| March 21, 1999 |
Vol. I, No. 47
|
In Matt. 9:18-26, Matthew tells us of the first instance of Jesus' raising someone from the dead. "While He spoke these things to them, behold a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, 'May daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.' So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples... And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, 'Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.' And they laughed Him to scorn. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all the land" (Matt. 9:18-19, 23-26).
In the more detailed accounts of Mark and Luke, we learn that the girl's father was Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue; that she was twelve years old and an only daughter; and that she had not yet died when Jairus first came to Jesus, but before Jesus got to where she was, a word come to Jairus that his daughter had died, thus, Matthew, in his brief account gets right to the point, as Jairus begged Jesus, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live." For details, see Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56.
Some have understandably been confused by Jesus' statement: "The girl is not dead, but sleeping." Jairus' friends apparently took Jesus' words at face value and ridiculed Him for not realizing she was dead. Jesus, of course, knew she had died, but He also knew what no other person there knew -- that her death was only temporary. It was in that sense that He referred to her as sleeping -- and then He awakened her from the sleep of death.
There are a number of noteworthy things we could consider from this event. First, we note the faith of the synagogue ruler: "My daughter has just died... but lay Your hand on her and she will live."
Second, we note the power and authority of Jesus over both life and death. See John 11:25.
Third, let us point out that Jesus accepted worship. Godly MEN and godly angels refuse to be worshiped because they are not Divine, Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10. Jesus on numerous occasions allowed men to worship Him, therefore we necessarily conclude that Jesus was indeed Divine. See Matt. 8:2; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; 20:28.
--CRJ
About 432 B.C., the prophet Malachi wrote: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Mal. 3:8-10 KJV).
In 1928, a song by Lida Shivers Leech first appeared, based on this same passage of Scripture--
Trust Me, Try Me, Prove Me
Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house,(c) 1928 by Charles H. Gabriel, Robert H. Coleman, owner.
All your money, talents, time and love;
Consecrate them all upon the altar;
While your Savior from above speaks sweetly,chorus:
Trust Me, try Me, prove Me saith the Lord of hosts and see
If a blessing, unmeasured blessing,
I will not pour not pour out on thee.When my wavering faith in trials falter,
When His guiding hand I cannot see,
Then in wondrous love and tender mercy,
Through His word He says to me, "My child just...(chorus)
I have yielded Him my life forever,
All I am, or have, or hope to be;
Nought on earth my hold on Him can sever,
While I hear Him say to me, "My child just...(chorus)
Of course, I am fully aware that we are not living under the Old Testament system. The tithing precepts of Moses' law are not a part of the New Testament revelation, but I have never discussed the subject of giving with a faithful Christian who believed that Christians should be less generous than Jews living under Moses' law. We have a better covenant, established on better promises, a better Mediator, a better sacrifice, a better system in every way. Do we really think God expects less of us that He did of those who lived under the old covenant?
The specific laws concerning gifts and offerings has changed, but the basic principles behind those laws have not changed. The law of sowing and reaping has not changed. The Jews in Malachi's day were not reaping the blessings they could have been reaping because they were not sowing as they could have been sowing. The same principle exists today in many congregations of God's people. "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully" (2 Cor. 9:6).
To disciples who were concerned about THINGS, things like food and drink and clothing, Jesus said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these THINGS shall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33). And in Luke 6:38, He promised, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Trust Him, try Him, prove Him. And see if He will not pour out a blessing on you, too. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think... to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21).
--CRJ