5+5=10

          or Five Days to Christmas

 

       We just went to my nephew's wedding this weekend past.  His speech was one of the best I ever heard, and they both seem very solid in their love.  There are a lot of lessons we learn from weddings in the Bible, but in honour of the number five we shall ponder the five wise and five foolish virgins.

 

Then shall the kingdom of Heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Mt. 25:1-4

 

       So we see that all ten were virgins- physically meaning sexually pure or figuratively meaning clean and spotless before God.  All ten had their lamps in hand, ready to light the way when need be.  They all slept (v.5) while waiting for the groom.  Then when the groom finally came, they all trimmed their lamps, but only five were wise enough to bring extra oil.  The foolish ones brought no extra and their lamps ran out.  They said 'Give us some of your oil for our lamps have gone out.'

 

       Foolishly they demanded.  Foolishly they didn't have extra available for such an important occasion.  The wise virgin's lamps still shone but they only had enough oil for themselves, so they told the foolish virgins to go buy some.  While they were out buying, the groom came and those left went in to the ceremony (v.10).  The five foolish girls came and asked to be let in (v.11) but the groom said, "I do not know you." (v.12)  Besides the fact these verses could mean something we like to ignore, lets consider what is stressed: wise and foolish.

 

       The light of the wise five remained lit while the light of the foolish five went out.  The wise girls were prepared (with extra oil) while the foolish girls thought only of current, not future needs.  The wise girls slept because they were already prepared, but the foolish girls should have gone out to buy instead of sleep; or they could have thought to send one of them to go buy more oil.  They were 'in' someplace sleeping (v.6), so perhaps they could have seen if there was oil in that place.  It seems like the five foolish girls continued to act foolishly.  Regardless, the biggest foolishness was in not being prepared for the groom to arrive:

 

Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes. Mt. 25:13

 

We need to be prepared!

Six Sons to Happiness?

          or Six Days to Christmas

 

       We tried to have children right away after we got married.  I knew everything I needed to know about conception and how to achieve it quickly, so when it didn't happen one year later, I went in to the doctor and forced him to test us.  Within a month we had the results- barring a miracle, we would not bear children.  Shattered dreams... and no miracle...

 

       Adoption also looked impossible- with most private lists closed to taking names, not fitting in to the requirements of countries we could afford, and most kids through Children's Aid were of mixed heritage so we couldn't get them either.  Years of grief ensued.  Leah must have felt just as shattered when she married Jacob.  Everyone knew he loved Rachel, but Leah probably thought he would learn to love her too.  Instead, he gave her one week and then married Rachel.

 

And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him a few days, for the love he had for her. Gn. 29:20
And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. And he (Laban) gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. (v.28)
(30)...He also loved Rachel more than Leah...  (31) ...Jehovah saw that Leah was hated...

 

       One week married and pushed away, despised.  That had to hurt.  Obviously he slept with her a few times, but I'm guessing he only did the minimum necessary by standards of the day.  Actually, one time Leah had to purchase a night with Jacob- with mandrakes, considered an aphrodisiac (30:16).  Two more sons produced to her husband, and Leah thought things would change... He would surely love her now, right?

 

Son 1- Now therefore my husband will love me. (29:32)
Son 3- Now this time my husband will return to me (34)
And Leah said, God has given me a good present. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons... Gn. 30:20

 

       Six sons.  What man wouldn't be proud, honoured, and cherish that wife?  Leah named her last son Zebulun (exalted) because she probably thought 'finally my husband will exalt me' as important and worthy of love in his life.  Six sons would restore her happiness.  Six sons would fulfill her dreams of a loving marriage.

 

I hope that Leah eventually realized her joy and dreams could only be fulfilled in Yahweh.

Journey to Emmaus

         or Seven Days to Christmas

       Personally, I’m really glad we have cars- or even bicycles for that matter; anything but walking.  Although I do enjoy hiking in nature, walking down the road does NOT appeal to me, especially as a method of ‘transportation’.  So I am glad that I was born the last half of the last century, not like the two who walked to Emmaus.

Lk. 24:13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, (14) and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. (15) …Jesus himself drew near and went with them. (16) But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

(17-20) Meanwhile, Jesus asks about their sadness and what happened in Jerusalem. (21) …we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel… (22-25) …Some say he is alive, others do not believe… And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" (27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (29) In Emmaus, the men didn’t want him to leave, …“Stay with us…”

       Jesus meets up with these downcast men and decides to walk seven miles with them in their journey.  During those seven miles, he learns their perspectives of what happened in Jerusalem, what they thought Jesus’ purpose was, and how they thought it was all a waste.  Jesus rebukes them for unbelief and explains how what happened was needed.  Then He showed them Old Testament passages about Himself and what they meant.

       I can’t imagine having face to face communication with the Lord for seven whole miles, but I do know He wants to walk in our journey with us.  We might not completely understand Him or what is happening, but we can know He is with us through it all.  7 minutes, 7 miles, 7 years or 77 years: God wants all the time we’ll give Him.  He wants to open our eyes so that we recognize Him, and He'll change us from within!

(31) And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. (32) They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?

It Goes Without Saying…

          or Eight Days to Christmas

       Sometimes the Old Testament indicates a number without calling it by ‘name,’ and the story of Noah is one example.  Eight people got into the ark and all eight were saved because of the uprightness of one man, Noah.  The Bible doesn’t indicate anything spiritually or morally about his sons, in-laws or his wife, only him.  Noah was “…a preacher of righteousness…” (2Pt. 2:5)  We can surely see how not all children follow after their parent’s godly examples…

Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. Gn. 6:9

And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded him. (7:5)

…Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ark. (7:13)

Behold! I, even I, establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; (9:9)

       Because of Noah’s desire to walk godly, the Lord saved him AND his family from death by the flood.  To think on: Noah could have disobeyed God and put off building the ark (a task which would have been very time consuming), or he could have delayed getting in the ark when God told him to, or left through the window in the seven days they were shut in without seeing the flood come (Gn. 7:10). 

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Hb. 11:7

       But Noah’s faith was strong and he knew God would do what He said even though he didn’t see it with his eyes.  He feared God enough to do what he was asked despite being laughed at and mocked like he must have been.  He trusted God before the flood, during the flood, and after the flood.  And because of Noah’s faith, eight lives were saved.  In the movie ‘Evan Almighty’ the Lord asks a modern man to build an ark, and he struggles with the task.  How would we do if God asked us?  Would we do it?  Would we even believe?

Where are The Nine?

          or Nine Days to Christmas

         Sometimes I have to ask about my kids, “Where are they?” especially when it comes to house cleaning, setting up a tent site, decorating the house for Christmas, when I’m in the car waiting for them, etc.  It seems they just disappear when things need to be done!  (Ok, many of us try to avoid things we don’t like: dishes, cleaning, going out in the cold…)  Anyway, it is more difficult to imagine someone giving you the greatest gift and not thanking them in return.

And as He (Jesus) entered into a certain village, ten leprous men met Him, who stood afar off. And they lifted voice and said, Jesus, Master, pity us! And seeing them, He said to them, Go show yourselves to the priests. And it happened, as they went, that they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and glorified God with a loud voice. And he fell down on his face at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. And answering, Jesus said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Lk 17:12-17

       Just where were the other nine?  They all went to show themselves to the priests as told (an act of obedience) but when healed, only one turned back to glorify Jesus.  I think Jesus was making a point to those around him: it was a hated Samaritan who worshipped Him.

       How many times a day do we neglect to thank Him for all He’s done?  We woke up breathing, probably walking, talking, hearing, putting on clothes, eating, driving a car, bringing kids to school, going to a job, spending money on coffee, laughing with co-workers, talking on our cell…  The list of miraculous blessings in our lives is endless.

       Most of all, at this time of year, we should be thanking Jesus for leaving his God space to come and live as a poor newborn baby in a filthy, sinful world to be rejected and murdered for our sins which He bore for us on the cross- our death penalty cross!  That salvation is ours every day and so we should be thankful, falling on our knees worshipping the One who gave so much for love of us.

Oh Lord, help us not be like the nine, but to turn back like the one, to fall at Your feet thanking You for every thing big and small.  May we never hear You say of us, “Where are you?”

Ten Servant Throw Down

          or Ten Days to Christmas

       I’ve heard it said that soldiers do fear, but they are trained to fight in spite of their fear.  Now, God often says not to fear (Is. 41:10), but we are human and well, it happens some times.  Is it that we lack faith?  Probably.  Yet, in our humanness we must decide if we will allow the fear we feel to stop us from doing what God wants us to do.

Jehovah said … throw down the altar of Baal which your father has, and cut down the pillar by it. Jd. 6:25

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had said to him. And so it was, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day. So he did it by night. (v.27)

       Here Gideon is told by God to break down the idol Baal of his father’s, which must have been used by the townspeople as well.  Gideon knows full well that his life could be in jeopardy but he does it anyway.  He works around his own fear by doing the job at night, but I think the point is, he did what he was told to do.  The ten servants helped him throw the altar of Baal down- and cut down the grove.

       The enemy wants us to be stopped by our fear.  God wants us to not fear, but at the very least, do not let our fear keep us from obeying Him and His Word.  Maybe we’re afraid to tell a family member about Jesus, stand up to the lies of a co-worker, tell a pastor he’s wrong with what he said, confront someone who offended us, etc.  No matter how we feel, we can overcome that fear by determining to do God’s will in our lives.  For it is not by our own power anyway, but by His!

…My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness… 2Cr. 12:9

I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Jh. 16:33

For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 1Jh. 5:4

The Eleven Just Don’t Get It!

          or Eleven Days to Christmas 

      12-1=11 That seems simple enough, but I can’t imagine what the 11 disciples thought when a man that they knew for 3 years, Judas, betrayed their beloved Lord (who was put to death) and then killed himself.  They must have wondered at the complexity of it all.  How could it be, that others had seen Jesus alive when they had seen Him die and get buried?  No!  It couldn’t be!

       The eleven still didn’t understand everything Jesus had taught them: that His salvation could only come through His death and resurrection.  They probably thought those speaking of seeing Jesus were crazy, delusional in their grief, or seeing things.  Any way we look at it, there were eleven who lost their belief and spiritual perception.  We do that sometimes, don’t we?

And they (those who saw Jesus) went and told it to the rest (the disciples). Neither did they (the disciples) believe those (who saw Jesus). Afterward He appeared to the Eleven as they reclined (ate together). And He reproached their unbelief (faithlessness) and hardness of heart (destitution of spiritual perception), because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. Mr. 16:13,14

       I know, for myself, that at various times I have lost faith in the Lord: to move in my life, to heal me, change me, be out for my good, stay with me, and love me all the time.  Those thoughts were a product of not really understanding / perceiving Him correctly, who He is, and how He works.  Sometimes we just don’t get it!

Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed. Jh. 20:29

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hb. 11:1

       It’s funny how we think, ‘You had Jesus there in person, and how could you not believe?’  We know Jesus as historical fact, have proof in the Bible, His words to read, eyewitness accounts in the gospels, yet we still struggle with unbelief and spiritually off perceptions.  Guess we can’t judge, but we can choose to see the real Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, and trust Him completely with our lives.

Water that Brings Life

         or Twelve Days to Christmas

       There are 186 times this number is used in the Bible.  Aren't you glad I'm not listing them all?  So, back in the day when Israel was wandering in the desert, they kept worrying about food and water.  Now, God provided for them every time they had a physical need, yet they still did not have faith enough to always trust.  (Don't we do that too?)  Anyway, I guess the Lord decided they needed a welcome rest because He led them to an area of refreshing:

 

And they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water, and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters. Ex. 15:27

 

       Shade and unending water, how much better can you get?  And there was one spring for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Fresh water for all!  This indicates that God didn't leave anyone out.  He seeks to bring refreshing times to each of us; not just the wealthy, the old, or the wise, not just the men, the parents or the child, not just the skilled, the management or the housewife, but one and all had access to the Lord's refreshing.

 

Jesus still wants to give us times of refreshing. 

 

Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give Me to drink, you would have asked of Him, and He would have given you living water. Jh. 4:10
Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (in order to recover) Mt. 11:28
Therefore repent and convert so that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Ac. 3:19

Solomon's Folly

         or Thirteen Days to Christmas

       Solomon was charged by his dad to build a temple to his God (1Ch. 22:6).  Though David fought long and hard to establish his kingdom, Solomon inherited a land that was in relative peace, yet he expanded it and his kingdom was a wealthy one.  This wealth, combined with the supplies David had stored for the Temple (1Ch. 22:5), made for a magnificent building, as fitting for the Lord of the universe as possible.  It took seven years to finish the Temple (1Kn. 6:38).  Then Solomon began work on his own house.

 

And Solomon was thirteen years building his own house. And he finished all his house. 1Kn. 7:1 

 

       There are many things that people try to read into this Scripture, but the timeline states Solomon built God's Temple for seven years, then spent thirteen years building his palace, together 'done in twenty years' (1Kn. 9:10).  Just because it took less time to build the Temple does not mean there was less care put into it.  When it was done, it was as 'perfect'ly fashioned as humanly possible- I'm sure Solomon would not have stood for less, and the plans came from David!  His palace, on the other hand, was larger, and made more ornate for his own tastes which were opulent. 

 

        It seems to be at this time that Solomon's eyes are taken off of God due to his love of wealth and women.  1Kn. 11:1-10 speaks of 700 wives (crazy man!) and 300 concubines.  The inside walls of his palace were supposedly covered in gold.  With personal and public rooms, the palace area would have been about twice the size of the Temple area.  But the worst sin of all would have to be that he allowed his flesh to obscure his focus on God, and the women in his life were able to turn him to idols- all in thirteen years.  Perhaps he did learn his lesson eventually, as he states here:

 

I made my works great; I built houses for myself... Ec. 2:4
And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them... (v.10)
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit; and there is no profit under the sun. (v.11)