Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Every word of Scripture is carefully chosen by God (II Timothy 3:16-17). Thus, the specific list of Revelation 18:11-13, at first perusal perhaps a bit curious, is as important as everything else in the Bible: “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her [Babylon]; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyme wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odours [spice], and ointments [perfume], and frankincense, and wine, and oil [olive oil], and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.” Not all of the items listed here are inherently evil (obviously, the practice of slavery is wicked – more about that sad subject on another day). Some of them (“gold,” “precious stones,” and “pearls” come quickly to mind) are mentioned as being part of heaven. Three lessons also come quickly to mind. First, the Word of God is not vague and general. Names, places, items – all of these are spelled out in specific detail. Second, more than half of these things are also found in Ezekiel 27:12-22 in relation to the predicted destruction of the city of Tyre. Thus, we see the unity of the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament. God does not change, nor does His Holy Word. Third, man’s sin nature does not improve with time. Lust and greed ensnared many in Ezekiel’s day (the 500’s B.C.), and the same will be true during the Tribulation. Clearly, we need a Savior; blessedly, we have One in Jesus Christ, God the Son.