There is a book called the MISHNAH. It is a collection of rabbinical schools of thought on various aspects of the Mosaic Law, and considered second only to the TORAH (first five books of the Bible: LAW) in holy esteem. There were, in fact, several rabbinical schools interpreting the Law, and many of their interpretations were contradictory. If a poor Hebrew wanted to know what some statement of the Law meant and/or how it was to be applied, he would seek a rabbi for information. Such a rabbi most probably would say, “Well, according to the school of Hillel, it means thus and so.” He would go on to say, “But according to the school of Shlomoh, it means this. On the other hand, according to the school of Yitsach, it means this and this, under certain conditions.” So, the poor man would go away scratching his head, no more enabled to solve the problem than before the consultation. The folks in Jesus’ day were all too acquainted with this procedure.
Then in the fullness of time, Jesus appeared on the scene, preaching that they should repent for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. As He engaged His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapters five through seven, He often said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said of them of old time….. But I say unto you…..” As he laid out the contrast between Law and the system of grace, He spoke forcefully and adamantly. Therefore, it is of little wonder that at the end of that sermon, it is written, “. . . the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Matt. 7:28, 29. THEY WERE
HEARING THE AUTHORITY OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!
The apostle John reports, “Al things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:3. The God of heaven and earth was resident in the man Jesus. He is the Creator, and nothing exists that He did not create. As Creator and Lord of heaven and earth, He is also Lord of time and eternity and the beginning of all things as well as the end. What He had to say to the Jewish people shocked and amazed them. Many believed Him and rejoiced. Others did not. But, there is one thing they could not deny: they were hearing the Authority!
Centuries have turned into millenniums since that sermon was preached near the Sea of Galilee. The things He said are still just as true today as they were back then. Moreover, those things still shock those who take the time to listen. Those who believe find joy, peace, and life.
Those who do not believe Him stumble on in a darkened world in which little if anything makes sense. “There are too many religions,” they say. “So many things that churches say contradict one another, as do the Law interpretations of the MISHNAH. What are we to believe?” The answer is simple. Hear the Authority! Believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him! Heb. 11:6. He is the Creator. Why would anyone look elsewhere?
FOR THOUGHT: Strangely, people demand written proof and documented evidence on countless subjects of law, business, and life events in general. Why are they content, then, to believe things purported to be of eternal value without checking them out with the Word? What do you believe? Why? Do you spend a little time each week reading the Bible? Why not?
HEART GATES: OPEN AND SHUT
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. . .” Prov. 23:7.
To think in one’s heart is to open the gate of the heart to that specific subject matter.
This is a picturesque concept that the Hebrews knew only too well. The idea is driven home by the realities of the city of Jerusalem, a city of gates.
It was not a difficult matter to determine the business at hand in the lives of folks in Jerusalem. All one had to do was observe which gate they were using. A brief survey of a map of the ancient city reveals a number of gates. There was the Fish Gate; the Sheep gate, the Golden gate; the Dung gate, etc. All one had to do was observe the gate being used to determine what was on one’s mind: his business at the moment. If he were using the Fish gate, he was buying or selling fish. If he were using the Dung gate, he was going to or coming from the garbage dump. If he were using the Golden gate, he was coming from or going to the Temple. If he were using the Sheep gate, he was buying or selling sheep, usually as sacrificial animals. So on it goes.
It remains just as certain today that whatever one (gates) opens his heart to, particularly as habitual, so he is, and so he will be understood and identified. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and/or a person acts. One must be careful how he opens the gates to his heart. It also follows that if one opens the gate of his heart to the Word of God, and meditates on God, and on the things of God, it will be known to all. That will be the traffic of his life; the evidence indisputable, and the observance by others certain. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he . . .” To this, the beloved Apostle Paul adds: “Final y, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. With the help of God, one may control what he meditates on in his heart. Reject some things, and specifically admit some things by following this biblical advice.
FOR THOUGHT: Did you know there is danger in entertaining illicit and evil thoughts? Every person in prison thought about doing evil before doing it. When an evil thought knocks on your mental door, do you invite it in and give it the easy chair? Will you try Phil. 4:8 next time?
HEAVEN HAS AIR CONDITIONING!
Summer in much of the world finds man, animal, and plant life at the mercy of extremely high temperatures sometimes matched with equally high humidity. Men seek refuge in air conditioned houses, cars, and workplaces when possible. Gardens burn and die. Animals are often hard pressed to survive in any absence of rain. Truly, it can be miserable! Let’s think about it for a minute or two!
There is a verse in Revelation (among many) which is intriguing! It says in English,
“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.” (7:16). It is this last phrase, “nor any heat” that catches attention. What is meant here?
That the sun of the Milky Way solar system will be gone is understood, but the notion that life flourishes in an environment without any heat merits thought. Could it be that life in the next dimension exists in what is now known as absolute cold? Of course, if so, all would be impervious to it, but while intriguing, the thought is discounted for something better. Heaven has perfect air conditioning! Jesus will be the light of heaven, and the environment will never be too hot or too cold since life in resurrected, immortal bodies will be unaffected by those things. But there is more.
The term “heat” as used in this verse identifies burning, consuming heat. It alludes not only to literal heat of that sort, but to the burning, consuming heat of temptations, difficulties and pressures of life so common to earthly existence.
Certainly, there is more than one reason that the term “heaven” has a blissful ring to its sound. When one’s imagination has done its utmost to envision the ultimate ideal of immortal, incorruptible life, it falls woefully short of its reality due to the limitations of one’s present status and environment. Nice things are spoken of as being “heavenly,” but they only connote a tiny bit of idealism that heaven holds for those who will enjoy it forever. To miss that is surely the most unthinkable thing in all the vocabularies of all men! It is so grand as to make all other things known to mankind trivial. On the limited commission of Jesus to His disciples, they returned with tremendous rejoicing stating that even the devils were subject to them in the name of the Lord.
Jesus proverbially brushed that aside and told them a far better reason to rejoice was the fact that their names are written in heaven. Is your name written down in heaven? If not, there is another eternal home where it is forever hot beyond imagination, and there is no island or refuge of air conditioning there!
FOR THOUGHT: Did you know that heaven is presented in the Bible as a place of comfort, rest, and the absence of any and all problems so that perfect peace prevails? Finite minds, even spiritual minds in this world cannot begin to comprehend its never-ending wonder. Are you prepared for it? Did you know admittance there is not automatic without preparation?
HEAVEN’S OFFER: A LIFE OF ADVANTAGE!
“And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.”
Genesis 32:24.
Enduring and mighty lessons spring from what many may see as strange and perplexing events in the Old Testament. Such is the case of the patriarch Jacob wrestling all night with an angel as recorded in Genesis 32.
In context, Jacob was returning from Padam-aram (modern Iraq) with his wives, children, livestock, and substance to his parental homeland. He was under a death threat from his brother, Esau who sold Jacob his birthright, but was extremely angered when Jacob engaged in trickery to actually obtain it. News had come to Jacob that Esau was coming with hundreds of armed men, so he assumed the worst and implemented a cunning plan of appeasement to preserve life and achieve peace.
Moreover, in the long night before meeting his brother, Jacob is said to have wrestled with an angel until the dawning of the day. Refusing to release his hold on the angel until he should be blessed, Jacob was given his blessing, and with it a change of name to “Israel.”
“Israel” is a composite of two words: “Ish” “man,” (royal man), “possessor of power” and
“El” “God”; hence, one who has power with God and prevails. This new word became the name of the patriarch from that day forward. Moreover, that name was transferred to the aggregate of his offspring, the Hebrew people who were the Old Testament people of covenant with God, and through Whose power they prevailed often against impossible odds. They had a real advantage (inside track) with God, But it was not after the flesh, but of God’s choosing.
Today, the homeland of the Jewish people is referred to as Israel, but what made that name significant, the presence and power of God, was withdrawn upon their final rejection of their Messiah Who said of them, ”Behold, your house is left unto you desolate…” Luke 13:35.
Jesus had come not only to pay the sin penalty for mankind, which men could not pay, but to bring His covenant people out from under the dispensation of law into the marvelous New Covenant of Grace. A remnant did so follow the Lord, and He also graciously incorporated the nations of all who would believe and follow Him. Hence, the beloved apostle Paul tells us that the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ is “the Israel of God.” Galatians 6:16. So long as the grace of God is extended in this dispensation of time cal ed “today,” men have the blessed privilege of being a part of that Israel, “One who has power with God and prevails, even His people of the New Covenant.”
Do you have an obedient and talking relationship with God? It really is an advantage of blessings both in time and in eternity!
FOR THOUGHT: Do you believe that the people who possess a covenant with God have an advantage in spiritual things? Did you also know that such a blessed position may not be used to tempt God or to become personally arrogant about it? Are a member of one of the Lord’s bona fide New Testament churches who walk in covenant relationship with Jesus?