Today’s Psalm 42 has this particularly challenging verse, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” [v.2]  We linked this verse in with the two parables we read today in Matthew Ch. 25.  There is first a parable of 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom to arrive, but half of them are foolish and do not bring enough oil (of faith?) and the door is shut on them and they are left outside (v.1-10) 

The second somewhat parallel parable is of servants who are entrusted with portions of their Master’s property while he is away.  When he returns they are called to appear before him.  Those who have been conscientious are naturally ready when their Master re-appears, they have been thirsting for him to come.  These receive commendation and are told “Enter into the joy of your Master [v.23]. Their thirsty soul was satisfied.

However, there is a servant who is described as “slothful” [v.26] who is barred from entry and the point is made by Jesus, “To everyone who has will more be given and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”[v.29]

We now look again at Psalm 42 where we read another important question – and the answer to it! “Why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him …” [v.5].   This thought leads to the Psalmist’s recognition that “by day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”  [v.8]   The Psalmist learnt that the Lord will quench our thirst now if we truly drink from his word every day.  We will have ample oil in our lamps and will be ready to appear before him with joy.   This world is “a dry and weary land where there is no water” [Psalm 63 v.1] except for “the water of life” [Rev. 21 v.6] that is only to be found, here and now, in God’s word.

In both our Genesis and Matthew readings today we have reference to the sun, moon and stars – and in neither case are they to be understood in a literal sense.  The context makes this evident.  In Genesis Joseph has a dream and tells his parents and brothers about it.  “Behold I have dreamed a dream.  Behold the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me” [37 v.9]  His father has no doubt as to what the dream symbolises and says, “ ‘Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?’ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind” [v.10-11]. Our minds moved forward to the time of Mary and how she kept the sayings about Jesus in mind in her heart. (Luke 2 v.19, 51)

The jealousy of the brothers is the trigger that creates a sequence of events that leads to the fulfilment of this dream – another example of how God weaves in the actions prompted by human nature, to bring about his purpose. It is also the way he oversees the character building of those he is calling to serve him.

In Matthew 24 Jesus says the sun, moon and stars will be a sign of his coming.  The time of great tribulation comes to an end when “the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” [v.29] 

While we do not exclude a possible application in some physical sense, the saying has  an application to a total crisis and collapse of earth’s ruling powers; the “earth  (i.e. the people on earth) will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect …” [v.30-31]

As we see world Governments more and more in crisis – and financial matter may be a major factor in this as people and nations worship money instead of God, let us remember these words and build up our faith in these words, because we cannot have faith in human beings, but we must not be like the foolish virgins we will read about tomorrow.

 The above saying of Jesus in today’s reading of Matthew 22 v.14 provoked our thoughts – seeing that Peter wrote that God “is not wishing that any should perish” [ 2 Peter 3 v.9].  Why call so many, but choose so few? We should remember well the parable of the sower sowing the seed and how many examples of unproductive ground were given compared to “the good soil.”   Today there is more unreceptive and unproductive ground than ever.  It is helpful to look at the context of Peter’s words, for we often hear it said that God is not willing that any should perish. 

    Peter writes, “The Lord …. Is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief … the earth and the works that are done in it will be exposed.  Since all these things are thus to be dissolved what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness … “ [v.9-11]   It seems to us Peter is saying that God does not wish that any of you  (to whom he is writing) should perish who “after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord …are again entangled in them and overcome” [2 Peter 2 v.20]

Returning to Christ’s parable we see it is about those who, although invited to the “wedding feast” given for the son, Jesus [v.22] are too preoccupied with  their business interests [v.5] while others invited, treated those bringing the invitations “shamefully” [v.6]  This speaks of the invitation to Israel which they rejected and suffered the wrath of the King in AD70 when the Romans overthrew  Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. (V.7)  Eventually the wedding feast goes ahead after, according to Luke’s account of the parable, “the servants … bring in the poor and crippled …” [14 v.21] and “so the wedding hall was filled with guests” [Matt. 22 v.10]    But then a problem occurs.  The guests need to have a “wedding garment”! What is this? 

    In Revelation last month we read about the “marriage supper of the Lamb” and it is stated of the Bride “it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen … for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” [19 v.8]  The deeds of the saints are those done as acts of faith, for they cannot “earn” their invitation to the wedding.  Sadly, those without a wedding garment are cast out.  We noted the wonderful words in today’s Psalm 37 which are so appropriate here, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and … He will bring forth your righteousness as the light” [v.5,6] 

 The character of Jacob is a real mixture, but is that not true of most, if not all of us!  His character matures somewhat over time, hopefully that is also true of us.  Twenty years elapses from when his mother Rebecca sends him away to her homeland and relatives to escape the wrath of Esau because Jacob had taken both his birthright and blessing. 

They had been 20 years in which God had blessed him; he now has 2 wives, his cousins Leah and Rachel, 11 children and possesses large herds of sheep and goats despite the machinations of his father-in-law Laban.  We now read “the LORD said to Jacob” (but we are not told how, a dream or an angel?), “return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred and I will be with you.” [Genesis 31 v.29]   After a final encounter with Laban, “Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.” [Ch.32 v.1] but again we are given no details as to how.  After learning that Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men he anxiously says (prays) “O God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good.’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and faithfulness …  for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan … please deliver me from the hand of my brother …” [v.9-11]

He reminds God (not that God needed reminding!) that “you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered …”  [v.12]  Then Jacob encounters another angel.  He is alone and he wrestles with this “man … until the breaking of the day” and is told “your name shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel” [v.24,28].  Tomorrow we will read how this statement is expanded (Ch.35 v. 9-13) which includes the words “then God went up from him” – making it obvious it was an angel. 

So Jacob, now called Israel, became the father of the 12 tribes.  God, through his angels, reveals himself as very merciful to a man who, although strong in some ways, is gentle and caring in others and is upset by violence.  The angels he encounters show that God responds to these characteristics despite times of showing uncertain faith.  These things have lessons for us, how long will it be before we encounter angels? 

 In many parts of the Bible we read of the angels of God.  The record often makes it clear that the angels represent God, speaking on his behalf; sometimes it is written as though it is God himself speaking, such as with Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3 v.2-7,13).  The ultimate person to represent God was Jesus, for we read, “he (God) in these last days has spoken to us by his Son” [Hebrews 2 v.1]  Jesus himself said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14 v.9]  But he wasn’t the Father was he, he represented the Father.   When David writes, as we noticed in yesterday’s Psalm [34 v.15], “the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous”, we understand that angels are the “eyes” of the LORD – recalling, as one example, how the angels went down to Lot at Sodom.  Indeed, we recall many examples of angels being involved in the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in our Genesis readings.  When we come to read Exodus at the end of the month we will see the same happens with Moses.  In the generations after that, God worked more through his prophets although we have seen how God spoke to Elijah in “a still small voice.”

In today’s Psalm (35) David is urgent in prayer for God’s protection from “those who contend with me.” [v.1]  He asks, “Let them be put to shame who seek after my life.” [v.4]  This did happen in particular to King Saul and his henchmen.  But how does God actually cause it to happen?  We might say it is impossible to know – but David observes, “Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away.” [v.5]  Then he adds, Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.” [v.6]    We read in many places of “The LORD of Hosts” and understand this to mean multitudes of angels.  In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word.  Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers … “ [v.20,21]  When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, “there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him” [Luke 22 v.43]   Will some of us soon see angels?  Well,  in a few days time we will read of Jesus saying that when he is seen “coming on the clouds of heaven with power” These great clouds will be the glorified faithful saints described in Heb. 12:1…then he will send out his angels …they will gather his elect” (the scattered remnant of Israel ) from every part of the earth. [Matt. 24 v.30 v.31] 

Our heading may appear to some to be a rather negative quote from today’s Psalm 34.  This Psalm is a wonderful “mine” of sayings from the pen of David, ideal to inspire those who aim to serve God.  We need to put the above words within the context of these other sayings.

David wrote, “I sought the LORD and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” [v.4]  And again, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” [v.7]  Further still, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ear toward their cry … and delivers them out of all their troubles.” [v.15,17]

We need to weigh up all these encouraging sayings, recognising what they are (and are not) telling us.  There is, unfortunately, an attitude in some Christian circles that if you serve God and His Son you will get more and more blessings and prosperity.  This is NOT what the Bible reveals, although it is true of the ultimate picture, but it is not true of this life. Men like Solomon are the exception. Life in serving the LORD is a learning curve.  David discovered this after he had slain Goliath, look at his life story!  This understanding surely lies behind his most challenging statement in today’s Psalm, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him (also her) out of them all.” [v.19]

As we are seeing in our Genesis reading, it was the lesson that Jacob also learnt in all the traumas of his life in his relationship with his brother and with Laban.  It is summed up in what he says at the end of his life when he meets up with Pharaoh, as we will read next week (Gen. 48 v. 15,16) Jacob speaks of “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day; the angel who has redeemed me from all evil.”  Coming back to Psalm 34, note what it says in v.12!  “What man (or woman) is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?”  Surely that is the desire of us all! Now note the answer he gives to this question in the verses which follow recognizing that with the “many days” will come times of affliction and the angel of the LORD will be there to deliver as the LORD sees the need. 

  Is it necessary?  Surely it would be better if there were no temptations?  Or would it? Why is Jesus recorded as saying this in our readings today in Matthew 18 v.7?  Did not Jesus teach his disciples to pray “Lead us not into temptation?” [Matt. 6 v.13]  But his next words were that we should pray to be delivered from evil.  It is an inevitable fact of life that a measure of evil and the temptations it brings surround us.

There is Proverb which says iron sharpens iron (27 v.17) and Paul told Timothy that, as a spiritual “soldier for Christ” he would “share in suffering” [2 Tim.2 v.3].  It is a principle in life that all recognize – that everything needs to be tested.  Have you heard of the ‘stress test’?  Will this or that invention really be able to do what it was designed to do? 

Humans undergo ‘stress tests’ and history shows how far too many people occupying important positions have sometimes proved to be failures – sometimes – disastrous ones.  But can you really give humans a “stress test” before they are put to the test?

Now let’s look at this from God’s perspective.  He is in the supreme position of “declaring the end from the beginning” [Isaiah 46 v.10] and knows who will stand up to the “stress tests” of life.   We are reading how Jacob went through “stress tests” at the moment – God took him through – to put it simply – a character development course.  Can you sense that in your life? We can, but we both have the benefit of looking back over more than 60 years of trying to improve and endure in serving the Lord.

Paul is an outstanding example.  We note his words when the elders of Ephesus came to meet him for the final time. “from the first day I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials  … I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable …” [Acts 20 v.18-20]  Paul passed his ‘stress tests’ and sought to encourage others to do the same.  Now, not that Jesus today is primarily a warning of “woe to the one by whom the temptations come” and the need to “cut it off” – whatever the source of the temptation is.  It maybe a person – or a “thorn in the flesh” which Paul saw as a blessing, as he endured to the end [2 Cor. 12 v.7,10] saying, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” May we all be able to pass our stress tests – with the Master’s help.

The stage has now arrived in the life of Jesus for the really serious issues to be raised with his disciples.  His disciples were challenged as to what they really understood and believed. They are told to “Watch” and this means, Jesus is telling them, keeping the eyes of your mind open so that you correctly understand.  Only by doing this will you act in the right way and do the will of God.

Life has many things to “beware” of when we commit our lives to serve God and do his will.  Jesus says, “watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” [Matt. 16 v.6]  They puzzle over what “leaven” means in this context.  Natural leaven is, of course, the agent put into bread dough to make it lighter and more palatable. Were some doing this to spiritual teaching?  Yes! Jesus explains to his disciples, “I did not speak about bread …. but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees”   [v.11,12].

History shows that there has always been a tragic tendency to take the teaching of Jesus and make it more palatable.  His disciples are going to be required to take on a very responsible role.  He began to tell them that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests, and be killed and on the third day be raised,” [v.21]  Their human thinking is locked into one way of thinking so they cannot accept this.  Their understanding is headed for a steep and painful learning curve.

Has the life of those truly trying to serve Christ ever been any different? No. Climbing up from the slippery unstable sands of human thinking to the “rock” [v.18] has always been a challenge. We see in reading the book of Acts that Peter, through much agonizing, became the first “Rock.”  So let all of us take special note of the advice to “watch and beware” and gain “the keys of the kingdom” [v.19].

What kind of “life” matters most to us?  Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man (or woman) if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?” [v.26].   What did Jesus mean?  Everything is said today about the need to have the best possible career path – so that you can gain the best rewards offering in life.  That is fine – IF this life is all that you are interested in.  But if you are interested in more than this life – “watch and beware