The Pharisees Invitation

Luke 7:36-38 “And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And went into the Pharisees house, and set down to meet.

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus was set at meat in the Pharisees house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment.”

Now here, a Pharisee invites Jesus to eat; but he has an unexpected guest. A sinner, a woman, who started to cry and wash Jesus feet with her tears. (Jesus seemingly ignores her….but Simon does not.

Then she takes an alabaster box of ointment, and anoints Jesus’ feet.

This was certainly a witness of Jesus’s call to come to the kingdom of heaven.

She wanted forgiveness. And there were many things in her, Jesus plainly says, that needed to be forgiven.

But to the Pharisee, it was proof that Jesus was not a prophet. Surely He would know what kind of woman this was, and refuse her tears.(Luke 7:39)

So, Jesus speaks, not to prove anything, (if you will notice, Jesus never “proves” to others He is Who He is…..but says to look to His works)…..but to instruct this Pharisee about forgiveness, and love.

Luke 7:40-42 “And Jesus answering said unto him, (notice Jesus answered the unspoken question), Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?”

The difference between the debtors was huge.

But both were forgiven……they then became equal to the creditor; and to each other!

To truly be forgiven, we need to know we are sinners. God does not forgive imaginary things, or general thoughts of doctrine, that do not touch the truth of sin in us.

He is not interested in generalities, but in us.

He does forgive the sinner, of their sins. That is what Christ came to do. (Matthew 1:21). “To save his people from their sins.”

Which places every saved sinner on the same plain….we all become children of God…all welcome before God, by Christ Jesus.

Then love to God is born. We receive the knowledge of His love deep into our soul. It awakens our soul to HIs greatness, and our weakness; to HIs care, and our need…..and most of all to a desire to come ever closer to Him.

To truly love God, you must be reconciled to Him; which only comes by the forgiveness of sins.

Otherwise there is still a gulf between God and us: a gulf maintained by self-righteousness, or pride, or lust, or greed,….

Love comes through forgiveness, which brings God’s heart down to ours; and that came by Christ. Then that love can be reciprocated, to God and to others.

(The first fruit of the Spirit is love. Galatians 5:22-23)

Luke 7:43 “Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.”

You’re right, Simon, the more forgiveness is needed, the more love is shown for the forgiveness.

What about you, Simon, how is your heart toward God?

Full of self righteousness so that you can not love Him?

What about your sin?

Or do you think you have any?

Luke 7:44-47 “And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but his woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”

Simon, in other words, you may think, you are superior in every way to this woman,……who is indeed a great sinner.

But you are not in God’s sight. God has just forgiven her,……while you remain in your sins.

Your sins may not be so many as her’s; Or as know to others, as her’s…..but sin is sin, to God.

You loved Me little, because you think you do not need My forgiveness. You think you are righteous, and therefore your heart does not love God, but yourself.

That night a great sinner went home, forgiven:

Luke 7:48, 50 “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

Forgiven and reconciled to God in peace….by faith in Christ, to save her from her sins.

“We love God, because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

He loved us in that He sent His Son to become the propitiation for our sins.

We love Him when we come to Him in honesty and confess our sins, and be born again, then go on in peace and joy with Him in love.

Real peace with God comes through the forgiveness of our sins by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Real love to Him, follows.

Luke 7:49 “And they that sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?”

Well, Who was He? He was the coming Christ, prophesied of…..and now had appeared to put away sin.

What will you do with Him?

Everyone there made their choice. So do we.

Will we come and get our sins forgiven, or will we stay in our lives, thinking we are alright ?

The Pharisees invitation to Jesus, was to a public person, who could make him look good.

Jesus invitation was as The Christ to a Pharisee who needed to be forgiven.

Which will you choose?

Are we just looking Real?

Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

“Knowest not”! How could that be?

Because they are hiding,…covering themselves with external works ; therefore they can not see they are empty inside…..

They talk of what they have, before men……Jesus speaks of what they are to Him.

The gospel of God only saves…if we have it in our experience. If we have been born again.

Paul tells of those that…

2 Timothy 3:7 “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Ever learning, but never really acquiring the experience of this truth. Never having it in present possession.

They knew something about it, and worked at learning facts about it,…..but never subjected themselves to Christ Jesus, to get the experience of those facts,….into themselves.

Head knowledge will lead to a mental agreement of certain facts, but it is the apprehending of those same facts in our experience that will save us and set us free.

2 Timothy 3:5 “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:…”

If our lives do not show the power we profess, then we are denying the power of Christ somewhere in our lives….for Jesus will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

We may have the “form”, we may look real,……but still deny the power He wants to give us, through subjection to Him.

If we are Christians we have come to see ourselves as lost, in need of a Savior….

Without hope in this present world.

Then we have come to believe, and receive Christ Jesus,……Whom to know aright is to have Eternal life….being born again by the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever (1 Peter 1:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9)

This is to experience Justification.

We are made “not guilty” before a Holy God, because of what Christ Jesus did on His cross….taking all our sin and guilt and penalty on Him.

And more, in Christ,…..we are given a righteous standing before God.

But justification is only half of the life of a Christian. The other half is Sanctification.

Justification deals with our guilt. Sanctification deals with the problem of the power of sin in our lives as Christians.

Justification is once for all….but sanctification is day by day, minute by minute, in the experiences of our life.

In sanctification, the cross must do it’s work….not Christ’s cross, but my cross.

Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Our cross is anything of God’s Will to us, that cuts across our will,…anything we can say “no” to.

For it is, “If any man will”.

We “resist”, when we refuse to yield to Him and His Will.

But when we deny ourselves, and take up our cross, then we are willing with God.

By denying ourselves, we can come to the place where we no longer resist His Will in anything. We obey because we want to please Him.

It is not sinless perfection,….nor instant obedience….but final obedience.

We will to do God’s Will….no matter what.

(I want to take a minute and explain: “resist”. It means to stand against or oppose. It is where we are saying,……..I will not do this, or I will not do this, Your way.

We may not like what God wants us to do, or be afraid of doing it….but when we refuse, for any reason, we are resisting His Holy Spirit. [Acts 7:51])

The cross deals with our will….making it willing. For God works within us both to will and to do (Philippians 2:13), if we will deny ourselves and yield to the Holy Spirit.

And when our will is yielded to Christ’s Will, our will becomes a real powerhouse.

Matthew 16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.”

But then God deals with our “life”. Our self-life, our character, our habits. Not necessarily bad things….just “my” things.

Most of us will get rid of the “bad” things of our life, pretty easily….but the “good” things….or the habits that do no harm (we think)…..are ours….we can keep them.

Jesus Christ came to save us to the uttermost. He saves us from the guilt of sin, and the power of sin;…..then He sets us free in all the areas of our life.

(Sometimes we forget this was always Christ’s Ministry…….offering it when He was here, though rejected……..and it continues to be His ministry, by His Holy Spirit, in all who belong to Him.

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”)

He deals with every facet of our personality and life, and makes it His.

When He does, we are freed from everything which has a hold on us, in anyway.

Sometimes we never realize how strong an influence an idea we have,…..our habits,…..or our plans have on us.

Not “bad” in themselves….but the Lord wants to free us from their influence,…..to have spiritual liberty in Him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

As we have said, the Lord Jesus usually starts with some strongpoint…..some “stronghold of reason” that we have in our makeup….that we have acquired by some experience, and which must be brought into subjection to Christ…

And it is by the insistence of the Holy Spirit, pulling down these strongholds.

(I “learned” at an early age…..if anyone was going to defend me….it was going to be me.

No one else was going to.

But when I became a Christian, the Lord began to deal with me about this attitude.

It was not “bad”,…..but it hindered my growth in Christ, for I could not trust Him fully.

I tried and tried to let it go.

But…..finally I came to Christ Jesus….and He showed me what had happened to make me this way. And I forgave.

Denying myself, then became easier. Trusting Christ became a real joy….and I had liberty….real freedom from myself, here.)

Than we cast down imaginations….past, and future.

Of what could have been,…..or might yet be.

Than the Holy Spirit deals with every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Anything that would cast doubt on the Truth of what God has said to us.

All of this is by the power of the Holy Spirit within us,…..and us cooperating with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

We must yield, but it is His power in us, that gives us the victory and liberty of Spirit….bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

True liberty is freedom from sin, and freedom from ourselves.

There is a lightness of spirit, and a wholeness beyond measure, when we yield our everything to Christ, and His Holy Spirit within.

The Fountain of Life

Psalm 36:9 “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”

Have you drank from the fountain of Life?

Well, if you have, then that living force ought to be turning into a “river of living water” within you.

You see, God’s power is living. It is not a dead, or stagnant thing.

He does not save, then desert, and say in effect, “Go ahead and make your way through a hostile world; you will get to heaven alright, but you have to fight your way there by yourself.”

No….Christ Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus saves to the uttermost.

That means: He saves from the love of sin. This is conviction by the Holy Spirit of the wretchedness of it.

He saves from the guilt of sin. We are born again, and become clean through His sacrifice and resurrection.

He saves from the power of sin. Called Sanctification: it is a setting aside to God of all ourselves, little by little, till we are willing subjects of His Kingdom here, and now, in all our circumstances.

He saves from the presence of sin, when we go to Heaven.

John 7:37-38. “In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Now when you get water flowing, what does it do?

It keeps flowing, one way or the other: when it flows downhill, and it meets a rock in its path, it just flows around it, and if there is enough water…over it.

This is the way of the Living Water, which is the Holy Spirit within you.

He gives light and life (1 John 1:7), by the graces of joy, peace, consolation, strength, and love. (Galatians 5:22-23)

But what if there is a hinderance to the living water?

Some hardened place within our hearts: a root of bitterness, or hurt feelings, which will not respond to the gentle influences of the Spirit, as we should?

Well, we can hinder that influence of His Holy Spirit for a while,….sometimes quite a while……but He keeps His influence coming.

Maybe in a Word here, or a testimony there,….but He keeps pushing against what hinders in our life….cleansing us from our attitude, hurt, and anger….saving us from our weakness….and bringing us into His Light.

As we finally yield to Him.

Ephesians 3:16-19 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened by might by the Spirit in the inner man;

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

(Notice it is rooted and grounded in love….His love for us, and our reciprocal love to Him……what a foundation the Holy Spirit gives us! What can’t we stand against with love of Christ as our foundation?)

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Perhaps, something hinders your enjoyment of the Lord?

Then seek the Lord, for He is willing and able to see that it is put right.

Are you willing that He should?

Will you yield to Him?

The Holy Spirit will help with that as well, if you will come to Him and seek it.

His power turns our hearts to Him:

Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

Psalm 80:7 “Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”

Let the Living Waters flow out of your inner most being (John 7:39), and yield to the Lord.

He is the Fountain of Life: and in His Light you will see light.

The Picture of Christ found in the Tabernacle

Exodus 29:43, 45-46 “And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the Tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.

And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.

And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God.”

The Tabernacle was the dwelling place of God, among His people after He had brought them out of bondage, and across the Red Sea.

They needed a place to come and meet with Him. This was the Tabernacle.

It was erected according to the pattern God gave Moses in Sinai (Exodus 25:8-9), when the Ten Commandments had been given to Israel, and they had made a covenant with Him to be His people, and obey His laws.

Exodus 24:7 “And he (Moses) took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.”

The Tabernacle was divided into three stations:

The first was the court of the Tabernacle. It was outside, and the first place you met the priests.

Here there was Natural Light to shine for the work to be done by the priests.

The first piece of furniture to meet the petitioner when they came was the Brazen Altar.

Exodus 27:1-2 “And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be four square: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.”

(Brass speaks of judgement. Judgement for sin must be made. Either on the sinner, or upon a substitute.)

Here was the sacrifice made. And the blood pour out by it. (Exodus 29:11-12). There was to be a continual burnt offering.

Exodus 29:42 “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, where I will meet with you, to speak there unto thee.”

This was as far as an Israelite, who was not a priest, could go.

Here God would meet those who came, and speak peace by the blood.

(Christ is the altar, and the sacrifice. He offered Himself to God’s Judgement, for us)

So we who believe, have peace with God through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:24-25, 5:1. “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

The next piece of furniture was the Laver. It is also, of brass.

The priests hands would be bloody after working at the Brazen Altar, and their feet dirty from the bare ground…..so they were to wash their hands and their feet before going into the Holy Place, for everything there shows fellowship.

Exodus 30:18 “Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.”

(He is the laver, and the water, for His Word, by the Holy Spirit, judges our walk….Ephesians 5:25-26…and cleanses.)

As Christians, we too, should “wash” our hands and feet, so we can maintain fellowship with our Lord.

We do this by confessing our failures: the failures of our service [our hands],….and the failures of our walk [our feet].

We are to be in the world but not of it, and we are defiled by walking around in this world. [How much filthy language, hatred, rage, etc. we come into contact with every day]

When we confess our sins, we come to Him to get “washed, and cleansed” from our sins, so we can have fellowship with Him.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The second section of the Tabernacle was the Holy Place.

Everything here spoke of fellowship. Only the priests could enter here, and minister. (We are called priests in the New Testament 1 Peter 2:5)

There were three pieces of furniture:

The Table of Shewbread.

The Lampstand.

The Golden Altar of Incense.

Exodus 25:23-24,30 “Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown to the border thereof round about.

And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before Me always.”

The Table of Shewbread spoke of Christ, The Son of God (the gold) manifesting Himself as the bread of life, in His humanity (the wood).

He sustains us, as we have that fellowship with Him.

He manifests Himself as King for us, as we fellowship with Him

(The breads were sprinkled with frankincense, which is the spice of Kings. One of the wise men presented Christ with it, at His birth.)

Exodus 25:31 “And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knobs and his flowers, shall be of the same.”

(Notice the Word says, “his shaft, his branches, his bowls, etc”. The Holy Spirit showing Who the candlestick or Lampstand was picturing.)

Exodus 27:20 “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.”

The Lampstand or Candlestick is of one piece of gold, beaten into the seven lamps atop one candlestick. The bowls were filled with pure olive oil and burned.

They were to be continually burning, and had to be filled and seen to morning and night.

This speaks of The Spirit of Christ,…Who, after Christ was ascended to heaven, shows the Light of Christ in the darkness of this world.

(we, as priests, are to keep His Light, burning)

He shows us Christ,…..and how we are to follow Him in our lives, and work.

John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Exodus 30:1,3 “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.”

The Incense Altar was again wood, overlaid with gold.

It was to have the fire from off the Brazen Altar put into it, and special incense burned upon it every morning and every evening, when the Lampstand was filled with oil.

The incense pictured our prayers, going up to God, from the Altar of Christ.

He is our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). And it is His intercession before God which makes our prayers acceptable.

Also on the day of Atonement, blood was to be brought in and touched on the horns of the Golden Altar (the blood of the sacrifice, sanctifying our prayers)

Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

Everything speaks of Christ; but to the glory of Christ Jesus, we are to pray for all men to be saved; and especially pray for the household of faith. (1 Timothy 2:1, 8. Colossians 4:2)

This is the Holy Place, and this, for all Israel including priests, was as far as any could go,…….

……except on the Day of Atonement,……when the High Priest would crawl under the Veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies with the blood of the sin offering, for the sins of the people.

In the Holy of Holies, the third section of the Tabernacle, there was only one piece of furniture:

The Ark of God, covered with the mercy seat. This speaks of the Presence of God, for over it the glory of the Lord dwelt.

The Ark was a wooden box covered in and out with gold. In it the Ten Commandments, and the testimony of their journeys was kept.

On it, rested the Mercy Seat, made of pure gold, with cherubim of gold looking inward where the blood of the sin offering, would be poured.

Exodus 25:10-11, 17-18 “And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.”

The Veil was between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies;……separating Israel and God.

But when Christ died on the Cross, the Veil was rent from top to bottom, showing the way to God was open by His sacrifice.

Matthew 27:50-51 ” Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;”

Access to God by faith in Christ Jesus, is now possible.

The Atonement was made, and we can come before His presence in peace.

Hebrews 10:10, 12, 14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

But this Man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

The Tabernacle showed forth Christ. It was there in the midst of their camp to show that He was in their midst. To bring them as close to God, as He could let them, then.

Yes, it was not a clear picture; but for all who believed God, they looked forward to Christ’s coming salvation with joy,……and the time, when they could draw closer and closer to God.

Hebrews 10:19-20, 22 “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,

By a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,….”

Are we drawing closer to God? The veil is rent….the Way is open to God, to come before His presence in joy, by Christ Jesus…….are we using our great privileges?

Bless the Lord, O my Soul

Psalm 103:1-2 “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:”

This is a psalm David wrote.

Some believe he wrote it when the Ark was moved successfully to Jerusalem. (after the sin of trying to move it on a cart. 2 Samuel 6:3, 6-10; 1 Chronicles 15:12-15,28)

This is a psalm expressing the goodness and mercy of God to sinners.

David calls upon himself, and the people to love and praise the Lord for all His benefits.

(Psalm 103:3-5). Praise the Lord…for…

His forgiveness…He forgives His people’s sins and iniquities.

His healing…both spiritual and physical.

His saving us from so many places of danger and destruction.

He shields (crowns) us with His loving-kindness, and treats us as His children….with tender mercies.

He has not only saved us, but given us contentment and joy.

He strengthens us by His grace.

(The eagle lives many years, and naturalists say….when they grow old, the eagle casts off her feathers [at molting time] and fresh ones come on,…..so that the eagle’ feathers are as young again)

Psalm 103:6 “The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”

David praises the Lord for showing him his error, forgiving his sin…….and allowing him to finish bringing the Ark to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, so that all may come and worship before God.

(Psalm 103:7-12)

As it was shown Moses at the giving of the Law, God is merciful and gracious.

(We do not think of grace being in the Old Testament….but it is always, “by grace are ye saved”…..there it looked forward to Christ, for those who believed God….now, we look back, and grace is given us by the Holy Spirit who abides with us, forever.

Grace is the unmerited favor of power….the power God gives us to look to Him, believe and be saved.)

God is slow to anger….praise the Lord for His longsuffering to us, wooing us to Himself, showing us our faults, and taking us by the hand when we are going astray, to guide us into the right way.

Though He signals His displeasure at our sins; He waits, giving us time to repent.

For He has not dealt with us according to our sins….for Christ took the penalty for them, which was against us.

(Where can you say the east ends and the west begins….for the east to us, is west to someone else.

As the line between them can not be found, so our sins can not be found for all who are in Christ Jesus.)

Psalm 103:13-14 “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.

For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.”

“Pitieth” means compassionate love. A father never pushes his children to go beyond their true capacity…..but encourages them, leading them into new things, with him at their side.

All the things which come to us, come through the Lord’s hands; He measures our trials, and joys that we might become grounded,…steady in our walk with Him.

Proverbs 30:8-9 “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”

“Keep me, O Lord, from anything that will hinder my walk with You.”

Psalm 103:15, 17-18 “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto the children’s children;

To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.”

Our lives are short, in comparison to God’s mercy. He saw us in eternity past….made provision for us in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9) that we might be with Him through eternity future.

He extended mercy when we were yet in our sins and rebellion against Him (Titus 3:4-5).

He saves us, and delivers us from our sins….washing us in His Word, and giving us His Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

Psalm 103:19 “The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.”

How wonderful that He is ruler above all, unswayed by circumstances, or crisis.

We do not need to fear that we will be forgotten, or left to our own strength…..He invites to draw near His throne in prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

(Psalm 103:20-22). Seven times in the whole psalm;……and four times in the last three verses, David calls upon all the created beings….angels, those ministering as His servants, and all His works….in all places, to bless the Lord.

“Bless” here means “kneel and praise”. God can bless us with great benefits….but we bless God when we truly worship Him.

Then he finishes, as he started:

Psalm 103:22 “….bless the Lord, O my soul.”

And shouldn’t we bless Him….kneel down and praise our God….for all His benefits to us?

The worst words anyone will ever hear: “Depart from Me”

Matthew 7:23 “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

This was in the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus started by preaching about those that would follow Him. (Matthew 5:3-16)

“Blessed” is the theme. But it is not to the strong and witty; but to the seekers after God.

The poor in spirit, the mourners and those that hunger and thirst after being right with God, that will be blessed.

Then He contrasted “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time”, with “But I say unto you”. (Matthew 5:21-22)

There is always a pull on us, to do what we have always done, especially if it has been a good thing.

But Jesus makes the contrast between traditions and His Word, very plain.

In this message He gave us the Family Prayer: Our Father which art in heaven”.

(Matthew 6:9-13)

Here He introduced us to the Father God. Before He had been the Mighty God, or the God of Sinai; but now we can know Him as Father—our Father.

And then He stressed that they should be more concerned with “laying up treasure in heaven…for where you treasure is, there will be your heart also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

He said, “Judge not”, and told us to check out our own faults, before pointing out other people’s faults.

(Matthew 7:1-5)

Jesus said that we should ask, seek, and knock for the things we have need of.

(Matthew 7:7-11)

Then He ends His message with:

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat:

Because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

He goes on to expand the subject with examples: The fruit of anyone’s life is what you should look to;…..not what they say they believe, but how they live. For that is what they truly believe.

And at the last the example of the two houses. Both built to last; but the foundation of each was the only difference: one on the Rock, the other on sand. Both were put under the trials of every house: rain, wind, flood.

But one lasted, because it was founded on the Rock.

Jesus said that obedience to His Word is building on that Rock. And that is what those that follow Him, should do. Build on Him (His Word, His example, His love)

But in between these examples, He puts a warning.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have we cast out devils? And in thy name did many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

It is not saying, “Lord, Lord” which proves that He is Lord of our life.

“It is doing the will of My Father”, that proves Jesus is Lord of our life.

John 5:23 “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father, he that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him.”

Some use good works to cover their sin;…..but it remains, if it is not brought to the cleansing power of Jesus Christ and removed. For He is the only Savior.

But some will not come. They refuse to submit to Someone else.

They may do many “good works”, or “religious works”, but they do it for their own honor or gain. (And this is a matter of the heart.)

If they continue to refuse to come to His Son, Jesus Christ;

Then in the day of Judgement they will hear the most terrible words that will ever be spoken:

Matthew 7:23 “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

“Depart from Me.” Out of the Presence of God forever. No light, no joy, no peace, no safety, no love.

Only the terrible condemnation of loss, aloneness, and torment; because they have refused the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

But now, it is still:

“…….And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely…” (Revelation 22:17)

Jesus said, “….If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” (John 7:37)

“….I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

“…I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.’” (John 14:6)

“…I am the good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:11, 28)

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Have we come to Christ Jesus the Lord?

Doves’ Eyes

Song of Solomon 4:1 “Behold, thou art fair, My love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks:..”

Matthew 6:22 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.”

A dove can only see one thing at a time. They focus on just that.

(For this reason, the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove. [Matthew 3:16]. He has the perfection of Spiritual insight…and keeps the Lord Jesus ever in our view.)

To see as a dove according to the Lord, is to see reality….your spiritual life, in it’s relation to Christ.

Everything’s value, is set in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we grow in grace, we gain the maturity and the ability to know the things that the Holy Spirit is showing us, in the situations of life….our life.

He gives us understanding….light, and the ability to know what to do in each situation.

If you will read Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is the Person of the Trinity, given to us to lead us into the goodness and greatness of God’s power in our lives:

Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”

We are sealed as God’s children, by the Holy Spirit on God’s side; and given the beginning of all our possessions in Christ, through Him, on our side.

Ephesians 2:22 “In Whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.”

We are fitted into our place, for our work, in the Church, by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16 “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;”

He is the One which shows Christ and all His glory to us.

He grounds us in Christ (Ephesians 3:17),

makes us to know the things which Christ has for us….His love, in all it’s aspects (Ephesians 3:18-19)….

and His power, as we yield to Him in our lives (Ephesians 3:20)…..According as we let that power work within us.

Then, the practical aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is shown, as far as others are concerned:

Ephesians 4:3, 30-32 “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

And we are encouraged to yield to the Holy Spirit more and more,……and get perception and understanding of the will of the Lord, for your personal life.

Ephesians 5:17-21 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

And of course, the Holy Spirit is found in our armor.

Ephesians 6:17-18 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereinto with perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

The Dove of God comes upon us when we are born again, and imparts to us His vision….a single vision of light, grace, power, and ability.

The vision of Christ…Who He is to us, and what He is doing for us.

The vision of the world around us in perception, and truth.

And He not only gives us vision, but His power, as we yield to Him….

As we deny our self-life (Matthew 16:24), we gain our Christ’s life (Matthew 16:25)….through Him.

John 13:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Your Knowledge of God

Job 42:5 “I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee:”

Is your knowledge of God, by hearing about Him and His great works, only?

Or have you met Him in the circumstances of your daily life, and known His authority there?

Jonah met God in the belly of the great fish….(Jonah 2:1, 9)

Saul met the Lord on the road to Damascus….(Acts 9:3-6)

The Philippians Jailer met Him when he was about to commit suicide….(Acts 16:27-31)

Where, or under what circumstances you meet the Lord, is not important. What is important is,….that you do.

(Job is a book on several levels….God lets us see into His Universal Rule: for it is a book showing us how God rules and overrules for us.

In this book, God show us how our adversary, the devil, is always accusing us before God…..but God shows us how He deals with His whole universe….letting the devil hurt or harm only so far….in a measured way. Job 1:12, 2:6 After these two terrible trials…God allowed no more harm to come Job from the devil.

In this book, God shows us how He feels about obedient servants….and how He hedges us about…..often. (Job 1:8-10)

In this book, God shows us how He uses our trials to bring us to a more wonderful knowledge of Him,….and draws us to a closer walk with Him.)

I want to explain here, that Job was a righteous man. His attitude toward God was amazing (in my opinion)….at the loss of his wealth and children…

(there have been many times when things have gone wrong, that I wished my attitude was as his.)

Job 1:20-21 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

And at the loss of his health,….his attitude toward God did not waver:

Job 2:9-10 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

As I said, Job was a good and righteous man.

The trials of the devil were ended, but the trials from others were not:

After these terrible things happened, three “friends” came to comfort him, in his grief.

But instead of comfort, they came and told him….”something must be wrong with you, for God to have let these things come upon you”.

They said:

Job 4:7 “Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off?”

They thought maybe his children had sinned, or he had:

Job 8:4, 6 “If thy children have sinned against Him, and He have cast them away for their transgression;

If thou wert pure and upright; surely now He would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.”

They were trying to help Job, or so they thought……. but he had not sinned, as they thought.

What they said was right, if Job had sinned or turned aside from following the Lord. But that was not what was happening here….

Job had walked quite a ways with God. Job had knowledge of God and believed and worshipped the Lord……that was true…..as far as it went…..

But God wanted Job to know more of Him, in a different way, then just a provider and caretaker.

(Every trial that comes to us, is to open our eyes to His provision for us. To bring us closer to God.

They are measured trials….some relatively easy….others extremely difficult…and others, impossible.

But they are all sent to bring us closer to God, that we might know Him in a new way, for our lives….what He will do for us, in the trial; and how He will bring us through it….for He will.)

Frankly, Job had stalled out. He was a good man, doing charitable works….happy in his experience with God….but he was not going further in the knowledge of God…he was just coasting along…..but he did not know it.

It wasn’t the trials which he passed through that showed Job how he was…..but his “friends”.

When his “friends” came,…then his reputation came to be on the line….and Job bristled under the charge that he had sinned.

Job felt his friends were treating him badly….they should have realized that God tries the faithful….and he wanted God to show that he was pure.

But was he?

Job 10:2-3, 7 “I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; show me wherefore Thou contendest with me.

Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of Thine hand.”

Job knew that God was allowing this; but he began to be angry, when God was not defending him as he thought He should.

But wasn’t that part of the trial?

(I want to put in here, that we can not see all, of what God is doing…most times. We may see part….and for some, it is a great part, but not all.

We must trust that when we come through the trial we will be “as silver is tried” Psalm 66:10-12, and be “brought out into a wealthy [satisfying] place”)

Job continues,….only this time he begins to spout off about what he would say before God, Himself!

Job 23:3-6 “Oh that I knew where I might find Him! That I might come even to His seat!

I would order my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto me.

Will He plead against me with His great power? No; but He would put strength in me.”

(How bold we get in defending ourselves!)

I must admit, Job’s friends were being harsh in their words….they would not hear what he was saying…..God does try the faith of the righteous to bring out more faith….

Actually, what they said was true…..if, Job had sinned, like they thought.

But their knowledge of God, did not cover a righteous man being tried, to bring him closer to God.

They thought that blessings, and only blessings were the way that you should know God.

(And how many of us think the same?)

If you were righteous…..God blessed you.

If you were wicked….God cursed you.

That was the extent of their experience, and knowledge of God.

But God was trying to teach them all, more of Him.

Job then proceeds to explain to them his righteousness……he had been righteous, in reverence to God,…..all his days.

And he begs God to show how he really is….

“Oh that One would hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me,…” (Job 31:35)

Interesting request….for God does:

Job 38:1-2 “And the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkened counsel by words without knowledge?”

God answers Job from a whirlwind….Job had wanted God to do something mighty, and powerful, and He does….but not to the friends,….but to him.

The Lord then shows Job how little he knows of Him:

Job had spoken as though his righteousness had added something to God.

As though, Job’s knowledge of God and his obedience, had earned him God’s respect.

No, Job, it does not. God loves us, and the greatest thing He does for us….is bring us closer to Him, in experience….for that is true knowledge.

God speaks:

Job 40:2, 8 “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

Wilt thou also disannul my judgement? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be righteous?”

“So you are going to walk right up to Me, Job and tell Me off because I am doing My Will, so you will be brought closer to Me?

Is that righteousness, Job?”

“You say you are righteous….declaring it to all…

If your righteousness is so great, Job,….

Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency;….look on everyone that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place… (verses 10, 12)

I have everything in control, Job….the wind, snow, elements….the animals; the largest to the smallest, I have given direction to….are you able to do this?”

Job, awed,…..and humbled,…answered, laying his hand upon his mouth, which is a sign of contrition where his words are concerned. (Job 40:4)

Then Job answered God,….rightly

Job 42:2-3, 5-6 “I know that Thou canst do everything, and that no thought can be witholden from Thee.

Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee:

Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

You see, God is interested in us….and the trials which come to us are all under His hand.

Are we gaining knowledge of Him, everyday?

Or are we at a stand-still, rather proud of how far we have come?

Well, Job was….but he did not know it.

Until the Lord, through trials of loss, and through trials of friends made him speak all that was in his heart….

Then God showed him all that was in his heart, and he repented of his pride.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

The Lord also corrected his friends, and had Job pray for them. (Job 42:7-9)

Job 42:10, 12 “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning:…”

Blessed in scripture means twice happy.

God blessed Job,…..and if we could ask Job, I think he would have said that the greatest blessing, was his greater knowledge of the Most High.

What is your knowledge of God?

The Marriage Supper for the King’s Son

Matthew 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.”

This is one of the parables Jesus taught. The lesson to learn is that all that are invited to come, are going to be responsible for the invitation, and what they do with it.

Let us consider the parable:

Matthew 22:3-4 “And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants saying, Tell them which are bidden, behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.”

It was common in those days to send two invitations.

One, to notify the guests of the wedding day, and time.

The second, when things were ready, to collect the guests.

Now the Ministry of Jesus Christ was given twice.

One time to the Jewish Nation, which rejected Him.

The second, when the servants of Christ are sent to the individuals of the world with the Gospel.

All things are ready…….”Come”.

Now for the Nation of Israel:

Matthew 22:5-7 ” But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

And the remnant took his servant and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and sent forth his armies, and destroyed the murderers, and burned up their city.”

This happened in the destruction of Jerusalem, under Titus, when God punished those who rejected, and crucified His Son.

And now for the world’s hearing of this invitation:

Matthew 22:8-10 “Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

His servants would go into all the world, preaching and teaching the gospel.

Their commission was:

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Both good and bad people would hear and come to Christ….For God will have His Son to be honored.

The effectual call of the Holy Spirit, by means of the Gospel,

has gone throughout the world,…..and brings all who receive Him, to come to Christ, as Lord and Savior.

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:”

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

All those who come, are given the robe of Christ’s righteousness.

And for all the guests at the wedding feast, they would have been provided new garments, to change into, for such a grand occasion

Matthew 22:11-14. “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king unto the servants, Bind him and hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

For many are called, but few are chosen.”

This man didn’t have wedding garment on,…..which would have been provided to him,…..so he was asked, Why?

He should have. They were there, and given to all who were bidden and brought in.

So why didn’t he?

The only answer is, that he refused to put it on.

And by refusing the wedding garment, wasn’t he telling the king that he thought nothing of the invitation?

He had been brought in by the invitation, but did not want to submit to the King’s provision.

No one can come to the Wedding Supper of our Lord and Savior, if they are not clothed with His righteousness.

(Revelation 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.)

To “come” to God in your own works, or in your own goodness; is the greatest insult.

The call: “Come, for Christ has died and raised again to save us”, has sounded through the ages.

But you must receive Him,….or refuse Him.

For those who come to Christ, simply to get heaven, and not to be saved from their sin……..will find that the garment of self-preservation will not be recognized by God.

The garment of self-righteousness will not be recognized by God.

The garment of self-expression will not be recognized by God.

And the garment of self-will will not be recognized by God.

In His Son, God has provided all things that we might “sup with Him”.

What will we do with our invitation?

Afterward

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Hebrews 12:17 “For we know how that afterward, when he (Esau) would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”

Twice in Hebrews 12, we have the word “afterward”.

Afterward, here, means simply that something happened before; God chastened; and something happened as a result of the chastening: or “afterward”.

You will notice for both cases, it is a matter of the will, willing one way or the other.

To explain:

We will begin with “them that are exercised thereby”.

Now, God does not chasten, if there is not been sin in our lives.

Something which needs to be set right before Him.

Otherwise we will experience spiritual weakness in our life,……..then spiritual atrophy sets in.

(in the next verses it describes the beginning of this: “Therefore lift the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet,….” Hebrews 12:12-13)

But with the chastening from God, comes the knowledge that He does it out of love.

(When God “rebukes” us, He does it with words….His Word, or through messages, devotions, testimonies from others.

But when God chastens, He allows things to happen to us, to awaken us to the fact that He is trying to speak to us….but we will not hear. Psalm 89:30-33)

Hebrews 12:6, 10 “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he recieveth.

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he (God) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.”

Although this does not make the chastening pleasant; it does work within us a great and good knowledge of our God. He loves us so much that He interferes with things, to keep us in the right way.

His love gives us the desire to learn from it: to be exercised by the chastening, so that we will not have to go through it again and again.

Because He loves us, and He is doing this to help us grow in grace; we stir ourselves up to learn all we can in this chastening; to please Him.

By this, we gain fruit….the fruit of repentance, which is a cleansed conscience and renewed fellowship with God, and other Christians; And the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)….more peace, joy, love, etc.

This is the afterward of those who are exercised thereby.

Now for Esau:

Hebrews 12:16 “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

Esau and Jacob were twins. Esau, being older by a few minutes, was the inheritor of the birthright. This did not mean riches or cattle; but it meant the Spiritual blessings that God promised Abraham,…..a people separate to God, the land of Canaan, and mostly: The birthright meant that Christ, the Savior, would come from his line, in the future.

It was a blessing, only the one who wanted Spiritual ties with God, would want.

Jacob did. Esau did not.

Esau had been out hunting, and came by Jacob’s tent, without game. He was hungry, and saw Jacob (he was more of a farmer and cattleman) cooking something on the fire.

It was a pot of red beans, and Esau asked, that he be given some.

Jacob, always trying to figure out a way that he might inherit the blessing instead of Esau, told him; “Sure, but only if you sell me your birthright.”

Now any Spiritual person would have said, “No, I will wait, even though I feel faint, till I go to my tent.” (maybe on the other side of the camp)

But not Esau.

He was not Spiritual, but thought more of his belly, than the privilege of being the holder of the Promise of the Lord to come.

Genesis 25:32-34 “And Esau said, Behold I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do for me?

And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.”

Now for the afterward for Esau:

It is time for their father, who was nearly blind, to bless the one who would inherit; so he calls Esau, who was firstborn, in, and told him to prepare a special feast for him, and he would bless him.

I will not go into all the details, but Jacob, afraid to trust God, dressed up as Esau.

He fooled his father and received the firstborn blessing.

Then Esau came in (afterward) and sought the blessing, but could not receive it.

He cried……then.

Genesis 27:34,38 “And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”

Esau had not wept, and sought repentance for his foolish behavior when he was hungry and wanted Jacob’s food;….no.

He had not wept when he thought of the bargain he made with Jacob,…..for he thought he could still have everything, even though he despised it in his heart.

He would still be the elder.

He did not need to have a change of heart before God about anything.

After all, who knew, but Jacob?

You never hear of Esau building an altar or seeking God.

Even in the tears that flowed when he was denied the blessing, he did not cry to God;…..just to his father.

Afterward, when he was rejected by the God he rejected,…..he cried; but only for self-pity, not for despising the promises of God (the birthright).

Afterward,….will we receive God’s correction, and learn from it?

Or we will go on thinking we are alright, till…afterward, there is no more time to have what God wants for us.

God corrects us for our profit.

What is “profit” for us…..what is for now? Or what is for our spiritual life?

And we must always consider profit and loss; only Spiritually consider it.

Esau said, “What profit is this birthright of God’s promises?”

He did not care for a Christ to come….only his belly now.

And despised it. And lost it.

The one who is exercised (weighs profit and loss by God’s thoughts)……will gain more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

God says, He chastens me for my profit, and although I do not feel like it, now; I can trust Him.

So I will pick up my hands and my feet……and take the next step with Him.

I know that “afterward”, I will feel differently about this correction.

“Afterward” I will rejoice, because God has seen me through it, and given me His promises of more life in Him.