Psalm 146, 147; 1 Samuel 14:36-45; Rom. 5:1-11; Matt. 22:1-14
Saul has made a rash vow concerning the eating of food during the battle with the Philistines and now he expects someone to pay the price for his foolishness. He first wants to go to destroy the Philistines utterly but the priest says that they need to inquire of the Lord prior to taking such action. The delay in the Lord’s answer becomes the catalyst for the belief that it is because someone broke the vow that the Lord is delaying. Lots are drawn twice and finally, Jonathan is indicated as the transgressor. Jonathan makes confession and is prepared to pay the consequences but the men of the army rise up against such a penalty against the one who has won the victory.
Jesus speaks of the irrevocable judgment of God. He makes a comparison with a wedding feast where there is a two-part invitation process. The guests are told what day the feast will be but the time of the feast is not accurately known. The second invitation is to tell the guests that the feast is ready, they can now come and partake of the banquet. This feast isn’t just any wedding though, it is the king’s own son who is to be married. It would be an unconscionable breach of etiquette to refuse to come to a friend’s wedding, it would be a perilous breach to do so to the king. Even worse, some of the invitees decide to kill the messenger. The king is rightly indignant at these actions and repays those who have scorned his invitation and disrespected him in this way and then ensures that there are guests by inviting anyone passing by to come. One, however, refused to put on the proper wedding attire (provided by the king). It would, again, be shocking for someone to accept the invitation of the king and then refuse to abide by the “house rules.” The Lord has opened the doors for us Gentiles to come to the wedding feast of His Son and we must accept the rules that no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, we must come as He commands, otherwise we will be thrown out.
Jesus’ death is the atoning sacrifice for sins and brings us peace with God. Paul says we were, at that time, enemies of God. Paul would know better than anyone as the Lord specifically told him that he was not his friend but his enemy. Why do we think there are many ways to eternal life with God when He has given us Jesus? If we choose to attempt to get to Him by another path we have rejected His gracious offer and we have rejected the love of God in Jesus, it is not God’s fault that we reject His Son. We make choices all the time in our lives and understand that the consequences are that we lose the enjoyment of the thing we rejected in favor of something else. We have to come to grips with the reality that to choose some other path is to choose another destination as well.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.
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