The Lord's complaint against Israel is that while she
belongs to Him, He gave birth to her, they don't know or recognize Him as
Lord. They have become a rebellious
child and the only way to get that child's attention and return her to the fold
is some tough love. When the parental
protection and provision is gone, perhaps she will, like the prodigal son in
the parable, realize that she has lost sense of who she is and whose she
is. Now, in the midst of devastation and
destruction, will she turn back? Isaiah
sees the truth, that in all this judgment there is mercy, the Lord has not done
here what He did in Sodom and Gomorrah, He has left a remnant, like Noah and
his family in the days of the flood, from which to start again with the nation. This is a time for us to take a good look
around us and see what is in light of what will be. Our lives right now might be pleasant, but in
the broader scheme, what does it look like in your brothers and sisters lives,
in the church at large, in the world. Is
this what God saw when He first created it all?
The virgins were those who escorted the groom to the
wedding. The wedding didn't happen until
the groom was finished adding the room he and his new wife would occupy in his
parents' house to the satisfaction of his father. In this parable, the groom was delayed and
some of the virgins brought not only their lamps but additional oil in case
this happened while some brought only their lamps. These, Jesus says are foolish, they weren't
prepared for a foreseeable delay and so when their oil runs low they beg the
others to share. The wise virgins remain
wise, they don't know how long the delay will be and so refuse to share on
grounds that then no one will have enough.
Preparation is key, being prepared always is essential. When we lived at the beach we prepared for
hurricane season and here in the mountains we are prepared for the possibility
of snow that might shut down electricity and keep us from getting food. If we prepare for such minor things as these,
should we not consider our preparation for eternity? Be ready if He comes at any moment.
Peter is warning his readers to be prepared for the day of
judgment, just as John the Baptist warned the Jews of this same thing. Peter says that the world was created through
water and once was judged by water but this time it will be judged by fire and
consumed. In the time of Noah there was
not only destruction but also re-creation.
As the waters were rolled back to their assigned places in creation, so
the waters of the flood receded to those same boundaries and all forms of life
began to repopulate the earth. Peter and
Paul both speak of judgment by fire this time round when they give their
warnings. Paul says all our lives will
be tested by fire and what remains will prove itself. Peter says the same here, and we therefore
must be prepared to live or die based on what we are made of. Let us build upon the foundation of Jesus by
seeking and cultivating His righteousness in our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment