Day 39- Matthew 21-22; Psalm 5

To set ourselves in the right time frame,

All the four evangelists take notice of this passage of Christ’s riding in triumph into Jerusalem, five days before his death. The passover was on the fourteenth day of the month, and this was the tenth; on which day the law appointed that the paschal lamb should be taken up (Ex. 12:3 ), and set apart for that service; on that day therefore Christ our Passover, who was to be sacrificed for us, was publicly showed. So that this was the prelude to his passion.

Henry goes on summarily to speak about the way we must travel to honor God - by meanness - the way Jesus rode an uncomfortable and ugly "ass."  And further comments on the questions posed upon Jesus,

Note, Some that are willing to honour Christ, and bear their testimony to him, yet labour under mistakes concerning him, which would be rectified if they would take pains to inform themselves.

The other day there were items for sale set up in our chapel.  We are in a transitory position, you see, and there is really no other room.  I was bothered by it, but did not really know why.  It just did not seem right. 

The great Redeemer appear as a great Reformer, that turns away ungodliness, Rom. 11:26 . Here we are told,1. What he did (v. 12); He cast out all them that sold and bought; he had done this once before (Jn. 2:14, Jn. 2:15 ), but there was occasion to do it again. Note, Buyers and sellers driven out of the temple, will return and nestle there again, if there be not a continual care and oversight to prevent it, and if the blow be not followed, and often repeated.(1.) The abuse was, buying and selling, and changing money, in the temple. Note, Lawful things, ill timed and ill placed, may become sinful things. That which was decent enough in another place, and not only lawful, but laudable, on another day, defiles the sanctuary, and profanes the sabbath. This buying and selling, and changing money, though secular employments, yet had the pretence of being in ordine ad spiritualia—for spiritual purposes.

From Matthew 22, let's discuss this point,

Note, The business and profit of worldly employments prove to many a great hindrance in closing with Christ: none turn their back on the feast, but with some plausible excuse or other, Lu. 14:18 . The country people have their farms to look after, about which there is always something or other to do; the town’s people must tend their shops, and be constant upon the exchange; they must buy, and sell, and get gain. It is true, that both farmers and merchants must be diligent in their business but not so as to keep them from making religion their main business.

Now, how often in your life, does work, no matter what kind, take you away from God? 

Psalm 5 is described as,

The psalm is a prayer, a solemn address to God, at a time when the psalmist was brought into distress by the malice of his enemies. Many such times passed over David, nay, there was scarcely any time of his life to which this psalm may not be accommodated, for in this he was a type of Christ, that he was continually beset with enemies, and his powerful and prevalent appeals to God, when he was so beset, pointed at Christ’s dependence on his Father and triumphs over the powers of darkness in the midst of his sufferings.

He points out that David was wise to be more cautious and more devout when faced with his enemies, citing,

Thus, by wisdom and grace, good may come out of evil.

Do you wonder, what good comes from the evils we hear about in the news daily?  What good comes from the death of those two boys, 5 and 7?  What good comes from a 12 year old girl finding it thrilling to kill a 9 year old child?  What good comes from those evils?