Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | Reading: Exodus 33:1-11, Exodus 4, Gen 3:1-21
Topic: The Tabernacle of God 405
Scripture: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building. (Heb 9:11)
Note: Matt 16:18, “And I say also to you, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus didn’t mince words during the Last Supper in declaring emphatically that the one who was going to betray Him was right at the table with Him. This important emphatic statement was made after Jesus had administered the bread and the cup, with the admonition to His disciples to do the same in remembrance of Him.
It’s a weird feeling to imagine being at the same table with a group of close friends, knowing that one of them is about to betray you. That was the very situation Jesus was saddled with, at the time that Judas Iscariot was just about negotiating the price for the life of his Master. Betrayal is a very strong word of accusation for someone closely related to be accused with. It is simply put, an act of treachery against a person, or a group or an organisation.
Wikipedia puts the definition of betrayal this way: “Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations.” This definition emphasises three important things. Firstly, the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence. This is basically about breach of trust. Secondly, it talks about moral conflict as a result of the breach in trust, confidence or contract against another party which borders on ethical conflicts or violations. Thirdly, the violation of trust produces an undesirable result of psychological conflict that could have far-reaching consequences.
The betrayal of Jesus by Lazarus was not an act that occurred on the spur of the moment. It was an act that was carefully thought through, planned, organised and executed with military precision. It had everything to do with the background of the man called Judas. He was a known thief to Jesus. He was the keeper of the moneybag, and he made it his normal practice to be pilfering money from the bag from time to time. Judas loved money and that paved the way for his eventual destruction. His heart was closer to money and the cares of this world than the Lord, whom he had the privilege to walk with for more than 3 years. His ravenous love for money provided an open door for satan to enter into his heart and use him.
Food for thought: The act of betrayal is a choice which is avoidable. It goes through the processes of carefully thinking through to planning and organizing before execution.
Declaration: And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And He sought how he might conveniently betray Him. Mark 14:11
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
