The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit which we are to wield in the spiritual warfare that we are involved in. If we do so, we are trading and thereby faithful (and the inverse is also true)

The disciples, including Peter, were neither sober nor vigilant and were consequently overcame. At one point, Peter wielded a physical sword (the sword of the flesh) and it brought disastrous outcome but the Lord restored him and he exhorts us to be sober and vigilant because the devil, our adversary, walks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour-1 Pet. 5:8-9.

The sword of the Spirit, the last piece of the armor of God,

When going to the battlefront, it is imperative for any soldier to understand their weapons if at all they expect to be victorious! If not, a soldier will easily be overcome!

A believer MUST therefore be correctly instructed in the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, the Word of the Kingdom–Matt. 13:19.

Matt. 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Jesus Christ is presently building His Church.

When Israel rejected the offer and reoffer of the Kingdom of the Heavens, this message would be given to the saved Gentiles from whom God is taking out a people for His Name-Ac 15:14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

Once Israel (the invitees) rejected the invitation to attend the marriage of Christ (the son), God the Father (the king) sent 'other servants' to invite them a second time. This pictures the reoffer of the kingdom to Israel by the Church in the Book of Acts-Matt. 22:4.

However, Israel also rejected the reoffer of the kingdom seen in their making light of the invitation-Matt. 4:5. Israel made excuses when invited to attend a great supper-Lk. 14:18-21.

Now that Israel has rejected both the offer and reoffer of the kingdom of the heavens, the king sent his servants to the highways and hedges (Gentiles)-Lk. 14:23; Matt. 22:9.

It is from the Gentiles that Christ is building His Church-Matt. 16:18.

Among the good works believers are to perform is

The salvation that we presently possess (salvation of the spirit) does NOT pose a threat whatsoever to the enemies of our faith!

To put on the whole armor of God is to put on Christ–Rom. 13:12, 14. Doing so will cause us to triumph over the enemies of our faith like He did.

The Lord brought out Israel from Egypt with a view to bring them to the land of their inheritance as He covenanted with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-Ex. 3:7-10.

When Israel left Egypt, they came to Kadesh Barnea, on the brink of entering the land of Canaan. Twelve spies were sent by Moses and upon return, they were separated into two camps; one comprised of Caleb and Joshua while the other comprised the other ten spies-Num. 13:1-29.

Caleb and Joshua traded/did business with their talents/minas fully persuaded that they should go and take possession of the land-Num. 13:30.

The other ten spies did not trade with their talents thus persuaded otherwise-Num. 13:31-33.

Trading/doing business with our talents/minas is fighting spiritual warfare as the Lord has instructed-Eph. 6:11, 13.

As we reflect on the instruction to trade or do business with the talents or minas respectively, it bears to consider the question, "How are we to make profit from the Word of the Kingdom?"

In this lesson, we navigate the Scriptures to answer this question by building on the truth that the Lord has supplied His Word to us so that we can trade with it.

God invites us to be does of the work by doing the Word-Jas. 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Matt.25:14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. (NASB)

Lk. 19:12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’

In this lesson, we explore the Scriptures to understand the significance of the phrase 'and said to them' i.e., the man, the certain nobleman having called his servants and delivered to them talents/minas, he spoke to them.

The goods, the talents/minas and the instruction he gave his servants are all representative of the same thing i.e., the Word of the Kingdom.

Matt. 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

God in His wisdom has provided His Word to navigate any willing kingdom-seeking believer during his pilgrimage towards the land of his inheritance. This Word is Jesus Christ Himself, the Bread of Life-Joh. 6:48-51.

Israel HEARD what God SAID through Moses, His servant. They BELIEVED what God said as demonstrated in their ACTIONS in accordance to ALL that the Lord had commanded them! If we bring this to the Parable of the Talents, then we may want to see the nation of Israel as having been given ‘talents’ with which they ‘traded.’

A believer who KNOWS what God has SAID in His

Matt. 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

In the Parable of the Talents, the first two servants went and traded with the talents thus made 100% profit.

The talents/minas refer to the Word of the Kingdom which the Lord has GIVEN/DELIVERED to believers to TRADE with if they expect to receive approval on that Day.

In this lesson, we explore what TRADING looks like by looking at Old Testament examples of Israel.