Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! (Psalm 31:19)
There is a belief within Judaism that says God rewards the righteous, in this world and in the world to come, based on the circumstances surrounding their obedience. That is to say, whether it was apparent to all or apparent to none. More specifically, when we do good toward our fellow man in obedience to God’s instructions, He rewards us in this life and does so openly so that all will see the benefit of obedience. In short, for those righteous actions that are apparent to all, He bestows a reward which is visible in this world. On the flip side of this issue are the things that we do (or do not do) that no one knows about except the Father in Heaven. According to Messiah, He will reward us openly (see Matthew 6:18), but did He mean in this life or in the world to come?
According to our Jewish friends, just as duties of the heart are concealed from others and known only by the Creator, the rewards will be hidden for now but rewarded in the world to come. That is why David said that the goodness of God is “laid up for those who fear You.” Actually the Hebrew word literally means “hidden” or “treasured” (as if it were buried). In other words, David suggests that certain rewards for righteous living may not be realized in this life — they are currently hidden — but are stored up for us in the world to come.
Messiah supports this notion. Immediately after encouraging us to go into our secret place when fasting, He said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).
Just as the blind cannot perceive colors and the deaf cannot perceive sounds, we cannot fully comprehend what awaits those who fear Him as long as we are bottled up in this mortal body. In this finite world we cannot conceive of the infinite spiritual rewards that await the righteous in the world to come. But knowing that they are real should encourage us to continue on our journey — not that we should serve for the sake of getting — knowing that our love and devotion for our Creator will not go unrecognized. And so we will close with these thoughts from Paul who, quoting Scripture, said: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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