The Area (John 8:20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/29/2016 5:53 AM

My Worship Time                                                              Focus:  The Area                   

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                            Reference:  John 8:20

            Message of the verse: “20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.”

            I want to remember that in this section, John 8:12-21 that we are looking at the statement that Jesus made in verse 12 where He stated “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.”  As we begin to look at these verses it is important for us to understand where it was that Jesus made this statement, a statement that would cause another conflict, something we are becoming familiar with as we study John’s gospel.  It is also good to remember what John wrote this gospel, for we see throughout it the theme that he writes in chapter twenty, verses 30-31 “30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” 

            We see from verse twenty that Jesus made this statement from the temple treasury and this as we will see is an important place to make this statement.  In this treasury we will learn that there are thirteen trumpet-shaped receptacles or treasure boxes in which people could put their offerings into.  This section is in what is called “The Court of the Women” which is the second outermost court.  Now normally women could not go any further into the temple than this area, but they could get far enough in to bring their offerings.  I want to quote from a sermon that John MacArthur gave on this section of Scripture as he talks about what each of these “offering boxes” were for.  “They were very specific as to their connection.  Number one and number two trumpet receptacle was designed for the half shackle temple tax that everyone had to pay.  Number three and number four were where women put money to purchase the two pigeons that they needed to offer to purify themselves from childbearing.

“Number five was where the money went to purchase the wood for the fire on the alter.  Number six also for the incense in the alter.  Five and six then for things related to the sacrifices.  Number seven was designated as the receptacle to keep up the golden vessels of the temple, to hire the people to clean them and have money to replace them.  Then you have eight through 13.  Those were for the general fund, anything and everything else.  There’s where Jesus is.  He’s in this Court of the Women.  It would be the most packed court in the temple.  Just keep that in mind.”

John MacArthur finishes his short commentary on this section by writing “Since the Court of the Women was a busy public location, it was ideal for Jesus to teach there.  The Sanhedrin met in a nearby hall, almost within earshot of the Lord’s voice, yet ‘no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.’  Jesus was always under the sovereign control of His Father and the divine schedule, so that His enemies were powerless to harm Him before the appointed time.”

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I serve an awesome God who loves me and who has planned my life in order that I may bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, as His timing is perfect even though there are many times when it does not look like that to me when things happen that I do not understand until later on.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Proverbs 3:5-6.

Memory verses for the week:  2 Corinthians 12:7-8 “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-to keep me from exalting myself.  8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “The apostles’ (1 Corinthians 4:9).

Today’s Bible question:  “How did Joseph know to flee to Egypt with Jesus and His mother?”

Answer in our next SD.

5/29/2016 6:20 AM