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To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And slew mighty kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting: Sihon, king of the Amorites, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And Og, king of Bashan, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And gave their land as a heritage, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, Even a heritage to Israel His servant, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, And has rescued us from our adversaries, For His lovingkindness is everlasting; Who gives food to all flesh, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. " (Psalm 136). How often we should enter into prayer with thanksgiving, for the LORD has given us so much. Each day of life, Jesus, the Bible, the wonderful and nourishing foods He has given us to eat, clean water, air to breathe, the promise of eternity in heaven for His children; so many, many blessings the list is infinite. One thing that is so wonderful about the lovingkindness of the LORD is that mankind deserves none of this; mankind has continually rebeled, sinned and remained in lawlessness yet the LORD continues to forgive and bless those who are His. God's mercies and love will never cease to those whom He has called, in whom He works all things together for the good, therefore let us in the assembly of the saints cry out: Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting! . |
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Here Jesus gives a lesson concerning the theme of His ministry, the eventual triumph of good over evil. Jesus often prophecied against and exposed the hypocricy of the Sanhedrin who eventual killed Him. The Sanhedrin was made up of the scribes, Saducces and Pharisees. In Luke 17 we see the Pharisees "demanded" of Jesus when the kingdom should come. The kingdom is the New Covenant or the eternal New Testment church over which Jesus is the head. Note the physical church consists of both believers and unbelievers; the eternal church represents believers only in the sense that Christ has made us kings and priests. So as head of the eternal church, Jesus was saying to them that just as in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; I AM is here.
The Pharisees and many of the crowds who pursued or "followed" Jesus are a spiritual portrait of many who claim they are following Christ today. During Jesus' ministry many crowds followed Him looking for physical blessings, such as a free miracle or meal; many thought the New Testament kingom would come withgreat observations and signs:
"The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John 6:22-26).
Jesus after admonishing the people for continually seeking that which was physical and not spiritual then concludes the lesson on this high point:
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." (John 6:27).
So you see we are not to labor for the physical, but for the meat of the Word which the SON SHALL GIVE TO YOU. Christ will do all the giving we just receive it and then put it to use:
"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 4:2,3).
What does "put it to use" mean? Since we have established that all goodness within us is imputed as righteousness from above this will be evidenced in our lives.
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked." (1 John 2:3-6).
True Christians will live their lives in a way in which Jesus is seen in them by others:
"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16).
Jesus told us to be concerned with the spiritual blessings in Him and not to continually desire worldly good; this is the nature of His blessings and to wit one must remember as His children we are often not only void worldly goods as Paul was often without home or food, but we also suffer as saints therefore we must often comfort one another and remain zealous:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous." (Revelation 3:17).
A good nucleus or summary of the teachings of Jesus can be found in the brief phrase "that which you do to the least of these so have you do also unto Me". In closing let's take a few minutes to dwell on the verses in Luke 17:20,21 and the verses I will close with in Matthew 25. Let us keep this theme in mind as we go through life and into all the world this week and every day let us focus all the more on Jesus:
"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:34-40).
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