Shabbat Shalom! I would like you please to open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark. In Hebrew we say Besorat Markos, Mark chapter 4, and today I would like to minister or to share with you specifically with verses 21 to verses 34. Yeshua, the Messiah, explaining that all things that he shared through the parable have a meaning for Israel or for those early believers in those days and for you and I today as well. So Mark chapter 4, so Mark chapter 4, and I'm reading from verse 21 to verse 34. Please follow me. And so we read, And he said, he, this is Yeshua, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a lampstand?

For there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested, neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear, with what measure ye mate, it shall be measured to you. And unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given. And he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. And he said, So is the kingdom of God. As if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. And he said: And he said: Where unto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it groweth up, and become greater than all herbs. And shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; but without a parable spake he not unto them. And when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." And I am stopping here, beloved brothers and sisters, with verse 34 of Mark chapter 4. You know it is precious that when we sit together under the sound of the word, I was in my mind going back to the time where our Lord Yeshua was gathering his disciples, only twelve, in this upper room that we know of, at least in the Pesach, in the days of the Passover. And there he sought to explain to them, to lead them on, to see how he was the promised Mashiach, who will ultimately restore the nation of Israel.

He came to be a savior of sinners, a savior of all nations, those that will only trust in him. He will ultimately bring them to himself. But even before this upper room in the city of Jerusalem, at the Passover, he always stood, whether it is on the shore or whether it is set in the ship. He always taught his disciples many, many things. And how wonderful it is for us, beloved brothers and sisters, to sit under the sound of the word and to learn what the scripture is saying unto us. Again, I remind you that we are exhorted. Paul said to Timothy, study to show yourself a proof unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

In scripture, we always exhorted to take the time and learn from the word of God. Now here again, we are going back to some 2,000 years ago, when the Messiah, Jesus, Yeshua himself, appeared here finally on earth. He was born to the virgin Miriam. He is now about 30-something years of age, maybe in the beginning of his ministry here. And he is presenting himself to the nation of Israel. We read this in chapter 1 and verse 14 and 15, that once John was put in prison, Yeshua came into Galilee and he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and said, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent ye and believe the gospel." The good news that he was presenting before our people of old, the nation of Israel. This is the gospel of the kingdom. The kingdom is coming. The king is going to establish the promised messianic kingdom. But we quickly learn that Israel was not ready to accept the king and the kingdom as yet. And that's why the kingdom will have to be postponed. And we already see that there are 2,000 years that pass by and there is no kingdom in the land of Israel. The world is still in unbelief. And God is working in the hearts and lives of individuals like yourself, like myself.

And for the last 2,000 years, he drew up individuals to himself. Those who came to faith in the Lord Jesus and the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, become a people that are redeemed, forgiven. And part of what we would call it today, the kingdom of God in a mystery form. The king is absent. The hearts of yours and mine have accepted him. But we don't see him yet on earth accepted by mankind. Neither by Israel as an Asian, nor by the whole population of the world. And so he's teaching here in the Gospels. He's teaching through the parables. We said many times that the parables are spiritual lessons that Yeshua is instructing as he share the parables in order to teach some spiritual lessons in those days.

So you remember last ministry meeting together, we covered the first 20 verses. And the first 20 verses were the parable of the soils. In Hebrew, Adamot. There were four kinds of soils, as we have learned that earlier. There was a soil that was called by the wayside. There was soil that was called stony ground. There was soil that was called among thorns. And there was soil that was called good ground, good soils. So what he really taught here, that when the message of the word of God is being presented in the world, it will fall upon four kinds of soils. Now those soils represent hot conditions. And when the gospel is being presented, when the word is being presented, it will fall upon number one, hard heart.

Number two, shallow heart. Number three, crowded heart. Number three, crowded heart. And number four, faithful heart. And therefore, when the message is being proclaimed, the seed of God's word is falling everywhere. And as it falls on the ground, there will be four kinds of ground. But only one out of these four ground brings fruit. Because the hard heart, there is no fruit in it. The crowded heart, there is no fruit for God in it. The shallow heart does not bring fruit, only the heart that is the fruitful heart, good ground, where the seed of the word of God is falling, and there is fruit for God.

And if you remember, beloved brothers and sisters, we read in the last verse of our previous ministry meeting, Mark 4:20, These are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the word, receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. So here we learn now that the word of God ought to be spreaded, shared, but don't expect a return from everything, because some of the seed of the word of God fall upon hard, shallow, and crowded hearts of individuals. Those individuals reject the word. They don't accept the word of God, but only those others, the fruitful hearts, those are others who will accept the word of God and eventually will bring fruit for the Lord.

So now, we are moving along in the next verses, from verse 21 all the way to verse 34. Yeshua is now developing this, a truth that he taught his disciples, but he adds additional parables. And again, to remind you, parable, parabolo in the Greek. In Hebrew we have, of course, the word is Meshalim. It is to throw alongside a lesson, a spiritual lesson. You cast a story alongside, but you apply it to a very important spiritual lesson that he wanted to share with his own people. Now, let me just mention one more thing before we're going to move into this portion. He also taught his disciples in this chapter.

He said to them, notice verse 11 of Mark chapter 4, "And to you it was given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without all things are done in parables." What does he mean by that? There are two groups that were there in the Galil by the Kinner, the Sea of Galilee. The one group was the disciples and others that follow Yeshua, the Messiah, that wanted to know the truth. On the other side, there was another group. There were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the religious leaders of our own nation, Israel, who did not accept him with many multitude who came there.

And they also only wanted the Lord to heal them, to fix their problem. But they really did not come in order for them to accept him as the Mashiach, as the Messiah, who is going to establish the promised kingdom that is to come. So, two groups. The one group will accept the Mashiach. The other group will reject the Messiah. The one group call in, the other group calls out. It is the same today, beloved brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters, there are those who are in and there are those who are out. There are those who are wise and there are those who are foolish.

There are those who are saved and there are those who are lost. There are those who are believers and there are those who are unbelievers, who did not accept the Messiah. So, now he is continuing on with the parable of the hidden candle in verses 21 to verse 25. Remember, he is speaking to everyone. He is on the boat in the water. Everyone is on the shore. Thousands who came to hear him speaking there. And he said unto them in verse 21. Now, notice that. He asked them a question. And he said to them, listen, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be on a lampstand?

Let me ask you a question. Here is a candle. You have a candle here. When you have a candle, where do you put the candle? You put it under the bed? Do you put the candle under a bushel or a basket? Or you are putting it under a candle? In this case, we have sevenfold candles that are placed upon the menorah to give light. And this is an amazing question. Where would you put the candle? Would you put it under a bushel? Would you put a candle under a bed or under a bushel? Or would you put it on a lampstand? Now, you don't have to be a theologian to know that.

Everyone would know, if I light a candle, there's no use for the candle to be put under a bushel because it will keep everything still dark. But if I light a candle and I put him on the lampstand, obviously, it will give light to everyone around. Now, he uses, again, what is a parable? A parable to cast alongside is a lesson to teach spiritual lesson from an ordinary thing that you use in Israel in this case, of course. A candle is being used in our homes. I remember many, many years ago as a young boy when some areas we didn't have light even. And we had to use candles.

I remember the days of the Yom Kippur War, even Six Day War, 1967, when we had to turn all the lights off at home in Yerushalayim. Because the bombing was there. And we had to turn this little candle. But in order to use this little candle, we had to put it on a little menorah so we can see what we are doing in the dark. Now, what happened? The Lord is applying this and he's teaching a great lesson. And he says, listen, if you have been those individuals saying to the disciples and saying to the others who followed him, if you have accepted that I am the Mashiach and you have embraced me as the Messiah and Lord and Savior, would you hide the truth?

Because what is light? Light speaks of the truth of the word of God. Light speaks of the gospel message to be proclaimed. He says, if you have really have accepted me and you were one of those who have accepted me, whom the seed fell on a good ground, would you put the truth that you know and you will hide it, put it under a bushel? Wouldn't you put it on a lampstand that it will show others and tell others of the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God? The answer, of course, is of course, yes. Of course, we have to put the light of the gospel truth, the message of the love of God placed upon a menorah so others will see it.

We have to share this with others. Now, of course, we know, we can just imagine, don't forget, these early believers, the disciples, the Talmidim, and those who follow them had to pay a big price in sharing that message that Yeshua is the Messiah. If you remember, many of them were even afraid because of the leaders of Israel did not want to accept him as the Mashiach. And so they, out of fear, naturally, did not share this with others. And the Lord is encouraging them like he's encouraging us. You remember even Shimon Petrus, Simon Peter, when the time came when Yeshua was captured from the garden of Gatshmanim, Gatshemeni, and brought into the house of Caiaphas, the high priest.

And you remember what Simon Peter, he stood without. And when the maid said to him, you are one of his disciples, he says, I'm not. Now that was Peter, Shimon, who really said earlier in the upper room, he said, though everyone will deny you, I will never deny you. And the Lord tested him, because he trusted in his own flesh. And the Lord showed him, don't trust in your own flesh, I will help you in due time. But naturally, beloved brothers and sisters, it is very natural. You take a candle, you put it on the lampstand. You don't put it under a bushel, because if you put it under a bushel, it will not shine.

It speaks, beloved brothers and sisters, of the necessity to share the word of God. God's people are called to be light in this world. You remember what Yeshua said in the Gospels? He said to those earlier disciples there, and I'm going to read Matthew chapter 5 and verse 14, 15, and 16. He said to them, ye are the light of the world. Or HaOlam, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do a man light candle and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

You see what he's really saying to the disciples. And he's saying it to us as well today. He says, listen, you need to let your light so shine before men. And the light of the glorious Gospel shining out lead others to know Yeshua the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Mashiach, and eventually the Father will receive his glory. That is how important. So you notice now in the next verses, in verse 22, he said to them, for there is nothing hid which shall not be manifest. Neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad, to be spread abroad. Everything eventually is going to come out into the light.

Light shine in the midst of darkness. And beloved brothers and sisters, you know we live in a world that is filled with darkness. Spiritual darkness. Spiritual darkness. Moral darkness. The darkness that exists in this world that white become black and black become white. And in a sense, you don't anymore have the line to cross what is right and what is wrong. And the only ones that can give light to this world are those who belong to Yeshua the Messiah. Yeshua himself is called the light of the world. The disciples who follow him are called light in this world. Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works, your life, how you live, how you behave, how you conduct yourself.

He is saying to the disciples and he is speaking to us. And when they are going to see the way you live, they will eventually turn to the Lord and will give glory to God. And how challenging this was. Now, of course, this was challenging to the disciples 2,000 years ago. Imagine what a challenge it is to us today. We who claim to know Yeshua, Jesus as our Lord and our Messiah. Sometimes somebody is going to see us the way we behave. They say, you call yourself a follower of Jesus? Don't tell me that. The way you speak. The way you conduct yourself. The way you behave.

And we are guilty in that. And here is the Messiah challenging the disciples. And notice what he said in verse 23. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Do you have ears to hear? He is saying, you have ears. Well, we have two ears. But he doesn't speak about only hearing the word of God. Letting it come from one side and go from the other side. He is really challenging them. Do you really have ears that want to hear the word of God? Or is it merely a religion? Is it something that you feel like at one time and you don't feel like at another time?

When it's suitable, I do it. When it doesn't suit me, I don't. He says, if any man, notice he doesn't say if any group have ears. He doesn't say if any assembly or church group have ears. He doesn't say if any congregation have ears. Let them hear. But it's very personal. If any man, and we can add, if any woman have an ear. Let him, let her hear. And hear and apply it and apply it to our lives. So we will be able to let our light so shine before men that they will turn their hearts to the Lord. And accept the fact that they needed forgiveness of sins.

And you see, beloved brothers and sisters, this is so important. And now again, we always have to look back at the context. There was not a church as yet. The Spirit of God did not come as yet. There were Hebrews who anticipated the Messianic kingdom to be established. But what do they see? That they are in a small minority. The vast of the nation did not accept that Yeshua, that Jesus was truly the Messiah. The spiritual of Israel did not accept Him. They, in fact, did not want Him to be influencing the multitude who came to hear the word. So, they were challenged. And I'm sure they were discouraged, perhaps.

How can we do that? Well, if Israel is going to be restored, didn't we read in Scripture, the prophet Jeremiah said, "They shall all know me from the least of them, even to the greatest of them." How come they not all know me? Well, because at the time of the visitation of the Lord, they did not accept Him at His first coming. In fact, Paul later on said in Romans 11 and verse 25 and 26, he said, "Until the fullness of the Gentiles we come in, and then all Israel shall be saved." Talking about the future day. So, what a challenging thing it was for these early disciples.

And I want to add another thing. If you just turn with me to Revelation 2 and 3 for a moment, lest we forget this. You see, the same Lord that said here in Mark 4:23, "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." He said that while he was here alive, before his death and resurrection. But in Revelation 2 and 3, he said the very same thing. After his death and burial and resurrection and ascension and glorification, then from heaven, he wrote the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. And every letter without exception used these words. Notice that. Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." Now, to the assemblies.

Notice verse 11. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the assemblies." Verse 11 of Revelation 2. Revelation 2:17, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." The assembly. Again, in chapter 2 of Revelation, and then verse 29. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." "Unto the assemblies." Look at chapter 3 and verse 6.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." Revelation 3:13, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." And finally, in Revelation 3:22, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the church." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the church." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying unto the churches." "Using

the apostle John, Yohanan, to write this letter to the seven local assemblies in Asia Minor." "But here, he haven't died as yet." "He's still alive, he didn't finish the work of redemption." "He's speaking to the nation of Israel and he's saying," "He that hath an ear, let him hear what I am saying unto him." "And so in verses 24 and 25, in that parable of the hidden candle." "He says those who will hear need to take heed, to pay attention." "He's saying to them, if you really have accepted me, pay attention." "And he's saying to them in verse 24, take heed what you hear." "With what measure ye mate, it shall be measured to you."

"And unto you that hear shall more be given." "For he that hath, to him it shall be given." "And he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath." "In other words, he gives a warning." "If you really hear, you be careful what you are listening, what you are hearing." "Make sure that you take it and apply it to yourself." "That there will be change in your life in order that you will receive a portion from the Lord." "You see, we cannot be a testimony to the Lord unless we first apply it to ourselves." "We need this to apply to all of us." "Sometimes, beloved brothers and sisters, that we just

don't have spiritual energy because we haven't actually applied the word of the Lord to our lives." "It didn't change us." "It was not an effect upon our lives." "It did not become our own." "Only when it becomes our own, we can share it with others and be an effective servant of the Lord." "So he's saying to them," "Take heed, be careful." "Or pay attention to what you are hearing." "Because with what measure or what amount ye use, it shall be measured unto you." "In other words, you've got to use what you hear in your daily living." "You've got to apply this to your daily living." "It is so hard for us in our day-by-day life."

"We know it very well." "It is so much easier to be a believer doing the Shabbat meeting or the Sunday meeting." "But it's so different when the weekend is over and we have to take this believer's jacket off and put another jacket on." "And all of a sudden, we are different." "We don't apply this to our lives." "And that's why he's exercising our hearts." "And we know that because we know our own failure in that." "We know that what the Lord is saying to the disciples there, it is really applied to each and every one of us individually." "He says, listen, only what you use will be brought to you to be able to share

this with others." "If you're going to be a testimony in the world, you're going to apply this to yourself, make the changes in your own life." "Then you will see what's going to happen." "How the Lord will bless your testimony, will bless the ministry that the Lord has given unto you." "And he continues in verse 24b, he said," "And unto you that here shall more be given." "The more we enjoy our fellowship and our relationship with the Lord, the more we are going to receive from the Lord and the Lord will use us more." "But then he said in verse 25," "But he that hath, to him shall be given, and he that hath not,

from him shall be taken even that which he hath." "In other words you see, God desires sincerity in the life of his people." "He knows we fail him, he knows we have shortcomings, he knows we have weaknesses in us, but he desires reality." "So he says, listen, if one really listening and hearing the word of God and seeking to apply it to his life, more will be given unto him." "And yet to the other one, that the little that he has, but he or she do not really mean business with the Lord." "Even that which they have will be taken away from them." "This is serious, beloved brothers and sisters." "The Lord desires to have

his people in a right relationship with him." "And that's how we are to live our life in testimony around the world in which we live." "Now he is appealing to his disciples." "First of all, he spoke about the parable of the hidden candle." "Don't hide the candle, the light, put the light on the lampstand so people can hear the message, accept the Lord, get saved and glorify the Father which is in heaven." "But he doesn't stop here." "Because he continues here in the next verses." "Verses 26 to verse 29 is another parable." "This is the parable of the growing seed." "You notice that?" "The seed that is growing." "And he makes an application that is

so real." "He says in verse 26 and 27, he pointing out to the fact that like a seed which is sown, eventually it will yield fruit." "And I'm reading this verse, he said, the kingdom of God is as a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed would spring and grow up, he knoweth not how." "Now you see, I always was puzzled, you know, you go let's say to the store and you buy some little seeds for tomatoes or for cucumbers and you cultivate the ground a little bit, you throw some of these seeds and you don't know how things are developed at all.

You don't know that in the next few days and weeks you see some shoots grow. You don't know how. We don't know how is it that these little things are growing up and eventually become like a bush of tomatoes or whatever it is. How is it done? We don't know. God have instituted it by divine design, nature in itself teaches us that God is the one that ultimately gives the increase, the creator God of ours. We don't know how it's done. Here he is saying in verse 26 and 27, he says that farmer, that man that is sowing seed, after he sowed the seed, he's going to sleep.

Day and night and day and night and day and night. And then he comes back to where he sowed the seeds and he saw that there is a spring that is growing up and yet he does not know how. You know, people, all the farmers can tell you, I don't know how, but one thing I know is that I placed the seed in my farm, in my land. I covered the seed with ground. I put water on it and I went to sleep at home. I'm coming back and I see that they're growing. And this is, by the way, is the design of the Lord in which he already, I marked a verse in Genesis 1, if you just turn with me to Genesis 1, the first chapter in the Bible, in the word of God, verse 11, 12 and 13.

God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herbs yielding seed, and the fruit, tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth. And it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herbs, yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself after his kind. And God saw that it was good in the evening and the morning, the third day. Now, God is the one that is the creator of all things. Nature itself teaches us that there is a system whereby you sow and you reap. You sow and you reap, even though you don't understand how it really happened.

And so Yeshua is taking this and he is applying this to the word of God, to those who believe in him, who teach others about the word of God. And notice what he's saying again, verse 26 and 27. And I'll read the kingdom of God is like a man that is casting seed into the ground and then should sleep and rise night and day. And the seed should spring and grow up and he knows not how. We do not know how, but the farmer is faithful to sow and God is faithful to give the increase. So in the same way, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua is teaching that parable of the growing seed.

That seed, of course, applied to the word of God. When you and I are faithful, accepted the Messiah and trusted in him as our Lord and our Savior put the light of the gospel upon the lampstand, share this with others. It is simply sowing seed, sharing the message of the word of God. Let the seed of the word of God fall where it may, but God eventually will bring fruit. We do not know how, but God is the one who brings an increase. And that's why in verses 28 and 29 of Mark chapter 4, he says, the earth bringing forth fruit of herself, first of all, the blade, then the ear, after the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth immediately, he put us in the sickle because the harvest is come. Then you're going to take the fruit. Then you're going to take the fruit. So what the lesson is here, beloved brothers and sisters, with the parable of the growing seed, is that we have to learn to trust the Lord that he will bring the increase. You know, unfortunately, as I mentioned in our previous meeting, we are trying sometime to change the message to make it suitable for the hearers. And yet, we don't realize that it doesn't matter what we do. The Spirit of God has to do the work in a conscience.

We can never change the message of the gospel. The gospel message remains the same. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God so loved mankind. He sent the Mashiach, the Messiah Yeshua. The Messiah had to die to pay for the penalty of sin. He was buried and he rose again. Whosoever believeth on this person of Yeshua, the Messiah, will eventually become a child of God. But how it happened in his heart or her heart and conscience, we don't know. We just have to trust God. The disciples had to trust God that he will do his work in a heart and a conscience.

And he brings people to himself. We are not saving people. We are sharing the message. God is the one that gives us the fruit in his time by the Spirit of God. Nicodemus had to learn this lesson. Yeshua said to him in verse 5 of John 3, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not, as I say unto you, you must be born again. Born of the Spirit. Born from above. We share the message.

The Spirit of God is the one that works in hearts and consciences and brings people unto the Lord." And so, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua is speaking there and he's saying to the disciples and those that follow after him that they need to realize that the kingdom of God is like a seed that is sown which eventually will bring forth fruit. Now, over the years, whether it is here in our local fellowship here or whether it is in my life in general, I don't know how, but God brought people who were unsaved before into our midst. And all of a sudden, there was a change in their lives.

They said, "I want to hear more about Yeshua, the Messiah." Some of them were Jewish people from our own nation, Israel. Some of them from the nations of the world. But when we share the word, God convicting the souls and bringing forth eventually the fruit. God give the increase, not us. Paul said it, and I just want to read that as well in 1 Corinthians 3:5. Paul said this to the local believers there. "Who is then Paul? And who is then Apollos? But ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. I have planted," Paul said, "Apollos watered," but God gave the increase.

The increase, the fruit for God, soul salvation is the work of God. It's not the work of man. God give the increase. He is the one who speaks to the conscience and to the hearts of individuals, and eventually they come to faith in Yeshua, the Messiah. Now, let's move along to the third parable. This is the third one, verses 30, 31, and 32. The parable of the master seed. In Hebrew, we call it a zera ha-chardal. The word a master is chardal. Again, notice. And he said in verse 30, he says, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God?" Again, notice that, brothers and sisters. He's comparing the kingdom of God to, in the case before, to a seed that is sown, and God bring the increase.

He's comparing the kingdom of God to a light that is shining and placed on a lampstead. And now he's comparing the kingdom of God in verse 30, 31, and 32 to, notice verse 30. He says, "Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, a grain, a little grain of mustard seed, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it grows up, and it becomes greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." And you just look for a moment, and you can see a small mustard seed, zirei chardal, we say in Hebrew.

You put it in the ground, and look what will come out of it. How is it possible? How is it possible nature teaches us that it is divine design? God is the one who takes a small mustard seed, put it in the ground, and then you have a tree, such a huge tree as this. Now what is the lesson? What is the spiritual lesson? What shall we compare the kingdom of God? Well, we compare it to a small, very small mustard seed, a gargir chardal, that is sown in the ground. In other words, he is saying to the disciples, you just be faithful to share the word of God with all that are around.

It might be in a small way. You might not be able to do so in a large public place where thousands at once will be able to hear you sharing the word of God. But share it even with one here and another one there. Be faithful to share the word of God. It's like a small little mustard seed. Put it in the ground. And let God do his work in bringing people to himself. And so notice what happened. It says it is like a grain of mustard seed, verse 31, which when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seed that be upon the earth.

Apparently, I understand that there are seeds that are even smaller than the master seed. But the master seed in the land of our fathers, the land of Israel, it was then and there the seed that was used in the land in those days when Yeshua was in the midst of our people in the land of Israel. So he said, just plant it, even though it's very small, you will see what God is able to do. You remember the song that we sing? It is only take a spark to get a fire going. And soon the world around will light up to its glowing. It's only take sharing a little bit of the word of God.

It might be insignificant with others, but the seed of the word of God sown will eventually, beloved brothers and sisters, Yeshua is saying it to the disciples and we all hear, it will ultimately bring result. Sharing the message will eventually bring result in the life of mankind. God said in Isaiah 55 and verse 11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the things whereunto I sent it. He sent it. Disciples, Yeshua is saying to them. And you who follow me, don't be discouraged because the vast majority of our nation did not accept me as the Messiah, he is saying to them.

Just be faithful. Sow the seed of the word of God in the land and later on you would spread it beyond the land of Israel to the nations of the world. And you will see what is going to happen. And we are reminded that when Yeshua first lived among our own people, only 12 disciples sat with him in the upper room. One of them betrayed him and sold him for 30 pieces of silver. But after that, after he died and he rose again, then we find out after he ascended back to heaven, there were 120 disciples in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem. Of Jerusalem, including his own brothers and his own mother and sister, his own family, who at first did not understand that he was the Mashiach.

And they were all there waiting there for the Holy Spirit of God to come. And then when the Holy Spirit of God came, Acts chapter 2, while Israel as a nation did not accept the Mashiach, the Messiahship of Yeshua, these 120 became the footing, the foundation of the early assembly in the city of Jerusalem. And if you remember Peter preached, and 3,000 Jewish men, women, boys and girls have come to know that Yeshua is the Messiah in the land of Israel. And then other 5,000 came. And then the persecution came. And they had to be scattered. And the Lord used persecution of these early apostles to bring the gospel outside of the land of Israel.

You remember Yeshua said, ye shall be my witnesses, Acts 1, 8. Ye shall receive power from heaven. The Holy Spirit of God will come upon you, you will be my witnesses, beginning in Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, Judah, Yehuda, Samaria, Shomron, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And you and I sit here today, beloved brothers and sisters, because a little grain of master seed of the sharing of the word of God was placed in the ground. And it became large such as this, when there are thousands upon thousands in the world today who became believers that Yeshua, Jesus is our Lord and our Savior. And now, as we continue on with this third parable, the parable of the master seed, we learned from these verses that the kingdom of God is like a grain of master seed, which, which, when it is sown into the earth, which, when it is sown into the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth.

But notice this in verse 32 of Mark chapter 4. So, beloved brothers and sisters, we can see that the preaching of the word of God in this world today may begin small, but eventually it become like a great tree, as it says here, that is growing up and becoming greater than all the herbs. And we know very well how the gospel have been spread around the world and many, many become believers in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. Now, it is interesting, and I think we should take note of it, that in these three additional parables found in Mark chapter 4, the parable of the hidden candle, the parable of the growing seed, and the parable of the master seed, the Yeshua, Jesus our Messiah, taught his disciples and all those who followed him there in the Galil, that it will be such a way that the kingdom of God is going, in a sense, to take a unique form.

Now, obviously, the kingdom will not be yet established on earth. Israel was not ready to accept the fact that he was the Messiah. And therefore, those disciples, these Talmidim then and there, ought to continue on to follow after him, not to hide the message of the gospel, but to share it, to be a light in the world, as we read in verses 21 to 25. Also, that they should not trust in themselves, but trust that God will bring the increase, as we read in verse 26 to 29 in the parable of the growing seed. And thirdly, to realize that it will grow. Eventually, that little seed of the word of God being sown will become, as we read here, greater than all the herbs found in Mark 4 and verse 32.

Now, I just want to highlight something that is very important. As the message of the gospel is being preached and the kingdom, the mystery kingdom, the hearts of individuals around the world will come to know the Messiah, Yeshua. But apparently, he teaches another lesson that within this mystery kingdom that is built here in this world, there will be all kind of fowls of the air that will lodge under the shadow of the branches of this tree. You notice verse 32b, he say, "so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." Now, when we read about these words, the fowls of the air, or the birds of the air, we realize that also, enjoying these branches, we might say of this small mustard seed who became a great herb, a great tree, we will find out that all kind of fowls of the air will lodge under it.

And we know from a previous portion of this scripture that the fowl of the air also represent Satan. You remember that? When we read about the parable of the sowers, in verse 14, the sower soweth the word, this is Mark 4, verse 14, verse 15, "These are they which fell by the wayside, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh the word away from their hearts." Now, you remember that when he mentioned this parable that fell by the wayside, he said that the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. You remember this? This is in verse 4 of Mark chapter 4. So, what we learn, that under these branches of that grown-up mustard seed became greater than all the other herbs, we find out that there will also be that which is not from God.

In other words, there will be the true believers who will accept the Messiah, but also you're going to have those who are not truly belong to God. And Satan is always attacking God's work and God's messengers. Satan is not happy at all when he sees that many hear the message of the word of God, and he often seeks to blind the mind of them that believe not. As we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and I want to read this verse for us, "For the God of this world had blinded the mind of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." So, on the one hand, he blinded people's minds and people's hearts.

Satan does. On the other hand, he's drawing people in a wrong direction. But also, Satan is confusing people and those who did not really come to know the Lord, and did not accept Yeshua the Messiah, and just simply take the position as if they are believers, yet they are not truly believers, and they are part, you might say, of this mystery kingdom, a Christendom, professing Christians or professing believers, as well as those who truly belong to the Lord. So, in these three parables, we learn this amazing truth, that the kingdom of God is like the parable of the hidden candle, the light should shine, the message should go forward, and also the growing seed means that it will grow, even if we don't know how God is doing the work in hearts of individuals, and eventually also the parable of the mustard seed.

It will grow. God will eventually have this mystery kingdom established these days, until the future day, when he eventually going to restore Israel to himself and establish the kingdom here on earth. And so, as we continue here in Mark chapter 4, in the last verses we read in this ministry meeting, verse 33 and 34, we find out that he only, this is Yeshua, only explained the word of God, these parables to his own disciples, the twelve, and those that follow after him. And so we read in verse 33, "And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it." But, notice verse 34, "Without a parable spake he not unto them, and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples." So, the parables serve to be lessons to his disciples.

So, as he taught the multitude in parables, on the one hand, the parables were shared in order to conceal the truth from those who did not accept him as the Messiah, and on the other hand, to reveal the truth to those who did accept his Messiahship and followed after Yeshua himself. So, if we will just sum up these all together in this Mark chapter 4, we understand, beloved brothers and sisters, that the kingdom of God is God's rule. It is a kingdom where God has his rule. You remember, in Matthew, we read in the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, when Yeshua taught his disciples how to pray, and he gave them instruction, especially on the Sermon on the Mount, in the same location, he taught them, he said, when you pray, after this manner pray, and then in verse 10 of Matthew 6, he says, "Pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." So, Yeshua wanted his disciples to pray to the Father that his kingdom will come.

Why? Because God promised a kingdom. You remember to David in 2 Samuel chapter 7 verses 8 to 17, he promised that through David, Melech Israel, David the king of Israel, God eventually going to establish a kingdom for Israel, and a kingdom that he will rule through the Messiah over Israel and the nations of the world. In fact, in Psalm 2 he says, "Yet I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." Zion. But the kingdom hasn't arrived as yet. The king, the Mashiach king of Israel was not accepted, but he promised a kingdom to Israel. You remember to Daniel the Lord revealed to say to king Nebuchadnezzar that God will establish a kingdom which will have no end here upon the face of this earth.

But again, as we learn from these parables, the kingdom will be postponed because Israel did not accept him. So now, Israel will be disciplined, and until Israel will eventually, as a whole nation, will come to accept the Messiah, the kingdom will take a mystery form. When we say mystery form, what we mean by that is that there is still a kingdom, but it's not going to be visible. Israel is partially blinded, but from among the nations of the world, people who come to know Yeshua, the Messiah, they become part of this amazing mystery kingdom. And so, until that time, the gospel will be preached. It will become great.

The message will be preached, and that little beginning will become large. It grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs. It's like a huge tree, that in that tree there is a representation of God's rule over the hearts of individuals all over the world. And so, what we realize that one day the promised kingdom of God will be established in the land and in this world, but until then we are responsible to present the message of the gospel and share this with all mankind. And let God have his own way. Let God be the one that open the hearts and bring people unto himself.

So, let our light shine. The parable of the hidden candle. Let us trust the Lord to grow his word. Anything that we share, let us trust that he will bring the increase. The parable of the growing seed. And let us realize that this little thing that we do in our life in serving the Lord and sharing the word of the Lord, eventually it will grow up and it will become greater than all the herbs. God will have his way. God will eventually do that which is pleasing unto him. So, beloved brothers and sisters, may the Lord encourage us. May the Lord lead us on. And may we serve him until the Messiah Yeshua will return back and establish the promised earthly kingdom upon the face of this earth.

God bless you. Shalom, Shalom.