But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Jesus spoke these words to his friends to tell them not to fear those who can only kill the body, but to trust the One who remembers every sparrow sold for almost nothing and counts even the hairs of their heads. It reveals God not as a distant power who made people and left them alone, but as a living Ruler and Father who watches over their true interests and constantly works for their good. To have every hair numbered means each person is present in God's mind by name, with every detail of personal history recorded in his books, showing the worth he places on those made in his image, far above sparrows and lilies and grass which he still feeds and clothes. His care is so exact and tender that he notices every tear and smile, suffering and sincere prayer, gives sunshine and rain and sends angels to join heaven and earth, and while he cares for temporal needs he cares far more for eternal interests. Because people are of more value to him than many sparrows and he knows them completely, they need not fear hardship or approaching his majesty, but can bring him their wants and sorrows, trust him when keeping his way is costly or when sick and inactive, and show his compassion to others.
Words and Setting
Jesus spoke these words to his friends after warning that what is spoken in darkness and in closets will be heard in light and proclaimed from housetops, that those who kill the body can do no more and are not to be feared, that fear belongs to him who after killing has power to cast into hell, and that not one of five sparrows sold for two farthings is forgotten before God. He told them not to fear because God keeps count of each hair of the head and holds them as worth more than many sparrows.
The verse reveals God as a living ruler of the universe and Father to mankind, not an intangible spirit or distant Supreme Being who created people and left them to control their own lives. He is watchful of their true interests, guarding them, constantly working for their good and mindful of all that concerns them.
The numbering of even the hairs of the head means each individual is present in God's mind, known by name and fully recorded in his books. Every particular of personal history is held in mind and recorded page by page in the book of providence, the volume of life, so his children are never absent from his mind. This expresses the value he places on people, who were formed in the divine image and likeness and therefore receive far greater regard than the sparrow, the lilies of the field and the grass. Those lesser creatures he still watches, feeds and clothes with beauty out-rivaling Solomon. Such knowledge calls people to draw nearer to him by contemplating his character, goodness and love, for he has given man intellect to comprehend higher things and to be led higher and still higher into the divine mind.
The verse belongs to a lesson of great importance for all God's sons and daughters. As pilgrims and strangers with citizenship above they are called to move out by faith. That faith-led undertaking includes providing a plain, neat, tasteful house of worship free from debt and needless expense or adornment. It is to be devoted to educating and training children and youth as well as older members to guard their hearts with vigilance. They are not to live to please self or court praise and human honor but to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to contribute sacrificially to the necessities of God's cause without ostentation or display knowing the Lord understands every sacrifice, and to hide self in Jesus and walk in self-abasement and lowliness through sanctification of the Spirit. The chapter teaches that God knows and values each person so fully that even the hairs of the head are numbered, so his children need not fear, and this trust applies to such a faith-led undertaking.
God's Watchful Care
God tenderly cares for each person in need of Christ's healing, life-giving power, just as He cares for even the little sparrow. He notices and cares for even the smallest creatures, yet people are of far greater value to Him than many sparrows. He is attentive to human suffering, weakness and sincere prayer, and this gives His disciples reason not to fear. He watches people in every circumstance, notices every tear and smile, and sustains their needs, so great and small concerns can be trusted to Him and undue anxiety left in His hands.
His care is so exact that the very hairs of the head are numbered, and so watchful that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the notice of the heavenly Father. All that blesses human life is given by Him, the bright sunshine, the showers that make vegetation flourish, and the ministry of angels keeping the connection between heaven and earth and uniting finite man with the infinite God. While He cares over temporal interests, He has much greater care for eternal interests, and spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. This care proves a divine power that accomplishes miraculous results, that He rewards the righteous and punishes the transgressor, and that there is a future eternal life exalted above the finite life.
God knows and remembers His people in every detail, even numbering the hairs of their heads, and He has not forgotten them when He permits calamities that bring sadness. His care does not mean they will be spared every trial. He may work through natural causes and allow hardship to warn them, to turn them from paths that would lead to greater danger, and to lead them nearer to Him.
God knows and cares for each of His people so that even when they are persecuted, deprived and short of food He will not abandon them. In the time of famine He will provide for the righteous as He cared for Elijah, and angels will shield them and supply their needs. This does not mean they will be free from suffering, but they will not be left to perish.
The God who notices sparrows and numbers hairs has special care for every branch of His work and keeps all who labor in His institutions under His eye. He does not forget any of His workers and deals impartially with them. He sees whether duties are done with strict integrity or in a careless, dishonest manner. Angels walk unseen through every room and continually ascend to heaven carrying the record with joy or sadness, so every act of faithfulness is registered and every act of dishonesty is recorded, and every person will finally be rewarded according to works.
God's care and knowledge extend even to the smallest details of human life, for He notices a sparrow and numbers every hair. He also marks the sin of indulging a perverted appetite when it weakens the body, dulls the intellect and deadens moral perception.
Trust Without Fear
Because each person is worth more than many sparrows and is known completely down to every hair, there is no need to fear. This assurance holds for those who face hardship for keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, for their difficulties are known and those who follow are cared for.
Complete care that knows even the number of hairs on each head reveals the Father's great love. It assures that his greatness and majesty need not keep anyone from approaching him. The One who numbers the hairs is not indifferent to need, so wants, joys, sorrows, cares and fears can be brought to him without burdening or wearying him.
Since even the hairs are numbered, all things about a person are known, including bodily pain, forced inactivity and long, hard nights of suffering. Grace is given day by day, the sufferer is not forsaken, and health will be restored in good time. The afflicted can therefore leave off fretting over inactivity, remain cheerful rather than discouraged, shorten tedious nights with prayer, and seek most earnestly daily in trust.
Since even a sparrow's fall is noticed and no suffering escapes the heavenly Father's attention, and since care extends to the smallest creatures, those serving others and all of God's people are to show the tenderness, compassion and tender sympathy of Christ to those who need help. The high and lofty One who lifts the isles as a very little thing, before whom the nations are as a drop in the bucket, still bends down in personal care to poor mortals who are as the small dust of the balance and do not deserve the least notice, keeping count of each hair to prove intimate attention. This calls for humbling before the mighty God of Jacob, thanking him for goodness to poor worms, loving Jesus with the whole soul and crying out after the living God, and pressing on to the kingdom he is preparing for his children.
Jesus spoke these words to his friends to tell them not to fear those who can only kill the body, but to trust the One who remembers every sparrow sold for almost nothing and counts even the hairs of their heads. It reveals God not as a distant power who made people and left them alone, but as a living Ruler and Father who watches over their true interests and constantly works for their good. To have every hair numbered means each person is present in God's mind by name, with every detail of personal history recorded in his books, showing the worth he places on those made in his image, far above sparrows and lilies and grass which he still feeds and clothes. His care is so exact and tender that he notices every tear and smile, suffering and sincere prayer, gives sunshine and rain and sends angels to join heaven and earth, and while he cares for temporal needs he cares far more for eternal interests. Because people are of more value to him than many sparrows and he knows them completely, they need not fear hardship or approaching his majesty, but can bring him their wants and sorrows, trust him when keeping his way is costly or when sick and inactive, and show his compassion to others.
Words and Setting
Jesus spoke these words to his friends after warning that what is spoken in darkness and in closets will be heard in light and proclaimed from housetops, that those who kill the body can do no more and are not to be feared, that fear belongs to him who after killing has power to cast into hell, and that not one of five sparrows sold for two farthings is forgotten before God. He told them not to fear because God keeps count of each hair of the head and holds them as worth more than many sparrows.
The verse reveals God as a living ruler of the universe and Father to mankind, not an intangible spirit or distant Supreme Being who created people and left them to control their own lives. He is watchful of their true interests, guarding them, constantly working for their good and mindful of all that concerns them.
The numbering of even the hairs of the head means each individual is present in God's mind, known by name and fully recorded in his books. Every particular of personal history is held in mind and recorded page by page in the book of providence, the volume of life, so his children are never absent from his mind. This expresses the value he places on people, who were formed in the divine image and likeness and therefore receive far greater regard than the sparrow, the lilies of the field and the grass. Those lesser creatures he still watches, feeds and clothes with beauty out-rivaling Solomon. Such knowledge calls people to draw nearer to him by contemplating his character, goodness and love, for he has given man intellect to comprehend higher things and to be led higher and still higher into the divine mind.
The verse belongs to a lesson of great importance for all God's sons and daughters. As pilgrims and strangers with citizenship above they are called to move out by faith. That faith-led undertaking includes providing a plain, neat, tasteful house of worship free from debt and needless expense or adornment. It is to be devoted to educating and training children and youth as well as older members to guard their hearts with vigilance. They are not to live to please self or court praise and human honor but to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to contribute sacrificially to the necessities of God's cause without ostentation or display knowing the Lord understands every sacrifice, and to hide self in Jesus and walk in self-abasement and lowliness through sanctification of the Spirit. The chapter teaches that God knows and values each person so fully that even the hairs of the head are numbered, so his children need not fear, and this trust applies to such a faith-led undertaking.
God's Watchful Care
God tenderly cares for each person in need of Christ's healing, life-giving power, just as He cares for even the little sparrow. He notices and cares for even the smallest creatures, yet people are of far greater value to Him than many sparrows. He is attentive to human suffering, weakness and sincere prayer, and this gives His disciples reason not to fear. He watches people in every circumstance, notices every tear and smile, and sustains their needs, so great and small concerns can be trusted to Him and undue anxiety left in His hands.
His care is so exact that the very hairs of the head are numbered, and so watchful that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the notice of the heavenly Father. All that blesses human life is given by Him, the bright sunshine, the showers that make vegetation flourish, and the ministry of angels keeping the connection between heaven and earth and uniting finite man with the infinite God. While He cares over temporal interests, He has much greater care for eternal interests, and spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. This care proves a divine power that accomplishes miraculous results, that He rewards the righteous and punishes the transgressor, and that there is a future eternal life exalted above the finite life.
God knows and remembers His people in every detail, even numbering the hairs of their heads, and He has not forgotten them when He permits calamities that bring sadness. His care does not mean they will be spared every trial. He may work through natural causes and allow hardship to warn them, to turn them from paths that would lead to greater danger, and to lead them nearer to Him.
God knows and cares for each of His people so that even when they are persecuted, deprived and short of food He will not abandon them. In the time of famine He will provide for the righteous as He cared for Elijah, and angels will shield them and supply their needs. This does not mean they will be free from suffering, but they will not be left to perish.
The God who notices sparrows and numbers hairs has special care for every branch of His work and keeps all who labor in His institutions under His eye. He does not forget any of His workers and deals impartially with them. He sees whether duties are done with strict integrity or in a careless, dishonest manner. Angels walk unseen through every room and continually ascend to heaven carrying the record with joy or sadness, so every act of faithfulness is registered and every act of dishonesty is recorded, and every person will finally be rewarded according to works.
God's care and knowledge extend even to the smallest details of human life, for He notices a sparrow and numbers every hair. He also marks the sin of indulging a perverted appetite when it weakens the body, dulls the intellect and deadens moral perception.
Trust Without Fear
Because each person is worth more than many sparrows and is known completely down to every hair, there is no need to fear. This assurance holds for those who face hardship for keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, for their difficulties are known and those who follow are cared for.
Complete care that knows even the number of hairs on each head reveals the Father's great love. It assures that his greatness and majesty need not keep anyone from approaching him. The One who numbers the hairs is not indifferent to need, so wants, joys, sorrows, cares and fears can be brought to him without burdening or wearying him.
Since even the hairs are numbered, all things about a person are known, including bodily pain, forced inactivity and long, hard nights of suffering. Grace is given day by day, the sufferer is not forsaken, and health will be restored in good time. The afflicted can therefore leave off fretting over inactivity, remain cheerful rather than discouraged, shorten tedious nights with prayer, and seek most earnestly daily in trust.
Since even a sparrow's fall is noticed and no suffering escapes the heavenly Father's attention, and since care extends to the smallest creatures, those serving others and all of God's people are to show the tenderness, compassion and tender sympathy of Christ to those who need help. The high and lofty One who lifts the isles as a very little thing, before whom the nations are as a drop in the bucket, still bends down in personal care to poor mortals who are as the small dust of the balance and do not deserve the least notice, keeping count of each hair to prove intimate attention. This calls for humbling before the mighty God of Jacob, thanking him for goodness to poor worms, loving Jesus with the whole soul and crying out after the living God, and pressing on to the kingdom he is preparing for his children.