Scripture Studies - Vol. VI; No. 3 - April 1999 =============================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Genesis 49:1-49:27 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 14, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 6:19-24 A Study for Young Christians - On Obeying Godıs Law A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 For Meditation - Four Poems for Easter Bibliography - Suggested Reading Postscript - Why Pray, If God Already Knows? 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 49:1-49:27 ======================================== Israel Prophesies Concerning His Sons - III ------------------------------------------- 49:1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather round so that I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. 2 Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. 3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. 5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers--their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. 8 "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. 13 "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend towards Sidon. 14 "Issachar is a scrawny donkey lying down between two saddlebags. 15 When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. 16 "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backwards. 18 "I look for your deliverance, O LORD. 19 "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. 20 "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king. 21 "Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. 22 "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. 23 With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. 24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed supple, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, 25 because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. 26 Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. 27 "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder." --------------- In this issue, we finish looking at Jacob's prophecies concerning his sons, and the tribes that will spring from them. In the previous two issues, we looked at Jacob's prophecies concerning his two adopted sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and concerning the first six of his natural sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun and Issachar. Here we look at the prophecies about the six remaining sons, and the tribes they would father: Dan: "Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backwards. I look for your deliverance, O LORD" (vss. 16-18). Jacob speaks first of the "justice for his people" that Dan will provide. This is a pun on the name "Dan", which means "judge". The prophecy concerning justice also, quite possibly, refers to the most famous of all the judges in Israel, Samson, who came from the tribe of Dan (see Judges 13). Next, Jacob speaks of Dan as a "serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider tumbles backwards." These are not very positive words to say about the tribe of Dan. This quite possibly refers to the fact that Dan was the first tribe that brought idolatry into the land (see Judges 18:30), causing the Danites, as well as those around them, to "tumble backwards". It is perhaps because Dan becomes a "serpent" and "viper" that the tribe of Dan seems to get subtly slighted throughout the Bible. For instance, the tribe of Dan was the last in the procession when the tribes marched from place to place (see Num. 2:31), it was the last to receive a portion of the promised land (see Josh. 19:40-49), its genealogy is omitted from the extensive genealogy in I Chron. 1-9. Perhaps most significantly, the tribe of Dan is omitted from the list of the twelve tribes which make up the 144,000 sealed from harm in the last days (see Rev. 7:4-8). Instead, the half-tribe of Manasseh is included, even though the tribe of Joseph is also included. The omission of Dan as part of the 144,000 has led some to believe that the beast described in Revelation (popularly known as the anti-christ) will come from the tribe of Dan. Whether this will be the case or not, we do not yet know, but for some reason, the prophecy Jacob saw concerning Dan caused him to pray: "I look for your deliverance, O LORD" (vs. 18). Gad: "Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels" (vs. 19). Gad was one of the tribes who chose to stay on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead (see Num. 32), rather than cross the Jordan and be with the other tribes within the promised land. Because of this, they were isolated from the other tribes, and thus, were subject to attacks by border raiders (see Judg. 10:8; Judg. 11:4; I Chron. 5:18ff; Jer. 49:1). The tribes east of the Jordan, including Gad, were the first to be taken into captivity (I Chron. 5:26). Asher: "Asher's food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king" (vs. 20). Asher was allotted the coastal area in the north of the promised land, towards Tyre. This area was known for its delicacies: wheat, olive oil, wine, milk and butter (see Deut. 33:24-25; I Kings 5:11). Naphtali: "Naphtali is a doe set free that ears beautiful fawns" (vs. 21). The "doe set free", in the Bible, is often a simile for a swift warrior (see II Sam. 2:18; I Chron. 12:8; Ps. 18:33; Hab. 3:19). The only possible fulfillment of this for Naphtali that has been recorded in the Bible was when Barak, at Deborah's request, took troops from Naphtali and Zebulun to fight against Sisera's army (see Judges 4-5). Joseph: "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed supple, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of your father's God, who helps you, because of the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb. Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers" (vss. 22-26). Since Jacob has already prophesied about the sons of Joseph (see Gen. 48:15-20), and the tribes that will spring from Ephraim and Manasseh, here Jacob does not so much prophesy over Joseph as give him a traditional death-bed blessing. Jacob speaks of Joseph's perseverence and uprightness through adversity. Though Joseph was persecuted and imprisoned, he was a "fruitful vine", a blessing to those who persecuted him. The blessings he brought overflowed to all those around him, even to other nations, as "his branches climbed over a wall." Despite the fact that "archers attacked him... shot at him with hostility", through all his distress and persecution "his bow remained steady". Joseph was able to remain steady, because of the blessings of God, "because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, because of [his] father's God, who helped [him], because of the Almighty, who blessed [him] with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and womb." Joseph would be the first to agree that his steadiness was due to the faithfulness of God to him. Jacob ends by bestowing the full measure of his own blessings upon Joseph: "Your father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-old hills. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers." Benjamin: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunders" (vs. 27). This prophecy of Jacob concerning his beloved son Benjamin demonstrates that Jacob was speaking the truth of God, and not his own words. Jacob himself would not have desired to pronounce such a grim prophecy upon his much-loved youngest son. Yet, this is what he saw through the spirit of prophecy. And this prophecy turned out to be true. Throughout the Bible, there are many examples of the fierceness of the war-like tribe of Benjamin (see Judges 5:14; Judges 19:16ff; I Sam. 11:1ff; II Sam. 2:15,16; II Sam. 12:2; II Chron. 14:8; II Chron. 17:16). Three Benjamites noted for their fierceness were Ehud (see Judges 3:1-22), King Saul (see I Sam. 22:17-20, et. al.), and the apostle Paul (before he became a Christian, he violently persecuted the church, see Acts 9:1). This section of the Bible, the prophecies of Jacob, are notable in that they prove very convincingly that the Bible is the word of God. Jacob, a mere man, or even Moses (who wrote the book of Genesis) could not have known so accurately the characters of the various tribes of Israel hundreds of years before Israel became a nation. Jacob was speaking by the Spirit of the only one who knows the end from the beginning, our Mighty God. May He be praised! Father, we thank You that You have revealed Yourself in the Bible through the many astounding prophecies that are contained therein. Give us eyes to see Your wisdom, to rightly interpret what we read in Your Word, and help us, by Your Spirit, to apply what we read to our lives, and to proclaim Your greatness throughout the nations. In the name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray these things, Amen. ====================================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 14, by John Flavel ================================================================== A Classic Study by John Flavel (1628-1691) ------------------------------------------ [Here, we continue our reprint of excerpts from John Flavel's book *Navigation Spiritualized*. John Flavel was a 17th Century minister in the seaside town of Dartmouth, England. A good many of his parishioners made their living on the sea, and so Mr. Flavel wrote *Navigation Spiritualized*, a book which draws parallels between things of the sea and spiritual things. This book is a masterpiece in the way it communicates spiritual truths in the language of its target audience, the seamen of Dartmouth. In fact, it was written specifically for the seamen to take on voyages and read, so that (for example), while they sailed the boundless seas, they could read of God's boundless mercies; or, while they adjusted their sails for shifting winds, they could read how to prepare their souls for the shifting winds of life; etc. And indeed, though few of us are seamen, we are all on a voyage through this life, so (I dare say) we may all profit from this study.]*--Ed.* Concerning God's Gracious Chastening ------------------------------------ *Sea-waters drained through the earth are sweet; * *So are the afflictions which God's people meet.* OBSERVATION. The waters of the sea, in themselves, are brackish and unpleasant, yet being exhaled by the sun, and condensed into clouds, they fall down into pleasant showers; or if drained through the earth, their property is thereby altered, and that which was so salt in the sea, becomes exceeding sweet and pleasant in the springs. This we find by constant experience: the sweetest crystal spring came from the sea (see Eccl. 1:7). APPLICATION. Afflictions in themselves are evil (see Amos 2:6), very bitter and unpleasant (see also Heb. 12:11). Yet not morally and intrinsically evil, as sin is; for if so, the holy God would never own it for His own act as He doth (see Mic. 3:2), but always disclaimeth sin (see James 1:3). Besides, if it were so evil, it could, in no case or respect, be the object of our election and desire, as in some cases it ought to be (see Heb. 11:25), but it is evil, as it is the fruit of sin, and grievous unto sense (see Heb. 12:11). But though it be thus, brackish and unpleasant in itself, yet, passing through Christ and the covenant, it loses that ungrateful property, and becomes pleasant in the fruits and effects thereof unto believers. Yea, such are the blessed fruits thereof, that they are to account it all joy when they fall into divers afflictions (see Jam. 1:1,2). David could bless God that he was afflicted, and many a saint hath done the like. A good woman once compared her afflictions to her children: "For," (saith she), "they put me in pain in bearing them; yet as I know not which child, so neither which affliction I could be without." Sometimes the Lord sanctifies afflictions to discover the corruption that is in the heart (see Deut. 8:2), it is a furnace to shew the dross. Ah! when a sharp affliction comes, then the pride, impatience, and unbelief of the heart appear: *Matura vexatio prodit seipsam*. When the water is stirred, then the mud and filthy, sediment that lay at the bottom rise. Little, saith the afflicted soul, did I think there had been in me that pride, self-love, distrust of God, carnal fear, and unbelief, as I now find. O where is my patience, my faith, my glory in tribulation? I could not have imagined the sight of death would have so appalled me, the loss of outward things have so pierced me. Now what a blessed thing is this to have the heart thus discovered. Again, sanctified afflictions discover the emptiness and vanity of the creature. Now, the Lord hath stained its pride, and veiled its tempting splendor, by this or that affliction; and the soul sees what an empty, shallow, deceitful thing it is. The world (as one hath truly observed) is then only great in our eyes, when we are full of sense and self: but now affliction makes us more spiritual, and then it is nothing. It drives them nearer to God, makes them see the necessity of the life of faith, with multitudes of other benefits. But yet these sweet fruits of affliction do not naturally, and of their own accord, spring from it; no, we may as well look for grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, as for such fruits from affliction, till Christ's sanctifying hand and art have passed upon them. The reason why they become thus sweet and pleasant (as I noted before) is, because they run now in another channel: Jesus Christ hath removed them from mount Ebal to Gerizim; they are no more the effects of vindictive wrath, but paternal chastisement. And, as Mr. Case well notes, "a teaching affliction is to the saints, the result of all the offices of Jesus Christ. As a king, He chastens; as a prophet, He teacheth, viz. by chastening; and, as a priest, He hath purchased this grace of the Father, that the dry rod might blossom, and bear fruit."[1] Behold, then, a sanctified affliction is a cup, whereinto Jesus hath wrung and pressed the juice and virtue of all his mediatorial offices. Surely, that must be a cup of generous, royal wine, like that in the supper, a cup of blessing to the people of God. REFLECTION. Hence may the unsanctified soul draw matter of fear and trouble, even from its unsanctified troubles. And thus it may reflect upon itself: O my soul! what good hast thou gotten by all or any of thy afflictions? God's rod hath been dumb to thee, or thou deaf to it. I have not learned one holy instruction from it; my troubles have left me the same, or worse than they found me; my heart was proud, earthly, and vain before, and so it remains still; they have not purged out, but only given vent to the pride, murmur, and atheism of my heart. I have been in my afflictions, as that wicked Ahaz was in his, who, "in the midst of his distress, yet trespassed more and more against the Lord" (see II Chron. 28:22). When I have been in storms at sea, or troubles at home, my soul within me hath been as a raging sea, casting up mire and dirt. Surely this rod is not the rod of God's children; I have proved but dross in the furnace, and I fear the Lord will put me away as dross, as He threatens to do to the wicked (see Psal. 119:119). Hence also should gracious souls draw much encouragement and comfort amidst all their troubles. O these are the fruits of God's fatherly love to me! Why should I fear in the day of evil! or tremble any more at affliction? Though they seem as a serpent at a distance, yet are they a rod in the hand. O blessed be that skillful and gracious hand, that makes the rod, the dry rod to blossom, and bear such precious fruit. Lord, what a mystery of love lies in this dispensation! that sin, which first brought afflictions into the world, is now itself carried out of the world by affliction, (see Rom. 5:12; Isa. 7:9). O what can frustrate my salvation, when those very things that seem most to oppose it, are made subservient to it, and, contrary to their own nature, do promote and further it? ====================================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 6:19-24 ===================================== Three Choices to Be Made ------------------------ 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." --------------- In this section, continuing His instructions for His disciples, Jesus points out how our devotion to God can be hindered by the things of the world, and our focussing on them rather than the things of God. Jesus speaks on three choices that we make in this world: the choice between storing up treasures in heaven versus treasures on earth; the choice between living in light versus darkness; the choice between serving God versus serving money. Making the correct choices in these matters relates to one of the greatest challenges for us as Christians: how to live *in* the world, but not be *of* the world (see John 17:15-18). Jesus begins: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (vss. 19-21). Interestingly, the exhortation that Jesus gives here, "Do not store up...", could also be rendered, "Stop storing up treasures on earth", as if Jesus is assuming that, in fact, we all *do* have our hearts set on storing up treasures on earth. I dare say that this exhortation applies to *all* of us to some extent. "It is a major plague, which we find rampant amongst mankind, that they have a mad and insatiable desire for possessions."[2] And indeed, it is an easy trap to fall into, for it is not unlawful to obtain material possessions, it is not unlawful (in and of itself) to be rich, and it is certainly not unlawful to work hard for a living. In fact, we are told that we must provide for ourselves and our relatives. Paul tells Timothy: "Give the people these instructions, too, so that no one may be open to blame. If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (I Tim. 5:7-8). Paul told the Thessalonians to "warn those who are idle" (I Thess. 5:14). We are also told that "everything God created is good" (I Tim. 4:3), and that He "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (I Tim. 6:17). And so, working hard for a living, and enjoying what God has given us is commendable. The problem occurs when, over and above providing for our families, the storing up of treasures on earth becomes the goal of our existence, to the neglect of storing up treasures in heaven--when we are not satisfied with the good things that God has given us for our enjoyment, but we devote ourselves to gathering more and more treasures on earth, above and beyond what God desires that we have. You may ask, "How do I know when I am striving for things beyond what God desires that I have?" Ask yourself this: "Am I serving Him? Am I storing up treasures in heaven?" If you are serving God *first*, if you are seeking His will *first*, as your primary employer, then you are storing up treasures in heaven, and you can be confident that your treasures on earth are from the hand of God. It is just as Jesus will tell us later in this chapter: "Seek *first* His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). And so, I ask, "Are you serving Him? *How* are you serving Him?" Far too few Christians actually *serve* their Lord. What, exactly, specifically, are you doing to serve God? There is no shortage of work to do. There are poor to feed, there are children in Sunday school to teach, there are sick in hospitals to visit, there are Bible studies to lead, there are fervent intercessory prayers to be prayed, there is hospitality to be shown, there is a cup of cold water to be given to a thirsty soul, there are millions of unsaved souls to be reached out to, etc. etc. etc. If someone asked you, right now, "How exactly do you serve God?", could you answer him? If so, then you are storing up treasures in heaven. If not, you are striving for that which will perish. Jesus warns us of the danger of storing up treasures on earth: they are perishable. "Moth and rust destroy... thieves break in and steal." Treasures they may be, but they are vanishing treasures. In contrast, the treasures you store up in heaven are imperishable and unassailable: rust cannot fade their luster, and they are out of reach of thieves. We Christians are pilgrims in this world. Our true citizenship is in heaven (cf. Phil. 3:20). And there are certain, shall we say, "customs" laws concerning what we can take with us out of this land when we go to our true country, our true home in heaven: we cannot take with us the things of this world. And so, we would be wise to exchange whatever currency we have here in this land, to the currency of heaven before we get there, by storing up treasures in heaven. Jesus gives the reason for His exhortation to store up treasures in heaven: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (vs. 21). In the culture of those days, the "heart" referred, not only to the seat of affections (as we see it now), but "the seat of all the powers of the soul, [including] intellect, sensibilities, and will."[3] Thus, Jesus' reference to "heart" would be equivalent to us saying "head, heart and soul." Jesus knows that your "heart" will naturally settle on that for which you labor. And so, Jesus wants you to labor for treasures in heaven so that your head, heart and soul will be in heaven, not in the stock market or your bank account. The second choice that Jesus speaks on in this section is the choice between living in light or darkness: "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (vss. 22-23). Having spoken of the heart, Jesus now turns to the eye. The eye here symbolizes our moral vision. Clear moral vision, looking to God's perfect law, allows light in, and drives darkness out. Poor moral vision allows no true light in, and so the "whole body is full of darkness". Such darkness then breeds on itself, confusing the whole moral outlook. Jesus states this enigmatically: "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" To those who know the true "light", this seems impossible. How can darkness be the "light within you"? But for those whose "eyes are bad", those who have lost their moral vision, there is no true light, and so darkness becomes their light. We see this today. Moral confusion: People following their own light, rather than looking to the true light of God's law. They say, "If it's good for me, and I can rationalize its bad effects, then it must be all right." Their darkness has become their light. Selfishness ("what's good for me") has become their moral standard. Blindness to the true moral light leads to utter darkness. As Jesus put it: "How great is that darkness!" Before stating the third choice, Jesus teaches a general truth: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (vs. 24). This must be understood and affirmed before we can truly appreciate the third choice we must make: "You cannot serve both God and Money" (vs. 24). Unstated here is another fact that we must understand: everyone has a ruling passion, everyone serves a god as master. Jesus is speaking here to His disciples, and so it is assumed that they do not overtly serve a god of a false religion. But sadly, many of Christ's disciples serve the god of worldly things, named here "Money". They, in many cases, fall into service of this deity unwittingly. As stated above, it is necessary that Christians labor for a living, and provide for themselves and their families. In the process of doing this, some focus too much on obtaining wealth, and find themselves serving the god of Money, at the expense of serving the True and Living God. "Whatever efforts we make to obtain wealth must be in entire subordination to the service of God, and, in fact, a part of that service; He alone must be Master."[4] Do not think you can serve both God and Money. They are opposites. God and the world will never agree. Why do so many have problems living a godly life? They are trying to serve two masters. ====================================================================== A Study for Young Christians - On Obeying Godıs Law =================================================== 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 XVII - On Obeying God's Law ------------------------------------- Take heed that you receive not a doctrine of libertiinism as [if it were] from the gospel; nor conceive of Christ as an encourager of sin; nor pretend free grace for your carnal security or sloth; for this is but to set up another gospel, and another Christ, or rather the doctrine and works of the devil, against Christ and the gospel, and to turn the grace of God into wantonness. Because the devil knoweth that you will not receive his doctrine in his own name, his usual method is to propound and preach it in the name of Christ, which he knoweth you reverence and regard. For if Satan concealed not his own name and hand in every temptation, it would spoil his game; and the more excellent and splendid is his pretence, the more powerful the temptation is. They that gave heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, no doubt thought better of the spirits and the doctrines, especially seeming strict (for the devil hath his strictnesses), "as forbidding to marry, and abstinence from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving" (I Tim. 4:1,3). But the strictnesses of the devil are always intended to make men loose. They shall be strict as the pharisees, in traditions and vain ceremonies, and building the tombs of the prophet, and garnishing the sepulchres of the righteous, that they may hate and murder the living saints that worship God in spirit and in truth. Licentiousness is the proper doctrine of the devil, which all his strictness tendeth to promote. To receive such principles is pernicious; but to father them upon Christ and the gospel is blasphemous. The libertines, antinomians, and autonomians of this age have gathered you too many instances. The libertine saith, "The heart is the man, therefore you may deny the truth with your tongue, you may be present at false worship, you need not suffer to avoid the speaking of a word, or subscribing to an untruth or error, or doing some little thing; but as long as you keep your hearts to God, and mean well, or have an honest mental reservation, and are forced to it by others, rather than suffer, you may say, or subscribe, or swear any thing which you can yourselves put a lawful sense upon in your own minds, or comply with any outward actions or customs to avoid offense and save yourselves." The antinomians tell you that "the moral law is abrogated, and that the gospel is no law; (and if there be no law, there is no governor nor government, no duty, no sin, no judgment, no punishment, no reward); that the elect are justified before they are born, or repent, or believe; that their sin is pardoned before it is committed; that God took them as suffering and fulfilling all the law in Christ, as if it had been they that did it in Him; that we are justified by faith only in our consciences; that justifying faith is but the believing that we are justified; that every man must believe that he is pardoned, that he may be pardoned in his conscience, and this he is to by a divine faith, and that this is the sense of the article, `I believe the forgiveness of sins,' that is, that my sins are forgiven; and that all are forgiven that believe it; that it is illegal and sinful to work or do anything for salvation; that sin once pardoned need not be confessed and lamented, or at least, we need not ask pardon of sin daily, or of one sin oft; that castigations are no punishments, and yet no other punishment is threatened to believers for their sins, and consequently that Christ hath not procured them a pardon of any sin after believing, but prevented all necessity of pardon, and therefore they must not ask pardon of them, nor do any thing to obtain it; that fear of hell must have no hand in our obedience, or restraint from sin. And some add, that he that cannot repent or believe, must comfort himself that Christ repented and believed for him (a contradiction)." Many such doctrines of licentiousness the abusers of grace have brought forth. And the sect which imitateth the father of pride in affecting to be from under the government of God, and to be the law-givers and rulers of themselves and all others (which I therefore call the autonomians), are licentious and much more. They equally contend against Christ's government, and their own. They fill the world with wars and bloodshed, oppression and cruelty, and the ears of God with the cries of the martyrs and oppressed ones. They tell all that the spiritual and holy discipline of Christ may be suppressed, and seriousness in religion made odious, or banished from the earth and that they themselves may be taken for the centre, and pillars, and lawgivers of the church. They tell that the consciences of all men may be taught to cast off all scruples or fears of offending God, in comparison of offending them; and may absolutely submit to them; and never stick at any feared disobedience to Christ. They are the scorners and persecutors of strict obedience to the laws of God, and take those that fear His judgments to be men affrighted out of their wits; and that to obey Him exactly (which, alas! who can do, when he hath done his best) is but to be hypocritical or too precise. But to question their domination, or break their laws (imposed on the world, even on kings and states, without any authority), this must be taken for heresy, schism, or a rebellion, like that of Korah and his company. This Luciferian spirit of the proud autonomians hath filled the Christian world with bloodshed, and been the greatest means of the miseries of the earth, and especially of hindering and persecuting the gospel, and setting up a pharisaical religion in the world: it hath fought against the gospel, and filled with blood the countries of France, Savoy, Rhaetia, Bohemia, Belgia, Helvetia, Polonia, Hungary, Germany, and many more; that it may appear how much of the Satanical nature they have, and how punctually they fulfil his will. And natural corruption containeth in it the seeds of all these damnable heresies; nothing more natural to lapsed man, than to shake off the government of God, and to become a lawgiver to himself, and as many others he can; and to turn the grace of God into wantonness. Therefore the profane, that never heard it from any heretics but themselves, do make themselves such a creed as this, that "God is merciful, and therefore we need not fear His threatenings, for He will be better than His word: it belongeth to Him to save us, and not to us, and therefore we may cast our souls upon His care, though we care not for them ourselves. If He hath predestinated us to salvation, we shall be saved; and if He have not, we shall not; whatever we do, or how well soever we live. Christ died for sinners, and therefore though we are sinners, He will save us. God is stronger than the devil, and therefore the devil shall not have the most: That which pleaseth the flesh, and doth God no harm, can never be so great a matter, or so much offend Him, as to procure our damnation. What need of so much ado to be saved, or so much haste to turn to God, when any one that at last doth but repent and cry God mercy, and believe that Christ died for him, shall be saved? Christ is the Saviour of the world, and His grace is very great and free, and therefore God forbid that none should be saved but those few that are of strict and holy lives, sad make so much ado for heaven. No man can know who shall be saved, and who shall not; and therefore it is the wisest way, to do nobody any harm, and to live merrily, and trust God with our souls, and put our salvation upon the venture: nobody is saved for his own works or deservings; and therefore our lives may serve the turn as well as if they were more strict and holy." This is the creed of the ungodly; by which you may see how natural it is to them to abuse the gospel, and plead God's grace to quiet and strengthen them in their sin, and to embolden themselves on Christ to disobey Him. But this is but to set Christ against Himself, even His merits and mercy against His government and Spirit; and to set His death against the ends of His death; and to set our Saviour against our salvation; and to run from God and rebel against Him, because Christ died to recover us to God, and to give us repentance unto life; and to sin, because He died to save his people from their sins, "and to purify a peculiar people to Himself zealous of good works" (Matt. 1:21; Tit. 2:14). "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (I John 3:8; John viii. 44). ====================================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 2:12-26 ======================================== Wisdom, Folly and Death ----------------------- 12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?" I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless." 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die! 17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. --------------- Earlier, Solomon had "devoted [himself] to study and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven" (Eccl. 1:13). He saw to it that he "increased in wisdom more than anyone who [had] ruled over Jerusalem before [him]" (1:16). But he discovered that "with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge the more grief" (1:18). And so next, he tried to find fulfillment through pleasure, saying to his heart: "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good" (2:1). But he discovered that "that also proved to be meaningless", saying: "Laughter... is foolish" (2:2). And so, having tested wisdom and folly separately, Solomon, in this section, compares the two: "Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly" (vs. 1). He has found each to be deficient, but is one better than the other? In studying these things, Solomon has covered a wide range of activities, so he asks rhetorically: "What more can the king's successor do than what has already been done?" (vs. 12). He is, in effect, saying, "Look, I have tried all of these things, and learned from them. Why don't you learn from what I have learned, instead of repeating my mistakes?" None of us will ever have the same means and opportunity to test all of the things that Solomon tested. He was, at times, the wisest of the wise, as well as the most foolish of fools. The book of Ecclesiastes is Solomon's analysis of his life as he looked back on it. We would do well to learn from this analysis, rather than make the same mistakes he did. In any case, mercifully, very few of us have the time or means to stumble as Solomon did. "God mercifully spares His children the sad experiment[s] which Solomon made, by denying them the goods which they often desire."[6] Concerning wisdom versus folly, Solomon at first found an advantage in wisdom: "I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness" (vs. 13-14). To be wise is to live in an en"light"ened state. The wise man "has eyes in his head", in that he has the ability to see and understand the things of life, as well as to look ahead and predict what will happen in the future. Ironically, this ability of Solomon, the wise man, led to his ability to also understand the ultimate futility of human wisdom: "...but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, `The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?' I said in my heart, `This too is meaningless.' For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" (vss. 14-16). When one takes death into account, everything changes. Death not only destroys life, but also destroys any advantage of wisdom over folly. Wisdom's profit is temporary. Solomon came to this realization when he stopped thinking of death abstractly (as if it were someone else's problem), but realized that, yes, the specter of death was upon him too: "The fate of the fool will overtake *me* also." Death became, for Solomon, a much more critical consideration in his argument when he faced the fact that death would also overtake him. And indeed, all philosophers must address the problem of death. The meaning of life is tightly entertwined with the meaning of death. If it is determined that our actions in life affect our fate after death, only a fool would choose to ignore the eternal consequences of his actions. Solomon responded to the reality that death overtakes the wise man as well as the fool: "So I hated life" (vs. 17). But wait, Mr. Philosopher, you are supposed to guide us to meaning in life, guide us to fulfillment in life, but now you say you "hate life"! A philosopher may consider himself a failure if the result of his life work is that life is meaningless and that death destroys all. If this is his conclusion, then he has not solved life's most difficult problem: the problem of death. The root of Solomon's hatred of life at this point was the fact that he could not, by human wisdom alone, solve the problem of death. Paul tells us as much: "For since in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (I Cor. 1:21). In fact, Paul points out that human wisdom can actually be a barrier to conquering death: "If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a `fool' so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight" (I Cor. 3:18-19). And conversely, "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" (I Cor. 1:18). But though the gospel, and Christianity in general, are "foolishness" to the "wise" of the world, the Christian philosophy is a resounding success by the objective standards of the science of philosophy, because it explains adequately and accurately all the thorny problems of life. It gives answers to our existence, gives purpose for our lives, and most importantly, in this context, solves the problem of death, by providing us, sinful man, a way to be reconciled to our Maker. Jesus stated: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25). Through belief in Jesus Christ, God has provided a way for the wise in Christ to differ from the fool in death. Solomon concluded, "Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" (vs. 16), but Solomon didn't have the whole picture. The wise in Christ do not have to die the second death (see Rev. 20:6). The fate of the wise in Christ is eternal life in the presence of our God and Father, and His son Jesus Christ. May the Lord be praised! The Fruits of Labor ------------------- 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. --------------- Solomon's confrontation with his own mortality had also tainted in his mind the value of his life's work. Solomon pointed out three problems with his working so hard in life. First, he could not keep the results of his labor: "I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless" (vss. 18-19). Second, those who would receive the fruits of his labor did not deserve them: "So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune" (vss. 20-21). Third, he himself, the toiler, could not fully enjoy the fruits of his labor: "What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless" (vs. 22). To Solomon, the results of his labor, the great projects, became merely monuments to futility, massive reminders of how he wasted his life. As I see it, there were two problems with the way that Solomon labored, both of which led to his frustration concerning the fruits of his labor. First, the goal of his labor was to store up treasures for himself on earth. Jesus told a parable that directly speaks to Solomon's situation: Someone in the crowd said to [Jesus], "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then He said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And He told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, `This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' "But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' "This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich towards God" (Luke 12:13-21). The destiny of those who labor to store up earthly possessions for themselves is frustration and dissatisfaction. On the other hand, those who seek to store up treasures in heaven, have an eternity in heaven in which to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Jesus advises: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matt. 6:19-20). The second problem with the way that Solomon labored was that he fell under the spell of the myth of the self-made man. Solomon entirely attributed the success of his labor to his own abilities, rather than realizing that God was the provider of everything he had. Moses told the people of God: "You may say to yourself, `My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deut. 8:17-18). Look at your life. What do you have that God has not given you? What have you obtained in your life for which God has not given you the talents and abilities to obtain? When we truly realize this, our frustration over what we cannot enjoy turns into joy for the great blessings God has given us; our regret is replaced by praise to the Lord. Solomon began to realize that contentment in life can only come from God: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" (vss. 24-25). Solomon realized that man cannot find contentment from the fruits of his labor unless God enables him. Solomon's problem, which led to his hatred of life, stemmed from the fact that he was trying to get too much out of the mere things of life, more than they could give. He sought fulfillment, as well as enjoyment, from the things of the world. Solomon's realization that man cannot find enjoyment on his own seems (to me) to be a grudging consolation for him. He says: "To the man who pleases, Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God" (vs. 26). Then he quickly adds: "This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." It seems that Solomon would rather be a self-made man. He would rather that fulfillment come through his own resources, than depend upon God for it. If fulfillment could be gained through worldly possessions, this would be fine and well for Solomon, but what about those who have meager resources. Should they be denied fulfillment in life? God purposefully made man so that the things of this world will not satisfy him. He wants us to be restless until we come to Him for fulfillment. And so, rich or poor, strong or weak, renowned or humble, we all can find meaning and fulfillment in our lives, through a relationship with the Maker of the Universe. ====================================================================== For Meditation - Four Poems for Easter ====================================== Easter Morning -------------- Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer: Death is strong, but life is stronger; Stronger than the dark, the light; Stronger than the wrong, the right; Faith and hope triumphant say, "Christ will rise on Easter Day!" While the patient earth lies waking Till the morning shall be breaking, Shuddering 'neath the burden dread Of her Master, cold and dead, Hark! she hears the angels say, "Christ will rise on Easter Day!" And when sunrise smites the mountains, Pouring light from heavenly fountains, Then the earth blooms out to greet Once again the blessed feet; And her countless voices say: "Christ has risen on Easter Day!" -- Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) Easter Must Be Reclaimed ------------------------ Easter must be redeemed From revelry that marks the end of Lent, And worshippers who yearly are content To journey to God's house, and then forget That Christ still lives when Easter's sun has set. The vision fades the power soon is lost If Easter does not lead to Pentecost. Easter must be reclaimed. Too long the world has missed the Easter glow, Claimed by the glitter of a fashion show; A dress parade; a gala holiday, With church-bound manikins upon display. The faith of Easter never will be caught By making Christ a fleeting afterthought. -- George W. Wiseman If Easter Be Not True --------------------- If Easter be not true, Then all the lilies low must lie; The Flanders poppies fade and die; The spring must lose her fairest bloom For Christ were still within the tomb-- If Easter be not true. If Easter be not true, Then faith must mount on broken wing; Then hope no more immortal spring; Then love must lose her mighty urge; Life prove a phantom, death a dirge-- If Easter be not true. If Easter be not true, 'Twere foolishness the cross to bear; He died in vain who suffered there; What matter though we laugh or cry, Be good or evil, live or die, If Easter be not true. If Easter be not true-- But it is true, and Christ is risen! And mortal spirit from its prison Of sin and death with him may rise! Worthwhile the struggle, sure the prize, Since Easter, aye, is true! -- Henry H. Barstow (1866-1944) Resurrection ------------ If it be all for naught, for nothingness At last, why does God make the world so fair? Why spill this golden splendor out across The western hills, and light the silver lamp Of eve? Why give me eyes to see, and soul To love so strong and deep? Then, with a pang This brightness stabs me through, and wakes within Rebellious voice to cry against all death? Why set this hunger for eternity To gnaw my heartstrings through, if death ends all? If death ends all, then evil must be good, Wrong must be right, and beauty ugliness. God is a Judas who betrays his Son, And with a kiss, damns all the world to hell,-- If Christ rose not again. -- Unknown soldier, killed in World War I ====================================================================== 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 - Why Pray, If God Already Knows? ============================================ "Ah! friends, it is a dimunition of Christ's dignity, sufficiency, and glory, in the business of your salvation, to join anything with the Lord Jesus... [M]any there are who join Christ and their works together, Christ and their prayers together, Christ and their teachers together, Christ and their mournings together, Christ and their hearings together, Christ and their alms together... He that shall mix his righteousness with Christ's, he that shall mix his puddle with Christ's purple blood, his rags with Christ's royal robes, his copper with Christ's gold, his water with Christ's wine, is in the ready way to perish forever... There is no other name, no other nature, no other blood, no other merits, no other person to be justified and saved by, but Jesus Christ. You may run from creature to creature, and from duty to duty, and from ordinance to ordinance, and when you have wearied and tired out yourselves in seeking ease and rest, satisfaction and remission, justification and salvation, in one way and another, you will be forced after all to come to Christ, and to cry out: `Ah! none but Christ, none but Christ!... Ah! none to Christ, none to Christ; no works to Christ, no righteousness, no holiness to Christ." -- Thomas Brooks (c. 1660) ====================================================================== Footnotes: ========== [1] Correction, Instruction, pg. 82. [2] John Calvin, Harmony of the Gospels, Vol. I, pg. 215. [3] John Broadus, Commentary on Matthew, pg. 144. [4] Ibid., pg. 147. 5 All Scripture citations in this study are taken from the King James Version. [6] Jamiesson, Fausset, Brown. A Commentary. Vol. III, pg. 519.