Somethings Never Change:
The Merchandising of God
By
Trevor Davis 1-18-2020
Each of the four gospels
documents the outrage of Jesus as the Sellers and Buyers corrupted
the temple. What God had instituted at that time for His people to
gather in His name and enjoy fellowship with Him became a big
business.
I encourage all to revisit each of these accounts
in the gospels. John speaks of Jesus declaring they had made the
things of God an EMPORIUM. He ousted all the sellers, the money
changers, and those who sat selling doves. He overturned their
tables and the bowls of coins scurried across the floor. He made a
chord of rough rope and went lashing, kicking and most importantly,
made the declaration of God how they had turned “My Father's
House into a den of thieves and an actual EMPORIUM”.
See,
this is personal to Jesus. Is it personal to you? The precious
gospel of Jesus, the Word of God, the people that love the Lord.
This is dear to the Father. It is extremely first and foremost to
the Lord Jesus too as He has laid down His own life to redeem His
abiding ones.
But nothing is new under the sun. It is the
same today as then. The big business of religion has continued to
this day. Why, they sewed up the curtain that was split from top to
bottom in the temple to continue in their scam. Though the Spirit of
God had clearly displayed the way into the holy of holies had been
accomplished by the offering of the Son of God. No, they had a
business to run despite the Lord having been raised by the
Father.
The wrath of Jesus against this practice of
merchandising the things of God has been documented for eternity.
The sellers, the buyers, the very trinkets of the cheapened things of
God packaged and sold is underway today. Thieves. Robbers. Even
Jeremiah prophesied against these entrepreneurs in His day. Jeremiah
7:11.
Paul cried out against these charlatans too.
“We
are not as MANY that PEDDLE the Word of God”. Corinthians
2:17.
I say how dare you con men touch the holy things of
God. Woe unto you for using God to make yourself bank. And you
buyers of their wares are just as guilty before God.
The
fierceness of Jesus is stunning. Paul met the Lord when he himself
was contrary to godliness. He became a changed man. As far as Paul
continuing in the extortion learned in Judaism, he completely
abandoned such practices and even worked with his own hands. He did
so out of his love for the Lord and His people. But he also did it to
be an example. He told us to note those who do NOT follow his
example of working with their own hands. But, who follows the
example of Paul in this among the exalted titled masters today?
There are very few true servants of Christ that actually serve the
people, rather than governing over them, even being paid as an
hireling. Jesus spoke of this too. He addressed the thieves,
robbers, wolves, strangers, and the hirelings in John 10.
It
is all expressed clearly by the Holy Spirit today. It is written of
these things too. But who takes heed? Who is aware? Few. Too
few.
Jhn
2:14
Mat
21:12
Luk
19:45
Mar
11:15
Jer
7:11
This
is to hear from the Lord Jesus by the Holy Spirit.