The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.- Malachi 3:16b-18 ESV
Warrior;
God speaks in Similitudes, so as to give INSIDER INFORMATION-MYSTERIOUS CLUES into HIS thoughts, HIS HEART, HIS WANTS and THE WAY! I believe HE does this to destroy the ROOT OF ALL MANS SIN- PRIDE! For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (1 Cor 1:26-29) It also shows WHO IS HIS and who IS of their father the DEVIL! Sheep know the shepherds voice, mannerisms and HIS STORY! He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. (Matt 13:11-12)
Leader, A similitude is a similarity, a comparison, a likeness, a shadow—similar to a parable. Like when Paul says that Christ “loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20), he is seeking to emphasize the infinite worth of one individual in the eyes of Christ. The word Parable means to cast alongside of. You cast something that is known, right next to the unknown. It is a teaching mechanism. It makes a concept that is hard to grasp- it connects it to something that is already understood! God casts alongside that UNKNOWN TRUTH something they UNDERSTAND, which then BRINGS LIGHT to the DARKNESS! This oratory POWER-TOOL IMPUTES the truth of the known ONTO the PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN. Jesus wanted to teach them/us SPIRITUAL things- the MYSTERY, unknown TRUTHS, so HE did it by casting ALONGSIDE, physical things, natural things, common things…things they KNEW! He used AGRICULTURAL stories that they all understood. He used Analogies and metaphors RICH with experience and understand to cast a LIGHT onto that which UP UNTIL NOW has been in the DARK!
Conduit, Jesus spoke often in parables. The word parable is used almost 50 times in the NEW TESTAMENT! I have heard it said that 1\3 of Jesus teaching was in Parabolic format. The GOOD, ancient Rabbi’s taught about 1/3 of the time with parables and stories. In today’s verse God is saying: WE are His JEWELS, His treasure- we are His treasured possession. In John 18:9 we are told we are a GIFT to JESUS from the FATHER; He did this to fulfill his own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given me.” Today have eyes to see and ears to hear- LISTEN TO GOD: You are a blessing, you are a gift. BECAUSE of this TRUTH: Present yourself as a tasty, sweet, aromatically pleasing, open of heart and mind, pleasing to the senses; the eyes, the ears, the nose and the mouth- to OUR GOD! Let your life be a pleasing aroma to our Father in heaven! Let His eyes be BRIGHT because of the beauty of your LOVE towards HIS creatures. Let HIS heart be PROUD of what HE hears in the prayers of His SAINTS as they pour out their thankfulness to God for your ACTION in their lives! PRESENT YOURSELF as HOLY, as our GOD IS HOLY!
Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional 