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Tag: wisdom

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 6

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 6

    The Parable of the Wedding Feast

    Matthew 22:

    And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,

    “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.

    If you have been following our series on wisdom you will already recognize that the banquet prepared for us by the king anticipates words of wisdom from our host. Recall also that many proverbs of wisdom from scripture were given to us by Solomon, King of Israel, son of David.

    Before we continue let’s reflect on the King and Son mentioned.

    Matthew 1:

    The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

    It is highly significant that the crowds of Jerusalem recognized this worker of miracles and teacher of parables as ‘the son of David. Jesus further frequently as the ‘son of man,’ meaning ‘a son of adam’ or human born in the flesh like you and me.

    For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. – Matthew 16:27

    Let’s be clear: Jesus’ claim to His place in this parable is Son of the King, Almighty God. He has both prepared the table and invited the guests.

    You have read the Law of Moses, witnessed the faith of Abraham and sung the Psalms of David. Though you read the wisdom and Proverbs of Solomon, you deny that the Lord tore away his kingdom, then restored Israel for a time.

    Servants of the Son of Man proclaim His message and the King now invites you to His banquet.

    Will you accept the invitation of the LORD?

    The King ‘sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast’, honored guests who claimed Abraham, followed Moses and were among the chosen; ‘but they would not come.’

    A Second Chance

    MATTHEW 22:

    4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off…

    God has prepared the feast of feasts for the Son of glory. Therefore Prophets like Ezekiel, God’s messenger frequently called ‘son of man,’ invited family to repent and come to the feast.

    2:3  וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם שֹׁולֵחַ אֲנִי אֹֽותְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גֹּויִם הַמֹּורְדִים אֲשֶׁר מָרְדוּ־בִי הֵמָּה וַאֲבֹותָם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי עַד־עֶצֶם הַיֹּום הַזֶּֽה׃

    Ezekiel and other repentant men begged God’s chosen to also repent of their sins and humbly return to the King of creation. Most refused, yet he LORD shows mercy and compassion for those whom He loves.

    To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  – Daniel 9:9-10

    Will your repent and return to your Lord?

    Matthew 22:

    … the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

    Certainly that had been the experience and lament of Daniel when a remnant of Israel survived in Babylon.

    A New Invitation

    8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.

    Would you be a ‘worthy guest’ of the King?

    Would the King ask you, a sinful Samaritan of sorts; a gentile, even a non-Christian?

    Hear how the Lord has reached out to many to celebrate the wedding of the Son.

    9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

    10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

    ‘Both bad and good’ certainly includes you and me? Look at the definition of the greek word meaning bad, πονηρός ponēros.

    • pressed and harassed by labours
    • bringing toils, annoyances, perils
    • of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness
    • in a physical sense: diseased or blind
    • in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad

    Do any of these describe your present life?

    We are invited.

    Will you accept the invitation of the King to the Banquet for the Son?

    To be continued…

     

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 5

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 5

    Wisdom and King Solomon

    2 Chronicles 1:

    Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

    In case you came into our series late, Part 1:

    We have explored great wisdom shared with us mostly from Proverbs, wisdom of kings and of leaders. The Bible’s wisdom whispers to the wise, yet our experience resounds with shouts of fools.

    How did a wise and powerful King Solomon begin his reign over a united Israel at the height of its glory? In prayer.

    9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.

    2 Chronicles 1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?”

    Leadership and Wisdom

    Would a king or president, prince, premier or prime minister pray now to God for wisdom? Though we might hope for our leader’s wise guidance from God, political leaders and kings lead the people astray, rarely calling on God for direction.

    1 Kings 4:

    29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 For he was wiser than all other men…

    32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005…

    34 And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

    Yet an older King Solomon would lament:

    Nothing is new under the sun.

    What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done,
    and there is nothing new under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 1:9

    Certainly for kings and presidents: All is vanity. 

    No man can accomplish in this brief breath of life even a portion of what God can do.

    Ten centuries later (AD 1st c.)

    The LORD, therefore, would send to us another son of David. In Person and in power, a Son of Man would speak the words of life in parables. His words show the way, are the truth and will be the life for those who believe. He invites common sinners to the banquet table of of the King. 

    This son of David, son of adam invites you to the wisdom of heaven. You with ears to hear hear the living word from the house of eternal wisdom. Hear the good news of the King who invites you to His banquet.

    To be continued…

     

  • Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 4

    Banquet of the King in the House of Wisdom – 4

    No one is established by wickedness

    The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity;
    there is none who does good. – Psalm 53:1

    Proverbs 12:

    Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
        but he who hates reproof is stupid.
    2 A good man obtains favor from the Lord,
        but a man of evil devices he condemns.
    3 No one is established by wickedness,
        but the root of the righteous will never be moved.

    13 An evil man is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,
        but the righteous escapes from trouble.
    14 From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
        and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.
    15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
        but a wise man listens to advice.
    16 The vexation of a fool is known at once,
        but the prudent ignores an insult.
    17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
        but a false witness utters deceit.
    18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
        but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

    All the world’s a stage and the powerful are its actors.

    Their scripts are not true however, and their plots are conceived in evil.

    One can hardly discern where to stop when reading the wisdom of the Bible. Yet who among leaders on the world’s stage reads Proverbs, let alone heeds God’s advice?

    Have you ever considered the relationship between wisdom and leadership, between the fool and the wise? Proverbs addresses it.

    God appoints kings and leaders: righteousness confirms their faith, but foolishness troubles their lands.

    21 No ill befalls the righteous,
        but the wicked are filled with trouble.
    22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
        but those who act faithfully are his delight.
    23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,
        but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

    Do a people set against God not continue to choose rulers who echo our discontent, then turn against them when theirs lies are established?

    Fools will follow a boisterous king

    But the wise keep silent until the mighty fall.

    Proverbs 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life;
        he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

    So many would have their say with contentious and evil words.

    Even in the palaces of the powerful wisdom’s table has no host.

    To be continued…