Sunday, March 13, 2011

“Tares Among the Wheat”


Dear Friends,


In the coming weeks ahead we will be looking at the subject of "Mystery Babylon".


To fully understand some of the scripture verses pertaining to that study it may benefit us to first look at how Mystery Babylon came to be.


One subject in connection to this, and which will be appearing on this site soon, I have titled "What Was it Satan Really Said to the Woman in the Garden."


The other is seen below.


Throughout the New Testament (also hidden in the O.T.) God tells us that His true children and the children of the enemy would grow together until the Harvest.


He also shows us how this will occur.


Let us briefly review some earlier history of this region.


The Ancient Near East was composed of many powerful kingdoms that preyed upon smaller less fortunate ones. These smaller kingdoms that were unable to defend themselves would have no choice but to look to other kingdoms more powerful than themselves to protect them against these invaders. They would make a treaty with the kingdom defending them in which everything was outlined in great detail. In exchange, they would also promise how they would serve them. The greater king was known as the Suzerain and the lesser was called the vassal, or lesser lord. The lesser lord represented all the people under the protection of this great king.


This treaty would also contain the blessings and curses of the Suzerain if the vassal failed to meet the stipulations.


The most common ceremony used to ratify this was the cutting in half of certain animals and positioning them in two rows where both parties of this treaty would walk side by side, vowing as they walked between these pieces, "May what has happened to these animals, happen to me if I break this covenant with you".


What must surely come to our minds as we read the above is God's Covenant promise with Israel. Yes, it was just like that. See below!


Genesis 15:17 "And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces."


Yes, God Himself passed between those pieces. He could swear by none other greater than Himself.


God (the Suzerain King) promised to protect Israel (the vassal people) as long as they listened to His voice. God told them exactly what he expected from them (Exodus 20-23). In return He told them of all the blessings He would provide them. This was a covenant promise never to be broken!


Of course, all of us have broken our side of this covenant, both regenerate and unregenerate man.


Every human being in the world, through Adam, was given all the commandments.


Yet, it is only the eternal and elect church who are restored by Grace.


It was Christ's Work (His Perfect Life) which fulfilled the Law for us.


The Law is Perfect but it must be kept to the letter. It knows no forgiveness. There is no Grace found in it.


It was meant to show us our sins and how we are incapable of keeping the whole Law. Sinful man can never enter Heaven and stand before a Holy God! God is unapproachable to a sinner.


God tells us we are NOT saved by the keeping of the Law. The Only Sacrifice He accepts is through Christ, His Sacrifice alone. It is His Righteousness (His sinless, perfect life) which is imputed to us through the Atoning Blood of the Cross.


The earlier above history review of the ancient near east may help explain this next story which is found in Joshua. It should be read in its entirety for a better understanding on our subject. (Joshua 9:1-27)


At the time of Joshua the atmosphere was yet the same, w/ kingdoms and peoples continuing to band together seeking mutual protection and safety against their enemies.


God had previously told the Israelites that when they came up against certain peoples in battle they were to save nothing alive.


See Deut. 20: 17 "But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee:"


Let us turn to Joshua:


See Joshua vs.1 The Hivites were people who also mixed among other various groups in the region, (these being the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, and the Jebusites).


Yes, the same peoples God said to utterly destroy in Deuteronomy 20:17.


They came to Joshua and told him they were from a far country, presenting themselves as 'strangers' thereby likening themselves to the children of God who are 'strangers and pilgrims in the world. They lied and were actually neighbors who had gathered to fight against Joshua.


4"They did work wilily,"


This people had disguised themselves in humbleness:


5"old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them,"


They appeared as people who had come searching for knowledge of the Lord. They feared for their lives after hearing of all God did for Israel to protect them.


Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them.


But after finding out that they were actually their enemies, Joshua could not go back on what they had sworn to them by God's name.


19 "We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them."


22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, we are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?


Joshua told them they are cursed and made them "hewers of wood and drawers of water."


"but let them be hewers" (meaning to strike with cutting blows, to cut down)


"of wood" (wood and tree are terms representative of man)


"and drawers of water" (living fountains of water are found only in Christ but God tells us there are also broken cisterns which hold no water.)


What is interesting is that we will later find these words in Jeremiah 6:6.


God uses this phrase, "Hew ye down trees and cast a mount against Jerusalem" as the enemy comes into Jerusalem to carry them away to Babylon!


Important points to consider:


Joshua made a league with them and swore by the Lord's name! He did not consult with God, nonetheless it is a treaty honored between God and them. Once again, what were the promises made from this league:


Joshua's side –they let them live and dwell in peace.


Hivites side – as servants, they would be hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation of God, but yet they are a cursed people never to be freed from being bondsmen.


Verse 27 tells us that these 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' are with us "even unto this day, in the place which he should choose"…Joshua is sometimes seen as a shadow of Christ.


These deceivers, the enemy, are disguised as true children of God; and yet at this time they will live and dwell in peace according to the oath Joshua made in the Lord's name.


Turning to the book of Ezra we will find the Israelites did not separate themselves from these bondsmen.


Ezra 9:1-2


Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.


Some verses to also remember here are found in Matthew 13:24-30


24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 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? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.


God's true children, though they are in the world, will never be fooled by the imitation….the lie!


Let us turn to II Kings 4: 38-44 38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. 39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. 41 But he said, then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot. 42 And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. 43 And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. 44 So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.


The wild vine is the imitation, those (imitators) who would almost pass for the true children of God. The 'wild gourds', a false gospel.


But the true children recognize the poison and death 'in the pot' and will not eat.


It is only the true Gospel of the flesh and blood of Christ we eat:


John 6:56 "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him."


Matthew 24:24 "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."