While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him, so He went in and reclined at table…One of the lawyers answered Him, “Teacher, in saying these things You insult us also.”
Luke 11:37-54
This long section of Luke 11 contains the woes that Jesus pronounced against the scribes and the Pharisees. Throughout the Holy Bible, there are many covenants given by God to various people at various times. Covenant language contains oracles of weal and oracles of woe. Oracles of weal are pronouncements of blessings when God’s covenant is obeyed. Oracles of woe are pronouncements of cursing when God’s covenant is disobeyed. Jesus is pronouncing woes, curses, upon the scribes and Pharisees who have abandoned the Holy Scriptures and now observe “the traditions of the Elders.” While the Pharisees began as a godly sect of Jews who wanted to strictly adhere to God’s Holy Word, their 400 years’ history has demonstrated a decline of worship of God and more emphasis placed upon Pharisees’ teachings of the past, which became more legalistic as the centuries rolled by. Scribes, sometimes referred to as lawyers, have always been the interpreters of God’s Old Covenant with the Jews, similar to the Supreme Court of the USA. By Jesus day, the scribes had become just as corrupt as the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These religious leaders of God’s chosen nation were no longer capable of leading the Jews to worship their God of the Old Covenant. Jesus has come to institute a New Covenant by first seeking the “lost sheep of Israel.” Then, He will spread the Gospel message to all people, tongues and, nations through His brothers and sisters in Christ. Resistance is fierce from the religious leaders of Jesus’ day for they are evil, being led by Satan and his demons. Jesus will sacrifice His life at the hands of these evil men to fulfill God’s plan, made before the foundation of this universe, to redeem God’s chosen people from this sin fallen world to live with Jesus, Savior and Lord, throughout eternity. The application for Christians today is that we are to be aware that Satan is still at work seeking to destroy, if possible, God’s chosen people because Satan cannot get to God. Christians see such evil works in “churches” that have abandoned the Gospel and turned to entertaining people with “how-to” messages and music that is more production than worship that God demands in His Word. Apostasy abounds in churches and scholastic institutions, once established upon Godly principles, by now have abandoned Godly principles and now graduate “men of God” who do NOT know God! Christians, pray that the God of the harvest will send more workers into fields ripe for the Harvest soon to appear with our Savior and Lord, Jesus.
Source: S C Ball February 15, 2023
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