Psalm 118:14-21, Hosea 6:4-6, Colossians 3:12-17, Matthew 13:24-30.
A). THE LORD MY SALVATION.
Psalm 118:14-21.
This Psalm is the last of the processional Psalms which were sung by pilgrims on their way up to Jerusalem for the great Jewish feasts. There are echoes of the Passover, and anticipations of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
PSALM 118:14 takes us back to the Song of Moses (c.f. Exodus 15:2). The more exact translation in both instances is: “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.” These are the words of the Psalmist who had been undergoing some measure of persecution (cf. Psalm 118:13).
They could also be the words of Jesus, who had found ‘all nations’ encompassing him with malice (cf. Psalm 118:10-12). They are also words of praise for individual believers out of the midst of their own trials (cf. Isaiah 12:1-2).
The celebrating pilgrims hear the sound of rejoicing from within the City, represented as “the tents of the righteous” (PSALM 118:15). Hosannas (cf. Matthew 21:9) echo from the stones (cf. Luke 19:40). Voice answers to voice, both within and outside the Temple, with a triple reference to “The right hand of the Lord” (PSALM 118:15-16).
A lone voice rises above them all: “I shall not die but live” (PSALM 118:17). Are these the words of the Psalmist in his affliction, now being uttered by the leader of the procession on behalf of the pilgrim party; or are they words put into the mouth of the individual sufferer? Ultimately, they are the words of Jesus who, having been dead, yet lives to “declare the works of the LORD.”
Jesus has faced death, gone through death, and conquered death on behalf of us all (PSALM 118:18). Jesus was ‘crucified in weakness, but He lives in God’s power’ (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:4). We also live in the power of His resurrection – not only in the hereafter, but in the ‘now’ of our experience.
The leader of the pilgrims cries out to the doorman of the Temple: “Open to me the gates of righteousness…” (PSALM 118:19). Jesus is the forerunner, gone into heaven on our behalf (cf. Hebrews 6:20). We too may “enter the gates of righteousness and give thanks (praise) to the LORD.”
The reply comes from within: “This is the gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter” (PSALM 118:20). The righteous are those who have been rescued by the LORD: those who have been made ‘right with God through the Lord Jesus Christ’ (cf. Romans 5:1). It is Jesus who has ascended into heaven (cf. Ephesians 4:8), and we in Him (cf. Ephesians 2:6).
The lone voice is heard once more (PSALM 118:21). In effect - “Thank you, LORD, for hearing and answering my prayer: it is you who have saved me.” The sufferer acknowledges his deliverance; Jesus acknowledges the Father’s hand in overcoming death; and the repenting sinner embraces the full free salvation which is ours in Christ Jesus.
B). A MATTER OF PRIORITIES.
Hosea 6:4-6.
HOSEA 6:4. The two halves of this verse are two examples of parallelism.
First, the LORD laments over the two kingdoms of Israel: “Ephraim” in the north, and “Judah” in the south. The loving Father asks each in turn, “What shall I do unto you?” And we can almost hear the tears in His voice.
Second, the reason for the LORD’s exasperation (so to speak). “For your goodness is as a morning cloud; and as the early dew it goeth away.” The “goodness” of the tribes of the LORD is like the morning mist, which is gone as soon as the sun rises.
This is almost in answer to the previous verse, where Hosea had exhorted the people of God to ‘know’ Him, and to grow in the knowledge of Him because ‘His going forth is as the morning’ (cf. Hosea 6:3). His going forth is as certain as the sun rising, but their returning to Him is as fleeting as the morning dew!
HOSEA 6:5ab. “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth.” Another example of parallelism.
This is not an uncontrolled outburst of anger, but the LORD has warned His people by the prophets, and chastened them by the words of His mouth. The patience of the LORD gives time and opportunity to repent (cf. 2 Peter 3:9).
HOSEA 6:5c. “Thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.”
“Thy judgments,” or “thy justice” foresees a time when the people will be ready to return to a right way of thinking (which is what repentance is all about). And at such a time, it shall no longer be fleeting like a cloud (cf. Hosea 6:4b), but “shall be as the light that goeth forth.”
HOSEA 6:6. “For I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
I call this holy exaggeration. The problem is that people will sooner busy themselves with albeit God-given ritual than attend to their other responsibilities.
These words are taken up by Jesus in His corrective ministry towards the Pharisees (cf. Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7).
It is a matter of priorities: ‘To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice’ (cf. Proverbs 21:3). ‘Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams’ (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22).
C). THE UNIFORM OF THE DAY.
Colossians 3:12-17.
1. This chapter has already furnished us with four imperatives: ‘seek those things which are above’ (Colossians 3:1); ‘set your affection on things above’ (Colossians 3:2); ‘put to death whatever in you is earthly’ (Colossians 3:5); and ‘put off’ those things in which you once lived (Colossians 3:8). Colossians 3:12 provides us with a fifth imperative: “PUT ON” those moral attributes which are more befitting a follower of Christ. This is the Uniform of the Day - every day.
Paul has already established the universality of the church, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, etc (Colossians 3:11). Now he transfers the titles of Israel to the church: not that Israel has ceased to be, but that Gentile Christians have been grafted in to Israel (Romans 11:17-18). Paul calls all true believers “the elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12).
As such, and because Christ is ‘all, and in all’ (Colossians 3:11), we should “therefore” clothe ourselves with such attitudes as have already been attributed to God, and such acts as have been demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ. The five virtues mentioned are all relational: “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience” (Colossians 3:12). Yet the list does not stop at these five: we are to “bear one another” - and to forgive each other “just as Christ forgave you” (13). A forgiving attitude is fundamental to right Christian living (Matthew 6:12; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 18:32-35).
This is not all: we are also to put on “love” (Colossians 3:14; Ephesians 5:1-2). Perhaps this, above all things, singled the early church out from the crowd: ‘see how these Christians love one another’ (John 13:34-35). In this we are bound together in complete and perfect harmony (1 Corinthians 13:13).
2. If we have ‘peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:1), then we are to “LET PEACE PRESIDE” in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Christ is ‘the head of the body’ (Colossians 1:18). The ‘government is upon His shoulder,’ and He is ‘the Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). He has ‘made peace through the blood of His cross’ and wrought reconciliation (Colossians 1:20-21).
We are “called in one body” - so as peace rules in each individual heart, so peace will be the guiding principle in all our relationships within the church. We are to be “thankful” (Greek: ‘Eucharist’) that this is possible. The mutual helpfulness of the church in matters of mediation is a ministry in itself (Philippians 4:2-3).
3. “LET THE WORD OF CHRIST…” (Colossians 3:16) is another imperative. In the parallel passage Paul exhorts the Ephesians to ‘be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). Here he exhorts the Colossians to let “the Word of Christ” take up its dwelling in their midst. This is the true wisdom.
Elsewhere Paul speaks of ‘comparing spiritual things with spiritual’ (1 Corinthians 2:12-14). Based on this we talk of ‘comparing scriptural things with scriptural’ as a sound method of Biblical exegesis. The Colossians needed to know, since they were troubled by other voices (Colossians 2:4; Colossians 2:18; Colossians 2:20-22), that there is no separating of the Spirit of God from the word of Christ.
So the greatest weapon in any church’s armoury is a right understanding of the Bible. Individually, like Jesus in His temptations (Matthew 4:4; Matthew 4:7; Matthew 4:10), we use Scripture to fight off the devious attacks of the devil. Collectively, a church enriched by the word of God is a church empowered to ward off every attack, and to take the world by storm.
It is interesting that the “teaching and admonition” of one another is the task of the whole church. The preaching of the word of God is for the edification of the whole body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Scripture equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“Psalms and hymns and songs (spiritual)” are all headings in the Greek translation of the book of Psalms. It would be futile to try to make any distinction between these three terms. Our praise consists in “singing to the Lord” with gratitude in our hearts for the grace of God.
4. The final imperative of this section is “DO EVERYTHING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS” (Colossians 3:17). If we have ‘renewed our minds’ (Romans 12:2), and ‘set our affection on things above’ (Colossians 3:2), then our thoughts have already been ‘brought captive to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Now Paul exhorts us to be careful what we say, what we teach, and how we live.
Paul prayed for the Colossians to have thankfulness (Colossians 1:9; Colossians 1:12). Now he instructs us to “give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). Amen.
D). THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS.
Matthew 13:24-30.
The interpretation of the parable of the wheat and the tares (MATTHEW 13:24-30) should not be a matter of contention, as Jesus Himself gives the interpretation in Matthew 13:36-43.
MATTHEW 13:24. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.”
Ever careful of the commandment against blasphemy, Matthew uses the term “kingdom of heaven” rather than Luke's ‘kingdom of God.’ In both cases, what is being spoken of is God's rule upon earth.
Jesus identifies the “man” with Himself, and the seed which He sowed is “good seed” (cf. Matthew 13:37). His “field” is ‘the world,’ says Jesus; and the good seed stands for ‘the children of the kingdom’ as opposed to ‘the children of the wicked one’ (cf. Matthew 13:38).
MATTHEW 13:25. “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.”
Jesus does not comment on the fact that men were sleeping, but it is part of the stealth of the malicious one to come at such a time. Jesus identifies the “enemy” as ‘the devil’ (cf. Matthew 13:39).
This kind of sabotage was not uncommon in the Ancient Near East. The Romans even made a law against it.
MATTHEW 13:26. “But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.”
When wheat begins to grow, there springs up with it a weed called darnel. Both look alike until the seed heads appear, then the darnel can be identified by its grey colour. But by this time the roots are intertwined, and it is impossible to separate them until the harvest.
MATTHEW 13:27. “So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, ‘Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares?’”
The servants of the householder are His faithful preachers. “The householder” is synonymous with “the man” (cf. MATTHEW 13:24), and therefore with ‘the Son of man’ (cf. Matthew 13:37). When our ministry is not going to (our) plan, we need indeed ask the Lord why it should be so.
MATTHEW 13:28. “He said unto them, ‘An enemy hath done this.’ The servants said unto him, ‘Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?’”
The Lord does not judge them, but answers their question. Anxious to help, they suggest a remedy.
MATTHEW 13:29. “But he said, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.’”
It is just as well that they did not do what they suggested before consulting their Master. We need to be patient in matters of discipline, and look to Him for guidance before dashing forward with our own agenda.
MATTHEW 13:30. “Let both grow until harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘gather ye together first the tares, and bind them together in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
So it is in the world, God's ‘field’ (cf. Matthew 13:38). He has sown the good seed – ‘the children of the kingdom.’ The devil has sowed bad seed, but there is no separating out of ‘the children of the wicked’ until the harvest.
At the end of the world the angels reap the harvest (cf. Matthew 13:41). Just as the tares were first gathered and burned (cf. Matthew 13:40), the condemnation of the wicked precedes the full establishment of God's kingdom amongst His elect.
All that offend and continue in their iniquity will be cast into a furnace of fire, consciously aware with wailing and gnashing of teeth that God's judgment is against them (cf. Matthew 13:42).
Then, and only then, will ‘the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear’ (cf. Matthew 13:43).
