The Pharisees and Lawyers Reject the Counsel of God - Luke 7:30

Luke the beloved physician wrote about Jesus, “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans,

justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John”, and in chapter seven and verse thirty of his book Luke shared how, “the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves” where we read:

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves,

being not baptized of him.

The verse reads, “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, ...” Luke began with the words, “but the Pharisees” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and nevertheless the sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to Old Testament books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief and life” “and lawyers” which means “and ones learned in the Mosaic law who served as interpreters and teachers” “rejected the counsel of God” or “did away with, set aside and disregarded the advise, purpose and will belonging to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “against themselves” which means “in opposition to their own selves”. Luke shared how the religious leaders known as the “Pharisees and lawyers” “disregarded” the “advise and will” of God concerning them.

The verse goes on to say, “... being not baptized of him.” Luke continued with the words, “being not baptized” which means “not being immersed and submerged in water” “of him” or “by John the Baptist”. Luke shared how the “religious leaders” refused the “advise and will” of God because they were not “baptized” by John the Baptist.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn that not everyone was convinced by the words of Jesus nor John the Baptist. Even though God sent His fore-runner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, to people the “Pharisees and lawyers” did not observe what he had to say, and as Jesus spoke, they disregarded His words as well. People who do not want to hear the word God have hardened their hearts and are unwilling to listen to what God says. God loves people, and their sins have separated them from a relationship with Him. He sent John the Baptist as a fore-runner to His Messiah, and He sent His Son Jesus as the Messiah to save people from the penalty of sins so they may live with Him forever. Those who are wise will open their hearts, listen to Him and yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”. Those who do not shall find themselves in the same hard-hearted position of these “religious leaders”.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus asks, “whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".