DIVINE REWARDS

“It shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray” (Ezek. 48:11NKJV).

There is not much encouragement from our society today to live a godly lifestyle. The rewards of our society seldom go to the upright but rather to the crooked and perverse. Yet society’s rewards have no lasting value in comparison to Divine rewards, the rewards that comes from God. Our verse for speaks of Divine rewards. It tells about the when and who and what of Divine rewards.

When - Divine rewards do not always come in this life. In fact, Scripture frequently speaks of Divine rewards that awaits us in eternity. The priests of the family of Zadok did not get much reward in this life. In fact, their reward will not come until the millennium. Let’s not worry about receiving rewards in this life. Our Divine rewards will come in eternity, and we will not be disappointed.

Who – The ones to receive the rewards are folks who are faithful to God. The priests of the family of Zadok had “kept My charge” and “did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.” They were faithful while others around them were unfaithful and departed from God. It is not easy to do right when everyone else is doing wrong. Nevertheless, we need to remain faithful. God who sees our faithfulness will reward us in due time.

What - The reward spoken of in our verse will be the bestowal of land in the millennium. In principle this tells us that our rewards in the next life will be better than anything the world can offer. Eternal rewards are the best kind to get - they will be more valuable, and they will last longer. Therefore, we need to put our efforts and energy into that which produces eternal rewards. Never mind earthly rewards. They are cheap and short-lived.

(Adapted from Analytical Biblical Expositor)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“The awful importance of this life is that it determines eternity!”

William Barclay (1907 – 1978)

Scottish Minister, Author, and University Professor

Word Study

Empty (vain)

In 1 Thess. 3:5 we read, “For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain!” (NKJV).

Empty (vain) is the Greek word kenós (κενός = ken-os). It means worthless, ineffective. Literally, it means empty or without content. Figuratively, it is used to refer to things that lack effectiveness and thus are futile, useless, of no purpose or without result. Kenós also referred to being devoid of intellectual, moral, or spiritual value. In classic Greek kenós means empty or without content. In the Septuagint, kenós is used mostly in the literal sense of empty. However, it was also used in a metaphorical sense to mean worthless. In the New Testament, kenós also carries the idea of empty, vain, and was used to describe things that are fruitless and ineffective. Paul wanted to know that the church persisted in its commitment, so he sent Timothy to find out how they were doing.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God He shall fight for you” (Deut. 3:22 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to Lev. 10:6, priests were not allowed to wear torn clothes.

Bible Quiz

According to the Book of Hebrews, why is the Lord Jesus able to help those who are tempted?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: How did Solomon determine between two women who was the true mother of a child that was brought to him? He said he would cut the baby in two (1 Kings 3:25).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“MAKER”

"But no one says, where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night” (Job 35:10 NKJV).

1. Meaning – MAKER refers to God as the Creator and Author of our being.

2. Insights – According to Elihu, people tend to cry out to God for help only when they are suffering, and He does not always answer these cries because they are just pleas for deliverance from trouble instead of a true prayer of humility. However, God’s character is the same whether men obey Him or disobey Him. God cannot change for the better because He is perfect, and He cannot change for the worse because He is holy. People should be more interested in coming to know God better rather than in trying to get God to solve their problems. He should be the object of our inquiry rather than the object of our complaints. He is not at our beck and call; He is our Maker!

Did You Know...Christian History

Jeremiah “Jerry” McAuley was born in 1839 in County Kerry, Ireland. He along with his wife, Maria, founded the McAuley Water Street Mission (now the New York City Rescue Mission) in Lower Manhattan.

McAuley was raised by a grandmother because his mother could not or would not care for him, and his counterfeiter father had to flee home to escape the law. At the age of thirteen, she sent McAuley to America to live with a married sister in New York City. Soon he was running with a gang on Water Street and was supporting himself by stealing. Later he was arrested and sentenced to fifteen years in Sing Sing Prison.

During his fifth year in prison, McAuley heard Orville Gardner testify of his conversion to Christianity and was brought to tears. A month later, a female missionary visited the prison and prayed with McAuley. McAuley considered this night as the time of his conversion to Christ. His attitude and conduct were changed to the effect that he was let out of prison in 1864 after serving just seven years and two months.

Once out of prison, McAuley wanted a sober and righteous life, but soon fell back to crime. However, his faith was reinvigorated by Water Street missionaries, and he began to work honest jobs between 1870 and 1872, saving and raising money to start a mission. Known as the “apostle for the lost,” McAuley, his wife, and a few helpers opened the Water Street Mission in October 1872. The purpose of the Mission was to provide food, shelter, clothing and hope to people in crisis.

Night after night, many of the seats were filled with drunks and tramps looking for a place of rest and relief from the cold. McAuley’s mission accepted anyone regardless of how dirty he looked, how foul he smelled. The services of the mission were not limited to the physical needs of the men, as Gospel meetings were conducted nightly. The Water Street Mission, under McAuley’s direction, became an example of Christian compassion for the down and out, and has led to the creation of over 300 rescue missions in the United States. Tens of thousands of transients, drunks, and harlots heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ; many of them responded to the invitation.

McAuley also inspired Emma Mott Whittemore to begin her Door of Hope mission for fallen women. His life demonstrates the power of God to do the impossible: to change lives. Although McAuley died in 1884, his influence lives on today through the work of the mission.

A Little Humor

The Sunday school teacher was teaching the children about the meaning of Good Friday and asked the group if any of them knew what happened to Jesus on that day. “Sure,” piped up a little boy, “he got hammered!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Education can polish men, but only the blood of Christ can cleanse them!”