In Matthew 23, Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples about the sin of hypocrisy. He described its characteristics and pronounced woes upon its proponents. He declared they would bear the guilt of all God’s martyrs from Abel to Zechariah. [1]
Who is Abel? Who is Zechariah?
Abel is the first human to be murdered. His brother Cain killed him after the Lord respected Abel’s offering but did not respect Cain’s. [2] Cain’s works were evil and his brother’s righteous. [3] Abel’s offering was offered by faith to God and not by faith in himself. Thanks to God, Abel still speaks. [4]
Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada rescued the future king of Judah (Joash) from an assassination plot to kill him. After Jehoiada died, King Joash forsook the Lord. Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, prophesied by the Spirit of God to King Joash, saying, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.” Rather than repent, King Joash had Zechariah stoned to death. As he died, Zechariah said, “The Lord look on it, and repay!” [5]
There are many such stories of God’s favored ones suffering at the hands of those who should have embraced them. These divinely favored ones were types of God’s Son. God’s plan was to show sinners the way back to God through their lives.
Another example is Joseph. “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” [6] They threw him in a pit. They sold him to human traffickers. But later on, after God blessed Joseph. By God’s grace, Joseph ended up rescuing his evil brothers from famine and he provided a place for them.
This morning as I prayed for the USA, and other nations in similar circumstances as ours, a Bible verse came to mind. Evil people had taken over David’s country. Someone told King David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” [7] The Lord answered David’s prayer. The conspirators were taken down, and righteousness ruled his nation once again.
Our Lord Jesus and His followers are the real deal. The fakers who rage, plot, and set themselves against Him fail. [8] Praise the Lord!
[1] Matthew 23:34-36
[2] Genesis 4:3-5
[3] 1 John 3:12
[4] Hebrews 11:4
[5] 2 Chronicles 24:20-22
[6] Genesis 37:4
[7] 2 Samuel 15:31
[8] Psalm 2
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