JESUS IS ABOUT TO OVERTURN YOUR TABLE

"Merchandise is a good thing in the exchange, but not in the temple." - Matthew Henry

"Great corruptions in the Church owe their rise to the love of money."
"In reformation, it is good to make thorough work; He (Jesus) drove them all out; and not only threw out the money, but, in overturning the tables, threw out the trade also."
- both quotes are from Matthew Henry

In John 2:17, we read of the Lord Jesus - "...The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up." This quote refers back to King David's words found in Psalm 69:9 - "For the zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me."

This reference to the Lord says volumes about Him. It is so important that we don't miss what the Holy Spirit is depicting about Him here.

So many serve a soft Jesus...a gentle Jesus...a cute, little Jesus...a cartoon-figure Jesus...or a Santa Claus-type Jesus. Yes, He is gentle, kind, and compassionate - but that is not all that He is!

This unbalanced picture of Him is causing many problems in the Body of Christ today. A sweet, little Jesus will certainly not cast anyone into Hell for their adultery, fornication, homosexuality, pornography, drunkenness, pride, abusive behavior or speech, hatred or bitterness, love of money or pleasure more than God, etc. He is simply "too sweet" to do such a thing!?! At least, this is how many people feel.

We can see from this misconception that many are in for a rude awakening - that is, unless they start reading their Bibles for themselves and find out what the "Real Jesus" is like. Hopefully and prayerfully, after reading this message, all will see that there is another side to Him that is missing in most people's mindset and is crucial to recognize and realize.

What exactly do the Scriptures mean when they say - "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up"? Whose "house" are they talking about? And how in the world can "zeal" eat a person up?

"Zeal" is an intense passion for something. It is always fiery, absorbing, surpassing, and jealous. In the case of Jesus, He had an intense "zeal" or jealousy for the honor of His Father's House. He was absorbed with a fiery love to see God's glory manifested in His House and also to see that the people's worship always remained pure. This fire which burned inside of Him engaged His entire attention and affection.

John the Baptist painted a very realistic picture of this "zealous" and fiery Jesus in Matthew 3:12 which reads as - "Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

The picture drawn here is that of a farmer's threshing-floor - an area that is smooth or hard-beaten due to the grain being trodden down by the animals. It is an open space in a field that has no covering nor walls. It is an elevated place where the grain is able to stay dry and where the wind is likely to blow hard in order to carry the chaff away in the winnowing process.

The farmer would take his winnowing shovel or fork and throw up the grain - mingled with wheat and chaff - against the wind in order to separate the two. The wheat - being the substantial part - would fall to the floor, while the chaff - the light and useless part - would blow off in the wind.

This picture may not seem so "violent" in nature until you realize that the Church is the threshing-floor and the mingled wheat and chaff happen to be the congregation. Right at this moment, Jesus is cleansing and purifying His church. He is removing the "chaff" - all the professors of Christianity who are phonies, hypocrites, and liars. They are being tossed to and fro under His fiery chastisements - in hopes that they will come to the end of themselves and repent. The "wind" of the Holy Spirit is about to blow them away to the section reserved for all things headed for the "unquenchable fire" - Hell!

This farmer - in winnowing his threshing-floor - begins at one side and works through to the other one. He "thoroughly purges His floor" - not missing one section or part.

The Lord Jesus may not have met up with you yet, O Reader, but in due time, He will show up at your doorstep with His winnowing shovel and the fiery look of "zeal" for God's honor and pure worship in His eyes.

Woe to the man or woman who is "playing games" with Him when He shows up on their doorstep with His "fan in His hand"!

Understanding the concept of the purging of the threshing-floor as being the Church being purified, let's go to John 2:13-17 and catch a more graphic look of Jesus in His fiery "zeal" for God's Honor in His House - "And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up."

The Scriptures tell us that - "...Jesus went up to Jerusalem..." Just as the threshing-floor was placed on an elevated part of land, Jerusalem stood on a higher ground than the lowlands of Galilee. It was as though the Lord was going up to the threshing-floor to do a purging work in His "floor." Can we say that He was going up to Jerusalem to separate the "chaff" from the "wheat"?

Believe it or not! The "chaff" was found to be the religious leaders - the chief priests - to be exact. They were the ones who were behind the entire marketplace set-up in the Court of the Gentiles. It was a lucrative business that they had going here. In fact, they brought in $300,000.00 every year.

Every male was required to appear at the Passover feast. Rather than lead animals to be used in the sacrifice over a long distance, they conveniently waited until they got to Jerusalem to purchase their "oxen and sheep and doves." The common currency was the Gentile money which was in usual circulation but refused at the temple. This is where "the money-changers" came into play. The temples' dues had to be paid in the money which was current at Jerusalem. The common shekel was then changed into the half-shekel - bringing a huge profit for the money-brokers - who happened to be the agents of the priests.

This scheming and conniving on the part of the money-changers and priests would have been bad enough. What made matters worse was where they set up their business - right on the temple grounds.

One of Jesus' designs in coming to this earth was to bring man to a proper regard for the glory of God. When He walked into the temple and saw all of the depravity and desecration, He immediately took action.

The Scriptures tell us that He - "...made a scourge of small cords..." Many Bible commentators agree that He collected the twisted rushes that were strewed on the ground and used for bedding for the animals. Or some say that He picked up some of the cords lying on the ground which the owners of the animals used to bring the cattle to this place. His intention of making the whip was not to use it on anyone. It was simply meant to be a symbol of God's wrath and judgment - coming on all those who desire to make religion (Christianity) a matter of worldly gain.

His "zeal" for His Father's honor induced Him to drive -"...all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen..." Notice that the Scripture says that He "drove all out of the temple." Not some - but all! He didn't spare anyone. And He also turned every table or board upside down where the money-changers sat - pouring out money everywhere - "...and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables..."

"...Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of merchandise..."

"The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up."

This same Jesus is coming to His temple - the Church - today and purging His "floor" of all defilement and profanation. More specifically, He is dealing with all those who claim to be "temples of the Holy Spirit." He is looking for those whose minds are filled with the cares of worldly business when they are attending the worship services, prayer meetings, or Bible Studies. He is searching out all those who are performing their duties or offices for filthy lucre and even selling the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

He has a jealousy for the honor of His house. He will not tolerate any who will make the place where the Father abides in "an house of merchandise."

Is your temple - "an house of merchandise"? Is it filled with "the love of money," "the love of pleasures," "the love of the world," or the lust for possessions and positions? Are you consumed with a desire for more and more of this world's goods - at the expense of desiring God and Him alone? Are your affections centered on earthly things rather than heavenly ones?

Get ready!
Unless you repent, Jesus is about to overturn your table!

May God Bless His Word,
Connie

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