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One day every believer will have to stand before Him and get His assessment of their
witness and work for Him (II Cor. 5: 10), and this is the only judgment that really
matters. In his last letter, Paul referred to Christ as the righteous Judge who, with
absolute fairness, bestows crowns upon the faithful and those who have constantly loved
and been influenced by His appearing (II Tim. 4: 7, 8).
Every believer needs to remember that criticism should first start with ourselves and
then I Cor. 11: 31 states:
"For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."
No.14.
7: 6 - 29.
pp. 221 - 225
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they
may trample them under their feet and then turn and tear you to pieces" (7: 6, N.I.V.).
This is proverbial counsel regarding discrimination. While we are to preach the truth
when opportunity offers, yet heavenly wisdom will guide us so that we do not give it to
people who, by their actions, show that they do not value but rather despise it. Trench,
commenting on this verse, says that the reference is to meat offered in sacrifice to God
and such must not be flung to dogs (which in Palestine were undomesticated and
regarded as unclean, just as pigs were). The dogs would eat it, but it would be
profanation to give it to them.
In the same way the pigs are probably the wild boars that apparently still haunt the
Jordan valley, who might attempt to eat the pearls and then attack those who flung them
there. There now follows another triplet:
Ask, Seek, and Knock.
"Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be
opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who
knocks the door will be opened" (7: 7, 8, N.I.V.).
The Lord has stressed the importance of prayer, and we have seen the need for
praying and leaving the answer to the Lord and the fulfillment of His will. But one can
go to the other extreme and not ask at all. This is just as wrong, for our prayers show
clearly what our attitude of mind and desires are and these should be expressed, for we
are not treated as machines by God. "Ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask
not" (James 4: 2).
It is part of our Christian schooling and discipline to pray to the Lord. In Ezek.36:
we have a wonderful chapter where God explains what New Covenant truth will finally