SATURDAY September 3, 2022 

A Traitor’s End 

(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’”
Acts 1:18-20 

Judas’ terrible death became known to those living in Jerusalem. He had given back thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, but they did not know what to do with the money, so they used it to buy a potter’s field. The potter’s field was named so because pieces of pottery were thrown into the field and stepped on, breaking the pottery into pieces: 

But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in (Matthew 26:6-7).

This desolate piece of land would be used to bury strangers. In the Greek language, it was called Akel Dama which means Field of Blood. These pious priests could not keep the silver pieces, because it was blood money used to betray an innocent Man––Jesus Christ. 

Psalm 69:25 is a reference to this forsaken place: Let their dwelling place be desolate; let no one live in their tents. Another prophecy written in the Psalms speaks of Judas directly: Let his days be few, and let another take his office (Psalm 109:8). The Scriptures are so accurate. 

King David’s advisor Ahithophel defected to help Absalom, David’s rebellious son, to take the kingdom. David experience betrayal: Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me (Psalm 41:9). What happened to this traitor? He took his own life; he hung himself (2 Samuel 17:23), just like Judas. Jesus said of Judas, “ ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me’ ” (John 13:18). Judas also had a betrayer’s end. 

“ ‘How would you distinguish a true servant of God from a traitor?’ ” ...you should take especial notice of how a person speaks, not of other things, but of God.
~Harry Blamires~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!