Wednesday, July 26, 2006
THE LAST STATE
Vv 43-45. "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44. "Then it says, `I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45. "Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
Unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order describes the vacuum of the human heart whose chemotherapy is repentance, not morality. The Jews returned to Jerusalem, not with repentance but a system of fundamentalism that focused, not on blessings reaped by obedience to God’s Law, but to their own manmade laws that focused on what was not to be done.
That which starts out as a positive moral idea, that is devoid of repentance or true living spirituality, is nothing more than a time bomb that awaits opportunity to justify the lusts that have compounded as it matures in self-justification. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked that itself, and they go in and live there. Morality has now blinded the religious and Satan perfectly dwells within their camp and they are oblivious to the fact that they are possessed.
This is the last state, a state desensitized to sin, to where man has become worse than he was in the first place. Israel and her religion now has no resemblance of what God had so graciously given to them for their own protection. They had swallowed the hemlock of Satan and now could not even recognize the very God that was trying to save them from themselves.
He tried to open their eyes with familiar texts of Jonah and Solomon to no avail. Therefore, He prophesies to the group that would crucify Him, “That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Morality was the damnation of the scribes and the Pharisees who led the Jewish people in a direction that held no hope of receiving their kingdom’s blessings.
Unoccupied, swept clean, and put in order describes the vacuum of the human heart whose chemotherapy is repentance, not morality. The Jews returned to Jerusalem, not with repentance but a system of fundamentalism that focused, not on blessings reaped by obedience to God’s Law, but to their own manmade laws that focused on what was not to be done.
That which starts out as a positive moral idea, that is devoid of repentance or true living spirituality, is nothing more than a time bomb that awaits opportunity to justify the lusts that have compounded as it matures in self-justification. Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked that itself, and they go in and live there. Morality has now blinded the religious and Satan perfectly dwells within their camp and they are oblivious to the fact that they are possessed.
This is the last state, a state desensitized to sin, to where man has become worse than he was in the first place. Israel and her religion now has no resemblance of what God had so graciously given to them for their own protection. They had swallowed the hemlock of Satan and now could not even recognize the very God that was trying to save them from themselves.
He tried to open their eyes with familiar texts of Jonah and Solomon to no avail. Therefore, He prophesies to the group that would crucify Him, “That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” Morality was the damnation of the scribes and the Pharisees who led the Jewish people in a direction that held no hope of receiving their kingdom’s blessings.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
HAUNTED HOUSE
Vv 43-45. "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44. "Then it says, `I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45. "Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
These present passages are what S. L. Johnson calls “a compact eerie little parable of a haunted house.” This relates to Israel who had made her return out of Babylon and left their idolatry. In other words, their house was swept clean, unoccupied, and finds it to be put in order.
We see morality digress as generations turn over. This is seen true in our American churches of today who are as pagan as the Pharisees and scribes whom Jesus is admonishing. Israel focused on morality, external righteousness, but as this progression has transpired through time, righteousness cannot even be recognized.
Speaking particularly to the nation of Israel He explains now that when the unclean spirit goes out of a man it cannot find rest; man, in Adam, has given up his reign to Satan and may only temporarily rid himself of an evil or unclean spirit. The symptom may be salved with ointment but the cancer is always there. In remission, the unclean spirit, who is commanded by the deceiver, when morally evicted, passes through places seeking rest or a home. These states of unrest are depicted as waterless places that would be easily identifiable to a desert nomadic people.
Unlike the man known as the prodigal son, who was truly repentant, this moralist Jewish nation seeks rest back from which she came. This is parabolically seen as when Israel was in her exodus from Egypt wandering through the desert. This was her waterless place; the Hebrew people were ready to return to Egypt seeking their own idea of rest.
These present passages are what S. L. Johnson calls “a compact eerie little parable of a haunted house.” This relates to Israel who had made her return out of Babylon and left their idolatry. In other words, their house was swept clean, unoccupied, and finds it to be put in order.
We see morality digress as generations turn over. This is seen true in our American churches of today who are as pagan as the Pharisees and scribes whom Jesus is admonishing. Israel focused on morality, external righteousness, but as this progression has transpired through time, righteousness cannot even be recognized.
Speaking particularly to the nation of Israel He explains now that when the unclean spirit goes out of a man it cannot find rest; man, in Adam, has given up his reign to Satan and may only temporarily rid himself of an evil or unclean spirit. The symptom may be salved with ointment but the cancer is always there. In remission, the unclean spirit, who is commanded by the deceiver, when morally evicted, passes through places seeking rest or a home. These states of unrest are depicted as waterless places that would be easily identifiable to a desert nomadic people.
Unlike the man known as the prodigal son, who was truly repentant, this moralist Jewish nation seeks rest back from which she came. This is parabolically seen as when Israel was in her exodus from Egypt wandering through the desert. This was her waterless place; the Hebrew people were ready to return to Egypt seeking their own idea of rest.
Monday, July 24, 2006
MORALITY
Vv 43-45. "Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. 44. "Then it says, `I will return to my house from which I came'; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45. "Then it goes, and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation."
Jesus refusal to show the religious their demanded sign has failed the trap that was intended to destroy Him once and for all as the scribes and Pharisees had planned. What happened actually happened was that their plans backfired and they have been twice rebuked. Jesus, however, is not through with them yet. He will once again point out the fact that they are and evil generation.
The scribes and Pharisees were the height of morality, but morality is mere outward righteousness that Jesus plainly taught was worthless in the Sermon on the Mount. MacArthur correctly states, “Christians cannot but be concerned about moral and ethical issues, because God’s Word is unequivocal and unmatched in its standards of righteous living, justice, and social responsibility. But Scripture also makes clear that morality by itself, with out a right relationship with God, is in many ways more dangerous that immorality.” Morality leads to self-righteousness, which is fatal to one’s eternity. One who does not recognize himself as a sinner will see no need of the Savior who personally said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) This is why He spent time with those who the moralists would hold in contempt.
Jesus refusal to show the religious their demanded sign has failed the trap that was intended to destroy Him once and for all as the scribes and Pharisees had planned. What happened actually happened was that their plans backfired and they have been twice rebuked. Jesus, however, is not through with them yet. He will once again point out the fact that they are and evil generation.
The scribes and Pharisees were the height of morality, but morality is mere outward righteousness that Jesus plainly taught was worthless in the Sermon on the Mount. MacArthur correctly states, “Christians cannot but be concerned about moral and ethical issues, because God’s Word is unequivocal and unmatched in its standards of righteous living, justice, and social responsibility. But Scripture also makes clear that morality by itself, with out a right relationship with God, is in many ways more dangerous that immorality.” Morality leads to self-righteousness, which is fatal to one’s eternity. One who does not recognize himself as a sinner will see no need of the Savior who personally said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) This is why He spent time with those who the moralists would hold in contempt.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
THE REBUKE
Vv 41-42. "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42. "The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
The rebuke that Jesus issues is reinforced as seen in verse 41: "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it coupled with verse 42: The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it. In parabolic comparison we view in Jonah’s case that they shared the same heritage of being Jewish and also shared the same putrid qualities in their leadership skills. Jonah’s pagan converts will render a judgment of condemnation against the present generation of Jewish leaders who were in a far worse spiritual shape than Jonah.
In the case of the Queen of the South, the present generation is due condemnation due to their indifference. Jesus was present in their generation and was a much greater prophet than Jonah and much greater than Solomon whose Lord this pagan Queen cared enough to take an interest in.
This is a rebuke of extreme admonition that would affect this generation in a manner to refuse the gracious repentance that was demanded of it. Herein we see those who had now committed the eternal sin; the religious leadership.
The rebuke that Jesus issues is reinforced as seen in verse 41: "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it coupled with verse 42: The Queen of the South shall rise up with this generation at the judgment and shall condemn it. In parabolic comparison we view in Jonah’s case that they shared the same heritage of being Jewish and also shared the same putrid qualities in their leadership skills. Jonah’s pagan converts will render a judgment of condemnation against the present generation of Jewish leaders who were in a far worse spiritual shape than Jonah.
In the case of the Queen of the South, the present generation is due condemnation due to their indifference. Jesus was present in their generation and was a much greater prophet than Jonah and much greater than Solomon whose Lord this pagan Queen cared enough to take an interest in.
This is a rebuke of extreme admonition that would affect this generation in a manner to refuse the gracious repentance that was demanded of it. Herein we see those who had now committed the eternal sin; the religious leadership.
