So I was freaking out trying to make sense of this parable.
I always assume that the insights that come to me right off the top are to obvious and easy and so there must be some sort of deep revelation that I'm missing out on. I think a part of me wants to look smart. So I kill myself trying to figure out what it is. (because there is a deeper revelation, but it only comes with God and most of the time when I'm not trying to understand but I'm just reading)
When it comes to understanding the bible, it can go so deep and wide with the same truth! Thats whats so amazing about it! Each person filled with the Spirit has a different revelation from that same truth! Mind you, understanding only comes through the Spirit and not any fleshly means!
I was really surprised when I found out my insights which I thought were obvious had an impact on people! I think I'm so used to reading and understanding right away that I forget what it was like reading the bible as a new believer....confusing, boring and frusting.
Now I love His Words so much!
As the Psalmist says: O How I LOVE YOUR LAW
and Jesus says Man does not live on bread alone
and His Word is a LAMP to my feet like wow everything makes sense through His Word!
So here is the passage:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Insights:
Bridegroom - Jesus (as mentioned many times in the bible)
Comments:
Reminds me of the song Give me Oil
Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning
Give me oil in my lamp I pray
Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning burning burning
Keep me burning till the break of day!
Observations
- the virgins all knew about the bridgroom and were invited
- they all had burning lamps when they left
- only at the last minute was there a distinction between them!
- the foolish virgins knew about the oil yet did not go back to get more
- this took place at night since the foolish virgins asked for more since "theirs was running out" indicating that it had been burning previously for it to run out!
Questions
- does midnight mean when the night turns to day or during the darkest part of the night?
- Why did the foolish virgins wait until the last minute?
- What does sleep mean?
- How do lamps work? What does trim mean? --> like make it glow brighter?
- how come they were all virgins? What does that represent?
Application:
- One cannot depend on the oil or faith of another to save them! Each person must have their own faith! That is why the wise virgins could not share with the foolish! Many times people depend on the faith of their family or friends but don't have any of their own! At the end we can only save ourselves and no once else! As mentioned in Ezekiel the righteousness of a father will not affect his son
- The foolish virgins looked exactly like the wise until the last minute! The different between the two is that the wise anticipated a long wait and thus took extra oil where as the foolish thought the bridegroom would come soon and anticipated it to be an easy thing. Many people expect following Christ to be easy and so they do not prepare themselves..... They didn't have enough oil to last through the NIGHT! (the most critical moment!) Many times people look like they love CHrist but they don't have what it takes in the critical moments!
- Sleep in this parable is symbolic for the everyday troubles and pleasures of life since BOTH wise and foolish virgins fell asleep this is something that ALL people must go through this makes sense as waiting for the coming of Christ is not an easy thing! We must still go through this life! This is spiritual sleep. Since this parable represents spiritual things the reality in the parable is the spiritual and the "sleep" is the physical.
However Jesus warns His disciples not to get caught up in the dissipations of the world and to in it but not of it. The foolish virgins slept as their oil ran out! In the same way this represents those who get caught up in the world and don't watch their oil! Whereas the wise truly live as though this world were not theirs!
Since all the virgins slept through till the coming of the Bridegroom, this extra oil must be something that one gets BEFORE they set out on their journey! Many times people who profess Christ will see something in a true believer that they do not have and brush it off. In the sameway the foolish virgins were with the wise how come they did not ask sooner or go back to get more oil?
I can imagine that they were waiting for a good few hours before they started to become drowsy! They were probably also talking with each other! The foolish virgins had plenty of opportunity to go back and get more! But they did not. In addition to this there was a warning call thats when the foolish virgins set out! Indicating there was some time between the warning and the coming of the King! However the last call is still too late, we must be prepared BEFORE that time!
The door was shut to the foolish indicating that they were not saved and therefore did not make it into the Kingdom wedding feast! There is only one shot, we need to be BURNING when the bridegroom comes.
We are to be people who prepare the way of Christ in this dark world by lighting a path for Him to ride through! (Just like the virgins who went out to MEET the bridegroom) and John the Baptist "John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light." John 5:35
The last admonishment in this parable is to keep watch or be alert in other translations. It reminds us of Jesuss words to His diciples "keep watch and pray" A good test to see if someone is of the world but not in it and who truly has oil (oil meaning the Spirit) is this:
After going through the busy routine of life where does that person find their rest?
In the world or in the Lord as the Psalmist says "My soul finds rest in God alone"
One with oil will in a sense find their rest in another Kingdom and not in the world. They are waiting expectantly for His coming! When we pray we are waking up to our real life leaving the dream of the world behind us.
