“The Lord knows those who are his,”

II Timothy 2:19

During the time of Moses leading the people from Egypt to Canaan there were many times problems would have become insurmountable without the intervention of YAHWEH. In Numbers 16 Korah and a group of about 250 men challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Moses was very upset with this development and showed some restraint but the Lord would be the one who decided. In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him. (16:5) The Lord made that decision and the earth opened up and swallowed those who rebelled.

Sometimes there is such closeness to the truth that it is difficult to distinguish between the real and the almost real.  It is during this time that we are to exercise restraint and let the Lord make the decision.

Jesus told two parables that allow us some insight into his thinking about making decisions about others before the judgment.  Both of these are found in Matthew 13.  The first is the parable of the Tares.  In this parable the tares (Darnel) are so much like the real wheat that more harm will be done if one attempts to separate them.  Jesus says wait until judgment. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.

The second is the Parable of the Dragnet (47, 48). Fishermen were casting their nets and caught all manner of fish.  Some were not good, others were good for selling and eating.  The fishermen sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. Judgmen! 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous.

We are not to worry about whether or not we are known by the Lord.  He knows those who are his. Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.