Oil In The Vessel # 1

Oil In The Vessel # 1

Recently a brother in the Lord wrote calling our attention to the comparisons and contrasts between the wise and foolish virgins of Matthew 25. The substance of his remarks was as follows.

They have seven things in common.

First, all the virgins were in "the kingdom of heaven" - by which we understand, the sphere of Christian profession.

Second, they were all of them "virgins" - not five virgins and five harlots - by which we understand, they all claimed to belong to Christ.

Third, they all "went forth to meet the Bridegroom" - they were one in purpose, having a single end in view.

Fourth, they all had "lamps," the same sort of lamps.

Fifth, they all "slumbered and slept."

Sixth, they all heard the cry "Behold, the Bridegroom comes."

Seventh, they all "arose and trimmed their lamps."

There are six points of difference between them.

First, five of them were "wise" and five of them were "foolish."

Second, the wise "took oil in their vessels with their lamps" - but the foolish ones did not do so.

Third, at the crucial moment the foolish virgins had to acknowledge "our lamps are (slowly but surely) gone out".

Fourth,  the foolish virgins "went to buy" oil, the wise ones had no need to do so.

Fifth, the wise were shut in with the Bridegroom - but the foolish were shut out.

Sixth, the foolish virgins were disowned by the Lord.

Commenting upon the above our friend pointed out that, "There is a certain class today who differ not from the children of God as to their testimony - its purity, its orthodoxy, its sincerity. These are not Spiritists, Russellites, or the daughters of the Mother of Harlots - but "virgins". Doctrinally they are pure. They are pictured as going forth "to meet the Bridegroom," not one to the desert and another to the secret to the "secret chambers" (Matt. 24:26), seeking a false Christ. The Object of their service was the same Person which the wise virgins were occupied with.

The vital point in their "foolishness" was not that they "slumbered and slept" but that they had no oil in their VESSELS. Their was oil in their lamps - their testimony or doctrine  - but none in their vessels or souls."

The above has deeply impressed the editor once more with the great importance of making sure individually whether there be oil in my vessel - the "vessel" is the soul, the "oil" is Divine grace in it. Whatever may be the precise signification of "behold the Bridegroom comes" - whether it refers to the hour of death, the "premillennial return of Christ," or the Day of Judgment - one thing is clear - it points to the crucial testing time.

As our friend further points out - Balaam had oil in his "lamp," as also had Judas when Christ sent him forth with the other Apostles to "preach" (Matt. 10:5-7) - yet their hearts were destitute of the saving grace of God! What a terrible discovery for the foolish virgins to make, "our lamps are gone out" - a discovery too late to do them any good.

This parable of the "virgins" is indeed a searching and solemn one. It has deeply exercised many a sincere soul. It has caused not a few genuine saints to wonder if, after all, the "root of the matter" were in them. It has given real point to that exhortation "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Cor. 13:5). On the other hand, vast numbers of professing Christians are quite unmoved by its pointed message, complacently assuming that they are numbered among the "wise" virgins, and taking no trouble to seek proof that the oil is in their vessels. Strangest of all, perhaps, some of the Lord's own people scarcely know how to set about the task of ascertaining their state, and are so suspicious of themselves, that they readily conclude that their vessels are devoid of the vital oil.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 2)