Daily Devotions
Matthew
A Fearful Judgement
Text: Matthew 12 : 38 - 50
Did the scribes and Pharisees not fear the Judgment of God? Then they must be read the riot act! Jesus out of concern warned of certain and severe judgment to come if the scribes and Pharisees continued in their evil ways.
“The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment
with this generation and condemn it, because they
repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment
with this generation and condemn it, for she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
MATTHEW 12:41-42
ANOTHER REFERENCE TO THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
Jesus was not using vain threats! He believed that there would be a day of reckoning, a day when all souls would be judged before God! That day may be yet distant, but the Day of Judgment was certain. Thus He appealed to this doctrine for good reason!
1. Witnesses Would be Called Up
In the Day of Judgment, everyone would be given every chance to make himself heard. By his own words he would be justified or condemned (Matthew 12:36-37).
When people stand before God in His royal courtroom, witnesses would be called! Jesus mentioned two witnesses who would rise up in condemnation.
a) The Ninevites as Witnesses
Nineveh represented the Assyrian Empire. From the earliest times, the Assyrians were known and feared because they were warlike and cruel. God sent a special prophet, Jonah, to warn them that the city of Nineveh would be destroyed if they did not repent from their wicked ways!
The Book of Jonah recorded an interesting fact. The Ninevites heeded the word of warning from God’s prophet and repented. There was national repentance. The king himself led the way and set the example.
“So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose
from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself
with sackcloth and sat in ashes.”
JONAH 3:5-6
For that moment, at least, the Ninevites repented of their evil ways! God’s anger did not fall on them, and they were spared! They repented because of the preaching of Jonah! But One who was “indeed greater than Jonah” was right there! Why wasn’t there any regard for this Person? Instead, they challenged His authority and plotted His death!
b) The Queen of the South as a Witness
Solomon’s reputation was so great in his heydays, that the Queen of the South (Sheba) went to a great deal of trouble to hear and see for herself his famed wisdom! The chroniclers had this to say about this visit.
“Now when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon
concerning the Name of the Lord, she came to test him
with hard questions…So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing
so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her…
Then she said to the king: ‘It was a true report which I heard
in my own land about your words and your wisdom.
However, I did not believe the words until I came and saw
with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me.
Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.”
1 KINGS 10:1, 3, 6-7
Was Jesus lesser in wisdom than Solomon? Not at all! He far surpassed Solomon in wisdom! A greater than Solomon was in the midst of Israel, and yet there was little or no appreciation of the wisdom with which He spoke. Instead there were foolish attempts to trick Jesus with crafty words!
2. The Witnesses would rise up to condemn the scribes and Pharisees
Imagine the royal courtroom of the Lord. The scribes and Pharisees would be standing before God. The Ninevites would arise and condemn them for their wickedness! It would take the wicked to recognize the wickedness that lurked inside the hearts of other similarly wicked people!
The Queen of Sheba would speak next! She would testify of how she went to great length just to listen to the words of wisdom that Solomon spoke! She would arise and condemn the scribes and Pharisees, who though they had devoted a whole lifetime to study the Scriptures could not appreciate Jesus for His obvious wisdom! How could they have failed to recognize the wisdom of Jesus? Not respecting or recognizing the wisdom of Jesus was absolutely inexcusable!
A GENTLE HINT TO RECONSIDER THINGS?
The doctrine of final and eternal judgment is a subject that would “scare” many! Was Jesus trying to warn the scribes and Pharisees of the danger they were in? Did they really believe in the Day of Judgment? Should they carry on attacking Jesus then?