Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 46

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:46 “Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”

Blessed is that... Happy. Whether in a way of judgment, as against Jerusalem; or at death, when he comes to remove him out of this time, into eternity. Or at the day of judgment, when he, the righteous judge, will give the crown of righteousness to him.

Happy—used 9 times here of people who have godly characteristics as:

1. Broken spirit (Mat. 5:3; 11:28-30; Psm. 51:17; Isa. 57:15; 66:2)

2. Penitent spirit (Mat. 5:4; Isa. 61:2; Jas. 4:9; 2Cor. 7:9-11)

3. Mild-tempered, gentle spirit (Mat. 5:5; 11:29; Psm. 37:11; 1Pet. 3:4)

4. Hungering, thirsting spirit for righteousness (Mat. 5:6; Psm. 34:10; 42:1-3; 63:1; 84:2; John 7:37-39)

5. Compassionate and merciful spirit (Mat. 5:7; 18:27; 1Pet. 3:8)

6. Pure spirit (Mat. 5:8; Phlp. 4:8; 1Tim. 1:5; 3:9; 5:22; 1Pet. 1:22)

7. Spirit of wisdom and mediation (Mat. 5:9; Rom. 14:19; 1Cor. 13:1-13)

8. Longsuffering and forgiving spirit (Mat. 5:10-12; 10:16-28; 1Cor. 13:1-13; 1Pet. 3:14-17; 4:3-19)

find so doing... That he will be found doing and acting the faithful and wise part, ruling the household of God well; giving to all wholesome food, a proper portion of it, and that in the right time.

Jesus will reward those who are faithful. Jesus said the person who is a servant is the greater. A wise servant is one who does not weaken in the faith. This type of faith will stand up in famine or any other catastrophe that might come.

As in the case of the man without the wedding garment, a single servant is taken as representing a class; and who constitute this class is made quite clear, not only by the fact that the servant is set over the household, but also by the nature of the service: "to give them their food in due season" (R.V). The application was evidently first to the apostles themselves, and then to all who in the future should be engaged in the same work of providing spiritual nourishment for those under their charge.

The responses of the servants are indications of their inward conditions. The Lord wants to find His servants, like the first steward, faithfully carrying out His will (Mat. 24:45-46). Such a servant will be rewarded for his faithful service when the Lord returns (Mat. 24:47).

Book of Hosea Chapter 8 Vs. 1

 

Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind

Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. Hos. 8:1

Set the trumpet... The 10th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 8:1-14, fulfilled). Next, Hos. 9:1.

Twelve Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. He will come as an eagle against the house of the Lord (Hos. 8:1).

2. Israel will cry to Me, My God, we know you.

3. The enemy will pursue him (Hos. 8:3).

4. They have sown the wind, and will reap the whirlwind (Hos. 8:7).

5. What is sown will not yield, but if it does strangers will get it.

6. Israel will be dispersed among the Gentiles as a forsaken vessel (Hos. 8:8).

7. Though they have been slaves among the nations, I will gather them (Hos. 8:10).

8. They will sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

9. Their altars will be sin to them (Hos. 8:13).

10. God will remember their iniquity, and visit their sins (Hos. 8:13).

11. They will return to Egypt.

12. I will send a fire upon his cities, and it will devour the palaces thereof (Hos. 9:14).

trumpet to thy... The trumpet of war (Hos. 5:8; Isa. 58:1).

He shall come... The enemy will come as a swift eagle against the house of the Lord.

house of the... The word house here is used in the sense of being the household or people of God, as in Eph. 2:19-22; 1Pet. 2:5; Heb. 3:6.

because they have... Destruction of Ephraim—Twelve Reasons

1. They have transgressed My covenant.

2. They transgressed My law.

3. They cast off the thing that is good (Hos. 8:3).

4. They set up kings without God (Hos. 8:4).

5. They made princes without God.

6. They made idols of gold and silver.

7. They hired lovers (heathen) to help them instead of trusting Jehovah (Hos. 8:9).

8. They made many altars of sin (Hos. 8:11).

9. They counted God’s word as a strange thing (Hos. 8:12).

10. They have eaten the sacrifices.

11. They forgotten their Maker (Hos. 8:14).

12. built temples to idols.

Ten Curses for These Sins:

1. War (Hos. 8:1)

2. Defeat and pursuit by enemies (Hos. 8:3)

3. They will be cast away (Hos. 8:5).

4. Their idols will be broken (Hos. 8:6).

5. They will reap the whirlwind (Hos. 8:7).

6. Strangers will reap their crops.

7. They will be swallowed up (Hos. 8:8).

8. They will be dispersed among the Gentiles.

9. God will punish them (Hos. 8:13).

10. Their cities will be devoured by fire (Hos. 8:14).

as an eagle... Literally a vulture, Assyria was ready to descend quickly upon Israel to devour her (Deut. 28:49).

trespassed against my... The prophets and priests of Hos. 5:1-15, 9:1-17.

The trumpet, in this case, would be the trumpet blowing to tell of impending doom. It would proclaim war in the land. It is Hosea who is to blow the trumpet to proclaim punishment upon these people. This is frightening to our generation, because the same apostasy, that was going on then, prevails in our society today. The people were unfaithful to God and His teachings.

Even though they had been separated out as God's people and were the keepers of His law, they left God and started worshipping demon spirits. They committed spiritual adultery with their worship of false gods. The eagle is a mighty bird that strikes swiftly.

Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

To thy mouth with the trumpet! The Eagle is down upon the house of Jehovah! Where the carcass is, there are the eagles gathered together. For-to sum up the whole crisis-they have transgressed My covenant, and against My law have they rebelled.

Israel’s rebellion punished

This section includes several specific illustrations of the nation’s rebellious attitude and announces God’s coming judgment.

The chapter begins with a note of alarm. A trumpet must be blown to signal an impending battle (cf. Hos. 5:8). An enemy (the Assyrians) was ready to swoop down on Israel like a powerful eagle. The announcement of judgment recalls the covenant curse of Deut. 28:49. The house of the Lord refers here to the land of Israel (as in Hos. 9:15; cf. the Lord’s land, Hos. 9:3). Again Israel was said to be rebellious (cf. Deut. 7:13).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 45

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?”

Who then is... Question 145. Next, Mat. 25:37. The third parable of Matthew 24-25, illustrating faithfulness in view of His coming (Mat. 24:45-51). By the conduct of a faithful and wise servant Jesus intends to denote a faithful Christian, a servant of God, or a teacher of religion.

This passage is in fact, a parable, though it is not expressly so called. The design is to show that his disciples should act as if they were each moment expecting his return. This he illustrates by the conduct of a servant who did not expect his master soon to return, who acted with great impropriety, and who was accordingly punished.

whom his lord... His master. The word here has no reference to God. It means the lord or master of the servant. Applied to Christian teachers, in the spiritual meaning of the parable, it refers to Christ, who has appointed them as teachers, and who is their Lord and Master (John 13:13-14).

over his household... His family. Christian ministers are the servants of God appointed over the church, the family of Christ (1Thes. 5:12-13; 1Cor. 3:5; 4:1:2; 12:28).

meat in due... The word meat here means food of all kinds. When the Bible was translated into English, the word included, as the original does, all kinds of provisions requisite to support and nourish life. As they need it, or in the accustomed times. This was the office of a steward. Among the ancients this office was often filled by a “slave”, one who had shown himself trusty and faithful. The duty was to have a general superintendence over the affairs of the family.

In due season (ἐν ακιρῷ)

At the regular hours which his Lord observes when at home; and not delaying because he thinks that his Lord delayeth his coming (Mat. 24:48), but doing his duty in its appointed time.

Applied to Christian ministers, it means that they are to feed the flock of God, to minister to their needs, and to do it as they need it (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1Cor. 4:1-2).

The very pointed way in which the parable is introduced, together with the fact that only one servant is spoken of, suggests to each one engaged in the work the most careful self-examination. Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? The underlying thought seems to be that such a one is not very easily to be found; and that therefore there is a special benediction for those who through the trying years are found both faithful and wise, faithful to their high trust, wise in relation to the momentous issues depending on the manner in which they fulfil it. The benediction on the wise and faithful servant is evidently easy to miss and a great thing to gain.

The faithful servant

The coming of the Lord will be a test of servants. As the master in Jesus’ story entrusted all his possessions to his servant, so God has entrusted the care of all things in this earth to His servants. The responses of the servants are indications of their inward conditions.

Book of Hosea Chapter 7 Vs. 16

 THE CONFUSION OF THE NATION

They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt. Hos. 7:16

They return, but... They return to their own idols and false gods and not to the living God.

like a deceitful bow... They are like a deceitful bow that disappoints the user, and cannot be depended upon. A deceitful bow has every appearance of being good, but the arrows that it propels miss the intended target. God has wonderful things for Israel, but they have continuously mistaken His favor for favoritism and have misused His blessings for their own ends.

For the rage... Hebrew: za‛am, used often of the wrath of God, but in this passage it is used of the rage and foaming anger of man against God. According to Jeremiah, the nearer their destruction came the more madly the leaders and false prophets of Judah whipped up contradictions against what God had said, securing the people under their lies until their utter destruction. The princes of Judah were singled out for the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar because of this stubborn resistance (Jer. 52:10). This same thing took place in Ephraim perhaps, for here it is revealed that they also had been singled out for destruction. A similar situation prevailed at the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 when the leaders and defenders of the city, maddened by their own curse, poured out the rage of their tongue against the Redeemer whose blood they chose to be upon them and their children (Mat. 27:25).

this shall be... Their boasting of help from Egypt and their failure to get such help in the time of need against the Assyrians became their derision, mockery, laughter, or cause of ridicule. In Egypt they trusted, and by Egypt they were ridiculed because of their fall. It was like the man who lives in a society which mocks at those who once trusted in it, courted its favors, and served and preferred it to God. Such are the wages of sin, as so ably expressed by Isaiah when he spoke of the strength of Pharaoh being the shame of Judah, and the trust in Egypt being their confusion (Isa. 33:3-5).

The military language here probably alludes to the victories the Lord had given His people in battle (2Kgs. 14:25-28).

Their denying God got them into the difficulty they were in. A deceitful bow is one that sends an arrow in another direction other than to the target. You may aim at one thing, and hit another with a deceitful bow. You cannot trust that bow. They have missed the target. They are not even smart enough to come back to God for help. They have returned to their idol worship. Derision means speak unintelligibly.

So fickle and sensitive to fear, they turn indeed but not upwards; no God-ward conversion theirs. In their repentance they are like a bow which swerves off upon some impulse of their ill-balanced natures. Their princes must fall by the sword because of the bitterness-we should have expected falseness-of their tongue: this is their scorn in the land of Egypt!

Israel’s hostility toward the Lord was an expression of her unfaithfulness. Israel was like a faulty bow. Such a weapon is unreliable because it fails to respond properly to the archer. In the same way Israel’s hostile response to God’s grace demonstrated her unreliable, disloyal character (cf. Psm. 78:57).

The nation’s leaders, who had rejected their true source of strength (cf. Hos. 7:15), would be destroyed in battle because of their pride. Insolent words refers to a formal denunciation or curse. Israel’s rejection of divine aid (cf. Hos. 7:13) in favor of foreign alliances is compared to a verbal reproach against God. Ironically Israel would become an object of derision among the Egyptians, whose aid they had foolishly sought (cf. Hos. 7:11).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 44

 No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

be ye also... The world needs to be ready (Mat. 24:44). In the former portion of the prophecy the destruction of Jerusalem was in the foreground, and in the background the coming of the Son of man to judgment in the end of the world. In this portion the Great Day of the Son of man is prominent throughout.

in such an... The parables that follow teach Christ’s followers to be ready in case He comes sooner than anticipated (verses 43-51); and also, to be prepared in case He delays longer than expected (25:1-13).

Be ready when the trumpet blows. Do not let salvation wait until tomorrow. It might be too late. Just when we think He is not coming is just the hour He will.

Likewise believers in the Tribulation, who will be looking forward to the coming of the Lord of glory, should be alert. They will know generally, from the signs of the end, when He will return, but they will not know the exact time.

Book of Hosea Chapter 7 Vs. 15

 THE CONFUSION OF THE NATION

Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. Hos. 7:15

Though I have... Bound (trained) and strengthened Israel’s arms, yet the people still trusted idols (Eze. 30:24-25).

It was God who had made them strong in the first place. They did not realize who had really helped them. They did not know who their friend was. They looked to the world for answers that only God had the answer to.

They seek God with no heart, no true appreciation of what He is, but use the senseless means by which the heathen invoke their gods: they cut themselves, and so apostatize from Me! And yet it was I who disciplined them, I strengthened their arm, but with regard to Me they kept thinking only evil! So fickle and sensitive to fear, they turn indeed but not upwards; no God-ward conversion theirs.

Israel’s rebellion also revealed her ingratitude. The Lord had trained… and strengthened them (lit., their arms, NASB). Elsewhere the expression strengthen the arms can refer to divine bestowal of military might (Eze. 30:24-25). Perhaps Israel’s past military successes (including those of Jeroboam II; cf. 2Kgs. 14:25-28) are in view. Despite experiencing divine aid in battle, Israel treated God like an enemy. The phrase plot evil against Me suggests intense hostility and ill will. Similar language is used to describe Joseph’s brothers’ schemes to destroy him (Gen. 50:20).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 43

No One Knows That Day and Hour

Matthew 24:43 “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

But know this... The second parable of Matthew 24-25, illustrating readiness in view of His coming (Mat. 24:43-44).

thief would come... As no one knows what hour the thief will come, no one knows the hour of the Lord’s return or the Day of the Lord that accompanies His coming (1Thes. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). But the believer is to be ready at all times.

Would come (ἔπχεται)

Rev., was coming. But the present is graphically thrown in as in vv, Mat. 24:40, Mat. 24:41: is coming or cometh.

Christians must watch for the Lord. We must not decide that He is delaying His coming and get lax in our worship. Some so called Christians today are falling away pretty rapidly. Some are still sitting on the pews of the church building, but just in form only. They are looking for entertainment in the church.

Broken up (διορυγῆναι)

Rev., broken through. See on Mat. 6:19. Wyc., undermined.

Worship should be reverently seeking the will of God in everything. God wants our love, but He also wants us to revere Him and to be obedient to Him as well.

PARABLES AND PICTURES OF JUDGMENT

The remainder of this great prophecy is taken up with four pictures of judgment, very striking and impressive, having for their special object the enforcement of the great practical lesson with which the first part has closed: Watch therefore.

But the people living then will only know in generalities the limits of the time. Therefore watchfulness is important. If a person knows the approximate time a thief may come to break into his house, he takes precautions and prepares accordingly. Likewise believers in the Tribulation, who will be looking forward to the coming of the Lord of glory, should be alert.