=========================================================== Scripture Studies: Vol. VI, No. 7 ================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Haggai 2:1-9 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 17, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 7:13-20 A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 4:9-16 Masthead -------- "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. If you do not live in the United States, and would like to support "Scripture Studies", please send international postal coupons. Please feel free to upload "Scripture Studies" to any BBS or online service. If you or anyone that you know would like to be added to the subscription list send your request to the above address, or, via email to Scott Sperling at: ssper@aol.com Unless noted otherwise, scripture references are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers =========================================================== Old Testament Study - Haggai 2:1-9 ================================== Encouragement from the Lord --------------------------- 1In the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2"Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty. 5'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.' 6"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 8'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 9'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." When the Lord first spoke through His prophet Haggai, He directed the leaders to tell the people to begin again rebuilding the Temple of God. That first message was directed toward their consciences. The Lord pointed out that they lived in "panelled houses while [the Temple] lay in ruins" (Hag. 1:4). To their credit, the people obeyed the Lord and began again to work on the Temple. In the Lord's second message through the prophet Haggai, given here, He encourages the people in their work, and seeks to remove a source of discouragement to their work: the remembrance of the former glory of the Temple. "Whereas Haggai's first message addressed the people's unwarranted contentment with things as they were, his second message addresses the people's unwarranted discontent: the new danger that emerged as the work on the temple progressed. This message is a call to reject despondency, despair, and pessimism" [Kaiser, 262]. "In the first chapter of this prophecy, the nation needed a word directed to their consciences because of their coldness and indifference; now they stood in need of a word of cheer and comfort to strengthen their hands and purposes as they pursued the task in obedience to the Lord" [Feinberg, 242]. This message from the Lord is directed to the political and religious leaders of the people "Zerubbabel" and "Joshua", just as the first message was. However, this message is directed also to "remnant of the people" (see vs. 1). The previous message was an exhortation to begin building the Temple again, so the message was directed specifically to the leaders of the people who would be responsible for overseeing this work. The message in this chapter is a word of encouragement that needs to be heard by all those working on the Temple. The chapter begins: "On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 'Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, "Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?"'" (vss. 1-3). As He did in the previous prophecy, the Lord spoke to Haggai on a feast day. The "twenty-first day of the seventh month" was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (see Lev. 23:39-44). And so, again, the people would be gathering at the site of the Temple. This occasion for gathering at the Temple for the feast days, the first since the construction had begun, would invite comparisons of the current work to the former Temple, as the people inspected the progress made in building the new Temple. We know that when the remnant first returned to the promised land, there were some there who remembered the glory of the former Temple. When the ceremony was held at the laying of the foundation of the Temple, Ezra tells us that "many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former Temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this Temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy" (Ezra 3:12). In that passage, we see the great contrast in the emotions between those who were looking back to the glory of former days and those who were looking ahead in expectation of glory in the future. The Lord Himself honestly acknowledged that the remembrance of the former glory of the Temple could become a source of discouragement: "Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?" (vs. 3). Through the eyes of men, the new Temple would seem "like nothing" as compared to the former Temple. Such a comparison would naturally sow doubt in the minds of the people: "Is now really the right time to do this work? Are we properly prepared to do this work? Are we even worthy to undertake this work? Why do it if we cannot do it 'right'?" They, in their human eyes, saw the new Temple as a poor imitation of the former one, not realizing that it was God (not silver and gold) who brought the real glory to the former temple. Nothing that man could build would ever be worthy to be the house of God. Solomon himself realized this. When he dedicated the former Temple, he said: "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built?" (I Kings 8:27). And so, we must realize: it is not the estimation by human standards that makes any service to God great. It is the extent to which the ministry is obedient to God's will that makes it great. Many nowadays share the discouragement of the remnant. They look at other peoples' ministries, and compare it to the service that they are rendering to God, and become discouraged because their service does not seem to measure up in comparison: They are not touching as many people, or they are not taking in as many contributions, or their ministry is not growing as fast as another one. We should ask ourselves: "Does God measure success by these standards?" Is not the most important activity of any service to please God? Do we halt a ministry just because it's not the greatest one that ever existed? Or do we do the best that we can with the gifts and callings that God has given us, and serve Him according to His will, rather than for our ego? To bring an end to any despondency due to the comparison to the first Temple, the Lord assured them that they were serving Him according to His will: "'But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear'" (vss. 4-5). Rather than looking back to past glories, the people were to "Be strong... and work", with this great assurance: "'For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty." What more could we want? To know that God is "with" us in our service is the greatest reward and incentive that we could possibly receive. It is much better to serve God with a "struggling" ministry (by human standards), than to, without God's blessing, preside over the largest church in the world. Note again that the Lord asked them to "be strong... and work." True service of the Lord requires "work". It is not easy. Some think (incorrectly) that if they face any opposition in their service of God, if their work for the Lord is a struggle, that that means that it is not God's will. On the contrary, we are to "work", and to work hard for the Lord. We work hard to live in our "panelled" houses, why should we not also work hard to serve the Lord of the Universe? And where do we get our strength? Why, from the Lord, of course. He told the remnant: "Be strong... and work," and then quickly added: "For I am with you." The Lord asks us to be strong in our service for Him, but He also gives us the ability to carry out this command by being "with us." In the book of Zechariah, the Lord told the same people: "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty" (Zech. 4:6). "Without our Lord's presence and help, we do not have any strength or vitality. We dare not disconnect ourselves from our source of strength if we seek to carry on the work of God. The people were to be strong and to get on with the work because God was at work. Surely their Lord would equip them with enough energy to do what needed to be done, for in their weakness, as we have learned, God's power would be at its peak (see II Cor. 12:9; cf. Heb. 13:21)" [Kaiser, 264]. As proof that He was with them, the Lord cited the covenant promise, reminding the people of how He had been with them throughout their history: "'For I am with you,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'" The covenant that God made with the people of Israel when they "came out of Egypt" is summed up well in Ex. 29:45-46: "Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God." Evidence that God had kept thiscovenant was (and is) rife through the history of the people of Israel, and the people of Israel well knew it. And so, God reminded them of the fulfilled covenant promises of the past in order to strengthen their faith that He was still with them. "With the comforting and enabling assurances of God's presence, His ancient promise, and His Holy Spirit, was there any room for weakness, fear, or frustration?" [Kaiser, 265]. To further encourage the people in their work, and to put an end to any thoughts that what they were doing was futile, the Lord assured the people that the Temple they were working on would be filled with glory: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (vss. 6-9). These verses "are distinctly Messianic with a blending, as in so many other passages (like Zech. 9:9-10; Isa. 61:1-3 and Dan. 9:24-27), of the first and second comings of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel's King and Messiah" [Feinberg, 243]. By giving them a Messianic prophecy, the Lord was assuring the people that what they were doing was part of God's grandest plan: the sending of the Messiah to save the world. Though their work may have seemed (from human perspective) useless, modest, undignified, plain, it was an important part of God's eternal plan. Not only would the Temple be filled with glory, but also the glory would come directly from the Lord Himself: "'I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty." Silver and gold are fine, but they are not what will fill the house with glory. All silver and gold in the world is the Lord's, and He could at any time fill His house with silver and gold. But He promised greater things for this Temple: His Divine presence. "As the first temple was filled with the cloud of glory, the symbol of God, so this second temple was filled with the 'glory' of God vailed in the the flesh (as it were in the cloud) at Christ's first coming, when He entered the temple, and performed miracles" [JFB, 656]. After such encouragement, what a blessing it must surely have been to be working on the Temple of God, which eventually would be filled with His glory. And we also have the privilege of working on a Temple that is filled with the glory of God. Each and every one of us is a Temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us: "Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with you body" (I Cor. 6:19-20). Just as God could have lavished the Temple is Israel with gold and silver, so also, He could have bestowed upon you, His Temple, gold and silver. But He chose to give you greater riches: the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you; the privilege of being filled with His glory. May the Lord be praised! May our bodies be worthy Temples of the Holy Spirit, bringing glory and honor to Him. May His glory overflow out of our lives and touch the lives of all those around us. We praise You, Lord, for the great privilege of housing Your glory! =========================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 17, 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.]-Ed. Casting Off Cargo To save the ship, rich lading's cast away, Thy soul is shipwrecked if thy lusts do stay. OBSERVATION. ------------ In storms and distresses at sea, the richest commodities are cast overboard; they stand not upon it, when life and all is in jeopardy and hazard (see Jonah 1:5). The mariners cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. And, they cast out the very tacklings of the ship (see Acts 27:18,19). How highly soever men prize such commodities, yet reason tells them, it were better these should perish, than life. Satan himself could say, "Skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life" (Job 2:4). APPLICATION. ------------ And surely, it is every way as highly reasonable that men should mortify, cast out, and cut off their dearest lusts, rather than their immortal souls should sink and perish in the storm of God's wrath. Life indeed is a precious treasure, and highly valued by men: You know what Solomon saith, that "a living dog is better than a dead lion" (Eccl. 9:4). And we find men willing to part with their estates, limbs, or any outward comfort for the preservation of it. The woman in the gospel spent all she had on the physicians for her health, a degree below life. Some men indeed do much overvalue their lives, and part with Christ and peace of conscience for it; but he that thus saves it, shall lose. Now if life be so much worth, what then is the soul worth? Alas! Life is but "a vapour, which appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away," (James 4:14). Life indeed is more worth than all the world, but my soul is more worth than ten thousand lives. Nature teacheth you to value the first so high, and grace should teach you to value the second much higher (see Matt. 19:20). Now here is the case: Either you must part with your sins, or with your soul; if these be not cast out, both must sink together. "If ye live after the flesh, ye must die," (Rom. 8:13). God saith to you in this case, as to Ahab, when he spared Benhadad: "Because thou hast let go a man whom God hath appointed to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life" (I Kings 20:42). Guilt will raise a storm of wrath, as Jonah did, if not cast out. REFLECTION. ----------- And must sin or the soul perish? Must my life, yea, my eternal life go for it if I spare it? O then let me not be cruel to mine own soul in sparing my sin; O my soul, this foolish pity and cruel indulgence will by thy ruin: If I spare it, God hath said, He will not spare me (see Deut. 29:20). It is true the pains of mortification are sharp, but yet is easier than the pains of hell. To cut off a right hand, or pluck out a right eye is hard; but to have my soul cut off eternally from God is harder. Is it as easy (O my soul!) to burn for them in hell, as to mortify them on earth? Surely, it is "profitable for me, that one member perish, rather than that all be cast into hell" (Matt. 5:24). I see the merchant willing to part with rich wares if embarked with them in a storm. And those that have gangrened legs or arms, willingly stretch them out to be cut off to preserve life: And shall I be willing to endure no difficulties for my soul? Christ reckoned souls worth His blood: And is it not worth my self-denial? Lord, let me not warm a snake in my bosom, that will at last sting me to the heart. =========================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 7:13-20 ===================================== The Narrow Gate --------------- 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.." Jesus begins to bring His Sermon on the Mount to a close with some warnings concerning the difference between true and false discipleship. The first warning: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (vss. 13-14). There are two distinguishing characteristics given here of the road that "leads to life": it is narrow; and, only a few find it. It is narrow in that it requires the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the acceptance of His teachings, which have been presented in the Sermon on the Mount, as the rule of life. Those who are on the "broad" road which leads to the "wide" gate bow to any number of lords; and they accept as the rule of life any number of philosophical, moral and ethical teachings. They are even free to come up with their own standards of living (and indeed, many of them do). Since they are on the broad road, and since they believe that the broad road leads to life, one often hears them say (in direct contradiction of Jesus' words), "There are many ways to God; there are many ways to life." But what is the basis for this belief of theirs, that "there are many ways to God"? On whose authority have they assurance that this is true? We learn here, by the authority of Jesus Christ, as stated in the Word of God, that "small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life." There are not "many ways to God": there is only one way, and that is through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus stated unequivocally: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Elsewhere, He 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); then, to prove the truth of these words, He raised Lazarus from the dead. Anyone can utter the words, "I am the resurrection and the life"; Jesus proved that He was speaking the truth, proved that He indeed is "the resurrection and the life", by raising Lazarus from the dead. And so, given Jesus' proven authority to make these statements concerning the way to "life", we have no choice but to believe His words here concerning the way to "life": "Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life." So, you would do well to ask yourself: "Which road am I on?", for you must be on one road or the other; if you are not on the "narrow" road, then you are on the "broad" road. "If it be the right road, you will find the entrance somewhat difficult, and exceedingly narrow; for it demands self-denial, and calls for strictness of obedience, and watchfulness of spirit" [Spurgeon, 81]. "We may well tremble and be afraid, if our religion is that of the multitude. If we can say no more than this, that 'we go where others go, and worship where others worship, and hope we shall do as well as others at last,' we are literally pronouncing our own condemnation" [Ryle, 67]. The broad road is easy to find, and easy to stay on. No special navigation is required. Do nothing, and you are there. Moreover, the broad road is spacious. It easily accomodates you and all your baggage. Bring anything and everything with you; you will not be crowded out. The narrow road, on the other hand, does require navigation: you must seek to do the will of God; you must seek to follow your Lord Jesus Christ. It is His guidance that will help you find your way on the narrow road. And the road is narrow, so you must travel light. You can't make any progress on the narrow road while carrying a lot of the baggage of the world. And though the way may be more difficult on the narrow road, and though you won't have as much company on the narrow road--all your friends may choose the broad road--, the narrow road has a great advantage over the broad road: it "leads to life", whereas the broad road leads to "destruction". And is not the purpose of taking a road to get to the proper destination? When embarking on a journey, you do not choose a road primarily on the basis of how comfortable the road is. The primary requirement for the path you take is that it must lead you to the correct destination! "No man, in his wits, would choose to go to the gallows, because the way to it is smooth and pleasant, nor refuse the offer of a palace and a throne, because the way to it is rough and dirty; yet such absurdities as these are men guilty of in the concerns of their souls" [Henry, cited in Broadus, 173]. Wolves in Sheep's Clothing -------------------------- 15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." The second warning that Jesus gives, as He brings His Sermon on the Mount to a close, is: "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (vs. 15). "Alas! it is not enough that we have personally so much difficulty in finding the way to life, and that so many set us a bad example; there are others who deliberately attempt to lead us astray" [Broadus, 166]. But then again, since the way to life is narrow, and "only a few find it", it stands to reason that there would be many false prophets teaching the broad way. "Prophets" are those who speak in the name of God. In our day and age, it is the men of the pulpit, generally, who speak in the name of God. People by and large turn to men of the pulpit to learn the truth of God. Jesus tells us to "watch out for false prophets", warning us that not all those who pretend to speak in the name of God speak the truth. "This is a warning which is much needed. There are thousands who seem ready to believe anything in religion, if they hear it from an ordained minister... Their teaching must be weighed in the balance of Holy Scripture: they are to be followed and believed, so long as their doctrine agrees with the Bible, but not a minute longer" [Ryle, 68]. The task of watching out for "false prophets" is made more difficult because they come to us "in sheep's clothing", even though "inwardly they are ferocious wolves." They appear in the clothing of the most harmless of animals. "At first glance they use orthodox language, show biblical piety, and are indistinguishable from true prophets" [Carson, 191]. However, the false prophet is "not only not a sheep, but the worst enemy the sheep have, that comes not but to tear and devour, to scatter the sheep, to drive them from God and from one another into crooked paths" [Henry, cited in Broadus, 166]. And so, we must learn to tell the difference between "false prophets" and those speaking the truth of God, to tell the difference between false teaching and the the truth of God. Jesus gives us a way to detect those who are "false prophets": "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit" (vss. 16-18). In order to use this method of discernment, one must know what "good fruit" looks like. And in order to know what good fruit looks like, one must study the Word of God, which defines what good fruit is. "What is the best safeguard against false teaching? Beyond all doubt the regular study of the Word of God, with prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The Bible was given to be a lamp for our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105)... It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear" [Ryle, 68] The fruit of a tree clearly reveals what type of tree it is. Where I work, there are fruit trees in the parking lot. In the spring they blossomed, and the fragrance was beautiful. The fragrance reminded me of the orange blossom fragrance I used to smell from orange trees when I was a child. And so, I thought the trees were orange trees--until the fruit revealed that they were grapefruit trees. So also, we may be fooled by a false teacher for a time: we may be taken in by the blossom fragrance, so to speak. But when the fruit appears, we will know what type of teacher he is. Now, the fruit of a teacher consists of what that teacher says and does. It includes his words and actions, his teachings as well as the example he sets. Does his teaching conform to the sound doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Does he live a godly life, respecting and obeying the commandments of God? Is the goal of his teaching to glorify God, not himself? These are some of the questions you should ask, as you become "fruit inspectors". And yes, the onus is upon you to be a fruit inspector. "Let us remember this. Our minister's mistakes will not excuse our own. 'If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.' (Matt. 15:14)" [Ryle, 68]. In the end, through the perfect discernment of God, the false prophets are revealed: "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (vs. 19). "In words reminiscent of those of John the Baptist (see Matt. 3:10), [Jesus] reminds His hearers that people who run orchards do not put up with rotten trees" [Morris, 178]. And note well this: "It is not merely the wicked, the bearer of poison berries, that will be cut down; but the neutral, the man who bears no fruit of positive virtue must also be cast into the fire" [Spurgeon, 82]. "Interestingly, Jesus does not speak of what the tree does, but of what it does not do: in the last resort it is not the tree that actively bears bad fruit that is condemned, but one that fails to produce good fruit" [Morris, 178]. =========================================================== A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World ================================================= [With this study, we begin a new series that has the goal of increasing our love for God and the things of God, while decreasing our love for the world and the things of the world. This series will consist of three classic sermons by noted godly men of the past. In the first sermon (which will be reprinted in multiple parts over the next few months), Thomas Chalmers teaches that one's love for the world cannot be expelled unless it is replaced with love for a greater object: the love for God.]-Ed. The Expulsive Power of a New Affection, by Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) ------------------------------ 15"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (I John 2:15). There are two ways in which a practical moralist may attempt to displace from the human heart its love of the world-either by a demonstration of the world's vanity, so that the heart shall be prevailed upon simply to withdraw its regards from an object that is not worthy of it; or, by setting forth another object, even God, as more worthy of its attachment, so that the heart shall be prevailed upon not to resign an old affection which shall have nothing to succeed it, but to exchange an old affection for a new one. My purpose is to show that, from the constitution of our nature, the former method is altogether incompetent and ineffectual-that the latter method will alone suffice for the rescue and recovery of the heart from the wrong affection that domineers over it. After having accomplished this purpose, I shall attempt a few practical observations. Love may be regarded in two different conditions. The first is when its object is at a distance, and then it becomes love in a state of desire. The second is when its object is in possession, and then it becomes love in a state of indulgence. Under the impulse of desire, man feels himself urged onward in some path or pursuit of activity for its gratification. The faculties of his mind are put into busy exercise. In the steady direction of one great and engrossing interest, his attention is recalled from the many reveries into which it might otherwise have wandered; and the powers of his body are forced away from an indolence in which it else might have languished; and that time is crowded with occupation, which but for some object of keen and devoted ambition, might have drivelled along in successive hours of weariness and distaste-and though hope does not always enliven, and success does not always crown this career of exertion, yet in the midst of this very variety, and with the alternations of occasional disappointment, is the machinery of the whole man kept in a sort of congenial play, and upholden in that tone and temper which are most agreeable to it. Insomuch, that if, through the extirpation of that desire which forms the originating principle of all this movement, the machinery were to stop, and to receive no impulse from another desire substituted in its place, the man would be left with all his propensities to action in a state of most painful and unnatural abandonment. A sensitive being suffers, and is in violence, if, after having thoroughly rested from his fatigue, or been relieved from his pain, he continue in possession of powers without any excitement to these powers; if he possess a capacity of desire without having an object of desire; or if he have a spare energy upon his person, without a counterpart, and without a stimulus to call it into operation. The misery of such a condition is often realized by him who is retired from business, or who is retired from law, or who is even retired from the occupations of the chase, and of the gaming table. Such is the demand of our nature for an object in pursuit, that no accumulation of previous success can extinguish it-and thus it is, that the most prosperous merchant, and the most victorious general, and the most fortunate gamester, when the labour of their respective vocations has come to a close, are often found to languish in the midst of all their acquisitions, as if out of their kindred and rejoicing element. It is quite in vain with such a constitutional appetite for employment in man, to attempt cutting away from him the spring or the principle of one employment, without providing him with another. The whole heart and habit will rise in resistance against such an undertaking. The else unoccupied female who spends the hours of every evening at some play of hazard, knows as well as you, that the pecuniary gain, or the honourable triumph of a successful contest, are altogether paltry. It is not such a demonstration of vanity as this that will force her away from her dear and delightful occupation. The habit cannot so be displaced, as to leave nothing but a negative and cheerless vacancy behind it-though it may so be supplanted as to be followed up by another habit of employment, to which the power of some new affection has constrained her. It is willingly suspended, for example, on any single evening, should the time that wont to be allotted to gaming, require to be spent on the preparations of an approaching assembly. The ascendant power of a second affection will do what no exposition, however forcible, of the folly and worthlessness of the first, ever could effectuate. And it is the same in the great world. We shall never be able to arrest any of its leading pursuits by a naked demonstration of their vanity. It is quite in vain to think of stopping one of these pursuits in any way else, but by stimulating to another. In attempting to bring a worldly man intent and busied with the prosecution of his objects to a dead stand, we have not merely to encounter the charm which he annexes to these objects-but we have to encounter the pleasure which he feels in the very prosecution of them. It is not enough, then, that we dissipate the charm by a moral, and eloquent, and affecting exposure of its illusiveness. We must address to the eye of his mind another object, with a charm powerful enough to dispossess the first of its influences, and to engage him in some other prosecution as full of interest, and hope, and congenial activity, as the former. It is this which stamps an impotency on all moral and pathetic declamation about the insignificance of the world. A man will no more consent to the misery of being without an object because that object is a trifle, or of being without a pursuit because that pursuit terminates in some frivolous or fugitive acquirement, than he will voluntarily submit himself to the torture, because that torture is to be of short duration. If to be without desire and without exertion altogether is a state of violence and discomfort, then the present desire, with its correspondent train of exertion, is not to be got rid of simply by destroying it. It must be by substituting another desire, and another line or habit of exertion in its place-and the most effectual way of withdrawing the mind from one object, is not by turning it away upon desolate and unpeopled vacancy-but by presenting to its regards another object still more alluring. These remarks apply not merely to love considered in its state of desire for an object not yet obtained. They apply also to love considered in its state of indulgence, or placid gratification, with an object already in possession. It is seldom that any of our tastes are made to disappear by a mere process of natural extinction. At least, it is very seldom that this is done through the instrumentality of reasoning. It may be done by excessive pampering-but it is almost never done by the mere force of mental determination. But what cannot be thus destroyed, may be dispossessed-and one taste may be made to give way to another, and to lose its power entirely as the reigning affection of the mind. It is thus that the boy ceases, at length, to be the slave of his appetite, but it is because a manlier taste has now brought it into subordination-and that the youth ceases to idolize pleasure, but it is because the idol of wealth has become the stronger and gotten the ascendancy-and that even the love of money ceases to have the mastery over the heart of many a thriving citizen, but it is because drawn into the whirl of city politics, another has been wrought into his moral system, and he is now lorded over by the love of power. There is not one of these transformations in which the heart is left without an object. Its desire for one particular object may be conquered; but as to its desire for having some one object or other, this is unconquerable. Its adhesion to that on which it has fastened the preference of its regards, cannot willingly be overcome by the rending away of a simple separation. It can be done only by the application of something else, to which it may feel the adhesion of a still stronger and more powerful preference. Such is the grasping tendency of the human heart, that it must have a something to lay hold of-and which, if wrested away without the substitution of another something in its place, would leave a void and a vacancy as painful to the mind, as hunger is to the natural system. It may be dispossessed of one object, or of any, but it cannot be desolated of all. Let there be a breathing and a sensitive heart, but without a liking and without affinity to any of the things that are around it; and, in a state of cheerless abandonment, it would be alive to nothing but the burden of its own consciousness, and feel it to be intolerable. It would make no difference to its owner, whether he dwelt in the midst of a gay and goodly world; or, placed afar beyond the outskirts of creation, he dwelt a solitary unit in dark and unpeopled nothingness. The heart must have something to cling to-and never, by its own voluntary consent, will it so denude itself of all its attachments, that there shall not be one remaining object that can draw or solicit it. (We will continue (D.V.) this sermon in the next issue.) =========================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 4:9-16 ======================================= The Advantages of Fellowship ---------------------------- 9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 11Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Solomon, in the previous section, related a story about "a man all alone" who had "neither son nor brother" (Eccl. 4:8). This man was working himself to death, with no heirs to enjoy his wealth. He was greedy and lonely. He himself didn't even understand why he did what he was doing. He lamented: "For whom am I toiling?" Solomon concluded: "This too is meaningless--a miserable business!" (Eccl. 4:8). That episode about a "man all alone" leads to Solomon's next subject: "Two are better than one" (Eccl. 4:9). Very early in the history of man, God declared: "It is not good for the man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18). "If it was 'not good' in Paradise, much less is it in a wilderness world" [Bridges, 90]. "Ties of union, marriage, friendship, religious communion, are better than the selfish solitariness of the miser" [JFB, 523]. Fellowship would have greatly solved the problem of greed and loneliness related in Solomon's previous episode. If the man were not all alone, others would have been benefiting from his work, so his toil would not have been merely an exercise of greed. And also, his toil would not have seemed futile, since others would have also enjoyed the fruits of his labor. Solomon, here in Eccl. 4:9-16, points out other advantages that are a natural result of fellowship. First, "two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work" (vs. 9). There are very few endeavors in life that are performed more efficiently with one hand than with two. In nearly everything we do, we must ask at one time or another, "Hey! Could you give me a hand with this?", or even, "Hey! Can I bounce an idea off you?..." One receives support, encouragement, ideas, an extra hand from a partner. Then also, "if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" (vs. 10). We can take this literally, as two who are journeying upon a road; we can also apply this to our spiritual life: "If one falls down, his friend can help him up." In our spiritual journey, also, "two are better than one". When we are tempted, we can receive from a godly friend the strength to overcome temptation; when we stumble, we can receive the rebuke of a godly friend to get us back on track. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He sent them "two by two" (see Luke 10:1). There is a special power in the prayers of two together, for Jesus promised: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them" (Matt. 18:18-19). There is also in fellowship physical protection from the elements: "Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" (vs. 11). I'm reminded in this verse about Jack London's great Klondike stories. Two who would travel together had more than twice the chance of survival in the frozen north. The two would sleep under the same blanket to keep warm. Also, the presence of two would keep the wolves away at night. In our heated houses, this advantage is largely lost these days. However, the final advantage in fellowship mentioned here does hit home: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (vs. 12). It is a wicked world out there. There is safety in numbers. Two can walk in safety where one alone would be open to attack. A bond of three together is all the more stronger. So, indeed, we see the wisdom of God in advocating fellowship with one another. The Meaninglessness of Power and Fame ------------------------------------- 13Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. 14The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. 16There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. In this section, Solomon tells a story about a king and his successor. Through this story, Solomon addresses something else that men believe will give them a happy, fulfilling life: power and fame. As when Solomon addressed human wisdom (1:11-18), frivolous pleasure (2:1-3), achievement through great projects (2:4-11), and human toil (2:18-26), Solomon finds that power does not bring happiness and fulfillment, but rather is "meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (vs. 16). Solomon begins by setting the value of wisdom over the value of age and power: "Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning" (vs. 13). Solomon here states the importance of staying level-headed when put in a position of power. In essence, Solomon is warning us that "Power corrupts". The suggestion is that at one time, the "old" and "foolish" king would take the advice of the wise, but now, after being in power for awhile, he "no longer knows how to take warning". Though not explicit, Solomon implies that calamity will follow the loss of wisdom through the seduction of power. It is better to stay "poor but wise", than to become "an old but foolish king". Solomon, in this matter, could speak from experience. He himself was a wise young king, who became "old but foolish", and "no longer knew how to take warning." After the dedication of the Temple, God promised Solomon: "As for you, if you walk before me in integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel for ever, as I promised David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' But if you or your sons turn away from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples" (I Kings 9:4-7). Tragically for Solomon, he failed to keep his part of the bargain: "As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done" (I Kings 11:4-6). The result of Solomon's turning from the True and Living God to false gods was calamity for Solomon. The Lord told Solomon: "So the LORD said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son" (I Kings 11:11-12). And so, Solomon became the "old, but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning." In addition to ignoring the Lord's warning at the dedication of the Temple, Solomon ignored a warning in the Law of God that specifically spoke to his situation: "King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, 'You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.' Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love" (I Kings 11:1-2; see also Ex. 34:16; Deut. 7:3-4). The seduction of sin led to Solomon's loss of wisdom. The absolute power that he held as king of Israel gave him the opportunity to practice his sin unhindered. As he practiced his sin unhindered, he no doubt started to believe that he was invincible, that his sin would not lead to dire circumstances because, after all, he was the King of Israel, chosen by God. But sin always has dire consequences; and continued sin will always lead to disaster. Those who are in a position of power are especially susceptible to falling into sin. Their pride, fed by power, often leads them to ignore warnings against sin. Since they are in positions of power, they can do what they want: sin is accessible to them. Brother, sister, if you are in a position of power, make a special effort to humble yourself before the Lord, and pray fervently that He keep you from temptation, for you are especially susceptible to sin. Solomon next addresses what happens when the "poor but wise youth" himself becomes a king: "The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (vss. 14-16). Having concluded that power without wisdom was worthless, Solomon also makes a case that power even with wisdom is "meaningless, a chasing after the wind." The wise youth begins his career from the humblest of beginnings, coming from "prison to the kingship" (reminiscent of Joseph), or from "poverty". At first, "all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor" (vs. 15). At first, the youth's subjects admired his wisdom, especially given his humble beginnings. But in the end, demonstrating that the accolades of the populous are fleeting, "those who came later were not pleased with the successor." In the end, kingly power, even with wisdom, is not enough to keep the allegiance of fickle men. The young wise man went "the way of the old king, not necessarily for his faults, but simply as time and familiarity, and the restlessness of men, make him no longer interesting. He has reached a pinnacle of human glory, only to be stranded there. It is yet another of our human anticlimaxes and ultimately empty achievements" [Kidner, 52]. Today's hero is tomorrow's bum. Even kingly power, with wisdom, does not yield lasting happiness and satisfaction. Solomon rightly concludes: "This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." In fact, even the King of Kings, the Lord of Glory, did not receive lasting respect from fickle men. When He walked the earth, He too came from poverty to the Kingship. He was respected as a wise Teacher,... for awhile. He treated all He met with love. He healed multitudes. He performed miraculous signs to prove He was worthy of Kingship, sanctioned by the Father. And yet the masses chose to put Him to death. Even then, He defeated death, rose from the dead to sit at the right hand of glory. He forgave His adversaries, even those who put Him to death, and now offers the gift of salvation to all men. And do people honor Him as king? Do they praise Him and thank Him for all He has done for us? Do they seek to live as He teaches they should live? Do they serve Him as Lord?