Lord’s Day, Vol. 5 No. 46

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Parable of the Ten Virgins

  • Matthew 25:1-13

Marriage is the oldest institution in the world and God intended it to be a happy one, a lifetime ahead of loving and cleaving. And the wedding marks the celebration and solemnisation into this honourable, exclusive, permanent and fulfilling partnership between the husband and the wife. And the time leading to the matrimony of the bride and the bridegroom is a process of preparation.

Our Lord Jesus presented a marriage scene in the parable of the ten virgins with the preparation leading up to a marriage to describe the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom to take His bride, the true church to His heavenly home and a heavenly banquet.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

How to be prepared? Prerequisite for Marriage! Repent of your sins, be sure your sins are forgiven and you are a child of God through Jesus Christ.

  • Rebuke for the Unprepared
  • Encouragement to Prepare

 

(1) Rebuke for the Unprepared

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

The local church is made up of a mixed multitude of those who are saved and those who are not! Christ’s coming will bring a clear separation! Often, we are caught up in the busyness of life that we lose sight of the matters that truly matter!

Hear our Lord’s admonition: Mark 8:36-38 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?   38   Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

 All the glory of this life will equalize when a man meets His Creator! Death is the great equalizer of humanity. God will decide when our time is up! And the older we get, the more conscious we are of the frailty and brevity of life.  If we know the truth of a time of judgment, we will live more soberly. We will be more considerate before we would do anything to jeopardize our marriage and disavow our marriage covenant. We will be more measured before we consider how we pass our time upon this earth in the light of that future.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 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. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

It was a time of regret for the five foolish virgins who have no oil for their lamps because they slumbered and slept and neglected to prepare. They were culpable!

 

(2) Encouragement to Prepare

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

A time for reward coming:

Revelation 21:1-5 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

 How can we be prepared? Be sure you are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Worship, pray, be in fellowship with God’s people, win souls, serve the Lord, develop patience, grow in godliness. Amen.

 

Yours Lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee