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Matthew 10

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1 And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave to them power over unclean spirits, so as to be casting them out, and to be healing every sickness, and every malady.

2 And of the twelve apostles the names are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James of Zebedee, and John his brother;

3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-gatherer; James of Alpheus, and Lebbeus who was surnamed Thaddeus;

4 Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who did also deliver him up.

5 These twelve did Jesus send forth, having given command to them, saying, `To the way of the nations go not away, and into a city of the Samaritans go not in,

6 and be going rather unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7 `And, going on, proclaim saying that, the reign of the heavens hath come nigh;

8 infirm ones be healing, lepers be cleansing, dead be raising, demons be casting out -- freely ye did receive, freely give.

9 `Provide not gold, nor silver, nor brass in your girdles,

10 nor scrip for the way, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff -- for the workman is worthy of his nourishment.

11 `And into whatever city or village ye may enter, inquire ye who in it is worthy, and there abide, till ye may go forth.

12 And coming to the house salute it,

13 and if indeed the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; and if it be not worthy, let your peace turn back to you.

14 `And whoever may not receive you nor hear your words, coming forth from that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet,

15 verily I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

16 `Lo, I do send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as the serpents, and simple as the doves.

17 And, take ye heed of men, for they will give you up to sanhedrims, and in their synagogues they will scourge you,

18 and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

19 `And whenever they may deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye may speak, for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak;

20 for ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father that is speaking in you.

21 `And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death,

22 and ye shall be hated by all because of my name, but he who hath endured to the end, he shall be saved.

23 `And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come.

24 `A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord;

25 sufficient to the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the master of the house they did call Beelzeboul, how much more those of his household?

26 `Ye may not, therefore, fear them, for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, and hid, that shall not be known;

27 that which I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and that which you hear at the ear, proclaim on the house-tops.

28 `And be not afraid of those killing the body, and are not able to kill the soul, but fear rather Him who is able both soul and body to destroy in gehenna.

29 `Are not two sparrows sold for an assar? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father;

30 and of you -- even the hairs of the head are all numbered;

31 be not therefore afraid, than many sparrows ye are better.

32 `Every one, therefore, who shall confess in me before men, I also will confess in him before my Father who is in the heavens;

33 and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.

34 `Ye may not suppose that I came to put peace on the earth; I did not come to put peace, but a sword;

35 for I came to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,

36 and the enemies of a man are those of his household.

37 `He who is loving father or mother above me, is not worthy of me, and he who is loving son or daughter above me, is not worthy of me,

38 and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

39 `He who found his life shall lose it, and he who lost his life for my sake shall find it.

40 `He who is receiving you doth receive me, and he who is receiving me doth receive Him who sent me,

41 he who is receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward, and he who is receiving a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward,

42 and whoever may give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he may not lose his reward.'

   

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From David to Solomon: From War to Peace

Napsal(a) Bill Woofenden

"And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly." 1 Kings 1:11-12

Just before the giving of the Commandments, Moses was told to say to the people, "Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5-6).

The history of Israel, their journeys and battles, victories and defeats, is a drama representative of Christian life. It is the story of progress until the Lord reigns in the souls of men and in His Church.

This government of the Lord, however, is different at different stages of the regenerating life. It is at first the discipline of the outer man, the government of obedience, directed almost entirely to our words and actions. This is like the government of Saul. In due time our religion becomes deeper and enters into more interior states. It is much engaged in the search for intelligence and truth. It has many conflicts, and it struggles hard for self-conquest. There are hard struggles within for purity of thought and feeling, of which the world takes no note, but which are very real to one who is seeking the Kingdom of God. The love of truth is increasing, and the love of the world decreasing. It is the spiritual state of man. This is the rule of David. Then the celestial state follows. The ideal is clear. The aim is to do good, to seek peace and pursue it. There is little desire for argument, but there is deep concern for charity and justice, a desire for rest and peace, for perfection. This is represented by the government of Solomon, the peaceful king, whose name signifies peace. David's reign was a very warlike one; yet it was a necessary one. It prepared the way for Solomon.

The human mind, when deep thought has been awakened and somewhat of the Divine Light has penetrated, discovers a host of views, feelings, and prejudices in itself that need to be corrected. This entails trial, and sometimes severe distress of soul. "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). This the Lord says to every regenerating man. He who makes no change makes no improvement.

The period of spiritual conflict was represented by the reign of David, which, as is said in our text, continued forty years. Forty is used in the Word when a full state of temptation is represented. The rain that caused the flood is said to have descended for forty days and nights. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years. The Lord was in the desert tempted of the devil for forty days. So David's reign lasted forty years to represent the many varied conflicts of mind and heart before the kingdom is brought under the steady government of Divine Truth.

He reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. The seven years in Hebron (which means friendship) pictures coming into a state of love for the neighbor, for unless this is established there can be no progress. The thirty-three years in Jerusalem is the establishment of heavenly truth in the mind.

That David's warlike reign would represent that part of Christian life which is a warfare is easily seen. To avoid sins which are not respectable in the sight of our friends, to observe the requirements of public worship, to read good books, and to support religion may be accompanied inwardly by pride, self-seeking, and the love of self. To fight against these evils within is what the rule of David means in its application to the individual Christian.

In its highest application it refers to the Lord as our Redeemer from the powers of darkness. For though His outward life had little appearance of violent strife until its close, yet the Gospels contain sufficient indications of fearful struggles in the world of spirit against the powers of darkness during His whole career, as pictured especially in the Prophets and Psalms.

The redemption of the world, and the necessity of Jehovah Himself coming into the world to be our Redeemer are little understood, unless we are aware of how closely the spiritual world is connected with ours, and how the two worlds act and react upon one another.

When a church becomes corrupt, "darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isaiah 60:2). Century after century passes on, the darkness becomes deeper, and the lights one after another go out. Then in the fullness of time the Lord comes and executes a judgment. The good welcome Him; the evil hate Him and resist, but in vain. They who have loved darkness rather than light cannot stand the light, and are overthrown, as all the foes of Israel were overthrown by David.

Throughout the Prophets the Lord is pictured as our Redeemer, waging a terrible conflict. No such awful combat took place in the outer world. It took place in the world of spirit. "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me, for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment; for the way of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come" (Isaiah 63:3-4).

Redemption, the overthrow of the powers of darkness, the deliverance of the good from bondage to evil and falsity, is what the reign of David portrays; this is represented by David's reigning forty years; seven years in Hebron, the protection of goodness, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, deliverance from error, and the filling of the mind with an abundance of Divine Truth.

David's growing old and dying and the accession of Solomon to the throne tells us that the period of struggle will come to an end. We should become loving, good, and established in truth, after the evils and falsities are overcome and cast out.

To think that we cannot overcome wrong desires and false thoughts is to deny the Lord. He overcomes by giving us power to overcome. We must be faithful and believing. When we are faithful and steadfast, the foe falls. To him that overcometh the Lord gives light and love in ever-increasing measure. We may not be able to succeed in many of our plans, but there is one in which everyone can succeed, that is in his conflict with evil. This is the one conflict in which we are certain to conquer, if we are faithful. We cannot fail if we are true.

First we must overcome in ourselves uncharitable feelings — David in Hebron. Without good will there can be no hope of peace. We must exercise good will until it becomes established in us, until it becomes our abiding nature. This is to reign in Hebron seven years.

Divine Truth will then open to us the perception that our thoughts are not in harmony with the truth. We are prone to think as the world thinks, and to vire by worldly maxims. These are opposed to heavenly life and thought. "The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever" (Revelation 11:15). We can walk safely only as we are guided by the light of truth. The mind and the heart will then be in accord.

Then Solomon will begin to sit on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom will be established greatly. In other words, the rule of the Lord will no longer be a struggle against evils and errors but the development and establishment of goodness and truth. The Lord will become for us the Prince of Peace, and of His government there shall be no end.