November 2000

[Part Thirty-two]

                Continuing fresh thoughts on ROCKS and STONES, we read in Jesus’ wilderness testing, His adversary (i.e., carnal thoughts from His own flesh mind) tempted Him as He sorely hungered, “Command these stones to become bread!” (Mt 4:3) But Jesus answered from his Mind of Spirit, “Man shall not live by Bread alone, but by every Word spoken from the Mouth of God!” (v.4) What a revelation! Christ is saying here that NOT every word spoken by God is the Bread of Life! And what would such ‘non-bread’ Words be? Jesus answered in His parable, “What man of you, if his son asks Him for Bread would give him a STONE? (Mt 7:9) Here is our answer, beloveds! All Words of God that are not “Bread” are “STONES”! This concept may seem disconcerting at first till we remember that Jesus not only called Himself the “Bread of Life” (Mt 6:35); but He also says, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The Stone which the builders rejected, is the same that is become the Chief cornerstone? But this was the ‘Lord’s doing’; and it is marvelous in our eyes! ...and whosoever falls on this Stone shall be broken (Gk 4917, ”Crushed, shattered, dashed together”) but on whomever the Stone must fall, they will be *ground to powder (*this phrase (Gk 3039) means: “Be winnowed”, and threshed as separating chaff from wheat at harvest time.” (Mt 21:42,44)
               Why does God have Stone Words and Bread Words? What is the difference between them; and what purpose does each serve? Bread Words are those Life-quickening Truths that God speaks in our hearts to nourish and raise up our Inward Christ Man! These are soft Words of Love that instill hope in our deepest parts. Who does not savor the distinctive aroma of freshly baking bread?
                This foodstuff is not only much to be desired, but is considered a staple of life to most of the world. And it pleases the Lord to impart this excellent element of His divine nature to His children. Bread indeed represents all the Goodness of God. But now let us hear these words spoken by Job whom God called, “Perfect and upright, a God-fearing man who rejected and withdrew from evil” and was a very rich man. Yet in one day, God caused Job’s 1000 oxen, 500 donkeys and 3000 camels to be stolen; his 7000 sheep to be consumed by “Fire of the Lord that fell from heaven”; and most of his servants (often loved as family members) slain by swords; and all ten of his children killed as “A mighty desert whirlwind struck the four corners of the house they occupied making the roof cave in on them!” And as if that weren’t enough, God caused Job’s body to be plagued with boils! Now after all these things Job suffered, he still said to his faithless wife whose only counsel was to “Curse God and die!”...“What?! Shall we receive good from the HAND OF GOD, and not also receive EVIL (from His Hand)?! And in all this, Job did not sin with his lips!!” (Jb 2:10)
                It is a wise man who knows and accepts all the ways of his heavenly Father! These things of which we now speak are what Scripture calls, “Strong meat that is only for those of full age- whose senses and reason have been trained to discern both good and evil!”(He 5:14) All unbelievers who have never tasted the Bread of Life; along with all baby believers who still need to feed on “Milk”- being “Unskilled in the Word of Righteousness” (Heb 5:13); cannot comprehend or accept the fact that “GOOD AND EVIL proceed from the MOUTH OF THE MOST HIGH!” (La 3:8) Oops! What a thing to hear! But have we not heard our Creator proclaim, “I form the Light (Christ); and I create Darkness (antichrist); and I make peace (spiritual mind); and I create evil (carnal mind)! I, THE LORD, DO ALL THESE THINGS!!” (Is 45:7) Some say the word, EVIL, here means: “Calamity, disaster and physical distress”, while the word “evil” in the “Tree of the knowledge of good and evil” means: “Sinful wickedness and abominable iniquity”!! But do your homework , my brethren, and see for yourselves that the same Hebrew root (7451 “ra”) is used in both Scriptures!
                Jesus spoke of “Hard sayings”(Jn 6:60); Paul spoke of “Things too hard to explain to those who are dull of hearing (Heb 5:11); Peter spoke of “Things hard to understand- which the unlearned and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as they distort and misinterpret the rest of the Scriptures!” (2 Pe 3:16 AV) So remember, hard words are also of God!!

[TO BE CONTINUED]