Why the Lord doesn’t know the foolish virgins,
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
Our Lord tells us that in the coming time of trouble, many shall begin to stand outside of a closed door, and He will tell them “I know you not – depart from me…”
This is true of the foolish virgins, and of that group who say “Lord, Lord open unto us”,,,and the man who begs three loaves of bread during the night when the Master of the house is asleep with His children, and has closed the door…”
From the very beginning, in the book of Genesis, we are told of those known to God, and those who are not in intimacy with Him. Adam and Eve, in their fig-leaf aprons, were attempting to cover their shame with fig leaves (their own works of covering). God saw fit to provide them with the garment from a slain lamb, as the first type of God’s mercy. Then, Cain attempted to impress God, with the fruits of his fields,,,,after God has cursed the ground, Cain thought he could show God, how he had managed quite well, the ground which had been cursed, thereby being one-up on God. This, also is works, thinking God will be impressed with any attempt to make an outward success show of that which is still “cursed”. But God accepted the sacrifice of Abel, a firstling of his flock, slain in substitution for his own sins. Thereafter, the “works” people, have hated and slain, the Lamb of God people. Even within our own
selves, we have to constantly battle that old demon of “works” (flesh), and Spirit (grace / mercy). For the flesh lusts after the Spirit. The entire Word of God, has this thread woven through it; i.e., works and following the law, or grace / unmerited mercy. Which is the great message and work of our Saviour.
But, at the end of this age, and at a moment of crisis, there appears to be “many” who will get right up in the Lord’s face, and declare that they did this or that, to impress Him?
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Many, means “most”. This is how most people think today, for they have not studied His Word, to know that mercy and grace are the gifts of this current age of the Spiritual gifts. In fact, it
took me a long time to be able to settle in my own heart, that He could accept one such as myself, who did not deserve His grace, always feeling that I had to do something to be acceptable. Eventually I came to know that there was nothing I could do to please Him, not then, or now, or ever….that if He did include me as one of His sheep, it would be a magnificent miracle to me ! This is how we find “rest” in Him…rest from attempting to do works that will please Him….rather,,,,coming to a place where there can be nothing but praise and glory given to Him, for all THAT HE HIMSELF DID…..on my behalf, with nothing from myself...
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Above, suddenly, after the master of the house has shut the door,,,,people begin to call Him “Lord, Lord”, and “open unto us”. Did they call Him Lord before the door was shut? but, here comes the list of works
from these:
Luke 13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Prior to this discourse, the deciples had asked “are there few that will be saved”,,,and He had told them to STRIVE to enter in at the narrow gate, for many (most) would try when the gate was shut…..Striving to enter into the straight and narrow gate, appears to have something to do, with dissolving our ideas about how our works will impress Him,,,,,in my own case, that took some study and prayer, and years,,,and being brought low in circumstances, etc.
So it is a striving to understand this, as least for me it was. At this time in my life, I know that there is absolutely nothing about me that
would qualify me to be one of His, maybe only my love and praise of Him, yet even that is from Him as a gift.....
Now, the foolish virgins present with this same “Lord, Lord”:
Matthew 25:11 Afterward came also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
And, again He says “I know you not”.
To know someone, means intimacy with that person. Not hiding anything from them. I have a best friend to whom I can relate my most inner secrets, and she with me,,,,even our faults / sins etc. I also have many friends with whom I can only indulge in chit-chat / weather, children, recipes, etc. I do not therefore “know” these friends. If my best friend were to come crying to me, as she sometimes has, with a huge problem, I know immediately where she is coming from,
for I know her whole life story. If one of my superficial friends were to come crying to me with a huge problem, I would have a harder time trying to sort it out, and even I could say “I don’t know you…”….
I think it is somewhat along these lines, that our Lord knows us….we cannot wear fig leaves, we cannot pretend to be more outwardly righteous than we are, we cannot impress Him with our good deeds…we just go to Him, as the great hymn says, “Just as I am Oh Lord,,,” but further, He knows us anyway, so how could we even THINK to pull the wool over His eyes ! He KNEW the Samaritan woman at the well, that she had had five husbands, and even the strange relationship she had with her current husband. This did not cause her to shrink from Him, or to begin to list her better qualities – no, she ran to the city to tell about Him. “a man who KNOWS all that I have ever done – it must be the Messiah !”
Peter denied the Lord three times,,,,and afterward stated three times that He loved the Lord, finally saying “Lord you KNOW all things”….
There were two praying in the temple,,,a Phasisee, and a publican:
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Pharisee compares himself to others, seeing himself as MORE RIGHTEOUS, and lists his WORKS. The publican, beat upon his breast and asked for mercy, for he was a sinner.
Here are Cain and Abel all over again….and our Lord says that the publican will be justified rather than the other, then adds
that anyone who exalts himself will be abased. And, this is the crux of the whole matter. Our society today, and indeed even our churches in one way or another, put “self” first, and our Lord second. It leads to works, to impress others and even God Himself…..the Pharisee, above, notice,,,prays “thus with HIMSELF”. We are to deny ourselves, and take up our crosses and follow Him. So much for the self-esteem movement.....
But, back to the
virgins. The wise virgins had taken extra oil in their spare vessel, to be able to replenish the oil which was already in their lamps. What stands out in the parable, is that the ones who were excluded were not KNOWN by the Lord. It follows then that the ones who gained entrance, were KNOWN by Him.
The Word of God, says that “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet”..it is in this way, studying His Word, that we get to know Him,,,and He then knows us better, for we examine our own selves against the standards
which are God’s, not ours, or our traditions. I think the virgins who had the extra oil, were “wise”, because they knew from the Word of God, what to expect, and what was expected of them. The oil, I think, is also the Holy Spirit, who guides our study, and also the oil of gladness at His coming. The wise virgins had extra oil. They had taken seriously the Word which said “be ready”, and “be watchful”. If I became aware that I was going to have visitors within the next month, I would lay in EXTRA supplies of food / etc. To not do so, would be stupid (un-wise), for then I would be embarrassed when they turned up and needed their dinner that night... Also one of the apostles says that we have a more sure word of prophecy, which is like a
light unto our feet. At the moment of confusion and chaos, the wise virgins will know what is going on, (because of this sure word of prophecy...) and what to expect,,,which is why the foolish virgins suddenly want “more oil”…from the wise…..they now want the wise virgins to share what their studies had revealed to them about this sudden event….even the wise ones are somewhat taken aback by the event, for they wondered if even their oil would last through the darkness of that chaotic night. Nonetheless, they did not have to go and buy more oil, and so went in with the Bridegroom to the festivities. The foolish virgins were told to go to “them that sell”…well, now, who today “sells” the Word of God? These virgins are forced to go where even our Lord cast out all who were
turning His Temple, His House of Prayer,,,into a den of thieves. The wise have departed with the Bridegroom, because they were known of the Lord,,,and who is left to dispense the oil, but those that “sell” in God’s House of Prayer….look around,,today,,,,,at all the ministers who sell this and that,,so that they themselves may live lavishly with the money they receive....and these same ministers who say that the Lord delays His coming,,,will themselves face a term of time with the hypocrites....all of this is too late,,,,for the Laodecians are told to buy of the Lord Himself, not “those who sell”…..
In a previous letter I stated that brides often in
the Bible, were found at the well. Here, they would in type be bringing up in buckets, the Water of the Word….rightly dividing the Word of Truth, and searching out all they could find out about their future Bridegroom, enjoying this passtime, and also sharing it with others who were disposed to hear of it....
In a way, it is a simple concept….works vs. grace,,,but in another way, we fallen creatures have an awful hard time working out our own salvation in fear and trembling……the ones who seek grace and un-merited mercy, are the ones who are known of the Lord,,,and the ones who think that their own works
will impress Him, will have the door closed upon them. Nonetheless, from within His closed-door chamber in heaven, He will still rise up and help those who because of their persistence, during the tribulation years,,,and because He is gracious and loving and merciful, He will “give them bread”:
Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in F27 his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. 8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
Indeed, He is a friend to those who are honest with Him,,,and who will disclose to Him their very deepest repentances and troubles, and He even said the harlots and the publicans would go into the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
, before the hypocrites. And He doesn’t know, cannot know,,,,those who think highly of themselves, or try to impress Him with any of their works, even if those works have been done “in His Name”….
blessings to you all in the study of His Word until that wonderful day…
your sister Arlene