Scripture Studies - Vol. V; No. 9 - November 1998 ================================================= In this issue: Old Testament Study - Genesis 46:1-47:26 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 10, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 5:43-48 A Study for Young Christians - The Blessings of Godliness A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 Bibliography - Suggested Reading Postscript - The First Thanksgiving Footnotes ---------------------------------------------------- "Scripture Studies" is edited by Scott Sperling and published ten times a year by Scripture Studies, Inc., a non-profit organization. It is distributed all over the world by postal mail and via the internet free of charge. If you would like to financially support the publication and distribution of "Scripture Studies", send contributions to: Scripture Studies Inc. 20 Pastora Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 USA Contributions are tax deductible in the United States. 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May God bless you as you study His Word. ====================================================================== Old Testament Study - Genesis 46:1-47:26 ======================================== Jacob Leaves for Egypt ---------------------- 1 So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. 2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. 3 "I am God, the God of your father," He said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. 4 I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." 5 Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. 6 They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. 7 He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters--all his offspring. 8 These are the names of the sons of Israel (Jacob and his descendants) who went to Egypt: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob. 9 The sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. 10 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. 11 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 12 The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. 13 The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron. 14 The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon and Jahleel. 15 These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram, besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all. 16 The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli. 17 The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi and Beriah. Their sister was Serah. The sons of Beriah: Heber and Malkiel. 18 These were the children born to Jacob by Zilpah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Leah--sixteen in all. 19 The sons of Jacob's wife Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 20 In Egypt, Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 21 The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim and Ard. 22 These were the sons of Rachel who were born to Jacob-- fourteen in all. 23 The son of Dan: Hushim. 24 The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer and Shillem. 25 These were the sons born to Jacob by Bilhah, whom Laban had given to his daughter Rachel--seven in all. 26 All those who went to Egypt with Jacob--those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives--numbered sixty-six persons. 27 With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. --------------- Upon hearing the great news, brought by his sons, that Joseph was still alive: "Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac" (vs. 1). So, Jacob set out *first*, and *then*, sought God in the matter. Normally, this is not the proper order in which to do things. We should seek God first, no matter how promising the opportunity seems. In defense of Jacob, though, it appears that he purposely wanted to seek God in Beersheba. Beersheba was where Jacob lived as a child, up until the time when, due to his own scheming, he was forced to flee to Haran to escape his brother Esau's anger. And so, where Jacob first left the promised land, there he seeks God in preparation for leaving the promised land for the last time. So there, at his final farewell to the promised land, God renews the covenant with Jacob: "And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, `Jacob! Jacob!' `Here I am,' he replied. `I am God, the God of your father,' He said. `Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes'" (vss. 2-4). Many years before, the first words of promise that God spoke to Abraham were: "I will make you into a great nation" (Gen. 12:2). Here, God renews that promise, while at the same time reassuring Jacob that it was OK for him to go to Egypt. In fact, God tells Jacob that it is in Egypt that he will be made into a great nation. This may seem strange, at first, to a reader of the book of Genesis. In Genesis, God expends much effort (anthropomorphically speaking) bringing his chosen people to the promised land, keeping them in the promised land, and bringing them back when they wander out of the promised land. Now, under God's blessing and guidance, the entire family is moving out to dwell in Egypt. And then we are told that it is to be in Egypt that the family will be made "a great nation". Why would this be? Why weren't they made into a "great nation" in the promised land? *Answer.* Because God knew that they would become a much stronger, longer lasting nation, if they were born through strife and affliction. In the promised land, where they were getting comfortable, the chosen family was falling apart. In Egypt, they will forge a bond that will last thousands of years, right up to the present day. The suffering and affliction they experienced in Egypt continues even today to unify the Jewish people as a great nation. It was no surprise to God that the people of Israel would experience affliction in Egypt. Many years before, God told Abraham: "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and ill-treated four hundred years" (Gen. 15:13). It's a good thing that Jacob did not remember this prophecy! He might have been hesitant to go down to Egypt! God, sparing Jacob sorrow, tells him that he will be made a great nation, but does not tell him *how*! Israel was made a great and unified nation through strife. Do we not see the same thing in our lives? Consider the pain and struggling of childbirth. Is not the family made stronger by going through the pain of labor. The husband and wife draw close through this shared experience. The love for the new baby is greater after he enters into life through so much struggle. Beyond this, families invariably are drawn closer when any outside force inflicts them. Consider also the church. The church of Jesus Christ was also made stronger through affliction. The suffering that the early church experienced at the hands of Rome unified and purified the church. There are rarely hypocrites and false professors in a persecuted church. And so we see, though we do not like affliction and persecution, God can accomplish much good by allowing us to experience pain. In fact, God (pay attention) shows His love for us by allowing us to experience pain. True love has a larger view than temporary comfort. Every good parent knows this. In God's renewal of the covenant, note the four promises to Jacob. The first is the covenant promise: "I will make you into a great nation there." The second is a promise of God's presence in the land of suffering: "I will go down to Egypt with you." The third is a promise that the nation will return out of the land of suffering: "I will surely bring you back again." The fourth is a personal promise to Jacob that he will dwell with Joseph his son until the day of his death: "And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." In response to the promises of God, Jacob set out (once again) for Egypt, taking all of his family and all that he owned (see vss. 5-7). In verses 8 through 27, Moses (the author of Genesis) enumerates the members of Jacob's family up to that time. There were "seventy in all" (see vs. 27) that made up the seed of the nation of Israel. Some four-hundred years later, when the nation of Israel left Egypt, "there were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children" (Ex. 12:37). God was certainly faithful to his promise: Israel was made a great nation. Israel Settles in Egypt ----------------------- 46:28 Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, 29 Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. 30 Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." 31 Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, `My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. 32 The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' 33 When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, `What is your occupation?' 34 you should answer, `Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians." 47:1 Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." 2 He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. 3 Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." 4 They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." 5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, 6 and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." 7 Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, 8 Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" 9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." 10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. 11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. 12 Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. --------------- For twenty years, Jacob thought that his favorite son Joseph was dead. Now, almost like a dream, Jacob finally sees his son again: "As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time" (vs. 29). Jacob's response to the flood of emotion at this meeting: "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive" (vs. 30). Jacob's joy overwhelmed him. Joseph had already planned where his family would settle. Joseph reconnoitered Goshen and found it to be perfect for his family because it would allow them to prosper, and it would keep the Egyptian culture away from them. Goshen was an area in the eastern part of the Nile delta (towards the Sinai penninsula) suitable for tending livestock. Joseph encouraged his brothers to emphasize the fact that they had been tending livestock for generations (see vss. 31-33). For some reason (as Moses tells us), "shepherds [were] detestable to the Egyptians" (vs. 34). This would serve the Israelites well. The Egyptians would leave them alone, giving the Israelites an opportunity to build themselves as a nation. Many times it is beneficial to be detested by the world. It keeps us separate, sanctified, away from temptation. "So the Lord often permits us to be despised or rejected by the world, that being liberated and cleansed from its pollution, we may cultivate holiness."[1] Ironically, though their settling in Goshen was beneficial to the building of the nation of Israel, their localized settlement made it easier later for the Egyptians to enslave them. Moreover, it was the success and fruitfulness of the Israelites that spurred the Egyptians in their jealousy and fear of the Israelites to enslave them (see Ex. 1:6-13). But alas, this was all a part of God's plan for the nation of Israel. Joseph, with five of his brothers, presented his plan to Pharaoh (see vss. 47:1-4). Pharaoh was gracious: "Pharaoh said to Joseph, `Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock'" (vss. 5-6). This was, of course, a different Pharaoh than the one who was later to enslave the Israelites (see Ex. 1:8). The many years of faithful service by Joseph quite clearly endeared him to this Pharaoh. We should all follow Joseph's example and be faithful as we serve our employers, whether they be believers or non-believers. Our faithful service is a testimony to God's faithfulness. Pharaoh also treated Jacob graciously as he was brought before him. Moses points out twice that "Jacob blessed Pharaoh". This is in keeping with the biblical principle that "the lesser person is blessed by the greater" (see Heb. 7:7). And indeed (though Pharaoh did not realize it), despite the fact that Pharaoh was the leader of (arguably) the most powerful nation in the world at the time while Jacob was a shepherd, Jacob in the scheme of things, as well as in God's eyes, was a greater man. ====================================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 10, by John Flavel ================================================================== A Classic Study by John Flavel (1628-1691) On the Use of Our Gifts ----------------------- *By navigation one place stores another,* *And by communion we must help each other.* OBSERVATION. The most wise God hath so dispensed His bounty to the several nations of the world, so that through one standing in need of another's commodities, there might be a sociable commerce and traffic maintained amongst them all, and all combining in a common league may, by the help of navigation, exhibit mutual succours to each other. The staple commodities proper to each country, I find expressed by the poet, Bart. Coll.: Hence comes our sugars from Canary isles; From Candy currants, muskatels, and oils; From the Molucco's, spices; balsumum, From Egypt; odours from Arabia come;... From Florence, silks; from Spain, fruit, saffron, sacks; From Denmark, amber, cordage, firs, and flax; From Holland, hops; horse from the banks of Rhine From France and Italy the choicest wine; From England, wool; all lands as God distributes, To the world's treasure pay their sundry tributes. APPLICATION. Thus hath God distributed the more rich and precious gifts and graces of His Spirit among His people; some excelling in one grace, some in another, though every grace, in some degree, be in them all; even as in nature, though there be all the faculties in all, yet some faculties are in some more lively and vigorous than in others; some have a more vigorous eye, others a more ready ear, others a more voluble tongue; so it is in spirituals. Abraham excelled in faith, Job in patience, John in love. These were their peculiar excellencies. All the elect vessels are not of one quantity; yet even those that excel others in some particular grace, come short in other respects of those they so excelled in the former, and may be much improved by converse with such as in some respects are much below them. The solid, wise, and judicious Christian may want that liveliness of affections and tenderness of heart that appear in the weak; and one that excels in gifts and utterance may learn humility from the very babes in Christ. And one principal reason of this different distribution is to maintain fellowship among them all: "The head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you." (I Cor. xii. 21). As in a family where there is much business to be done, even the little children bear a part, according to their strength: "The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, the women knead the dough" (Jer. vii. 18). So in the family of Christ, the weakest Christian is serviceable to the strong. There be precious treasures in these earthen vessels, for which we should trade by mutual communion. The preciousness of the treasure should draw out our desires and endeavors after it; and the consideration of the brittleness of those vessels in which they are kept should cause us to be the more expeditious in our trading with them, and make the quicker returns. For when those vessels (I mean bodies of the saints) are broken by death, there is no more to be gotten out of them. That treasure of grace which made them such profitable, pleasant, and desirable companions on earth, then ascends with them into heaven, where every grace receives its adolescence and perfection: and then, though they be ten thousand times more excellent and delightful than ever they were on earth, yet we can have no more communion with them till we come to glory ourselves. Now, therefore, it behoves us to be enriching ourselves by communication of what God hath dropped into us, and improvement of them. We should do by saints, as we use to do by some choice book lent us for a few days: we should fix in our memories, or transcribe all the choice notions we meet with in it, that they may be our own when the book is called for, and we can have it no longer by us. REFLECTION. Lord, how short do I come of my duty in communicating to, or receiving good by others! My soul is either empty and barren, or if there be any treasure in it, yet is but as a treasure locked up in some chest, whose key is lost, when it should be opened for the use of others. Ah Lord! I have sinned greatly, not only by vain words, but sinful silence. I have been of little use in the world. How little also have I gotten by communion with others? Some it may be, that are of my own size, or judgment, or that I am otherwise obliged to, I can delight to converse with: but O, where is that largeness of heart and general delight I should have? How many of my old dear acquaintances are now in heaven, whose tongues were as choice silver, while they were here (see Prov. x. 20)? And blessed souls! How communicative were they of what thou gavest them! O what an improvement had I made of my talent this way, had I been diligent! Lord pardon my neglect of those sweet and blessed advantages. O let all my delight be in thy saints, who are the excellent of the earth. Let me never go out of their company, without an heart more warmed, quickened, and enlarged, than when I came amongst them. ====================================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 5:43-48 ===================================== Love Your Neighbor ------------------ 43 "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." --------------- Jesus here concludes this section of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus speaks about specific commandments of the Law. He teaches: "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (vss. 43-45). Note well that, unlike His previous teachings, Jesus here is not citing a Scripture, for nowhere does the Law say: "Hate your enemy", though of course the Law does say: "Love your neighbor" (see Lev. 19:18). Far from sanctioning hatred for enemies, the writings in the Old Testament command and encourage love for enemies: see Ex. 23:4-5; I Sam. 24:5; Job 31:29; Ps. 7:4; Prov. 24:17,29; Prov. 25:21ff. So, in this case, Jesus' reference, "You have heard that it was said...", was not to the actual writings of the Law of God, but rather to the teachings that the people were hearing concerning love. There has been found archaeological examples of such teaching. In the Dead Sea scrolls, in the writings of the Qumran community (a sect of Jews at the time Jesus walked the earth), the members of that community were enjoined "that they may love all that [God] has chosen and hate all that He has rejected."[2] And though we have no direct evidence that the mainline Jewish teachers (the Pharisees and the Sadducees) said these exact words, we do know by their actions that hatred of others, especially hatred of the Romans and the Samaritans, was common among them. In general, teachers of God's Word must be very careful not to give the impression that it's OK to hate others. Any disparaging words against others while teaching God's Word--against non-believers, against blatant sinners, against government leaders, etc.--can be taken by the hearers as license to hate others. Jesus makes clear the true Law of God: "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (vs. 44). Jesus spells it right out, so that no one can be mistaken: "Love your enemies." He also gives the primary action by which we can show love for our enemies: "Pray for those who persecute you." Praying for our enemies has a two-fold benefit: it is a demonstration of love for our enemies; it also helps to increase our love for our enemies. Try it, and you'll see what I mean. Through prayer for our enemies, we are in communication with God concerning them. Through prayer for our enemies, God speaks to us and so we begin to see our enemies as God does. Of course, God loves our enemies, and so if we see them as He sees them, our love grows for them. Jesus commands us to love our enemies "that [we] may be sons of [our] Father in heaven." When we love our enemies, we are God-like, we are Christ-like. God loves His enemies. Through our sin, we have all been enemies of God. God has gone to great lengths to show His love for His enemies. He sent His Son to die for His enemies. All on earth have the same opportunity of salvation through Jesus Christ. God treats His enemies fairly, and gives them blessings, just as He gives His children blessings. As Jesus points out: "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (vs. 45). Many have struggled with the question, "Why do the wicked prosper here on earth?" Jesus here gives us one reason why God blesses the wicked: It is an example of love for enemies, an example that we are to follow. Jesus next points out the absurdity of a command that would urge love for just those who are not enemies: "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?" (vs. 46). "Tax collectors" were despised as among the most immoral in Israel at that time, because they were allowed by the Roman government to extort as much money as they could from the people, and usually did.[3] And so, if "tax collectors" are able to love those who love them, surely we don't need a command that enjoins love for friends. Although, in these ungodly times, we have fallen so far away from knowing what true love is, even our love for friends is greatly flawed. Certainly, the high divorce rate testifies to this. If we could even love those who love us, there would be no need for divorce. Instead, we love, as long as it is not inconvenient; we love, as long as we can still do what we want; we love, as long as we do not have to make any sacrifices. This is not love. We fall far short of loving even as well as "tax collectors" do. John defines love, and this is the love we should show for both friends and enemies: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (I John 3:16). Jesus then gives us an idea of a very simple way to show love for enemies: "And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (vs. 47). As a starting point to showing love for enemies, greet them as you pass them in the hall, or on the street. What a simple, effective way of showing love: a nod and a smile; a cheerful "Hello"; a shake of the hand, or a pat on the back. We must be set apart from others in our behavior, otherwise, why take on the name "Christian"? Our love for others should be evident, exemplary. In loving our enemies, we are a witness for God's love. Don't think that your enemies will not notice your love. They will. They may not directly respond to it, but they will notice it. And the greatest reward that you can get for your love will be if "they see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us" (I Pet. 2:12). "Unfailing courtesy, kindness, tenderness, and consideration for others, are some of the greatest ornaments to the character of a child of God. The world can understand these things [even] if it cannot understand doctrine."[4] To sum up, Jesus commands: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (vs. 48). I believe that in this verse, Jesus is summing up, not only His words concerning love, but His entire discourse concerning the Law (e.g., all that He has said from Matt. 5:17 through 5:47). As David tells us: "The law of the Lord is perfect" (Ps. 19:7). Being a perfect law, from a holy and righteous God, the Law of God necessarily demands perfection. "But wait," you may say, "Have you not heard the saying, `Nobody's perfect'?" Yes, indeed. But just because we, in our sin nature, cannot attain perfection, does not mean that God should compromise His Law and allow imperfection. What kind of law would that be? Could a holy God give commandments such as these: "Try to love your enemies. Try not to divorce. Try not to steal. Tell the truth, except when your in a really bad fix. etc."? No. A holy God, a righteous God commands: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." This is the standard for the Kingdom of God. This is the Law for the Kingdom of God. And when we enter His Kingdom, we will experience the gloriousness of a Kingdom that operates under this rule of Law. Until then, we are stuck in these fallen bodies, we are stuck with our sin nature, such that, though we may strive for God's perfection, we fail miserably, minutely. But thanks be to God, that though we fail, we can still be clothed with righteousness through Christ's sacrifice. We fail, but Jesus has paid the price for our failure, so that our sins may be forgiven through Him. And so, God can remain holy and righteous, and His law can reflect His holiness and righteousness, yet we can escape judgment because God, in His love for us (His enemies) gave His Son to pay the price for our sin. Praise be to God! Praise Him for His love! Praise Him for His perfect plan! To Him be the glory forever and ever! ====================================================================== A Study for Young Christians - The Blessings of Godliness ========================================================= A Classic Study by Richard Baxter (1615-1691) [Here we continue our reprint of Chapter 2 from Richard Baxter's classic tome *A Christian Directory*.5 This chapter consists of twenty directions to (as Mr. Baxter says) "young Christians or beginners in religion, for their establishment and safe proceeding." Though these studies were written specifically for "young" Christians, I think that you will find (as I have), there is much in here worthy of meditation also for those who have been walking with God for many years.]--*Ed.* Direction XIII - The Blessings of Godliness ------------------------------------------- Know that true godliness is the best life upon earth, and the only way to perfect happiness. Still apprehend it therefore, and use it as the best; and with great diligence resist those temptations which would make it seem to you a confounding, grievous, or unpleasant thing. There are all things concurrent in a holy life to make it the most delectable life on earth, to a rational, purified mind that is not captivated to the flesh, and liveth not on air or dung. The object of it is the eternal God Himself, the infallible truth, the only satisfactory good; and all these condescending and appearing to us in the mysterious but suitable glass of a mediator: redeeming, reconciling, teaching, governing, sanctifying, justifying, and glorifying all that are His own. The end of it is the pleasing and glorifying of our Maker, Redeemer, and Sanctifier; and the everlasting happiness of ourselves and others. The rule of it is the infallible revelation of God, delivered to the church by His prophets, and His Son, and His apostles, and comprised in the Holy Scriptures, and sealed by the miracles and operations of the Holy Ghost that did indite them. The work of godliness is a living unto God, and preparing for everlasting life, by foreseeing, foretasting, seeking, and rejoicing in that endless happiness which we shall have with God; and by walking after the Spirit, and avoiding the filthiness, delusions, and vexations of the world and the flesh. The nature of man is not capable of a more noble, profitable, and delectable life, than this which God hath called us to by His Son. And if we did but rightly know it, we should follow it with continual alacrity and delight. Be sure, therefore, to conceive of godliness as it is, and not as it is misrepresented by the devil and the ungodly. As long as a man conceiveth of religion as it is, even the most sweet and delectable life, so long he will follow it willingly and with his heart, and despise the temptations and avocations of fleshly gain and pleasure. He will be sincere, as not being only drawn by other men or outward advantages, nor frightened into it by passion or fearfulness, but loving religion for itself and for its excellent ends: and then he will be cheerful in all the duties, and under all the sufferings and difficulties of it; and he will be most likely to persevere unto the end. We cannot expect that the heart or will should be any more for God and godliness than the understanding practically apprehendeth them as good. Nay, we must always perceive in them a transcendent goodness, above all that is to be found in a worldly life; or else the appearing goodness of the creature will divert us, and carry away our minds. We may see in the very brutes what a power apprehension hath upon their actions. If your horse be but going to home or pasture, how freely will he go through thick and thin! But if he go unwillingly, his travel is troublesome and slow, and you have much ado to get him on. It will be so with you in your way to heaven. It is therefore the principal design of the devil to hide the goodness and pleasantness of religion from you, and to make it appear to you as a terrible or tedious life. By this means it is that he keeps men from it; and by this means he is still endeavouring to draw you back again, and frustrate your good beginning and your hopes. If he can thus misrepresent religion to your understandings, he will suddenly alienate your wills, and corrupt your lives, and make you turn to the world again, and seek for pleasure somewhere else, and only take up with some heartless lip-service to keep up some deceitful hope of being saved. And the means which Satan useth to these ends are such as these: 1. He will do his work to overwhelm you with appearing doubts and difficulties, and bring you to a loss, and make religion seem to you a confounding and not a satisfying thing. This is one of his most dangerous assaults upon the weak and young beginners. Difficulties and passions are the things which he makes use of to confound you, and put you out of a regular, cheerful seeking of salvation. When you read the Scriptures, he will mind you of abundance of difficulties in all you read or hear. He will show you seeming contradictions, and tell you that you will never be able to understand these things. He will cast in thoughts of unbelief and blasphemy, and cause you, if he can, to roll them in your mind. If you cast them not out with abhorrence, but dispute with the devil, he hopes to prove too hard at least for such children and unprovided soldiers as you. And if you do reject them, and refuse to dispute it with him, he will sometimes tell you that your cause is naught, or else you need not be afraid to think of all that can be said against it. This way he gets advantage of you to draw you to unbelief. If you escape better than so, he will molest and terrify you with the hideousness of his temptations, and make you to think you are forsaken of God, because such blasphemous thoughts have been so often in your minds. Thus he will one while tempt you to blasphemy, and another while affright and torment you with the thoughts of such temptations. So also in the study of other good books, he will tempt you to fix upon all that seems difficult to you, and there to confound and perplex yourselves. In your meditations, he will seek to make all to tend but to confound and overwhelm you, keeping still either hard or fearful things before your eyes, or breaking and scattering your thoughts in pieces, so that you cannot reduce them to any order, nor set them together, nor make anything of them, nor drive them to any desirable end. So in your prayers he would fain confound you, either with fear, or with doubtful and distracting thoughts about God, or your sins, or the matter or manner of your duty, or questioning whether your prayers will be heard. And so in your self-examination, he will still seek to puzzle you, and leave you more in darkness than you began, and make you afraid of looking homeward, or conversing with yourselves, like a man that is afraid to lie in his own house when he thinks it haunted with some apparitions. And thus the devil would make all your religion to be but like the unwinding of a bottom of yarn, or a skein of silk that is ravelled, that you may cast it away in weariness or despair. Your remedy against this dangerous temptation is to remember that you are yet young in knowledge, and that ignorance is like darkness that will cause doubts, and difficulties, and fears; and that all these will vanish as your light increaseth. Therefore you must wait in patience, till your riper knowledge fit you for satisfaction. And in the mean time, be sure that you take up your hearts most with the great, fundamental, necessary, plain, and certain points, which your salvation is laid upon, and which are more suited to your state and strength. If you will be gnawing bones, when you should be sucking milk, and have not patience to stay till you are past your childhood, no marvel if you find them hard, and if they stick in your throats, or break your teeth. See that you live upon God in Christ, and love and practice what you know, and think of the excellency of so much as is already revealed to you. You know already what is the end that you must seek, and where your happiness consisteth; and what Christ hath done to prepare it for you, and how you must be justified, and sanctified, and walk with God. Have you God, and Christ, and heaven to think on, and all the mercies of the gospel to delight in, and will you lay by these as common matters, or overlook them, and perplex yourselves about every difficulty in your way? Make clean work before you as you go, and live in the joyful acknowledgment of the mercies which you have received, and in the practice of the things you know, and then your difficulties will vanish as you go on. 2. Another of Satan's wiles is to confound you with the noise of sectaries, and divers opinions in religion. While one sect tells you, that if you will be saved, you must be of their church; and others say, you must be of theirs. When you find that the sects are many, and their reasonings such as you cannot answer, you will be in danger either to take up some of their deceits, or to be confounded among them all, not knowing which church and religion to choose. But here consider, that there is but one universal church of Christians in the world, of which Christ is the only King and Head, and every Christian is a member. You were sacramentally admitted into this [true] church by baptism, and spiritually by your being, "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6). You have all the promises of the gospel that if you believe in Christ you shall be saved; and that all the living members of this church are loved by Christ as members of his body, and shall be presented unspotted to the Father, by Him who is the Saviour of his body (see Eph. v. 23-29); "and that by one Spirit we are all baptized or entered into this one body," (see I Cor. xii. 12, 13). If then thou hast faith, and love, and the Spirit thou art certainly a Christian, and a member of Christ, and of this universal church of Christians. And if there were any other church, but what are the parts of this one, then this were not universal, and Christ must have two bodies. Thou art not saved for being a member of the church of Rome, or Corinth, or Ephesus, or Philippi or Thessalonica, or of any other such; but for being a member of the [true] church or body of Christ, that is, a Christian. And as thou art a subject of the King, and a member of this kingdom, whatever corporation thou be a member of (perhaps sometime of one, and sometime of another) so thou art a subject of Christ, whatever particular church thou be of; for it is no church, if they be not Christians, or subjects of Christ. For one sect then to say, "Our's is the true church", and another to say, "Nay, but ours is the true church", is as mad as to dispute whether your hall, or kitchen, or parlour, or coal-house, is your house; and for one to say, "This is the house", and another, "Nay", but that, when a child can tell them, that the best is but a part, and the house containeth them all: and for [those] that take on them to be the whole, and deny all others to be Christians and saved, except the subjects of [their church], it is so irrational, antichristian a fiction and usurpation, and odious, cruel, and groundless a damnation, of the far greatest part of the body of Christ, that it is fitter for detestation than dispute. And if such a crack would frighten the world out of their wits, no doubt but other bishops also would make use of it, and say, "All are damned that will not be subject to us." 3. Another temptation to confound you in your religion is by filling your heads with practical scrupulosity, so that you cannot go on for doubting every step whether you go right; and when you should cheerfully serve your Master, you will do nothing but disquiet your mind with scruples, whether this or that be right or wrong. Your remedy here is not by casting away all care of pleasing God, or fear of sinning, or by debauching conscience, but by a cheerful and quiet obedience to God, so far as you know His will, and an upright willingness and endeavor to understand it better, and a thankful receiving the gospel pardon for your failings and infirmities. Be faithful in your obedience, but live still upon Christ, and think not of reaching to any such obedience as shall set you above the need of his merits, and a daily pardon of your sins. Do the best you can to know the will of God and do it; but when you know the essentials of religion, and obey sincerely, let no remaining wants deprive you of the comfort of that so great a mercy, as proves your right to life eternal. In your seeking further for more knowledge and obedience, let your care be such as tendeth to your profiting and furthering you to your end, and as doth not hinder your joy and thanks for what you have received: but that which destroyeth your joy and thankfulness, and doth but perplex you, and not further you in your way, is but hurtful scrupulosity, and to be laid by. When you are right in the main, thank God for that, and be further solicitous so far as to help you on, but not to hinder you. If you send your servant on your message, you had rather he went on his way as well as he can, than stand scrupling every step whether he should set the right or left foot forward, and whether he should step so far, or so far at a time, &c. Hindering scruples please not God. 4. Another way to confound you in your religion is by setting you upon overdoing by inventions of your own. When a poor soul is most desirous to please God, the devil will be religious, and set him upon some such task of voluntary humility, or will-worship, as the apostle speaks of (see Col. ii. 18, 20-23), or set him upon some insnaring unnecessary vows or resolutions, or some works of conceited supererogation, which is that which Solomon calleth, being "righteous over-much," (see Eccles. vii. 16). Thus many have made duties to themselves, which God never made for them; and taketh that for sin, which God never forbad them. The religion [of some] is very much made up of such commandments of their own, and traditions of men. As if Christ had not made us work enough, men are forward to make much more for themselves. And some that should teach them the laws of Christ, do think that their office is in vain, unless they may also prescribe them laws of their own, and give them new precepts of religion. Yea, some that are the bitterest enemies to the strict observance of the laws of God, as if it were a tedious, needless thing, must yet needs load us with abundance of unnecessary precepts of their own. And thus religion is made both wearisome and uncertain, and a door set open for men to enlarge it, and increase the burden at their pleasure. Indeed [such religion] is fitted to delude and quiet sleepy consciences, and to torment with uncertainties the consciences that are awaked. And there is something in the corrupted nature of man that inclineth him to some additions and voluntary service of his own inventions, as an offering most acceptable unto God. Hence it is that many poor Christians do rashly entangle their consciences with vows of circumstances and things unnecessary, as to give so much, to observe such days or hours in fasting and prayer, not to do such or such a thing that in itself is lawful, with abundance of such things, which perhaps some change of providence may make accidentally their duty afterwards to do, or disable them to perform their vows; and then these snares are fetters on their perplexed consciences, perhaps as long as they live. Yea, some of the antinomians teach the people that things indifferent are the fittest matter of a vow: as to live single, to possess nothing, to live in solitude, and the like. Indeed all things lawful when they are vowed, must be performed, but it is unfit to be vowed if it be not first profitable and best, for ourselves or others, and that which is best is not indifferent, it being every man's duty to choose what is best. Vows are to bind us to the performance of that which God had bound us to by His laws before. They are our expression of consent and resolution by a self-obligation to obey His will, and not to make new duties of religion to ourselves, which else would never have been our duty. To escape these snares, it is necessary that you take heed of corrupting your religion by burdens and mixtures of your own devising. You are called to obey God's laws, and not to make laws for yourselves. You may be sure that His laws are just and good, but yours may be bad and foolish. When you obey Him, you may expect your reward and encouragement from Him; but when you will obey yourselves, you must reward yourselves. You may find it enough for you to keep His laws, without devising more work for yourselves, or feigning duties which He commanded not, or sins which He forbade not. Be not rash in making vows; let them reach but unto necessary duties; and let them have their due exceptions when they are about alterable things. Or if you are entangled by them already, consult with the most judicious, able, impartial men, that you may come clearly off without a wound. There is a great deal of judgment and sincerity necessary in your counsellors, and a great deal of submission and self-denial in yourselves to bring you solely out of such a snare. Avoid sin, whatever you do, for sinning is not the way to your deliverance. And for the time to come, be wiser, and lay no more snares for yourselves, and clog not yourselves with your own inventions, but cheerfully obey what God commandeth you, who hath wisdom and authority sufficient to make you perfect laws. Christ's "yoke is easy, and His burden light" (Matt. xi. 30), and "His commandments not grievous," (I John v. 3). But if your mixtures and self-devised snares are grievous to you, blame not God, but yourselves that made them. 5. Another of Satan's ways to make religion burdensome and grievous to you, is by overwhelming you with fear and sorrow. Partly by persuading that religion consisteth in excess of sorrow, and so causing you to spend your time in striving to trouble and grieve yourselves unprofitably, as if it were the course most acceptable to God; and partly by taking the advantage of a timorous, passionate nature, and so making every of thought of God, or serious exercise of religion, to be a torment to you by raising some overwhelming fears, for "fear hath torment" (I John iv. 18). In some feminine, weak, and melancholy persons, this temptation hath so much advantage in the body that the holiest soul can do but little in resisting it, so that though there be in such a sincere love to God, His ways and servants, yet fear so playeth the tyrant in them, that they perceive almost nothing else. And it is no wonder if religion be grievous and unpleasant to such as these. But, alas! It is you yourselves that are the causes of this, and bring the matter of your grievance with you. God hath commanded you a sweeter work. It is a life of love, and joy, and cheerful progress to eternal joy that He requireth of you, and no more fear or grief than is necessary to separate you from sin, and teach you to value and use the remedy. The gospel presenteth to you such abundant matter of joy and peace as would make these the very complexion and temperature of your souls, if you received them as they are propounded. Religious fears, when they are inordinate and hurtful, are sinful, and indeed against religion, and must be resisted as other hurtful passions. Be better acquainted with Christ and His promises and you will find enough in Him to pacify the soul, and give you confidence and holy boldness in your access to God (see Heb. iv. 16; Eph. iii. 12; Heb. x. 19). The spirit which He giveth, is not the spirit of bondage, but the spirit of adoption, or love and confidence (see Rom. viii. 15; Heb. ii. 15). 6. Another thing that maketh religion seem grievous is retaining unmortified sensual desires. If you keep up your lusts they will strive against the gospel, and all the works of the Spirit which strive against them (see Gal. v. 17). And every duty will be so far unpleasant to you as you are carnal, because it is against your carnal inclination and desire. Away, therefore, with your beloved sickness, and then both your food and your physician will be less grievous to you. "Mortify the flesh, and you will less disrelish the things of the Spirit. For the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to His law, nor can be" (Rom. viii. 7, 8). 7. Another cause of confounding and wearying you is the mixture of your actual sins, dealing unfaithfully with God, and wounding your consciences, by renewing guilt, especially of sins against knowledge and consideration. If you thus keep the bone out of joint, and the wound unhealed, no marvel if you are loth to work or travail. But it is your sin and folly that should be grievous to you, and not that which is contrary to it, and would remove the cause of all your troubles. Resolvedly forsake your willful sinning, and come home by "repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts xx. 21), and then you will find, that when the thorn is out, your pain will cease, and that the cause of your trouble was not in God or religion, but in your sin. 8. Lastly, to make religion unpleasant to you, the tempter would keep the substance of the gospel unknown or unobserved to you. He would hide the wonderful love of God revealed in our Redeemer, and all the riches of saving grace, and the great deliverance and privileges of believers, and the certain hopes of life eternal. And the kingdom of God, which consisteth in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, shall be represented to you as consisting in errors only, or in trifles, in shadows and shows, and bodily exercise which profiteth little (see I Tim. iv. 8). If ever you would know the pleasures of faith and holiness, you must labor above all to know God as revealed in His infinite love in the Mediator, and read the gospel as God's act of oblivion, and the testament and covenant of Christ, in which He giveth you life eternal. In every duty draw near to God as a reconciled Father, the object of your everlasting love and joy. Know and use religion as it is, without mistaking or corrupting it, and it will not appear to you as a grievous, tedious, or confounding thing. ====================================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 1:1-3 ====================================== Solomon's Search for Meaning ---------------------------- 1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem: 2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? --------------- The book of Ecclesiastes begins: "The words of the Teacher, son of David, king of Jerusalem" (vs. 1). On the face of it, I think you'll agree, it seems that the author is Solomon. Some commentators (most notably, Delitzsch) have argued that the language of Ecclesiastes does not fit the language of Solomon's time, but others have refuted this by pointing out that the language of Ecclesiastes does not really fit later Hebrew either (see Kaiser, JFB, et. al.). I think that it was Solomon who wrote this book, for a number of reasons. First, since after Solomon's reign, the nation of Israel split into two nations (see II Chron. 10-11; I Kings 12), so then verse 1 above, as well as verse 12 of chapter 1, describes only Solomon: he was the only "son of David" who was "king over Israel in Jerusalem" (vs. 12). Also, many passages in Ecclesiastes refer to events in or aspects of Solomon's life and character: Solomon's great projects as described in Eccl. 2:4-10 are chronicled in I Kings 4:27-32; 7:1-8; 9:17-19; 10:14-29; Solomon's downfall following his chasing after women (see I Kings 11:1-8) is reflected in Eccl. 7:26-28; Solomon's imparting of his wisdom and knowledge to others, as stated in Eccl. 12:9-10, can be found in I Kings 4:34; 10:2,8; et. al. Moreover, the goal of the "Teacher" in the book of Ecclesiastes, as stated many times and in many ways, is to "study and explore by wisdom all that is done under the sun" (Eccl. 1:13), and wisdom was also Solomon's great passion in life (see I Kings 3). The words in Ecclesiastes are "The words of the Teacher". The word translated here "Teacher" is also often translated as "Preacher". The verb form of the word (translated elsewhere as "assemble") is used when people are assembled to hear important teaching or an important announcement (see Ex. 35:1; Lev. 8:3; Deut. 4:10 for other uses of the word). So, the implication is that Solomon, the "Teacher", has something important to say. And what does he have to say?: "Meaningless! Meaningless!... Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" (vs. 2-3). Is this the important teaching for which the "Teacher" has assembled us? This is far from uplifting. This is downright depressing! With these statements, the "Teacher" states the theme of the book of Ecclesiastes, by use of a "sweeping conclusion" and a "guiding question".[6] The sweeping conclusion: "Meaningless! Meaningless!" The guiding question: "What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" Most of the rest of the book consists of Solomon's search--by his wisdom, by human wisdom--for meaning. As we shall see, rather than "meaning", Solomon finds "meaningless"ness at every turn. This happens despite the fact that Solomon searches for meaning (seemingly) in all the right places. He searches for meaning through pursuit of wisdom, through pleasure, through the undertaking of great projects, through hard work and achievement, through riches. Each of these things is pleasing to the eye, and a promising place to find meaning. I dare say that all of us desire more of each of these things in our lives. But Solomon, who had the power and the means to explore each of these things, far from finding his life enriched by these things, was left with a feeling of emptiness, a feeling that he had been merely chasing after the wind. "Earthly things look grand, till the trial has proved their vanity."[7] Much of Solomon's problem lies in the formation of his guiding question: "What does man *gain* from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" Solomon's was inherently a selfish pursuit. He was looking for some sort of "gain" for himself. This is the root of Solomon's difficulty in finding meaning. Solomon's definition of "meaning" was tied to "gain" for himself. As we go through the book of Ecclesiastes, we will see that it is full of results and conclusions reached through worldly means. We will also find that, elsewhere in the Bible, God has addressed these matters and has given us godly alternatives to these worldly results and conclusions. Where Solomon's search for meaning has resulted in a dead end, God elsewhere has pointed out the flaw in Solomon's search, and has corrected the parameters of the search so that it can result in, not a dead end, but a new life. For example, Jesus Himself points out the flaw of Solomon's guiding question. Solomon asks: "What does man *gain* from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?"; but Jesus warns: "What good is it for a man to *gain* the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36). The answer to life's puzzle cannot be found through looking for "gain"; for you can "gain" the whole world, and yet "forfeit [your] soul". And so, Solomon's search for meaning was flawed from the get-go, because his basis for meaning in life was measured in terms of "gain". He asked from the start: "What does man *gain*...?" Jesus, alternatively, teaches that true meaning in life is found, not through "gain", but through loss. Jesus teaches: "For whoever wants to save his life will *lose* it, but whoever *loses* his life for Me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35). This is difficult teaching. For in our selfish, sin nature, we are inclined to seek "gain" for ourselves, not loss. In our sin nature, our natural inclination is to look for meaning in life through "gain": through wisdom, through achievement, through labor, through riches, all for ourselves. But God has purposefully made the end of these roads "meaningless"ness. He has done this to steer us to glory. For if we could find meaning in life through human wisdom, through man's achievement, through riches, through pleasure, then we would stop there. We would not go on to seek the glory that God has set aside for us. Paul teaches: "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Rom. 8:20-21). By the will of God, the "creation was subjected to frustration". Thus, search for meaning in the world will necessarily lead to "frustration". But God had a goal in subjecting the world to "frustration". This was done "in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from the its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." So, the "frustration", the "meaningless"ness, was purposeful: through it we are meant to turn away from the world, and turn to God for meaning. Oh Lord, help us, guide us by Your Spirit to look to You for meaning in life. May we find joy in seeking You, satisfaction in serving You, riches in knowing You, gain in losing our lives for You. We confess that we are weak in this. Our inclination is to seek gain for ourselves. Change our lives and attitudes so that we may know the value of losing our lives for Your sake. In the name of Jesus, who gave His life for us, we pray these things, Amen. ====================================================================== Bibliography - Suggested Reading ================================ Baxter, Richard. *A Christian Directory*. Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books. (Originally published in 1673). Broadus, John. *Commentary on Matthew*. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1990. (Originally published in 1886). Bridges, Charles. *A Commentary on Ecclesiastes*. Edinbrugh: Banner of Truth, 1992. (Originally published in 1860). Calvin, John. *A Commentary on Genesis.* 2 Vols. in 1. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1965. (Originally published in 1554). Calvin, John. *A Harmony of the Gospels*. 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1972. (Originally published in Latin in 1555). Candlish, Robert S. *Studies in Genesis.* Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1979. (Originally published in 1868). Carson, D. A. "Matthew" from *The Expositor's Bible Commentary*, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Flavel, John. *Navigation Spiritualized* from *The Works of John Flavel*, Vol. V, pg. 206ff. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1968. (Originally published ca. 1670). Hubbard, David. *Mastering the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon*. Dallas: Word, 1991. Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. *A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.* 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1993. (Originally published in 1866). Kaiser, Walter. *Ecclesiastes: Total Life*. Chicago:Moody, 1979. Keil, Carl & Delitzsch, Franz. *Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament.* Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971. (Originally published ca. 1880). Kidner, Derek. *The Message of Ecclesiastes*. Downer's Grove, IL:Inter-Varsity, 1976. Morgan, G. Campbell. *The Gospel According to Matthew*. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992. Morris, Leon. *The Gospel According to Matthew.* Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1992. Pink, Arthur W. *Gleanings in Genesis.* Chicago: Moody, 1981. Ryle, J. C. * Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew.* Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1986. Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Genesis. Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 1985. Spurgeon, Charles. *The Gospel of Matthew*. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1987. Thomas, W. H. Griffith. *Genesis: A Devotional Commentary*. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1988. Wiersbe, Warren. *Be Satisfied*. Wheaton, IL:Victor Books, 1990. ====================================================================== Postscript - The First Thanksgiving =================================== "In one of the first Summers after their [the Pilgrims in America] sitting down at Plymouth, a terrible drought threatened the ruin of all their summer's husbandry. From about the middle of May to the middle of July, an extreme hot sun beat upon their fields, without any rain, so that all their corn began to wither and languish, and some of it was irrecoverably parched up. In this distress they set apart a day for *fasting* and *prayer*, to deprecate the calamity that might bring them to *fasting *through *famine*; in the morning of which day there was no sign of any rain; but before the evening the sky was overcast with clouds, which went not away without such easy, gentle, and yet plentiful showers, as revived a great part of their decayed corn, for a comfortable harvest. The Indians themselves took notice of this answer given from heaven to the supplications of this devout people; and one of them said, `Now I see that the *Englishman's God* is a good God; for He hath heard you, and sent you rain, and that without such tempest and thunder as we use to have with our rain; which after our *Powawing* for it, breaks down the corn; whereas your corn stands whole and good still; surely, your God is a good God.' The harvest which God thus gave to this pious people, caused them to set apart another day for solemn Thanksgiving to the glorious *Hearer of Prayers!*." -- Cotton Mather (1663-1729) ====================================================================== Footnotes: ========== [1] John Calvin, A Commentary on Genesis. Vol. II, pg. 395. [2] Vermes, cited in Morris, A Commentary on Matthew, pg. 130fn. [3] Interestingly, Matthew, who wrote this Gospel, was himself a tax collector. [4] J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew. pg. 45. 5 All Scripture citations in this study are taken from the King James Version. [6] David Hubbard, Mastering the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, pg. 43. [7] Charles Bridges, A Commentary on Ecclesiastes, pg. 8.