Matthew 25:1-13 and 1 Samuel Chapter 25
Hello. May his grace and favor bless you this holiday season.
I decided to recap Parts 1 to 4 in this post before breaking new ground. There’s new material here as well.
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In Parts 1 and 2, I began by showing similarities between Nabal and the foolish virgins, with Nabal being a “type,” or prefigure, of them to come.
I shared a number of ways Nabal was a type of the foolish virgins, and, a number of ways the virgins are foolish, e.g., unresponsive to the call of the gospel to prepare and receive.
For whatever reasons, the hearts of the foolish virgins are not drawn and cultivated toward kingdom living, the promise of the Gospel to be made new.
There’s an absence of spiritual appetite and desire, hindering capacity for the deeper things of God.
Maybe no one invited them into the promises of the Gospel, toward adventure and journey in Jesus.
Before the kingdom of God can be advanced, you and I must be cleaned by the Lord.
(John 21:18; Romans Chapter 6; Romans 8:13; 1 Peter 1:13, 3:18; see my series A Peculiar People)
Regarding “types,” I explained we see “life lived out” in real people to the good or to the bad.
They’re examples of people, events, or things to come.
Their purpose is to point us to Christ, so we would respond favorably to the wooing of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
They help us see our story in the lives of others, and understand the larger story of rescue and redemption.
Except for a few pioneers like Enoch, Moses, and Elijah, “types” of Christ, and others, the vast majority of those before Christ did not partake of Christ.
The transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the new birth, and revelation of Christ in grace through faith was not available.
Only those who pointed to Christ, received a measure of Christ. (1 Peter 1:10 – 12)
(Though those who lived before Christ did not live in New Covenant promises, God’s grace was with them to bring a measure of healing and salvation pointing them to the fullness of Christ to come.
Through centuries the Lord worked to prepare Israel of old, cultivating their hearts, appetites and desires, in advance, for Jesus.
That they would be prepared to receive him and respond favorably when he came.)
The story of “types” is witness to God’s plan, in advance, to prepare hearts for the coming messiah.
And so, having the promise, the foolish virgins seem stuck between covenants, protected by New Covenant blessings, the new birth, but, uninitiated in the adventure and journey in Christ.
Finally, I pointed out Samuel as an example of a “type,” of Christ – learning to hear the voice of the Lord.
Christ learned to hear the voice of the Father, over the voice of the hostility in his own flesh (Ephesians 2:14 – 16, see an interlinear) just as Samuel one thousand years before him.
The Old Covenant “types,” brought “testimony and meaning” to Christ’s growth and maturity, just like they do to our journey.
In Part 3, I offered Nabal was unfamiliar with the risks and rigors of the wilderness, and as such, failed to receive, grow, and mature in God.
It is in the wilderness we learn to receive care, the love of God in grace through faith, we so desperately need from the Lord.
The wilderness surfaces thirst and hunger for God, exposing the hidden things secreted away from God and others, and even from ourselves.
(By wilderness, I mean those seasons in God where the Lord “takes” one unto himself, for initiation, training, and discipline, in grace, through the revelation of him. (1 Peter 1:13)
My series, A Peculiar People, details what the Scripture teaches about Christ “appearing,” “coming,” “revealing,” “taking,” individuals for a deep work of the Spirit, an intense season of “fathering,” a place of no turning back.
There is a difference between a weekend excursion into the wilderness and being “taken” into the wilderness by the Lord, set apart for him, your life now under his stewardship and care, forever.
Abigail, a “type”, of the wise virgins, had excursions in the wilderness. It was not until her husband, Nabal, died, a “type” of the law, that she was released to be “taken” into the wilderness to be with David, her King.)
It is in the wilderness where you are changed from glory to glory.
The heart of the gospel, to be made into Christ’s likeness, requires Jesus, personally. He told us that in advance.
In the wilderness we discover scriptures previously thought as “broad,” having wide application, to be, on the contrary, specific and individual.
For example, John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (NIV)
A deep truth of this passage is revealed in the wilderness as Christ “takes” us on the adventure and journey which is him, to be found in the Father’s presence.
There is no other way to be made into his likeness. The bride of Christ must travel this road, taken by Christ on the path he pioneered.
The truth of the narrative of other passages in scripture take hold – become real and alive – as well, like Psalm 23 and Psalm 16 – resurrection to walk in new life.
The reality of these and other scriptures are written on the tables of your heart and mine as we journey in Christ. It is the word being made flesh in you and me.
In spite of what appears to be an unstoppable, unconquerable, and invincible world system, rest assured, at the appointed, Jesus will enter the world stage again in conviction and justice.
(No matter how strong and impenetrable the world system looks on the outside, it is iron mixed with clay, and will shatter under the weight of Christ.)
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Here are a few of my thoughts about being in the wilderness with the Lord.
It is here where you begin your journey in Christ in earnest, not perfectly, but you learn, begin to learn:
- to be set apart from the teachings, desires, and appetites of the culture, and personally taken by the Lord into his adventure and journey, specific to your cleansing, healing, and restoration,
- what its like to receive deep personal care from the Lord, he who holds your soul in his hands – consider and weigh – Jesus Christ personally overseeing your restoration,
- glimpses of the “person of Christ,” and, nuances in his voice at important times and junctures in your journey,
- the depth and extent of planning Jesus has undertaken for your personal journey to be successful – connecting you to people and situations at the right time,
- the hardship of putting to death the deeds of the body, but, oh, the joy of walking in newness of life and the favor and blessings of God, and
- the grace of the Lord as you walk through failures and overcome shame and condemnation, learning confidence and trust, receiving peace and rest.
At a practical level you learn, begin to learn:
- who you really are, what you really believe, and how you’ve practiced life – the many things you’ve done to hide and protect yourself,
- the strength of God as your strength ebbs,
- the depth and unfolding nature of the Word, new insight, and
- deeper compassion, empathy, and grace for yourself and others.
And at a more practical level you learn:
- the fruit of repentance and forgiveness,
- the consequences of embracing wounds and sins, the laws of sowing and reaping, and the specific restoration plan Christ has tailored just for you, and
- the workings of the Holy Spirit in bringing cleansing and healing.
I also mentioned in Part 3 the church’s responsibility to birth sons and daughters into the Father’s care, for identity, destiny, and commissioning.
And finally, I mentioned Nabal is a type of leadership that rejects new moves of the Holy Spirit, and hinders others as well from receiving the Spirit of God.
In Part 4, I noted certain prophecies, or parables, from our reference point here in the 21st century.
I pointed out we can “look back” over the last two millenniums and see key prophecies fulfilled, placing us in the latter part of the New Testament age.
I also noted prophecy is being fulfilled today as seen in the latter church ages of Revelation.
When you put together the revelation of the seven church ages, the birthing of the reformation five hundred years ago, the moves of God since, and the moves of God today, inner healing, Fathering, sonship, etc., you’re quickened to the lateness of the hour.
There is an unprecedented work of God today on a scale, maybe, unlike any time in the past.
The Lord is doing a deep work in his sons and daughters, moving in advance, preparing those who say yes. It’s time to come and eat at the Lord’s banquet.
Concluding Thoughts
The lateness of the hour is evident in the Word and in the signs of the times.
The cry of the Spirit in this hour is to prepare, to seek the Lord while he can be found; enter into the marketplace of God, and say yes to him when he comes for you.
In Revelation Chapter twelve we see the visible church – the pregnant woman, the invisible church in her womb, and the last world system standing before her.
There are those today who are pregnant with Christ. They are in the womb of the visible church.
The pregnancy of the church is more visible today than any time in the past.
It is unknown how many generations it will be until the baby in the womb is birthed and “fathered” into full sons and daughters.
There will be a generation that sees this from beginning to end. They may be among the generations that exist today.
God is speaking today in his Son, his Word, by his Spirit – in the moves of God presently flowing in and through the church.
Today we have the greatest opportunity and privilege to receive the promise of God, the revelation of Jesus in grace.
With that comes the greatest responsibility.
It behooves you and me to ask, “Lord, am I receiving everything in this hour you desire for me?”
And consider praying, “Lord, please prepare me, that I would become complete in you, lacking nothing.”
Never before in the history of mankind has righteousness and sin been so accessible and so deeply penetrating to mankind as a whole.
The fact we have this much understanding, the move of the Spirit, and fulfilled and fulfilling prophecy, speaks volumes – we maybe closer than we imagine to the Millennial rule of Christ.
Blessings, Drake
(NIV) Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblical, Inc.™
