John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the
Light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but will
have the Light of life."
Matthew 25:1-10 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened
to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Now five of them
were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil
with them, but the
wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all
slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the
bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their
lamps. And the foolish
said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going
out.' But the wise
answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but
go rather to those who sell, and buy for
yourselves.' And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
During the feast of Tabernacles in Yeshua's (Jesus') day,
the temple priests would set up four great lampstands with golden
lampholders, which they would light with the aid of enormous ladders in the
Temple courtyard. The lighting of these lamps began the celebration of the
"Great Hosannah" (Hoshannah Rabbah, in Hebrew). The celebration went on in
to the wee hours -- with music and dancing and rejoicing, while the
beautiful lights lit up the night. Jerusalem was a breathtaking,
illuminated city on a hill.
The following morning the Jewish people would recite the prayer for
the eighth day of the feast -- "Be thou praised, O Lord our God, King of
the Universe, who makest light and causes darkness, who makest peace and
createst all: the light of the world as the treasure of life…" Yeshua
said, "I am the Light of the world.".
God is Light, He loves light, He creates light, He sheds light, He
desires light. Lamps with oil produce light, both for those who carry them
and for those who see the light bearers. "You are the light of the world",
He said. So the Lord also expects light from and His people. The light of
God in our lives comes from His Holy Spirit, and oil has always been
associated with the Spirit's ministry in the lives of believers. Burning
oil produces light. If we are spiritual "virgins"because we are betrothed
to one Heavenly Husband, we ought to bear His light in this dark world. Yet
He has told us that some virgins will not have the wisdom to do it, so it
is a warning to us; a warning not to quench the Spirit, but be filled with
Him and be the light of the world.
Some of us, though virgins, have been
walking in darkness. This could change. The choice to light our lamps
belongs to us. The gift of the Holy Spirit has been given to all true
virgins. The wise among us will "buy oil" and maintain our lamps thoroughly
filled. To "buy oil" means to "spend time" with the One who supplies it,
asking Him to fill us up, and to clean out the impurities in our "lamps".
You know what this means for you personally, and I know what it means for
me. We ought to think about the joy of the wedding, and prepare our hearts
with His light... illuminated beautifully for all the world to see, and to
be ready! At midnight, when the Bridegroom suddenly appears, our joy will
be unspeakable. (George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)
No comments:
Post a Comment