Posted on 11/11/2021 12:34:04 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30 KJV).
Christians can bear spiritual fruit by being purged and allowing the Lord to do the purging as needed: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5 KJV).
In fact, in verses 2-5 we see that a Christian can not only bear fruit, but he can bear more fruit, and then he can bear much fruit. There are three kinds of fruit-bearing that a Christian can bear. The Lord purges the branch so that it can bear the fruit. The Lord purges the sinfulness in his life and cleans him up through the Word: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” It not only benefits the Christian, but it benefits others as well.
An apple tree not only shades itself, but also those that sit under it. Not only does it bear fruit, but the people enjoy it and all the wild life that visits it.
“. . . and he that winneth souls is wise,” we apply this to New Testament evangelism and bring folks to Christ. I do not know that there were any active door-to-door witnessing taking place in the Old Testament. God did instruct Israel to care for the stranger, and often the stranger would embrace the Jewish religion. There are certainly instances, such as when Ruth was converted. Rahab was brought into the faith in Jericho.
Evidently, Ruth who was a Moabitess, saw the life of Naomi, her family, and her God that impressed her: “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16 KJV).
Certainly there are hints to some kind of witnessing in the Old Testament, but it is not emphasized in our Bibles as it is in the New Testament: “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3 KJV).
It the Old Testament, if a man were turned to righteousness, that would have been to orthodox Judaism. It is also clear from such books as Jonah that the Jew was not interested in reaching the heathen with their religion. Jonah did not want to preach any kind of repentance to the Ninevites. In the end, he did, but it was God’s constraint on him that forced him to do it, rather than him volunteering of his own accord. And after he was successful in turning his enemies to God, Jonah was very angry and pouted under a bush for a spell.
In fact, even Peter was unwilling at first to carry the gospel to Cornelius. The Lord had to just about twist his arm to get him to go, but once he went and understood God’s program—he asked who he was to fight against God’s purposes. Most Jews didn’t have any problem dealing with other Jews, but when it came to the Gentiles, that was an entirely different story.
During the millennium, this will all change. The Jew will definitely be evangelist and they will be the light to the Gentiles that was spoken of in Isaiah: “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6 KJV).
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