A Promised Reward

The Word is first...

Revelation 2:17 (NIV)

¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

Today's study passage is contained in the letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. In this letter, Christ commends the church for its faithfulness though existing in the very seat of sin described as "where Satan lives" and he admonishes them for continuing fellowship with "people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam.. who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans."

A quick study of the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans reveals a propensity towards idolatry, the consumption of food sacrificed to idols and towards sexual immorality. The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible indicates the Nicolaitans were a "heretical sect" whose sins were equated with the teaching of Balaam. We have to go to the OT to find out exactly what those sins were and it is there that we learn that it was Balaam who advised Balak to prey upon the Israelites weaknesses so as to separate them from fellowship with God. These weaknesses included intermarriage with the Moabites, the worship of idols and sexual immorality associated with the Moabite religious practices.

It saddens me to say that thousands of years later, we as a people are susceptible to the same bag of tricks. It is far too easy for us to run after every opportunity for profit and to rush headlong into one of mankind's oldest traps; namely idolatry. Throughout the Bible we read of entire nations that turned away from the One True God and towards idols of stone, wood and metal. Though the materials of which the idols are constructed are different, nevertheless, modern idolatry is real.

We need look no further than the sports page of the local newspaper or to scan the channels of our television sets to see that there is a plethora of substitutes proffered by man for us to worship. There are people who spend thousands of dollars so that they can see a sports star play a game yet they neither tithe nor give to charity; idol worship. There are millions of people who sit glued to the television set to see who will be given the title of 'idol' in a competition of talent and popularity; idol worship. There are millions of people who chase after the thrill of illicit sex, whether virtual or literal and bow at the altar of sexual indulgence; idol worship.

These same people don a mask on Sunday mornings and file into our churches that they may give lip service to the Almighty God and maintain the appearance of righteousness. They are modern-day Nicolaitans and they too hold to the teaching of Balaam. Though they do not know the name and in fact call themselves by other names, they are nevertheless, idolaters.

In the letter in which our study passage is found, Christ calls upon the church to REPENT! Otherwise, he himself will come and "fight against them with the sword of [his] mouth." A mighty weapon is the Word of God and sharp is the sword of Christ's mouth. I want no part of that battle!

Therefore, the word today calls us to PAY ATTENTION. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." REPENT. And for those that hear, for those that engage the battle of repentance now, for those that turn away from the idols of this world and turn towards the kingdom of God, there is a promised reward. RECEIVE. Christ says "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."

The condition for the fulfillment of the promise is to be an overcomer. We need only to depend upon God, enjoy his fellowship through Jesus and to live lives led by the Spirit to meet this divine condition.

The content of the promise is 'hidden manna' and 'a white stone with a new name written on it'. I turned to Merriam-Websters for further understanding of what this might entail. I was rewarded with the concept of "divinely supplied spiritual nourishment" and "a sudden and unexpected source of gratification, pleasure, or gain." Now I will freely admit that using a secular dictionary has its' pitfalls but I believe the concept is valid. That is, those that overcome receive a special dispensation from Christ himself.

As for the 'white stone with a new name' I do not know whether it means that a new stone has been added to the breastplate of the high priest with the new name being a tribe name or whether each individual receives a new name along the lines of Simon called Peter. But what I do know is that Christ has promised a reward to those who overcome. I know that Christ would not offer something of worldly value but rather offers more than I can comprehend.

Therefore, I hear and I listen and I call upon you to do the same. Turn away from the idols of the world in which we live. Commit yourselves to the true teaching of Christ Jesus and stand your ground in his name. In doing so, not only will you live a life that is full and rich serving God in this life but you will lay aside eternal treasures to be realized in the life hereafter.

Shalom,
Carl