Luke the beloved physician wrote about Jesus, “there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish”, and in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-eight of his book Luke shared how Jesus declares people will say, “this man began to build, and was not able to finish” where we read:
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?
The verse reads, “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sits not down first, ...” Luke began with the words, “or what king” or “or which leader of the people, prince, commander or lord of the land”, “going to make war” which means “being lead, carrying over, transferring and pursuing an encounter, conversing and attack of battle and fight” “against another king” or “in opposition to one other leader of the people, prince, commander or lord of the land”, “sits not down first” which means “does not be seated, fixed and established beforehand and in advance”. Luke shared how Jesus asked what “ruler” does not sit down and make a plan before he goes to “battle” with another ruler.
The verse continues, “... and consults whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that comes against him with twenty thousand?” Luke added the words, “and consults” or “and deliberates, considers, takes counsel and resolves” “whether he be able with ten thousand” which means “if the king is capable and has the ability with ten thousand troops” “to meet him” or “to encounter” “that comes against him” which means “ the ruler opposing him” “with twenty thousand” or “with twenty thousand troops”? Luke shared how Jesus added how the “king” would “deliberate and take counsel” as to whether he is able to match up with “ten thousand” troops against the “ruler” who has “twenty thousand” troops.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus employed the idea of a “king” sitting down, planning and determining whether he is able to “oppose” a “king” with “twenty thousand” troops when he only has “ten thousand”. The idea again is to “count the cost”, and whenever rulers go to war against one another, they would be wise to determine whether they have adequate fighting forces to win their battle. God wants a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and there will be a “cost” for yielding one's life to Him. The wise person considers the “cost”, not only in this life, but in the eternal life to come and submits to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus asks, “he sends an ambassage, and desires conditions of peace”, 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".
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