The King's Scribe
Today’s Verse:
Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. ~Matthew 13:52
A scribe was a man who was learned in the Mosaic law and sacred writings and was to be both an interpreter and a teacher. One of the more famous scribes in Scripture was Ezra. He was described as a ready scribe in God’s Word. In Matthew 13, our Lord Jesus gave a series of parables concerning the kingdom of Heaven. His audience consisted of people who could “hear” the Word of God and those whose “heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed.” Jesus’ intent was to sift out those who gave heed to the Word and those who did not. As He closes His instruction, He uses the idea of a scribe to describe the responsibility that we have with God’s Word. This morning, let us see what it means to be the King’s scribe.
We see the designation.
“Therefore every scribe….” Our Lord Jesus describes the role and responsibility of His people as scribes. All of God’s people should be students of God’s Word. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We won’t know God’s Word unless we are in God’s Word. God told Joshua, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” All of us should be responsible and ready scribes.
We see the discernment.
“Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.” The King’s scribe hears and understands God’s Word. Jesus spoke seven parables. Each one had an important lesson about true believers and false believers, about the church, and about the end times. We must be able to correctly interpret the Scripture: this is rightly dividing the Word of truth. We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We must properly discern. Discerning is having ears to hear what the Lord is saying.
We see the disciple.
“Every scribe which is instructed….” The Greek word for “instructed” has the same meaning as being a disciple. A King’s scribe must not only learn the Word of God, but he must live out the Word of God. It’s one thing to carry a title and to say that you are a teacher. It’s another thing to live it out and demonstrate that what we believe is real to us. A true disciple does what his Master teaches. He carries his cross daily. He reflects that, in character and lifestyle, he is a mirror image of his Master and the Word of God. The King’s scribe is a committed disciple.
We see the distribution.
“Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” There is the principle of stewardship found in the last half of our text. A householder has the meaning of the owner of the house. His life is depicted as a storehouse of things new and old. So, as a King’s scribe, we store up God’s Word so that we can share it. We bring light to the Old and New Testament. We distribute God’s Word as soulwinners and lead people to Christ. We distribute God’s Word by committing the same to faithful men. We distribute God’s Word as able preachers. We do not store up in order to become puffed up with knowledge: we store up in order to build and stir up the lives of people we are ministering to. Be a scribe who is ready and responsible.
Have a faithful God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Proverbs 27-29