Shalom,
Today I want to share this from our partner, Rick Renner, from his book "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2":
YOUR SPIRITUAL DIET!
Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. — Matthew 13:52
Are leftovers a part of your after-Christmas holiday tradition? After you read today’s Sparkling Gem, you may never look at leftovers the same way again!
When I was young, we always enjoyed a smorgasbord of leftovers each year after Christmas — which included turkey sandwiches smeared with lots of mayonnaise, warmed-up meatloaf spread with ketchup, and mashed potatoes covered with melted butter. Of course, we also had an array of leftover biscuits, cake, pie, and other desserts to choose from that hadn’t been consumed on Christmas Day.
The truth is, we had all kinds of leftovers the day after Christmas — and we sometimes had them for days after Christmas! But we eventually got tired of eating the same old thing, and it became time to clean out the refrigerator and start eating something fresh and new.
Oh, how my mother prepared for Christmas Day! When I was young, I didn’t appreciate all the food she prepared each year for Christmas; I simply consumed it. But now that our own family has grown so large — and I see what it takes to feed a small multitude — I have such gratitude for all the cooking my mother did for us when we were younger. And I’m so thankful to Denise and our daughters-in-law for the luscious meals they prepare for our Christmas celebrations. Even my son Paul jumps into the fray, smoking a lamb that is given to us by a church member each year at Christmas.
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. Most 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, “…Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and 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 overabounding 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 marvelously expanded. I relate well to the scribe described in Matthew 13:52. Many of the Greek word studies you read in this book 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 and illuminates my mind 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…”!
I LOVE this from the last paragraph above: 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. As we prepare to begin again on January 1 to go through the Bible with our Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan, let's keep this foremost in our hearts and minds, to remember the Word that we have heard and learned, and to greatly anticipate learning something new every day about the WORD of GOD! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "All This Future":
Shalom in Him!
