<TITLE>05. Par 53-67</TITLE>L-53 So the news had got around that He was going to have a breakfast, or some kind of a dinner or something, down in Jericho, so that she had got busy to praying about her businessman husband.

L-54 We need more Rebekahs, everywhere, you see. See, prayer changes things. If you lay your husband, or your unsaved one, before God, and then pray, God will make a way somewhere, 'cause He promised to.

L-55 So that's what Rebekah, being a stanch believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus, and a very fine sweet person she must have been, and she had... interested in her household.

L-56 And I think that that reflects again, that if--if a person ever meets Jesus and finds Him really in your heart, you're interested not only in your own household, but the household of God, everywhere. You're interested, that they know Him. "And to know Him is Life." "Know Him," see, not know how to read the Word, or so. But, "Know Him, is Life."

L-57   So she had prayed hard. And the day drew close to when Jesus was supposed to enter the city. And no doubt but, the day before, she might have seen if his attitude had changed any. So she said, maybe, "Zacchaeus, are--are you going to that breakfast in the morning?"

L-58 "Why, certainly not. Why, that bunch of people! And you expect me... I've got the best restaurant in town, and they hold it over at Lavinski's." I hope there is not a Lavinski here. But, anyhow, "Over at the other place, you see. And, why, I got the best place in town, and they picked that place down there. Why, they oughtn't. They ought to come to my place, to hold this, you see." He wasn't going.

L-59 Then she got to praying, really desperately. So then that night, the little fellow couldn't rest at all.

L-60 You know, there is something about it, if you go to really desperately praying about something, God works on both ends of the line, see. He--He--He answers.

L-61   So the little fellow, he must have got to thinking that night, "Wonder if I should go down and--and--and hear this Man? Now, Rebekah says that He is a prophet. Now, we know we haven't had any prophets for hundreds of years. And I asked the priest about it, he said, 'Nothing but just a nonsense! If there'd be a Prophet raise up, wouldn't he come through the church? That's the way he'd have to come. He'd come to us Pharisees, or Sadducees, or our group, or he wouldn't be a Prophet.'" You know, that attitude still holds. So they think It has to come that way, or It isn't right. So they said, no doubt, but, in this great time that... She believed It, anyhow.

L-62 And he had discussed it with the priest. The priest said, "Now looky here, them days of prophets have been many, many years ago. We've got the law. We've got it all wrote out. The situation is under control, and we've got it in our hands, and we know about these things."

L-63 But then, course, Zacchaeus, not looking into It, just absolutely just presuming, taking it for granted. The word presume is "to venture without authority." Why, he--he thought that that was all right; as long as he belonged to the church, that's all he had to do.

L-64 But then as night begin to come on, there come a sudden desire in his heart. "Maybe if this person is in town, He may never be here again. I should go and investigate the--the situation, see for myself."

L-65 Now that's a good idea. Look it over yourself. Don't go to criticize. Take the Word, and examine the Word by it.

L-66 So she, Rebekah, had tried, as a woman could, to explain that what the prophets had said, and what Moses had said, this Person would be, and when He come. So she must have thought, tried to explain it to him, but yet the priest had much more influence over him than what Rebekah, his wife, did.

L-67   Then when morning begin to dawn, why, the little fellow was... Rebekah, I can imagine her, seeing her punch him, saying, "Zacchaeus, you mean to say you don't want to go down?"
"No, I don't want nothing to do with It."


<A HREF="P6">Next Page</A>