20 He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 13
It’s like a fork in the road for some of us, which way will we take? Will we take the way of the wise or travel in the company of the foolish? Whoever we walk with may determine the destiny of our lives as we learn by association/friendship.
25 ‘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. Matthew 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins (only in Matthew’s Gospel) details two equal groups of five wise and five foolish. No one went it alone, they were in two distinct groups. We feel reassured when we’re in the company of others, but have they really set their hearts on following the Lord? We mustn’t allow human friendships to overtake our walk with the Lord, that can be very dangerous for us! Just because others behave in a certain way doesn’t mean it’s right for our lives.
‘Oil’ often represents the Holy Spirit and the five wise virgins had oil to spare, but the foolish only brought the minimum. They came with the oil in their lamps, but the bridegroom was delayed until the midnight hour and they weren’t prepared, their lamps were going out/fading. No one knows the time when the Lord will return, but we’ll have to be prepared to wait until He comes.
6 ‘At midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (The bridegroom had come, but five couldn’t go 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.”
When the time for the wedding ceremony arrives we won’t be able to borrow from anyone else, it’s only what we have with us that will count. The wise told the foolish to go and buy oil for their lamps, but the delay cost them their place in the wedding ceremony.
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.
The waiting was the Testing and through the wait the ten virgins were separated into two groups. There were no other options, those with oil were allowed to enter, however the others were not. The Lord said to them, ‘I don’t know you.’ We must walk with the Lord here, to be welcomed into His wedding supper on that day.
May God bless and keep you today.