Rather than get into a detailed discussion of ancient alphabets at this time my mind turned to the post-Christmas scene of leftovers and returned presents or even the extreme of unopened gifts. Are leftovers a part of your after-Christmas experience? Do you get caught up in the Boxing Day crowds either seeking to pick up a bargain or returning a present in the hope of exchanging it for something you really like? Or perish the thought, are there leftover presents much like there is leftover food? I wouldn’t think so! Who does that? Perhaps a child who is petulant because they did not get the present they wanted and so relegated the present to the category or unwanted or unappreciated.
We enjoyed a smorgasbord over two days at Marissa and Josh’s new house. There was huge space to spread out and enjoy one another but there was a mountain of leftovers that we worked our way through over five days. Riss and Josh and the grandkids had yet another family Christmas feast for Josh’s side of the family after we left from which there were bound to be more leftovers. There must be now more leftovers for them to work their way through. The whole experience has set me to pondering on two things – food and presents. We had all kinds of leftovers the day after Christmas and were working our way through them for lunches and dinners after Christmas! But eventually you get tired of eating the same thing, and you reach the time when you need to clean out the fridge and start eating something fresh and new. It takes time and effort to feed people — and to feed them food prepared from both old recipes and new recipes makes eating more interesting. Everyone appreciates eating food prepared from old, tried-and-true recipes as well as trying foods that are new. This makes me think of Matthew 13:52, where Jesus said, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.” Notice that in this verse, a scribe — or a teacher — is pictured as “bringing forth of out of his treasure things new and old.” The word “new” is from the Greek word kaina, and it refers to something absolutely new and previously untried. The word “old” is palaia, and it refers to that which is old and has existed for a long time. Although this verse is talking about teachers bringing forth new revelation versus old revelation, I like the example of leftovers and new recipes to further make this point.There are some teachings, like good leftovers, that are always tasty and enjoyable — and a common staple around the dinner table. But there also comes a time when you want to eat something new. The good news is that the Kingdom of Heaven is full of wonderful established teaching — and it is also over abounding with new, fabulous teaching that you’ve never heard or tried before. A good teacher — like a good food-preparer — will bring out new and old recipes for a family to enjoy! Good “leftovers” are always enjoyable, but your spiritual taste buds will eventually cry out to eat something new!
I know from personal experience that as we give our attention to the Word of God, the Holy Spirit adds new insights to the old ones and causes our understanding of God and His Word to be marvellously expanded. I relate well to the scribe described in Matthew 13:52. Many of the Greek word studies you read in the Gems are old to me; yet so many of them are brand new. Often I think that I have unearthed every gem that can possibly be found in a particular verse of the New Testament. But then I study that same verse again, and the Holy Spirit wonderfully opens my eyes to show me truths that I previously didn’t see
So let’s keep our minds and eyes open for the Holy Spirit to provide not only great leftovers, but also new teachings that we haven’t learned yet. Let us remain hungry for new teachings and new revelation from the Word of God that we’ve never attained to before. The old, familiar truths of Scripture are always healthy and good, but there is a cry in the spirit of man to know more, to attain more, and to taste new levels of the Lord’s goodness. So let’s enjoy the leftovers, but let’s also press forward to attain new truths in the spiritual feast the Lord has waiting for us. We must never forget Psalm 34:8, which says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good…”! The Word of God is filled with depth of understanding and insight that would blow our mind. Those who have completed Deeper Bible 701 are more aware than ever before of the depth there is in the Bible.
My experience of going to two malls on Boxing Day to find something at sale price for the first time in years left me pondering the experiences of the years of giving and receiving gifts. There were hordes of people lining up to buy new things at bargain prices but there were also hordes of people lining up to return unwanted gifts. That got me thinking on the gifts Jesus gave us at Christmas. Would we return those at the store if we could? Or worse yet would we leave them in the discarded gift corner because we regarded them as worthless? I don’t think anyone would leave any gift unopened. Why would you do that? To not even open the gift you have been given would be a slap in the face to the giver. Besides, not opening it would be just plain stupid, unless you had peeked beforehand and were aware it was not the gift you had asked for. Just imagine that! It would be the height of ignorance and ungratefulness.
But many this Christmas have done just that. Jesus birth and His resultant death have released God’s gifts to us earth dwellers. Yes, GIFTS plural. In the birth of Christ are multiple gifts that many have not yet opened and appropriated. I posted it in art form in the King James Version, which I rarely use, because I don’t like the old 1611 version of English and its ability to communicate with 21stCentury earth dwellers. But it does have a poetic lilt about it which in this case communicated well. And beside I liked the arty layout:
I thought of three gifts God gave us in Jesus which are of inestimable value: Peace, Forgiveness and Eternal Life.
Everyone on this planet is looking for Peace. But it is only the Peace of God which passes understanding that truly ministers peace to you – body soul and spirit. Why on earth would you spurn that gift or leave the gift unopened or unexplored or unexperienced? To experience God’s unfathomable Peace will leave you wondering why you didn’t open the gift years ago.
Forgiveness: Everyone is burdened by guilt over the things they have said or done which they know were not right. How on earth do you get to a place of dealing with guilt of the things you have done and said which leave you and others hurting and burdened? God sent Christ to provide the ONLY way for you to be healed of your sin sickness. Oh you may not like the Bible word “sin”. You may want to redefine it with innocuous words like white lies or faults, shortcomings or hiccups. But whatever you call it, you need help with the things you have done or said that don’t measure up to God’s standard. He has given the perfect gift to deal with your shortcomings in the one and only Saviour He has sent. There is no other Who can Forgive our sins.
Eternal Life: Everyone wants a better life. The life they feel they deserve. I often ask groups in Deeper Bible “What eternal life is?” Is the focus on the duration or the quality? Most of us would agree they don’t want to live the life they are living now forever. There is too much pain and suffering, guilt and despair involved. Deep down we all feel there has to be more to life than what we are experiencing now. There is! The Jews refer to the everlasting life referred to in the Greek (New Testament) word Zoe as the Life of the Age to Come or simply put Life as God intended it when He first designed it and spoke it into existence in Eden. That is the life you are destined for but you need to appropriate on God’s terms.
Why don’t you open your unopened gifts this year. Go on, you have only a few days left to the close of the year.