Title: People Waiting for God's Time
Contents
In Matthew 25, there are three parables of the end times. We've heard these words a lot. There is no doubt that these words are very important to the saints living in the last days. Among the three parables, I would like to share the grace by examining the parable of the ten virgins once again.
Many pastors talk about the parable of the ten virgins, focusing on the wise virgin who prepared oil and lamps and the foolish virgin who prepared only the lamp. However, I am not trying to address the issue of wiseness and foolishness with these words today. Rather, I try to shed light on the issue of “time” in this passage.
The end is God's time. The saints will look forward to this time, but the unbelievers know that this is the time of judgment, and indeed the last time.
In today's verse, the appearance of the two types of virgins tells us, 'Where are you focusing on God's time?' First of all, what we should pay attention to in this passage is that all the virgins who were waiting for the bridegroom slept. If you take a closer look at the two types of virgins here, you can see that there is a clear difference in the timing of the bridegroom's arrival.
In the text, the difference between foolishness and prudence is not a matter of having a lamp and oil, but rather the time when the bridegroom comes as a criterion. What do you mean? In verse 5 of the text, it says, “The bridegroom is slow to come, so they all slept and slept well.” Those who slept and slept were not the only virgins who prepared only silk lanterns. The biggest problem is that I slept all the time. Sleeping while drowsy has absolutely nothing to do with preparing oil and lamps. The problem is that those who prepared only the lamp slept, and the virgins who prepared all the oil and lamps also slept.
What we can see here is that they all doze off to sleep is no excuse for the delay in the bridegroom's arrival. It is normal for the groom to come in time for the wedding feast. The delay in the bridegroom's arrival here is completely the illusion of those who wait. The time for the bridegroom to come is determined by the person who defecated the feast.
The protagonist of this wedding feast is the bridegroom, Jesus. Then, who excreted this feast? Of course he is God. The problem of slow or fast coming is entirely God's set time.
Their biggest mistake was to anticipate the very time they thought they were. From what I thought, 'Maybe the bridegroom will arrive soon?' They thought, ‘I can’t come even after waiting all this time, will you come soon?’ and they fell asleep.
However, at that time, the groom always appears. Verse 6 says, “In the middle of the night there was a voice, saying, ‘Bridegroom, come out to meet me.’” What time of the night is it? Jewish wedding feasts are usually held in the early evening. However, here, the bridegroom did not arrive at the normal time of arrival, but it was far beyond that, and since all ten virgins were asleep, it must be considered that the bridegroom came in the middle of the night. And the spiritual lesson of this midnight is that the end times are just as imminent. After all, it is the fact that the time we never imagined is God's time.
After that, in verse 7, it says, “Everyone gets up and prepares their lamps.” All the virgins who had slept woke up. They prepared in a hurry to put their mission into action. But the second stumbling block was oil. At least the virgins who prepared the oil said, “It’s so good!” I went into the banquet house with the groom. The five virgins, who had lost both oil and time, went to prepare oil in a hurry, but the door of the banquet house was already closed.
Then he asks to open the door, but the Lord's answer is firm. “I do not know you”. How scary is this? That's right. If our Lord says he doesn't know me, there is no way. Did the Lord really say that he did not know them because he did not know them? It's not like that. In this verse, it says, “Why were you guys only thinking about you?”
Let's take a look at verse 10. “While they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, so those who had been prepared went into the wedding banquet together, and the door was shut.” Please pay attention to the word ‘prepared’ here.
What is the important meaning of these words? That is, time is the most important factor in oil consumption. We can get the meaning of this word from the words of the virgins who prepared the oil in verse 9. “I fear that it will not be enough for us and for your needs.” A wedding banquet is not just for the groom. Even if there is a handsome groom, there cannot be a wedding feast without the bride.
If they had shared the oil they had, perhaps all ten of them had no way to enter the banquet house. A matter of time like this has a huge impact on oil consumption.
And one more thing, is what they prepared for me? Or is it from the groom's point of view? is to do For whom and for what do we prepare and live? Dear all! For the kingdom of God, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become the saints who first seek his kingdom and his righteousness.
In a way, it is normal for people who are foolish like us to prepare all of their lamps and oil. If I did not prepare lamps and oil because I was wise, but if weak and prone people like us do not prepare at least one of them, how can we live safely as children of God in this world? is to do
And in verse 13, the Lord says: “Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour.” That's right. We don't know anything. He seems to know a lot because he has learned a lot, but in reality, isn't he a fragile being who cannot even see ahead? Rather, it is happier to live and leave everything to God without knowing anything.
In John 2, we see a wedding feast in Cana. When the wine ran out at that place, Jesus' mother said to Jesus, "There is no wine." Then the Lord said, “Woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” We judge everything by our own standards. Clearly, there are times that God has ordained, but we try hard not to think about those times.
When I judge, I see that now is the time, but this is not God's time. John 4:23 says, “The hour is coming, and now is the time, when those who truly worship the Father will worship in spirit and truth.” And in 2 Corinthians 6:2 he says, “I heard you in your favor, and I helped you in the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. That's right. Please believe that now is the time to prepare and refine our church so that God can use our church to a greater extent.
Dear all! A lot of people must have been worried before this joint meeting. However, it is clear that our church still has a lot of work to do, and the fact that we need proper workers for it. The difference is the time difference. When we think, “Can we do it after a little while?” God says, “No. Now is the time. You have to do it now.”
Dear all! As such, I pray in the name of the Lord that you believe that God loves and loves our Gaeum Altar.
Organize your words.
Dear all! Today, we must all earnestly long for God's time. God has chosen the most appropriate time for all of us to be happy and thankful.
Through these words, not only must we prepare all our lamps and oils, but above all else, we must long for God's time and earnestly hope for it. The Lord is not coming in my time, but it is in God's time. There may be difficulties in my time, but please believe that God's time is the most precious and happiest time in our lives.
You have done well so far, remembering that this is the most precious time for us to receive greater grace and blessings from God. I bless you by name.