The story in Matthew chapter 20 and in Numbers chapters 13-14 answers are question. Matthew is the story that defines who is chosen. Then it is reinforced in Numbers.
Matthew 20:16
“So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
The story is about a man who hires labourers to work in his vineyard. He hires labourers from an early hour(FIRST). Then hires those at a late hour(LAST). When the day was done he paid all the workers the same, but he paid first the workers that arrived LAST. In the end of this story he says the verse already mentioned.
Matthew 20:16
“So the LAST shall be first, and the FIRST last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
So what caused this statement? This story tells us that the LAST were chosen. Being first is beingCHOSEN. When you are faced with many choices in anything in life, what you CHOSE would be referred to as your first choice. So in this story the people that were LAST, were CHOSEN.
The man who hired the labourers offered all of them the same wage and said the same thing to them all.
What the man said to FIRST: “ 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.”
What man said to LAST: “6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?”
“7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.”
These verses show they were all called by the same message, but the only difference was the hour at which each group was called. At end of the work day and the money was being paid we see the LASTgroup was CHOSEN. The LAST was CHOSEN to be paid first.
The differences in each group:
· First People: Proud and unthankful. They forgot they were once unemployed and felt entitlement to those who came later to work. They were not thankful that most of the day they had a job.
· Last People: Humble and thankful. They stood all day waiting for work and when asked about it, they were without pride leading to honesty about their situation. Yes, we stood here all day without job. Pride would’ve hid this, and said I just been out here for a hour. Being thankful and humble go hand in hand, can’t have one without the other.
The book of Numbers we see the people of Israel. They were like the FIRST group.
Children of Israel relating to first group: Unthankful, they complained to God that they were going to be destroyed by the inhabitants of their promise land. Prideful and lack of faith as they complained to God instead of standing on his promise.
Joushua and Caleb related to the last group or the CHOSEN: Humble as they rent their clothes when the children of Israel were complaining, renting their clothes was a display of humbleness toward God, similar to Moeses and Aaron bowing down to God. They were thankful for God’s word demonstrating that by trusting it.
“8 If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.”
Be CHOSEN of God today through humbleness and thankfulness. When you are CHOSEN of God….Glory, Honor, Riches, Health are only some of things associated(Read more bible find CHOSENbenefits)
“With God nothing shall be impossible.”
Luke 1:37
Friday Fellowship: Christian
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