "in Scripture it says." But this means more than saying it is in the Bible – although it surely is. The emphasis of the expression is not what is contained, but what does the containing. It is as though the Spirit said, "The Scripture is wrapped around this truth." Isaiah was used to provide the actual statement (Isa 28:16), but all of Scripture supports, and is about, this reality.
GOD HIMSELF PLACED His Son in Zion – where He works, and where He has placed His name – in the following capacities. The words of our text elaborate on these realities. (1) The One through Whom every aspect of God's working is determined: "Chief Corner Stone." (2) God appointed Jesus to this saving ministry, and He has no relevance for men apart from salvation: "Elect." (3) All Kingdom values find their apex in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone brings value and worth to every facet of spiritual life: "Precious."
NO WORD OF SCRIPTURE has been written without regard to the Son of God, Savior of the world. It is all wrapped around Him, testifying of Him (John 5:39).
THE POSITION OF THE "CHIEF CORNER STONE" was itself evidence of God's Sovereignty. The devil sought to thwart the laying of this Stone, and provoked men to do their best to stop it also. Thus it is written, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon My holy hill of Zion" (Psa 2:2-6).
THE PLACEMENT OF THE "CORNER STONE" occurred when Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God (Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22).
BECAUSE JESUS IS THE "ELECT," nothing done independently of Him, or in disassociation from Him, will be recognized by God. God has chosen Him, and will receive no one who fails to choose Him also. Because of the effectiveness of His ministry toward believers, He is "precious," for in Him our hopes are brought to fruition, and our deepest desires satisfied. He is "precious," held in honor and prized most highly, to us, because that is how the Father regards Him. In a very real sense, what God thinks of Jesus is the very root of our acceptance. When we regard Jesus in the same manner as God, He fully receives us. That regard for Jesus is summarized in a single word: "believes." We receive Jesus as God has presented Him, and have cast the weight of our soul and destiny upon Him. In the words of John, we have "believed the record that God gave of His Son" (1 John 5:10).
HERE WE HAVE ONE of the great promises of God: "he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." "Confounded" means "put to shame" (NIV), or "disappointed" (NASB). It means the person who believes on Christ will never be disgraced because of that faith. Such a person will never be made to blush for his unwavering faith in the Chief Corner Stone. Jesus is everything God has declared Him to be, and those who rely upon Him will find that to be true. The believer will never find a single aspect of life that is not supported by the Lord Jesus. There is not a single facet of our being that does not find its ultimate goal in the Son of God. There are no exaggerations about His accomplishments or the value and effectiveness of them. No statement concerning Him is merely rhetorical or metaphorical. The faith that is bold enough to fully embrace Christ, abandoning the poverty of this world and its wisdom, will never be proved wrong, or be dissatisfied.
– Given O. Blakely
THE HOLY SPIRIT ALWAYS sends us to the Scripture, anchoring our faith in Divine utterance. In the Kingdom of God, the ultimate proof of a matter is not human logic, visible evidence, or popularity with the people. It is always God's Word – what He has said on the subject. And, if God has said nothing concerning the matter, it is unlawful for it to be the primary focus of our thought and speech. This is a principle of God's Kingdom, and is to be embraced.
NOW THE SPIRIT WILL CONFIRM the truth stated in preceding verses. He will justify the choice of Jesus as the Foundation for life, as well as our total dependency upon Him. He will also confirm why our sacrifices are accepted of God "by Jesus Christ."
THE WORD "CONTAINED" is an unusually strong word. Most of the Standard versions are consistent in using this word. The RSV reads, "it stands in Scripture," and the NIV reads "in Scripture it says." But this means more than saying it is in the Bible – although it surely is. The emphasis of the expression is not what is contained, but what does the containing. It is as though the Spirit said, "The Scripture is wrapped around this truth." Isaiah was used to provide the actual statement (Isa 28:16), but all of Scripture supports, and is about, this reality.
GOD HIMSELF PLACED His Son in Zion – where He works, and where He has placed His name – in the following capacities. The words of our text elaborate on these realities. (1) The One through Whom every aspect of God's working is determined: "Chief Corner Stone." (2) God appointed Jesus to this saving ministry, and He has no relevance for men apart from salvation: "Elect." (3) All Kingdom values find their apex in the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone brings value and worth to every facet of spiritual life: "Precious."
NO WORD OF SCRIPTURE has been written without regard to the Son of God, Savior of the world. It is all wrapped around Him, testifying of Him (John 5:39).
THE POSITION OF THE "CHIEF CORNER STONE" was itself evidence of God's Sovereignty. The devil sought to thwart the laying of this Stone, and provoked men to do their best to stop it also. Thus it is written, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon My holy hill of Zion" (Psa 2:2-6).
THE PLACEMENT OF THE "CORNER STONE" occurred when Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God (Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Heb 1:3; 1 Pet 3:22).
BECAUSE JESUS IS THE "ELECT," nothing done independently of Him, or in disassociation from Him, will be recognized by God. God has chosen Him, and will receive no one who fails to choose Him also. Because of the effectiveness of His ministry toward believers, He is "precious," for in Him our hopes are brought to fruition, and our deepest desires satisfied. He is "precious," held in honor and prized most highly, to us, because that is how the Father regards Him. In a very real sense, what God thinks of Jesus is the very root of our acceptance. When we regard Jesus in the same manner as God, He fully receives us. That regard for Jesus is summarized in a single word: "believes." We receive Jesus as God has presented Him, and have cast the weight of our soul and destiny upon Him. In the words of John, we have "believed the record that God gave of His Son" (1 John 5:10).
HERE WE HAVE ONE of the great promises of God: "he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded." "Confounded" means "put to shame" (NIV), or "disappointed" (NASB). It means the person who believes on Christ will never be disgraced because of that faith. Such a person will never be made to blush for his unwavering faith in the Chief Corner Stone. Jesus is everything God has declared Him to be, and those who rely upon Him will find that to be true. The believer will never find a single aspect of life that is not supported by the Lord Jesus. There is not a single facet of our being that does not find its ultimate goal in the Son of God. There are no exaggerations about His accomplishments or the value and effectiveness of them. No statement concerning Him is merely rhetorical or metaphorical. The faith that is bold enough to fully embrace Christ, abandoning the poverty of this world and its wisdom, will never be proved wrong, or be dissatisfied.
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
HE IS PRECIOUS
"Unto you therefore which believe He is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the Head of the corner, and a Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word." (1 Peter 1:7-8)
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE in people is not found in their works, but in their faith. To be sure, believers are different from the world in their manner of life. That is why their "light" can shine among men. They express themselves differently from the world. Yet, the root of all of their distinctiveness is their faith. Believing is the cause of an acceptable life! Apart from faith, it is not possible to please God, or to live for Him.
THE SPIRIT NOW ARTICULATES the first and foremost effect of believing: it makes Jesus "precious" to us. He is "the pearl of great price" (Matt 13:46), and the "bright and Morning Star" (Rev 22:16). When it comes to nourishment, He is the "Bread" that came down from heaven, giving life to the world (John 6:35,41). The insatiable thirst of the human spirit is satisfied alone in Him (John 4:14; 6:35). He is the "Door" of entrance into the sheepfold (John 10:7), and the "Light" that brightens our day (John 8:12). To us, Jesus is most highly esteemed and honored. We are willing to give up anything but Him, and declare war on anything that threatens our possession of Him. "He is precious!" As Isaiah said, He is "a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people" (Isa 28:5).
BUT WHY HAS THIS PRECIOUSNESS OCCURRED? What has caused the people of God to regard Jesus so highly? It is their faith: it is because they have believed the record God has given of His Son (1 John 5:10-11). When they believed, the Father turned His face toward them, and opened the greatness of His Son to them. It is in this manner – by beholding, or believing in, the Son – that the Father draws us to Him (John 6:44). Note, the Spirit does not say Jesus OUGHT to be precious to those who believe, but that He IS precious to them. Their faith has made Him precious – indispensable, and worthy of aggressive pursuit.
BELIEVING IN JESUS has brought God's view of the Son to us. It has brought us into harmony with heaven, so that we regard Jesus in the same manner, though not as fully, as our Father. God will do nothing toward us without the Son. The believer, obtaining the same mind, will also offer nothing to God apart from the Son.
HUMANITY IS ULTIMATELY DIVIDED into two classes: believers and unbelievers, those who accept the Chief Corner Stone, and those who do not. Here those who fail to believe are referred to as "them which be disobedient." This is so because the consummate disobedience is failing to believe in, and rely totally upon, the Son of God (John 16:9). Those who fail to believe on Christ have done precisely the same thing as "the builders" – the Jewish leaders. They have emphatically rejected Jesus as God has presented Him. God has said His Son is indispensable, and unbelievers have said that He is not. God has said men cannot be received from Him apart from His Son, and unbelievers have dogmatically rejected that fact.
ALTHOUGH JESUS HAS BEEN PLACED as a Chief Corner Stone and sure Foundation, He is also a "Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence." The NIV reads, "A Stone that causes men to stumble and a Rock that makes them fall." Men will be led to glory because they have received Jesus as their "all in all," or they will fall into hell because they have rejected Him in that capacity. Jesus will NOT take second place, for God has already exalted Him "above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Eph 1:21). Flesh is willing to make some place for Jesus, but not the preeminent place. Thus it constrains unbelievers to stumble over Jesus to their own destruction, rather than rely completely upon Him unto their full salvation.
ONLY THE PREACHING OF JESUS will reveal the hearts of men. As long as men preach a social gospel, or a message that centers in humanly perceived needs, the truth will not be known, either about God or men. But when the Son of God is preached in power, those who are approved of God, and those who are not, will be revealed. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the Sure Foundation and the Stone of stumbling – the means through which the destiny of all men is determined. He is the appointed basis of all God's dealing with men. Those who believe on Him see this, and thus Jesus becomes exceedingly precious to them.
– Given O. Blakely
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE in people is not found in their works, but in their faith. To be sure, believers are different from the world in their manner of life. That is why their "light" can shine among men. They express themselves differently from the world. Yet, the root of all of their distinctiveness is their faith. Believing is the cause of an acceptable life! Apart from faith, it is not possible to please God, or to live for Him.
THE SPIRIT NOW ARTICULATES the first and foremost effect of believing: it makes Jesus "precious" to us. He is "the pearl of great price" (Matt 13:46), and the "bright and Morning Star" (Rev 22:16). When it comes to nourishment, He is the "Bread" that came down from heaven, giving life to the world (John 6:35,41). The insatiable thirst of the human spirit is satisfied alone in Him (John 4:14; 6:35). He is the "Door" of entrance into the sheepfold (John 10:7), and the "Light" that brightens our day (John 8:12). To us, Jesus is most highly esteemed and honored. We are willing to give up anything but Him, and declare war on anything that threatens our possession of Him. "He is precious!" As Isaiah said, He is "a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people" (Isa 28:5).
BUT WHY HAS THIS PRECIOUSNESS OCCURRED? What has caused the people of God to regard Jesus so highly? It is their faith: it is because they have believed the record God has given of His Son (1 John 5:10-11). When they believed, the Father turned His face toward them, and opened the greatness of His Son to them. It is in this manner – by beholding, or believing in, the Son – that the Father draws us to Him (John 6:44). Note, the Spirit does not say Jesus OUGHT to be precious to those who believe, but that He IS precious to them. Their faith has made Him precious – indispensable, and worthy of aggressive pursuit.
BELIEVING IN JESUS has brought God's view of the Son to us. It has brought us into harmony with heaven, so that we regard Jesus in the same manner, though not as fully, as our Father. God will do nothing toward us without the Son. The believer, obtaining the same mind, will also offer nothing to God apart from the Son.
HUMANITY IS ULTIMATELY DIVIDED into two classes: believers and unbelievers, those who accept the Chief Corner Stone, and those who do not. Here those who fail to believe are referred to as "them which be disobedient." This is so because the consummate disobedience is failing to believe in, and rely totally upon, the Son of God (John 16:9). Those who fail to believe on Christ have done precisely the same thing as "the builders" – the Jewish leaders. They have emphatically rejected Jesus as God has presented Him. God has said His Son is indispensable, and unbelievers have said that He is not. God has said men cannot be received from Him apart from His Son, and unbelievers have dogmatically rejected that fact.
ALTHOUGH JESUS HAS BEEN PLACED as a Chief Corner Stone and sure Foundation, He is also a "Stone of stumbling, and a Rock of offence." The NIV reads, "A Stone that causes men to stumble and a Rock that makes them fall." Men will be led to glory because they have received Jesus as their "all in all," or they will fall into hell because they have rejected Him in that capacity. Jesus will NOT take second place, for God has already exalted Him "above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Eph 1:21). Flesh is willing to make some place for Jesus, but not the preeminent place. Thus it constrains unbelievers to stumble over Jesus to their own destruction, rather than rely completely upon Him unto their full salvation.
ONLY THE PREACHING OF JESUS will reveal the hearts of men. As long as men preach a social gospel, or a message that centers in humanly perceived needs, the truth will not be known, either about God or men. But when the Son of God is preached in power, those who are approved of God, and those who are not, will be revealed. Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the Sure Foundation and the Stone of stumbling – the means through which the destiny of all men is determined. He is the appointed basis of all God's dealing with men. Those who believe on Him see this, and thus Jesus becomes exceedingly precious to them.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, September 20, 2010
A UNIQUE COVENANT
"I will make a new covenant . . . Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord" (Hebrews 8:8-9, NKJV).
THE NEW COVENANT PRESUMED the reconciliation of the people. The Old Covenant presumed the basic alienation of the people. That is why the accent of the Old Covenant was placed upon doing, as distinguished from the New Covenant which places the emphasis on believing and being. The New Covenant is, in every way, unique.
THE NEW COVENANT BEGINS with the remission of sins, and announces the identity of the people with God. Everyone in the New Covenant begins by being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col 1:13). Those within the covenant are not striving for identity with God, they possess it through Jesus Christ. God, who puts us into Christ, makes Him to be "unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).
THIS IDENTITY IS NOT A MERE FORMALITY – as with Israel of old. They were God's people because of their relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a GROUP identity, not an individual one. The people did not have the character of God, and were not "partakers of the Divine nature" – a status enjoyed by those in Christ Jesus (2 Pet 1:4). The Word of God chaffed against their unregenerate souls – unregenerate because their hearts were not circumcised, and they were not born again. They did not feel comfortable in the presence of God, for their natures were unlike His. The glory of God and their persons were simply incompatible. That condition describes everyone outside of Christ, religious or not.
BUT IT IS NOT SO IN THE NEW COVENANT! Here, the association of the individual with God is very real and personal. Believers have been "joined unto the Lord," and are "one spirit" with Him (1 Cor 6:17). They have been "justified from all things" upon the basis of a sacrifice offered by another, even the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 13:39). Their names are already written in heaven (Lk 10:20; Heb 12:23). They already have an eternal inheritance reserved for them in heaven (Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4).
HERE WE SEE ANOTHER REFRESHING ASPECT of the New Covenant. It confirms "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day" (Prov 4:18 NIV). In the New Covenant, it is not merely a matter of restraining a basically sinful nature. Rather, it also involves culturing a basically godly nature – the "new man" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10).
LET NO ONE SUPPOSE that those in Christ no longer confront the sinful nature, or "flesh." It is still within us like a lingering and unwelcome enemy. It must therefore be crucified and mortified (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5). For the New Covenant person, however, the real "I" lives by faith in Christ (Gal 2:20). It serves the law of God (Rom 7:25), and does not have a desire to sin (Rom 7:17). Because the regenerated part of the believer is superior, being "born of God" (1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18), those in Christ are "MORE than conquerors through him that loved" them" (Rom 8:37).
THE LAW PROMISED LIFE to those who worked, fulfilling its demands to the finest detail: i.e., "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them" (Rom 10:5). But those in Christ Jesus, constituents of the New Covenant, "BELIEVE to the saving of the soul" (Heb 10:39), and BELIEVE "for everlasting life" (1 Tim 1:16).
THESE MARVELOUS CIRCUMSTANCES set the stage for considering perseverance. Those in Christ Jesus have been given resources that will enable them to finish the race, be faithful until death, and be steadfast and unmoveable. It is true that only those who "endure to the end will be saved" (Matt 24:13). We should be reminded of this, lest an "evil heart of unbelief" be found in us, resulting in our departure "from the living God" (Heb 3:12). Those, however, who make this their main message have come short of their responsibility. The saints are to be reminded of the marvelous grace and power that have been given to them. They are all part of the New Covenant.
IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, you are within the New Covenant. You are already accepted by God, have been pronounced righteous, and have been given everything that "pertains to life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3). God requires nothing of you that you cannot do, and do well! You can "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10). However, all of this is done within the confines of the New Covenant. It will be accomplished by God's grace and through your faith. If you have not done well in the matter of achieving, start majoring on believing.
– Given O. Blakely
THE NEW COVENANT PRESUMED the reconciliation of the people. The Old Covenant presumed the basic alienation of the people. That is why the accent of the Old Covenant was placed upon doing, as distinguished from the New Covenant which places the emphasis on believing and being. The New Covenant is, in every way, unique.
THE NEW COVENANT BEGINS with the remission of sins, and announces the identity of the people with God. Everyone in the New Covenant begins by being delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Col 1:13). Those within the covenant are not striving for identity with God, they possess it through Jesus Christ. God, who puts us into Christ, makes Him to be "unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor 1:30).
THIS IDENTITY IS NOT A MERE FORMALITY – as with Israel of old. They were God's people because of their relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a GROUP identity, not an individual one. The people did not have the character of God, and were not "partakers of the Divine nature" – a status enjoyed by those in Christ Jesus (2 Pet 1:4). The Word of God chaffed against their unregenerate souls – unregenerate because their hearts were not circumcised, and they were not born again. They did not feel comfortable in the presence of God, for their natures were unlike His. The glory of God and their persons were simply incompatible. That condition describes everyone outside of Christ, religious or not.
BUT IT IS NOT SO IN THE NEW COVENANT! Here, the association of the individual with God is very real and personal. Believers have been "joined unto the Lord," and are "one spirit" with Him (1 Cor 6:17). They have been "justified from all things" upon the basis of a sacrifice offered by another, even the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 13:39). Their names are already written in heaven (Lk 10:20; Heb 12:23). They already have an eternal inheritance reserved for them in heaven (Heb 9:15; 1 Pet 1:4).
HERE WE SEE ANOTHER REFRESHING ASPECT of the New Covenant. It confirms "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day" (Prov 4:18 NIV). In the New Covenant, it is not merely a matter of restraining a basically sinful nature. Rather, it also involves culturing a basically godly nature – the "new man" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10).
LET NO ONE SUPPOSE that those in Christ no longer confront the sinful nature, or "flesh." It is still within us like a lingering and unwelcome enemy. It must therefore be crucified and mortified (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5). For the New Covenant person, however, the real "I" lives by faith in Christ (Gal 2:20). It serves the law of God (Rom 7:25), and does not have a desire to sin (Rom 7:17). Because the regenerated part of the believer is superior, being "born of God" (1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18), those in Christ are "MORE than conquerors through him that loved" them" (Rom 8:37).
THE LAW PROMISED LIFE to those who worked, fulfilling its demands to the finest detail: i.e., "For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them" (Rom 10:5). But those in Christ Jesus, constituents of the New Covenant, "BELIEVE to the saving of the soul" (Heb 10:39), and BELIEVE "for everlasting life" (1 Tim 1:16).
THESE MARVELOUS CIRCUMSTANCES set the stage for considering perseverance. Those in Christ Jesus have been given resources that will enable them to finish the race, be faithful until death, and be steadfast and unmoveable. It is true that only those who "endure to the end will be saved" (Matt 24:13). We should be reminded of this, lest an "evil heart of unbelief" be found in us, resulting in our departure "from the living God" (Heb 3:12). Those, however, who make this their main message have come short of their responsibility. The saints are to be reminded of the marvelous grace and power that have been given to them. They are all part of the New Covenant.
IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST JESUS, you are within the New Covenant. You are already accepted by God, have been pronounced righteous, and have been given everything that "pertains to life and godliness" (2 Pet 1:3). God requires nothing of you that you cannot do, and do well! You can "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10). However, all of this is done within the confines of the New Covenant. It will be accomplished by God's grace and through your faith. If you have not done well in the matter of achieving, start majoring on believing.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, September 17, 2010
THE TRUTH
"And ye shall know the truth, and THE TRUTH shall make you free." (John 8:32)
TRUTH IS ALWAYS FOUND IN THE SINGULAR in Scripture. We never read of "truths" in the Bible, but always of "truth." In God's Word, "truth" speaks of ultimate reality – spiritual substance. It is more than a series of statements that are "true," although all statements of Scripture can be thus defined. Everything in the Word of God is true, and cannot be denied, doubted, or questioned with impunity. However, in this text we are speaking at a higher level, a more foundational view – KNOWING the truth. This not knowing about the truth, but realizing its benefits.
THERE IS A DOMINANT THEME, or center-point, in Scripture. Everything contained therein finds meaning in that locus. The Person of Christ is the personification of that center – He Himself is the Truth (John 14:6). That is why Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:39-40). From the standpoint of Divine objective, it is the "eternal purpose" of God. As it is written, "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:9-11). Nothing in Scripture is unrelated to Christ Jesus, and God's "eternal purpose."
THE BODY OF REALITY, or opening, this focus is "truth." It contains diversity, and yet is perfectly united. No Divine utterance is at fundamental variance with another Word of God. A variety of subjects are addressed in the Word of God, but those subjects are never the heart of Scripture. What is more, they may only be comprehended within the greater light of the Person of Christ and the purpose of God.
SCRIPTURAL STATEMENTS CAN BE properly understood only in the context of the focus of Scripture. That is the greater context of every individual text. While there is value to contextual considerations, they do not yield the optimum benefit. Some advantage may be realized from language studies, historical considerations, and sociological circumstances. However such advantages are only minimal, and will not yield "spiritual understanding."
AT THIS POINT, I want to show the consistency of this view of "truth" in God's Word. Remember, it is always declared in the singular. Several references include the definite article with the word "truth," i.e., "THE truth." This language presupposes a inter-related body of reality; i.e., varying perspectives of a single focus or center. Thus, we do not read of "a truth," "some truth," "part of the truth," or "any truth." Truth can no more be divided than God the Father or the Christ, His Son. The Lord our God is "One," and so is truth!
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH liberates men from the tyranny of the devil and sin. "And ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing "A" truth will not make you free, but knowing "THE" truth will ! This is more than a few Bible verses; it is the spiritual superstructure that supports the Bible verses! From this perspective, "the truth" is not merely information.
WITH THIS IN CONSIDERATION, Jesus came to make known the purpose of God to save humanity for Himself. Everything He said related to that purpose, and nothing was unrelated to it. When asked about truth by the despot Pilate, Jesus stated His mission. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto THE TRUTH. Everyone that is of THE TRUTH heareth my voice" (John 18:37). Pilate was looking for novelties, but Jesus had none to give. He did not come to give interesting disquisitions, but to make known the mind of the Lord. Those with an appetite for God's will and a desire to participate in His eternal purpose have an ear for Jesus. They delight in His words, and sit at His feet. As He said, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27), and there are no exceptions.
THERE ARE TWO MORAL FORCES at work in the world: THE TRUTH and the lie. The truth comes from God and leads to heaven. The lie comes from Satan and leads to the lake of fire. God has promised to destroy all enemies of the truth. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [back] THE TRUTH in unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18). Through wickedness, evil men impede the progress of truth, holding it back, or restraining its dynamic influence upon human hearts. Ungodliness does not merely hold back "A" truth, like that of forgiveness, grace, or spiritual utility. It does obscure the perception of what the Lord is doing, as revealed in the Person of Christ, and the manifestation of God's eternal purpose. There is a sense is which the corruption of any aspect of the truth causes the whole of it to become obscure. Do you "know the truth?"
– Given O. Blakely
TRUTH IS ALWAYS FOUND IN THE SINGULAR in Scripture. We never read of "truths" in the Bible, but always of "truth." In God's Word, "truth" speaks of ultimate reality – spiritual substance. It is more than a series of statements that are "true," although all statements of Scripture can be thus defined. Everything in the Word of God is true, and cannot be denied, doubted, or questioned with impunity. However, in this text we are speaking at a higher level, a more foundational view – KNOWING the truth. This not knowing about the truth, but realizing its benefits.
THERE IS A DOMINANT THEME, or center-point, in Scripture. Everything contained therein finds meaning in that locus. The Person of Christ is the personification of that center – He Himself is the Truth (John 14:6). That is why Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" (John 5:39-40). From the standpoint of Divine objective, it is the "eternal purpose" of God. As it is written, "Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph 1:9-11). Nothing in Scripture is unrelated to Christ Jesus, and God's "eternal purpose."
THE BODY OF REALITY, or opening, this focus is "truth." It contains diversity, and yet is perfectly united. No Divine utterance is at fundamental variance with another Word of God. A variety of subjects are addressed in the Word of God, but those subjects are never the heart of Scripture. What is more, they may only be comprehended within the greater light of the Person of Christ and the purpose of God.
SCRIPTURAL STATEMENTS CAN BE properly understood only in the context of the focus of Scripture. That is the greater context of every individual text. While there is value to contextual considerations, they do not yield the optimum benefit. Some advantage may be realized from language studies, historical considerations, and sociological circumstances. However such advantages are only minimal, and will not yield "spiritual understanding."
AT THIS POINT, I want to show the consistency of this view of "truth" in God's Word. Remember, it is always declared in the singular. Several references include the definite article with the word "truth," i.e., "THE truth." This language presupposes a inter-related body of reality; i.e., varying perspectives of a single focus or center. Thus, we do not read of "a truth," "some truth," "part of the truth," or "any truth." Truth can no more be divided than God the Father or the Christ, His Son. The Lord our God is "One," and so is truth!
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH liberates men from the tyranny of the devil and sin. "And ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing "A" truth will not make you free, but knowing "THE" truth will ! This is more than a few Bible verses; it is the spiritual superstructure that supports the Bible verses! From this perspective, "the truth" is not merely information.
WITH THIS IN CONSIDERATION, Jesus came to make known the purpose of God to save humanity for Himself. Everything He said related to that purpose, and nothing was unrelated to it. When asked about truth by the despot Pilate, Jesus stated His mission. "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto THE TRUTH. Everyone that is of THE TRUTH heareth my voice" (John 18:37). Pilate was looking for novelties, but Jesus had none to give. He did not come to give interesting disquisitions, but to make known the mind of the Lord. Those with an appetite for God's will and a desire to participate in His eternal purpose have an ear for Jesus. They delight in His words, and sit at His feet. As He said, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27), and there are no exceptions.
THERE ARE TWO MORAL FORCES at work in the world: THE TRUTH and the lie. The truth comes from God and leads to heaven. The lie comes from Satan and leads to the lake of fire. God has promised to destroy all enemies of the truth. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold [back] THE TRUTH in unrighteousness" (Rom 1:18). Through wickedness, evil men impede the progress of truth, holding it back, or restraining its dynamic influence upon human hearts. Ungodliness does not merely hold back "A" truth, like that of forgiveness, grace, or spiritual utility. It does obscure the perception of what the Lord is doing, as revealed in the Person of Christ, and the manifestation of God's eternal purpose. There is a sense is which the corruption of any aspect of the truth causes the whole of it to become obscure. Do you "know the truth?"
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
THE REALM OF MAIN THINGS
When you enter the realm of God's Word, you leave the world of trivia and novelty.
GOD IS THE MAIN Person in Scripture. The Bible is not about Israel, Egypt, or Rome. It does not center in Adam, Noah, or Abraham. The dominant Person in Scripture is God – God the Father. It is His will that is executed. Man has fallen from His image, and Jesus came to restore us to Him! He sent Jesus (1 John 4:14), and Jesus is bringing us to God (1 Pet 3:18)! Take God out of the Bible, and there is no purpose for Jesus and no hope for mankind!
SALVATION IS THE MAIN accomplishment. As great as creation was, salvation is better! It is better than any mighty empire built by sinful man – whether Babel, Babylon, or Rome! It is greater than the raising up of Israel from a single person – after he was an old man! Salvation is here set forth as the ultimate human experience!
JESUS IS THE MAIN focus. The Son of God is the exclusive way to the Father. He alone was able to pay the debt that was owed, and raise men from a fallen state. Only He could fully satisfy the Father, providing a reason for God to bless us. The accomplishments of the Son made it possible for God to be both "Just and Justifier" of those believing in Jesus (Rom 3:26). Because of Jesus, individuals are saved without God compromising His Deity or reducing man to a robot. For this reason, Jesus is the subject of preaching, the object of faith, and the ultimate possession.
THE WORLD TO COME IS THE MAIN world. We live in a world that is going down. Yet Satan has deluded people into thinking it is permanent. The Word of God presents the world to come as preeminent. It is "a kingdom which cannot be shaken," and it will "remain" after this "present evil world" has gone up in flame (Heb 12:27; Gal 1:4; 2 Pet 3:10-12).
KNOWING GOD IS THE MAIN thing. The Bible declares the knowledge of God as the primary knowledge. God desires to be known, and takes great delight in those who do know Him (Jer 9:23-24). The new covenant results in all of its constituents knowing the Lord (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10-12). Acquaintance, or personal familiarity, with God is imperative to salvation! To know about rocks and not know the Rock of ages is pointless. To be able to expound on the solar sun, yet be unacquainted with the Son of God amounts to condemnation. Here, in the Word of God, the priority is placed upon knowing the Lord. Apart from this fundamental knowledge, all other knowledge will ultimately be vain and pointless.
– Given O. Blakely
GOD IS THE MAIN Person in Scripture. The Bible is not about Israel, Egypt, or Rome. It does not center in Adam, Noah, or Abraham. The dominant Person in Scripture is God – God the Father. It is His will that is executed. Man has fallen from His image, and Jesus came to restore us to Him! He sent Jesus (1 John 4:14), and Jesus is bringing us to God (1 Pet 3:18)! Take God out of the Bible, and there is no purpose for Jesus and no hope for mankind!
SALVATION IS THE MAIN accomplishment. As great as creation was, salvation is better! It is better than any mighty empire built by sinful man – whether Babel, Babylon, or Rome! It is greater than the raising up of Israel from a single person – after he was an old man! Salvation is here set forth as the ultimate human experience!
JESUS IS THE MAIN focus. The Son of God is the exclusive way to the Father. He alone was able to pay the debt that was owed, and raise men from a fallen state. Only He could fully satisfy the Father, providing a reason for God to bless us. The accomplishments of the Son made it possible for God to be both "Just and Justifier" of those believing in Jesus (Rom 3:26). Because of Jesus, individuals are saved without God compromising His Deity or reducing man to a robot. For this reason, Jesus is the subject of preaching, the object of faith, and the ultimate possession.
THE WORLD TO COME IS THE MAIN world. We live in a world that is going down. Yet Satan has deluded people into thinking it is permanent. The Word of God presents the world to come as preeminent. It is "a kingdom which cannot be shaken," and it will "remain" after this "present evil world" has gone up in flame (Heb 12:27; Gal 1:4; 2 Pet 3:10-12).
KNOWING GOD IS THE MAIN thing. The Bible declares the knowledge of God as the primary knowledge. God desires to be known, and takes great delight in those who do know Him (Jer 9:23-24). The new covenant results in all of its constituents knowing the Lord (Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10-12). Acquaintance, or personal familiarity, with God is imperative to salvation! To know about rocks and not know the Rock of ages is pointless. To be able to expound on the solar sun, yet be unacquainted with the Son of God amounts to condemnation. Here, in the Word of God, the priority is placed upon knowing the Lord. Apart from this fundamental knowledge, all other knowledge will ultimately be vain and pointless.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, September 13, 2010
WILD BY NATURE
" . . . thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree . . . " (Romans 11:24)
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GENTILES is one of the great accomplishments of the salvation of God. As Peter said, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet 2:10). Paul says of the former state we believing Gentiles, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12).
IT WAS SOME TIME before the early church was able to receive the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's "great salvation." For over a decade, or until the conversion of the household of Cornelius, there was no initiative within the body of Christ to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even when Peter was sent to Cornelius' house, it took a special revelation to convince him it was the proper thing to do (Acts 10:10-17).
WHEN THE CONVERSION of the Gentiles was reported to the early church, it spawned great joy among them, as well as several astute observations. Word got to the Apostles and brethren "that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God" (Acts 11:1). When the brethren heard it, they "held their peace, and glorified God." Rather than questioning God, they refused to question what had been done, glorifying the Lord instead. They concluded, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). Others concluded the Lord had "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27).
ALL OF THIS MADE even more remarkable when the condition of the Gentiles is further described. Our text says that in their entirety, the Gentiles were like "an olive tree that is wild by nature" (NIV). Some branches, or individuals, have been taken from this "wild" tree, and grafted into the Jewish olive tree. The Jewish tree was noted for its "root and fatness," or its "rich" and nourishing "root." This "fatness" consisted of the glorious promises that were given in summary form to Abraham, and fully opened up in Christ Jesus. On the other hand, the Gentile tree was noted for being "wild by nature."
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN these two trees was this: one had been cultivated by the Lord, and one had been neglected, growing like an unattended and uncultivated tree in the desert. The latter tree – the Gentile tree – was "wild by nature." No Divine attention was given to this tree – it was "wild," growing without any special attention. It was uncultivated and unfruitful. It had not been watered, pruned, or fertilized. No one – not even God Himself – had made an attempt to develop the tree, protect it from blight and disease, or care for and reap its fruit.
BY SAYING THE TREE was "wild by nature," the Spirit means it had been left to itself. Elsewhere the condition is described as being "given over to a reprobate mind," to do things that were not fitting or proper (Rom 1:28).
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE for good fruit to grow on such a tree! A "wild tree" is a "corrupt tree" that consequently produces "evil," or "bad fruit"(Matt 7:17-18). The appointed destiny of such a tree is to be "hewn down and cast into the fire" (Matt 7:18). It is a tree that the Father has neither planted nor tended, and thus it will be "rooted up" (Matt 15:13).
NOTE, THE LORD DID NOT the entire "wild" olive tree and graft it into the good one. Rather, some branches were "cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature," and grafted into the natural olive tree – the one that had been cultivated by the Lord. Nor, indeed, did he hew down the good olive tree, determining to plant a new one. "Some" withered and unproductive branches from the good olive tree were "broken off," even though they were "natural olive branches" (Rom 11:17).
AT NO POINT is it remotely suggested that the natural tree and the wild tree have been merged. Rather, the natural tree is retained, with the unacceptable branches being removed, and some branches from the wild tree being grafted into it.
WHAT IS WILD and what is cultivated cannot be merged together! Further, there is no hope of surviving if ones primary association is with the "wild tree," or the people who have not been cultivated by the Lord. At some point, the individual has to be joined to the tree God is tending, caring for, and nourishing. That point takes place when a person is "joined to the Lord," or made "partakers of Christ" (1 Cor 6:17; Heb 3:14).
BLESSED DAY, indeed, when we are cut out of the unproductive and wild olive tree!
– Given O. Blakely
THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GENTILES is one of the great accomplishments of the salvation of God. As Peter said, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy" (1 Pet 2:10). Paul says of the former state we believing Gentiles, "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12).
IT WAS SOME TIME before the early church was able to receive the inclusion of the Gentiles in God's "great salvation." For over a decade, or until the conversion of the household of Cornelius, there was no initiative within the body of Christ to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even when Peter was sent to Cornelius' house, it took a special revelation to convince him it was the proper thing to do (Acts 10:10-17).
WHEN THE CONVERSION of the Gentiles was reported to the early church, it spawned great joy among them, as well as several astute observations. Word got to the Apostles and brethren "that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God" (Acts 11:1). When the brethren heard it, they "held their peace, and glorified God." Rather than questioning God, they refused to question what had been done, glorifying the Lord instead. They concluded, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). Others concluded the Lord had "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27).
ALL OF THIS MADE even more remarkable when the condition of the Gentiles is further described. Our text says that in their entirety, the Gentiles were like "an olive tree that is wild by nature" (NIV). Some branches, or individuals, have been taken from this "wild" tree, and grafted into the Jewish olive tree. The Jewish tree was noted for its "root and fatness," or its "rich" and nourishing "root." This "fatness" consisted of the glorious promises that were given in summary form to Abraham, and fully opened up in Christ Jesus. On the other hand, the Gentile tree was noted for being "wild by nature."
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN these two trees was this: one had been cultivated by the Lord, and one had been neglected, growing like an unattended and uncultivated tree in the desert. The latter tree – the Gentile tree – was "wild by nature." No Divine attention was given to this tree – it was "wild," growing without any special attention. It was uncultivated and unfruitful. It had not been watered, pruned, or fertilized. No one – not even God Himself – had made an attempt to develop the tree, protect it from blight and disease, or care for and reap its fruit.
BY SAYING THE TREE was "wild by nature," the Spirit means it had been left to itself. Elsewhere the condition is described as being "given over to a reprobate mind," to do things that were not fitting or proper (Rom 1:28).
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE for good fruit to grow on such a tree! A "wild tree" is a "corrupt tree" that consequently produces "evil," or "bad fruit"(Matt 7:17-18). The appointed destiny of such a tree is to be "hewn down and cast into the fire" (Matt 7:18). It is a tree that the Father has neither planted nor tended, and thus it will be "rooted up" (Matt 15:13).
NOTE, THE LORD DID NOT the entire "wild" olive tree and graft it into the good one. Rather, some branches were "cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature," and grafted into the natural olive tree – the one that had been cultivated by the Lord. Nor, indeed, did he hew down the good olive tree, determining to plant a new one. "Some" withered and unproductive branches from the good olive tree were "broken off," even though they were "natural olive branches" (Rom 11:17).
AT NO POINT is it remotely suggested that the natural tree and the wild tree have been merged. Rather, the natural tree is retained, with the unacceptable branches being removed, and some branches from the wild tree being grafted into it.
WHAT IS WILD and what is cultivated cannot be merged together! Further, there is no hope of surviving if ones primary association is with the "wild tree," or the people who have not been cultivated by the Lord. At some point, the individual has to be joined to the tree God is tending, caring for, and nourishing. That point takes place when a person is "joined to the Lord," or made "partakers of Christ" (1 Cor 6:17; Heb 3:14).
BLESSED DAY, indeed, when we are cut out of the unproductive and wild olive tree!
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, September 10, 2010
PROVISIONS FOR YOURSELVES
"Prepare provisions for YOURSELVES . . . " (Josh 1:11)
AT THE TIME OF OUR TEXT, Moses, the servant of the Lord, had died. He was not allowed to enter into the promised land because he was provoked by the people to speak hastily and to strike the water-yielding rock instead of speaking to it. Of this circumstance, the Psalmist said, "They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips" (Psa 106:32-33). That reveals another decided disadvantage of being in the company of the ungodly. They can provoke things to come out of us that are better held within.
GOD SPOKE TO JOSHUA saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Josh 1:2). He promised to give them every place on which the soles of their feet walked, so that their only real limitation was a failure to survey and walk within the land which God had given to them. Wherever they walked, no one would "be able to stand" before them. God would remain with them, as long as they walked before Him. Therefore, the Lord urged Joshua to be "strong and very courageous," knowing that he was going to divide the land to the people, just as God had promised their fathers (1:5-7).
IMMEDIATELY JOSHUA CALLED the officers of the people, delivering a solemn word to them. They were to prepare the people to enter into and possess the promised land. "Within three days" they would cross over Jordan, going into the land to possess it. But they were not to go into the land unprepared. The officers were to command the people, "Prepare you victuals," or provisions of food. Other versions read, "Get ready a store of food" (BBE), "make provisions ready" (NJB), and "prepare for YOURSELVES provisions" (YLT).
AT THIS POINT, THE PEOPLE were still receiving manna from heaven – a provision that did not cease until the sixteenth day of Nisan, well after they were in the promised land (Josh 5:12). However, that manna had to be "gathered," "ground . . . in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it" (Num 11:8). Additionally, being on the borders of Moab and Midian, and occupying the rich county of Bashan and Gilead, they could obtain any other supplies that were required. Many are of the opinion this involved meat, or game, which the word "victuals," or "provisions," suggests.
THREE DAYS LATER, when the people crossed over into the promised land, they confronted Jericho. This city was delivered into their hands. However, the city and everything in it was "accursed" (6:17). Consequently, the Israelites were not to take anything out of Jericho, keeping it for themselves. As it is written, "And ye, in any wise keep YOURSELVES from the accursed thing, lest ye make YOURSELVES accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it" (Josh 6:18). All of the silver and gold, with all vessels of brass and iron, were to be taken from Jericho and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord (6:19). Nothing could be taken for the individual, or for personal use.
THIS CONDITION IS WHY the Israelites had to "prepare provisions" for themselves. They would not be allowed to provide for themselves from the spoils of Jericho. Getting ready to occupy the promised land, therefore, required having sufficient to sustain themselves while they were surrounded by things that were cursed, and unlawful to use for sustenance.
THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS are in a similar situation. While we have entered the land of promise, or into God's "rest"(Heb 4:3), yet there is a sense in which we are also in a place that has been cursed, and in which cursed things are found. We are in the process of walking throughout the land, and have not yet occupied it as fully as we will during "the ages to come." There is a sense in which we are presently charting out our inheritance, with the promise we shall inherit everything on which the soles of our feet trod. That is, in the glory, we will receive the fulness of all we have initially experienced in this world. I say this with the utmost care, not wishing to develop a cold and stony doctrine that robs the soul. This is, however, something to ponder.
NOW, WHILE WE ARE WALKING through the land, we must "prepare provisions" for ourselves, gathering supplies from the "spiritual blessings" in the "heavenly places" into which we have been raised (Eph 1:3; 2:6). Jude refers to this as "building up YOURSELVES on your most holy faith" (Jude 1:20). Let us be about placing into our personal treasury things both old and new, provisions for ourselves (Matt 13:52).
– Given O. Blakely
AT THE TIME OF OUR TEXT, Moses, the servant of the Lord, had died. He was not allowed to enter into the promised land because he was provoked by the people to speak hastily and to strike the water-yielding rock instead of speaking to it. Of this circumstance, the Psalmist said, "They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips" (Psa 106:32-33). That reveals another decided disadvantage of being in the company of the ungodly. They can provoke things to come out of us that are better held within.
GOD SPOKE TO JOSHUA saying, "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Josh 1:2). He promised to give them every place on which the soles of their feet walked, so that their only real limitation was a failure to survey and walk within the land which God had given to them. Wherever they walked, no one would "be able to stand" before them. God would remain with them, as long as they walked before Him. Therefore, the Lord urged Joshua to be "strong and very courageous," knowing that he was going to divide the land to the people, just as God had promised their fathers (1:5-7).
IMMEDIATELY JOSHUA CALLED the officers of the people, delivering a solemn word to them. They were to prepare the people to enter into and possess the promised land. "Within three days" they would cross over Jordan, going into the land to possess it. But they were not to go into the land unprepared. The officers were to command the people, "Prepare you victuals," or provisions of food. Other versions read, "Get ready a store of food" (BBE), "make provisions ready" (NJB), and "prepare for YOURSELVES provisions" (YLT).
AT THIS POINT, THE PEOPLE were still receiving manna from heaven – a provision that did not cease until the sixteenth day of Nisan, well after they were in the promised land (Josh 5:12). However, that manna had to be "gathered," "ground . . . in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it" (Num 11:8). Additionally, being on the borders of Moab and Midian, and occupying the rich county of Bashan and Gilead, they could obtain any other supplies that were required. Many are of the opinion this involved meat, or game, which the word "victuals," or "provisions," suggests.
THREE DAYS LATER, when the people crossed over into the promised land, they confronted Jericho. This city was delivered into their hands. However, the city and everything in it was "accursed" (6:17). Consequently, the Israelites were not to take anything out of Jericho, keeping it for themselves. As it is written, "And ye, in any wise keep YOURSELVES from the accursed thing, lest ye make YOURSELVES accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it" (Josh 6:18). All of the silver and gold, with all vessels of brass and iron, were to be taken from Jericho and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord (6:19). Nothing could be taken for the individual, or for personal use.
THIS CONDITION IS WHY the Israelites had to "prepare provisions" for themselves. They would not be allowed to provide for themselves from the spoils of Jericho. Getting ready to occupy the promised land, therefore, required having sufficient to sustain themselves while they were surrounded by things that were cursed, and unlawful to use for sustenance.
THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS are in a similar situation. While we have entered the land of promise, or into God's "rest"(Heb 4:3), yet there is a sense in which we are also in a place that has been cursed, and in which cursed things are found. We are in the process of walking throughout the land, and have not yet occupied it as fully as we will during "the ages to come." There is a sense in which we are presently charting out our inheritance, with the promise we shall inherit everything on which the soles of our feet trod. That is, in the glory, we will receive the fulness of all we have initially experienced in this world. I say this with the utmost care, not wishing to develop a cold and stony doctrine that robs the soul. This is, however, something to ponder.
NOW, WHILE WE ARE WALKING through the land, we must "prepare provisions" for ourselves, gathering supplies from the "spiritual blessings" in the "heavenly places" into which we have been raised (Eph 1:3; 2:6). Jude refers to this as "building up YOURSELVES on your most holy faith" (Jude 1:20). Let us be about placing into our personal treasury things both old and new, provisions for ourselves (Matt 13:52).
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
THE LAST DAYS
" . . . THE LAST DAYS." (2 Tim 3:1; 2 Pet 3:3)
In Christ Jesus, there is no question about the times in which we are living, or how they are to be approached. The Spirit has affirmed we are in the closing period of time, and we all do well to give heed to His words. The "day of salvation" began in a time God called "the last days." "And in THE LAST DAYS it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh . . . " (Acts 2:17, RSV). The ministry of the Son of God is during the time called "last days." " . . . in these LAST DAYS has spoken to us in His Son . . . " (Heb 1:2, NASB). The times of apostasy, a departure from the faith, and spiritual coldness are identified with the "last days." "This know also, that in THE LAST DAYS perilous times shall come . . . Knowing this first, that there shall come in THE LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after their own lusts" (2 Tim 3:1; 2 Pet 3:3). We are in the final period of time.
THE TIME DURING WHICH THE GOSPEL is preached is called the "last times." "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these LAST TIMES for the sake of you . . . " (1 Pet 1:20, NASB). Jude, the brother of our Lord, identified the rise of "mockers" with "the last time." "They (the Apostles, v, 17) told you there should be mockers in THE LAST TIME . . . " (Jude 18, NASB). John the Beloved is pointed in his inspired assessment of the time. "Children, it is THE LAST HOUR; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is THE LAST HOUR" (1 John 2:18, NASB).
IT IS THE TIME TO AWAKE!The Lord summons His people to awaken from spiritual slumber! The time is short, requiring alertness and vigilance. "And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" (Rom 10:11-14, NASB). This is no time for spiritual slumber – and yet, the professed church at large is in a slumbering state.
THIS EXHORTATION IS BASED ON believers' awareness of the time: "knowing the time." This is no time for spiritual sluggishness or sleep. It is inexcusable for professed believers to be ignorant of the period in which they are living. The time of obscurity is drawing to a close! "The night is almost gone!" You cannot look at this from a merely linguistic point of view, or with an academic perspective! This is addressed to faith, not to calculating intellect! It is NOT intended to arouse the desire to count years and calculate time tables! This is "an hour" for alertness and spiritual sensitivity! "The end of all things is at hand!"
"THE DAY IS AT HAND!" — the day of the Lord's return, the day of the new heavens and the new earth, the day of judgment! Do not reason within yourself that this is true of every generation, and therefore has no special applicability to you! These are the words of the Spirit, and they are designed to bring you into accord with the manner of the Kingdom. "The end of all things is at hand!"
EVERY DEED THAT IS PROMOTED by spiritual ignorance and aloofness from God is to be abandoned! Believers, "knowing the time," are to arm themselves with spiritual light, being discerning of the things of God. This is not the time for self-indulgence, loose living, and friction with our brethren! "The end of all things is at hand!" This is not the time to engage in lengthy efforts to resolve problems. It is the time to instantly resolve any of them that can be resolved by putting off the old man, and putting on the new man (Eph 4:22-24).
INDEED, IT IS POSSIBLE to be ignorant of the times, and therefore miss the blessing. It was so with Jerusalem, when they were visited with the Dayspring from on high. Hear the lament of the Savior! "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION" (Luke 19:43-44, NASB). Here Jesus foretold the destruction of the "holy city" – because they were unaware they had been visited by the Lord of glory! Their ignorance was judged.The parallel is unmistakable! If the day of the Lord is "NEARER THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED," we had better be able to discern it. If it does not seem nearer, then we have fallen asleep – because it IS nearer. It is not only "nearer" from the standpoint of fulfillment, it is also "nearer" from the outlook of desire! Preaching and teaching must reflect this perspective! The people of God must not be addressed as though homes, marriage, planting and reaping, and getting gain, were uninterruptible realities! They are not! The end is near. It is the last days. Hearty and consistent preparation are the needed of the hour.
– Given O. Blakely
In Christ Jesus, there is no question about the times in which we are living, or how they are to be approached. The Spirit has affirmed we are in the closing period of time, and we all do well to give heed to His words. The "day of salvation" began in a time God called "the last days." "And in THE LAST DAYS it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh . . . " (Acts 2:17, RSV). The ministry of the Son of God is during the time called "last days." " . . . in these LAST DAYS has spoken to us in His Son . . . " (Heb 1:2, NASB). The times of apostasy, a departure from the faith, and spiritual coldness are identified with the "last days." "This know also, that in THE LAST DAYS perilous times shall come . . . Knowing this first, that there shall come in THE LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after their own lusts" (2 Tim 3:1; 2 Pet 3:3). We are in the final period of time.
THE TIME DURING WHICH THE GOSPEL is preached is called the "last times." "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these LAST TIMES for the sake of you . . . " (1 Pet 1:20, NASB). Jude, the brother of our Lord, identified the rise of "mockers" with "the last time." "They (the Apostles, v, 17) told you there should be mockers in THE LAST TIME . . . " (Jude 18, NASB). John the Beloved is pointed in his inspired assessment of the time. "Children, it is THE LAST HOUR; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is THE LAST HOUR" (1 John 2:18, NASB).
IT IS THE TIME TO AWAKE!The Lord summons His people to awaken from spiritual slumber! The time is short, requiring alertness and vigilance. "And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" (Rom 10:11-14, NASB). This is no time for spiritual slumber – and yet, the professed church at large is in a slumbering state.
THIS EXHORTATION IS BASED ON believers' awareness of the time: "knowing the time." This is no time for spiritual sluggishness or sleep. It is inexcusable for professed believers to be ignorant of the period in which they are living. The time of obscurity is drawing to a close! "The night is almost gone!" You cannot look at this from a merely linguistic point of view, or with an academic perspective! This is addressed to faith, not to calculating intellect! It is NOT intended to arouse the desire to count years and calculate time tables! This is "an hour" for alertness and spiritual sensitivity! "The end of all things is at hand!"
"THE DAY IS AT HAND!" — the day of the Lord's return, the day of the new heavens and the new earth, the day of judgment! Do not reason within yourself that this is true of every generation, and therefore has no special applicability to you! These are the words of the Spirit, and they are designed to bring you into accord with the manner of the Kingdom. "The end of all things is at hand!"
EVERY DEED THAT IS PROMOTED by spiritual ignorance and aloofness from God is to be abandoned! Believers, "knowing the time," are to arm themselves with spiritual light, being discerning of the things of God. This is not the time for self-indulgence, loose living, and friction with our brethren! "The end of all things is at hand!" This is not the time to engage in lengthy efforts to resolve problems. It is the time to instantly resolve any of them that can be resolved by putting off the old man, and putting on the new man (Eph 4:22-24).
INDEED, IT IS POSSIBLE to be ignorant of the times, and therefore miss the blessing. It was so with Jerusalem, when they were visited with the Dayspring from on high. Hear the lament of the Savior! "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
BECAUSE YOU DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE TIME OF YOUR VISITATION" (Luke 19:43-44, NASB). Here Jesus foretold the destruction of the "holy city" – because they were unaware they had been visited by the Lord of glory! Their ignorance was judged.The parallel is unmistakable! If the day of the Lord is "NEARER THAN WHEN WE FIRST BELIEVED," we had better be able to discern it. If it does not seem nearer, then we have fallen asleep – because it IS nearer. It is not only "nearer" from the standpoint of fulfillment, it is also "nearer" from the outlook of desire! Preaching and teaching must reflect this perspective! The people of God must not be addressed as though homes, marriage, planting and reaping, and getting gain, were uninterruptible realities! They are not! The end is near. It is the last days. Hearty and consistent preparation are the needed of the hour.
– Given O. Blakely
Monday, September 6, 2010
LET ALL THE ANGELS . . .
"And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him." (Heb 1:6)
THERE IS SOME QUESTION as to whether this refers to the incarnation of the Son, or His second appearing. The NASB and NKJV favor the latter: i.e., "And when He again brings the first-born into the world." Grammatically, the solution is not simplistic.
BEAR WITH ME while I reason upon this expression. First, we are not confined to one of these two views. The Son was "brought into the world" at His birth. He will also be "brought into the world" when He "appears the second time" (Heb 9:28). Consider, He was also "brought into the world" at His resurrection, returning from the region of the dead (Psa 26:10; Acts 2:27; Rom 10:7). The full sense of this text does not seem to be answered in an isolated view.
REMEMBER – the point of our text is the superiority of the Lord Jesus to the angelic order. The relevance of both angels and men are seen within the context of God's workings in the world. There is no question about the superiority of the Son to angels in heaven, whether before His incarnation or after His exaltation to the right hand of God. Prior to being "made of a woman, made under the Law" (Gal 4:4), the angels worshiped Him because He created them (Col 1:16-17). Following His exaltation, they worshiped Him because they were made subject to Him by the Father (1 Pet 3:22). What is more, when He is revealed "the second time," the worship of angels is also taken for granted. They will accompany Him, He will not accompany them (Matt 25:31). Then, the angels will be His servants (Matt 24:31). They will gather the saints to Him.
ALSO, HE WILL NOT BE BROUGHT "into the world" at that time as He was the first time. The "heavens and the earth" will "flee" from before His face the second time (Rev 20:11). Make no mistake about this, the angels will surely be worshiping Him when He comes again – but that is not the specific point of our text.
IT IS WHEN HE WAS "brought into the world" the first time that particularly accentuates His superiority. This is Jesus in a humbled state, having divested Himself of all of the prerogatives of Deity. When, at birth, He was "brought into the world," He could neither bless or curse, pray or preach, guide or feed. He had to be cared for, nourished, and protected. He had to be rescued from Herod, and raised to "increase in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:40,52). It was then, in that humbled condition, that the cry went out in heaven, "Let all the angels of God worship Him!" Who can forget the arresting words of Scripture: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:12-14). All heaven was set to rejoicing when the Lord Jesus "was brought into the world."
SUCH THINGS NEVER OCCURRED at the birth of anyone else. As great as were Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, the heavenly hosts did not praise God at their birth! The praises of angels were not even heard at the birth of John the Baptist! But when God brought His only begotten Son into the world, the angelic order was called into activity. An angel announced His birth (Luke 1:26-29), revealed the name of the Holy Child (Lk 1:31), allayed the concerns of Joseph (Matt 1:20), and directed him in the care of the Child (Matt 2:13,19). Angels ministered to Jesus in His temptation (Matt 4:11), and one these holy ones strengthened Him in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). Angels were associated with His resurrection. One of their mighty number descended from heaven and rolled the stone from the tomb so the women could enter it (Matt 28:2). They stood by at His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:11).
ALL OF THIS CONFIRMS the superiority of the Son to the angelic order. They served Him when He was in the world! Michael, one of the chief angels, helped another angel in a conflict (Dan 10:13). That conflict, however, was not in the world, but in heavenly places. Angels did not come to the aid of angels in this world, but they did come to the aid of the Son. They worshiped Him when He was "brought into the world."
JESUS IS PRESENTLY SUPERIOR to angels because He is seated at the right hand of God! What is the significance of that circumstance? Our Savior is the exclusive means through which the grace, or favor, of God is experienced. He has the sole power to guide, feed, strengthen, and illuminate. He alone can give righteousness, peace, and joy. The Holy Spirit Himself ministers to us in the behalf of Christ. Salvation in its entirety is administered by Him. He is the One who has charge of writing God's law upon our hearts and putting it into our minds. The fruit of the Spirit is under His government, as well as our placement in the body of Christ. No angel has ever been given such responsibilities! The Son of God is superior to angels! If the cry goes out in heaven, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," what of those on earth. Let there be recognition among all believers of the greatness of Christ's Person! Let no one speak more of other things than they do of Jesus.
– Given O. Blakely
THERE IS SOME QUESTION as to whether this refers to the incarnation of the Son, or His second appearing. The NASB and NKJV favor the latter: i.e., "And when He again brings the first-born into the world." Grammatically, the solution is not simplistic.
BEAR WITH ME while I reason upon this expression. First, we are not confined to one of these two views. The Son was "brought into the world" at His birth. He will also be "brought into the world" when He "appears the second time" (Heb 9:28). Consider, He was also "brought into the world" at His resurrection, returning from the region of the dead (Psa 26:10; Acts 2:27; Rom 10:7). The full sense of this text does not seem to be answered in an isolated view.
REMEMBER – the point of our text is the superiority of the Lord Jesus to the angelic order. The relevance of both angels and men are seen within the context of God's workings in the world. There is no question about the superiority of the Son to angels in heaven, whether before His incarnation or after His exaltation to the right hand of God. Prior to being "made of a woman, made under the Law" (Gal 4:4), the angels worshiped Him because He created them (Col 1:16-17). Following His exaltation, they worshiped Him because they were made subject to Him by the Father (1 Pet 3:22). What is more, when He is revealed "the second time," the worship of angels is also taken for granted. They will accompany Him, He will not accompany them (Matt 25:31). Then, the angels will be His servants (Matt 24:31). They will gather the saints to Him.
ALSO, HE WILL NOT BE BROUGHT "into the world" at that time as He was the first time. The "heavens and the earth" will "flee" from before His face the second time (Rev 20:11). Make no mistake about this, the angels will surely be worshiping Him when He comes again – but that is not the specific point of our text.
IT IS WHEN HE WAS "brought into the world" the first time that particularly accentuates His superiority. This is Jesus in a humbled state, having divested Himself of all of the prerogatives of Deity. When, at birth, He was "brought into the world," He could neither bless or curse, pray or preach, guide or feed. He had to be cared for, nourished, and protected. He had to be rescued from Herod, and raised to "increase in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:40,52). It was then, in that humbled condition, that the cry went out in heaven, "Let all the angels of God worship Him!" Who can forget the arresting words of Scripture: "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:12-14). All heaven was set to rejoicing when the Lord Jesus "was brought into the world."
SUCH THINGS NEVER OCCURRED at the birth of anyone else. As great as were Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, the heavenly hosts did not praise God at their birth! The praises of angels were not even heard at the birth of John the Baptist! But when God brought His only begotten Son into the world, the angelic order was called into activity. An angel announced His birth (Luke 1:26-29), revealed the name of the Holy Child (Lk 1:31), allayed the concerns of Joseph (Matt 1:20), and directed him in the care of the Child (Matt 2:13,19). Angels ministered to Jesus in His temptation (Matt 4:11), and one these holy ones strengthened Him in Gethsemane (Luke 22:43). Angels were associated with His resurrection. One of their mighty number descended from heaven and rolled the stone from the tomb so the women could enter it (Matt 28:2). They stood by at His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:11).
ALL OF THIS CONFIRMS the superiority of the Son to the angelic order. They served Him when He was in the world! Michael, one of the chief angels, helped another angel in a conflict (Dan 10:13). That conflict, however, was not in the world, but in heavenly places. Angels did not come to the aid of angels in this world, but they did come to the aid of the Son. They worshiped Him when He was "brought into the world."
JESUS IS PRESENTLY SUPERIOR to angels because He is seated at the right hand of God! What is the significance of that circumstance? Our Savior is the exclusive means through which the grace, or favor, of God is experienced. He has the sole power to guide, feed, strengthen, and illuminate. He alone can give righteousness, peace, and joy. The Holy Spirit Himself ministers to us in the behalf of Christ. Salvation in its entirety is administered by Him. He is the One who has charge of writing God's law upon our hearts and putting it into our minds. The fruit of the Spirit is under His government, as well as our placement in the body of Christ. No angel has ever been given such responsibilities! The Son of God is superior to angels! If the cry goes out in heaven, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," what of those on earth. Let there be recognition among all believers of the greatness of Christ's Person! Let no one speak more of other things than they do of Jesus.
– Given O. Blakely
Friday, September 3, 2010
THE EVIDENCE
"Now faith is . . . the evidence of things not see." (Heb 11:1, NKJV)
THE NASB AND RSV TRANSLATE the word "evidence," "conviction of things not seen." The NIV reads, "certain of what we do not see." I do not believe these do much to clarify the statement. The word from which "evidence" is translated means "proof – that by which a thing is proved or tested" (STRONG'S/THAYER). In the world, the proof that something exists is the presentation of the object itself, or the realization of something it accomplishes. The proof of the statement, "I have a hundred-dollar bill," would be the presentation of the bill. The proof of the reality and validity of that money would be the successful procurement of something costing $100.00.
OUR TEXT SAYS THAT "faith" is the "evidence," or "proof," of things we do not see. That is, faith dissolves all doubts concerning those things, bringing the reality of them to our hearts. These are not "things" we imagine, or "things" we have decided we would like to have. These are "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:10). They are "things" that are too great for men to conceive or perceive – an abiding peace, a sustaining hope, an eternal inheritance, and much more. Faith – real faith – is the proof these things exist, just as surely as natural appetites are themselves proof there is something to satisfy them."
EVIDENCE" SPEAKS OF an inner conviction and confident assurance. It includes the ideas of verification and certainty. It is what Abraham possessed when it was said of him, "being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Rom 4:21). In all of the studies of EVIDENCES to which I have been subjected, I have never heard an emphasis placed upon faith, or believing God. Almost every presentation of evidences has to do with physical or logical validation. But here, in the Spirit, we have evidence that transcends both of those realms. Faith brings evidence to the soul so powerful that everything is seen in a different light.
NORMALLY, EVIDENCE IS ADDRESSED to our senses. In the case of faith, however, the Spirit shows us things hidden to our senses – the knowledge of things beyond the perimeter of sensory faculties. Thus it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:9-10, NKJV). And how does the Spirit reveal them to us? It is through our faith! Whether we are speaking of the initial revelation of these things (as seen in the Apostles and Prophets), or of the opening of them to our understanding, faith is the appointed means of making them known. OUR
FAITH IS OUR EVIDENCEOur faith is our evidence! Our senses contradict what our faith has enabled us to grasp. We have become "partakers of Christ" (Heb 3:14), and yet often appear to be dominated by Adam. We have "eternal life" (John 3:36; 6:47), and yet dwell in a corruptible body, daily experiencing deterioration and failing. We possess an inheritance that is "incorruptible, and undefiled, and fades not away" (1 Pet 1:4), yet are learning how to suffer need and be abased. We have been made "kings and priests to God" (Rev 1:5-6), yet often appear to be the tail rather than the head. Everything belongs to us (1 Cor 3:21-23), yet we often experience spiritual hunger and thirst as in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. We know that "God is a very present help in the time of trouble" (Psa 46:1), and "is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27), yet our prayers must often extend over long periods of time, as though we were not being heard. What soul has not felt the conflict of life in the body with the life of the soul – what is seen and felt with fleshly senses with what is known by faith?
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT the "evidence of things not seen," the peculiar property of faith? Faith makes us equal to these challenges, convincing us within our hearts of the reality of the things God has promised us.
OUR FAITH IS ITSELF THE EVIDENCE of their existence. We need no other argument, no high-sounding presentation that exalts the wisdom of men. Give us food for our faith! Tell us what the Lord has said! Declare to us the promises, and proclaim to us the Gospel! It is faith, and faith alone, that is our "substance" and "evidence." It is our "assurance" and "conviction," our "surety" and "certainty." Feed our faith, and we will soar with the wings of an eagle, mounting higher and higher. We will survive the flood and the furnace, the blast of the storm and the plague of the locust! Faith is more than equal to all of these things.
IT IS FAITH THAT IS "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." Thanks be unto God that His grace was "exceeding abundant" with faith (1 Tim 1:14). Glory to God in the highest that He has "given us" to "believe" (Phil 1:29). All praise to Him Who has "given to every man in Christ the measure of faith," duly suited for their role in the body of Christ (Rom 12:3-6). It is both indispensable and satisfying! It is our evidence!
– Given O. Blakely
THE NASB AND RSV TRANSLATE the word "evidence," "conviction of things not seen." The NIV reads, "certain of what we do not see." I do not believe these do much to clarify the statement. The word from which "evidence" is translated means "proof – that by which a thing is proved or tested" (STRONG'S/THAYER). In the world, the proof that something exists is the presentation of the object itself, or the realization of something it accomplishes. The proof of the statement, "I have a hundred-dollar bill," would be the presentation of the bill. The proof of the reality and validity of that money would be the successful procurement of something costing $100.00.
OUR TEXT SAYS THAT "faith" is the "evidence," or "proof," of things we do not see. That is, faith dissolves all doubts concerning those things, bringing the reality of them to our hearts. These are not "things" we imagine, or "things" we have decided we would like to have. These are "the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:10). They are "things" that are too great for men to conceive or perceive – an abiding peace, a sustaining hope, an eternal inheritance, and much more. Faith – real faith – is the proof these things exist, just as surely as natural appetites are themselves proof there is something to satisfy them."
EVIDENCE" SPEAKS OF an inner conviction and confident assurance. It includes the ideas of verification and certainty. It is what Abraham possessed when it was said of him, "being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Rom 4:21). In all of the studies of EVIDENCES to which I have been subjected, I have never heard an emphasis placed upon faith, or believing God. Almost every presentation of evidences has to do with physical or logical validation. But here, in the Spirit, we have evidence that transcends both of those realms. Faith brings evidence to the soul so powerful that everything is seen in a different light.
NORMALLY, EVIDENCE IS ADDRESSED to our senses. In the case of faith, however, the Spirit shows us things hidden to our senses – the knowledge of things beyond the perimeter of sensory faculties. Thus it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor 2:9-10, NKJV). And how does the Spirit reveal them to us? It is through our faith! Whether we are speaking of the initial revelation of these things (as seen in the Apostles and Prophets), or of the opening of them to our understanding, faith is the appointed means of making them known. OUR
FAITH IS OUR EVIDENCEOur faith is our evidence! Our senses contradict what our faith has enabled us to grasp. We have become "partakers of Christ" (Heb 3:14), and yet often appear to be dominated by Adam. We have "eternal life" (John 3:36; 6:47), and yet dwell in a corruptible body, daily experiencing deterioration and failing. We possess an inheritance that is "incorruptible, and undefiled, and fades not away" (1 Pet 1:4), yet are learning how to suffer need and be abased. We have been made "kings and priests to God" (Rev 1:5-6), yet often appear to be the tail rather than the head. Everything belongs to us (1 Cor 3:21-23), yet we often experience spiritual hunger and thirst as in a dry and thirsty land where no water is. We know that "God is a very present help in the time of trouble" (Psa 46:1), and "is not far from every one of us" (Acts 17:27), yet our prayers must often extend over long periods of time, as though we were not being heard. What soul has not felt the conflict of life in the body with the life of the soul – what is seen and felt with fleshly senses with what is known by faith?
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT the "evidence of things not seen," the peculiar property of faith? Faith makes us equal to these challenges, convincing us within our hearts of the reality of the things God has promised us.
OUR FAITH IS ITSELF THE EVIDENCE of their existence. We need no other argument, no high-sounding presentation that exalts the wisdom of men. Give us food for our faith! Tell us what the Lord has said! Declare to us the promises, and proclaim to us the Gospel! It is faith, and faith alone, that is our "substance" and "evidence." It is our "assurance" and "conviction," our "surety" and "certainty." Feed our faith, and we will soar with the wings of an eagle, mounting higher and higher. We will survive the flood and the furnace, the blast of the storm and the plague of the locust! Faith is more than equal to all of these things.
IT IS FAITH THAT IS "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." Thanks be unto God that His grace was "exceeding abundant" with faith (1 Tim 1:14). Glory to God in the highest that He has "given us" to "believe" (Phil 1:29). All praise to Him Who has "given to every man in Christ the measure of faith," duly suited for their role in the body of Christ (Rom 12:3-6). It is both indispensable and satisfying! It is our evidence!
– Given O. Blakely
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
KINGDOM MYSTERIES
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." (Matt 13:11)
THE "MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM" refer to the things God has for His people. From one point of view, they are simply the Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16). From another, they are "the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor 2:14), or the things the Spirit reveals to us through that Gospel (1 Cor 2:10). From still another, they are the things "God has prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). They are "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus" (Eph 4:21). These are "the things that are above" upon which we are to place our affection (Col 3:1-2). They have to do with His "eternal purpose" (Eph 3:11).
IN SHORT, THEY ARE WHAT GOD is now making known to His saints (Col 1:26) -- things that were formerly hidden to the sons of men. They include God's grace, the proclamation of an "eternal inheritance," the presence of the Holy Spirit, His loving care for us, the fact that we are being conformed to the image of His Son, are more than conquerors through Him, and much more. In them our real adversary is identified, the heavenly messengers that minister to us, and how all things are being worked together for our good.
WHEN JESUS CONFRONTED THE MULTITUDES, He saw their hearts -- and the sight was not good. They had no real appetite for what He came to declare – like the Gospel for the poor, the healing of the brokenhearted, deliverance for the captives, recovering of sight for the blind, setting at liberty those who were bruised, and the time when God accepts men (Luke 4:18-19). Therefore, instead of opening the truth to them, He declared it in parables.
THOSE PARABLES HID THE TRUTH, so that the hearers did not have any idea what He was talking about. That is what prompted the dialog between the disciples and Jesus that is recorded in Matthew 13:9-10. "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
LATER HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE their hearts were utterly corrupt (verses 15-16). Some of the mysteries were unfolded in Christ's explanations of His parables – all given to His disciples. For example, the Lord opened up the parable of the sower to His disciples (the one that occasioned their question in the first place). He explained what the seed on stony ground meant, what the birds that ate it signified, what the seed on the stony ground meant, the seed among thorns, and the seed on good soil. These were "mysteries" because no one could possibly have comprehended what the parable meant that unless Jesus explained it to them.
PARABLES WERE NOT FOR THOSE with good hearts, but for those with bad ones. They were not designed to help people see the truth, but to conceal it from them. When the disciples asked Jesus on another occasion, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field," Jesus opened up the mysteries (Matt 13:36-43). Those mysteries were that Jesus is dispersing the Word of God. The field in which He sows it is the world. There are false brethren who are like tares. The one who puts them here is the devil. There is going to be an ultimate gathering of all of God's children. The wicked will all be taken out of the world as well. The angels will accomplish both gatherings. Ultimately, the wicked will be removed totally from the scene, and the righteous will shine like the Son in the kingdom of their Father.
SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS cannot be perceived or understood by the carnal mind or the natural man. They could not be seen in the parable itself. In fact, the parable hid them. That is why men go on sinning, with no regard for the ultimate end of the world, reward of the righteous, and punishment of the wicked. At the every best, such people may know those words are in the Bible, but they cannot receive them. That is why they ignore them and live contradictory to them.
BUT FOR THOSE WITH TENDER HEARTS, such things will be shown to them. The Bible calls it the opening of the eyes of our understanding (Eph 1:17-20), and comprehending (Eph 3:15-20). However, as you already know, there are no forms of human education that can bring such wonderful understanding to the sons of men. Neither, indeed, is there anyone who can arrive at such an understanding on their own. Such things are forever an unknown mysteries until God makes them known -- and He always makes them known to those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Jesus said such people would be "filled" – and they will!
WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT REPENT, go on sinning, or ignore the Word of God, it is because the things of God are "mysteries"to them. When people repent, obey the Lord, and live for Him, it is because the mystery has been opened up to them, and Jesus is the one who opened it, or clarified it for them.
– Given O. Blakely
THE "MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM" refer to the things God has for His people. From one point of view, they are simply the Gospel of Christ (Rom 1:16). From another, they are "the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor 2:14), or the things the Spirit reveals to us through that Gospel (1 Cor 2:10). From still another, they are the things "God has prepared for them that love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). They are "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus" (Eph 4:21). These are "the things that are above" upon which we are to place our affection (Col 3:1-2). They have to do with His "eternal purpose" (Eph 3:11).
IN SHORT, THEY ARE WHAT GOD is now making known to His saints (Col 1:26) -- things that were formerly hidden to the sons of men. They include God's grace, the proclamation of an "eternal inheritance," the presence of the Holy Spirit, His loving care for us, the fact that we are being conformed to the image of His Son, are more than conquerors through Him, and much more. In them our real adversary is identified, the heavenly messengers that minister to us, and how all things are being worked together for our good.
WHEN JESUS CONFRONTED THE MULTITUDES, He saw their hearts -- and the sight was not good. They had no real appetite for what He came to declare – like the Gospel for the poor, the healing of the brokenhearted, deliverance for the captives, recovering of sight for the blind, setting at liberty those who were bruised, and the time when God accepts men (Luke 4:18-19). Therefore, instead of opening the truth to them, He declared it in parables.
THOSE PARABLES HID THE TRUTH, so that the hearers did not have any idea what He was talking about. That is what prompted the dialog between the disciples and Jesus that is recorded in Matthew 13:9-10. "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest Thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."
LATER HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE their hearts were utterly corrupt (verses 15-16). Some of the mysteries were unfolded in Christ's explanations of His parables – all given to His disciples. For example, the Lord opened up the parable of the sower to His disciples (the one that occasioned their question in the first place). He explained what the seed on stony ground meant, what the birds that ate it signified, what the seed on the stony ground meant, the seed among thorns, and the seed on good soil. These were "mysteries" because no one could possibly have comprehended what the parable meant that unless Jesus explained it to them.
PARABLES WERE NOT FOR THOSE with good hearts, but for those with bad ones. They were not designed to help people see the truth, but to conceal it from them. When the disciples asked Jesus on another occasion, "Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field," Jesus opened up the mysteries (Matt 13:36-43). Those mysteries were that Jesus is dispersing the Word of God. The field in which He sows it is the world. There are false brethren who are like tares. The one who puts them here is the devil. There is going to be an ultimate gathering of all of God's children. The wicked will all be taken out of the world as well. The angels will accomplish both gatherings. Ultimately, the wicked will be removed totally from the scene, and the righteous will shine like the Son in the kingdom of their Father.
SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS cannot be perceived or understood by the carnal mind or the natural man. They could not be seen in the parable itself. In fact, the parable hid them. That is why men go on sinning, with no regard for the ultimate end of the world, reward of the righteous, and punishment of the wicked. At the every best, such people may know those words are in the Bible, but they cannot receive them. That is why they ignore them and live contradictory to them.
BUT FOR THOSE WITH TENDER HEARTS, such things will be shown to them. The Bible calls it the opening of the eyes of our understanding (Eph 1:17-20), and comprehending (Eph 3:15-20). However, as you already know, there are no forms of human education that can bring such wonderful understanding to the sons of men. Neither, indeed, is there anyone who can arrive at such an understanding on their own. Such things are forever an unknown mysteries until God makes them known -- and He always makes them known to those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Jesus said such people would be "filled" – and they will!
WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT REPENT, go on sinning, or ignore the Word of God, it is because the things of God are "mysteries"to them. When people repent, obey the Lord, and live for Him, it is because the mystery has been opened up to them, and Jesus is the one who opened it, or clarified it for them.
– Given O. Blakely
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