=========================================================== Scripture Studies: Vol. VII, No. 1 - February 2000 =================================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Zechariah 1:18-2:13 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 21, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 8:14-22 A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World, pt. 5 A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 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 - Zechariah 1:18-2:13 ========================================= The Second Vision: Four Horns, Four Craftsmen 18Then I looked up-and there before me were four horns! 19I asked the angel who was speaking to me, "What are these?" He answered me, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." 20Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. 21I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people." As we study the visions of Zechariah, we will see that the visions are closely related, and they present a unified picture of what will happen in the future to the people of Israel. In Zechariah's first vision, the angel of the Lord received a report from messengers that He sent out throughout the earth. The report said that the whole world was at rest and in peace. The Lord was very angry at the nations that felt secure and who persecuted the Israelites (see Zech. 1:15). Here in Zechariah's second vision, we find out what will happen to the secure nations who persecuted the Israelites: "Then I looked up-and there before me were four horns! I asked the angel who was speaking to me, 'What are these?' He answered me, 'These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem.' Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. I asked, 'What are these coming to do?' He answered, 'These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people.'" (vss. 18-21). In the Bible, and in the culture of that time, a "horn" (a bull's horn, or a ram's horn, not a musical instrument) was a symbol of strength, power and pride (see Ps. 75:4,5; Micah 4:13; Dan. 8:3,4). The strongest of a herd was always furnished with horns. In his second vision, Zechariah looked up and saw "four horns" before him. Zechariah, as was his style, helps us in the interpretation of the vision by asking a question: "What are these?" (vs. 19). The angel who was with Zechariah answered: "These are the horns that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem" (vs. 19). So, the "horns" represent the nations that scattered the Israelites out of the promised land. Some think that the reason there are "four" horns is that they represent the four world kingdoms that Daniel sees in his visions (see Daniel 7). Others, including myself, think that there are "four" horns to symbolize nations throughout the earth, coming from all four directions: north, south, east and west. This last interpretation is supported by the fact that later, in Zechariah's eighth and final vision, the Lord sends out "four" spirits to go throughout the earth, one to each direction (see Zech. 6:1-8). Next, "the Lord showed [Zechariah] four craftsmen." Again, for our benefit, Zechariah asked, "What are these coming to do?" (vs. 21). The angel answered: "These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head, but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations who lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people" (vs. 21). So, the thrust of the whole vision seems to be that for every enemy of the Israelites, God would provide a counteracting power to destroy it. This was one of God's first promises to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse" (Gen. 12:3). And God has been faithful to this promise. The nations that have persecuted the Israelites throughout history have come and gone. The Israelites remain. They were scattered by the Assyrians and Babylonians, but they returned to the land to rebuild the Temple. They were scattered again by the Romans in 70 A.D. Nevertheless, through the many years they were out of the promised land, the Israelites miraculously maintained their national identity, and have recently returned to the promised land to found again the nation of Israel. "Israel is indestructible. The bush may burn, but it cannot be consumed, because God has said: 'Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee.' (Jer. 30:11, AV)" [Baron, 51]. The Third Vision: Man with a Measuring Line 1Then I looked up-and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is." 3Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him 4and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. 5And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.' 6"Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north," declares the LORD, "for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven," declares the LORD. 7"Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" 8For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you-for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye-9I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. 10"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. 11"Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 12The LORD will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling." The third vision expands upon this statement in the first vision: "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: 'I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,' declares the LORD Almighty" (Zech. 1:16). Here in the third vision, Zechariah meets the man with the measuring line: "Then I looked up-and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, 'Where are you going?' He answered me, 'To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.'" (vss. 1-2). A "measuring line" was used to measure dimensions before construction, so as to determine the correct amount of materials needed to finish a construction project. In the first vision, when the Lord said that "the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem" (1:16), He was intimating that Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Here in this vision, the "man with the measuring line" is measuring Jerusalem "to find out how wide and how long it is", apparently to prepare to build a wall of protection around it. Another angel intercepts the man with the measuring line and says: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD, 'and I will be its glory within.'" (vss. 4-5). So, this second angel interrupts the man with the measuring line, and has a message from the Lord that such measuring is futile, for two reasons. First, Jerusalem will grow to be so large that building a wall around it will be impractical. Second, no wall will be needed around Jerusalem because the Lord Himself, in His glory, will reside there and protect it. In Zechariah's second vision, the Israelites were scattered; in this vision, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are too numerous to count. This vision must surely have been an encouragement to the remnant in Zechariah's time, who were attempting to rebuild the Temple. Jerusalem at that time was in a shambles. Here, in this vision, the Lord encourages the Israelites by telling them that Jerusalem will once again be a great city. More than that, Jerusalem will become a glorious city, filled with the glory of the Lord Himself. In the last fifty years, we have seen Jerusalem once again become a great city, in which the children of Israel once again reside. Moreover, we have recently seen evidence of God's protection over the children of Israel, through His miraculous protection of the nation of Israel from their many adversaries. This, however, is not the complete fulfillment of the prophecy made in this vision of Zechariah. That fulfillment is yet future, because the fulfillment of that prophecy requires that glory of the Lord-that is, their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ-be present in Jerusalem. As of now, the children of Israel still by and large reject their Messiah. As we will see in the next few verses, the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecies in this vision will come at a time when the children of Israel will realize that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Messiah. In the rest of the third vision of Zechariah, the Lord as Messiah addresses the children of Israel. This address contains great promises and prophecies concerning the Messiah, whom we know now to be the Lord Jesus Christ. First, the Lord exhorts the children of Israel to leave Babylon: "'Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,' declares the LORD, 'for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven,' declares the LORD. 'Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!'" (vss. 6-7). This exhortation is marvelous in its scope. It had application to the children of Israel during Zechariah's time, as well as to the children of Israel in times beyond Zechariah's time. It also has spiritual application for the children of God, at all times. In Zechariah's time, though Cyrus, the ruler of the conquered Babylon, allowed the children of Israel to return to the promised land, relatively few did return. Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us the reason: "When Cyrus had said this to the Israelites, the rulers of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the Levites and priests, went in haste to Jerusalem, yet did many of them stay at Babylon, as not willing to leave their possessions" [Josephus, Antiq., 11.8]. The Israelites had prospered in Babylon. They had made themselves at home, acquired possessions, lived as Babylonians, and thus they had no desire to return to God's promised land. Thus, God must exhort them: "Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north." We also should heed this exhortation. Babylon, throughout the Bible, is a type of the world and the world system. Many of us, like the Israelites, find ourselves entrenched in Babylon, living as Babylonians, prospering by worldly terms, and reluctant to return to the promised land of God. "Believers are altogether out of their place when they are mixed up with the world, so as to identify themselves with its God-forgetting tastes, pleasures, and pursuits" [JFB, 666]. The Lord exhorts us too, to "flee from the land of the north." He tells us: "Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" In Zechariah's vision, the Lord tells the Israelites to flee Babylon and the land of the north for their own good, for He is ready to punish those nations: "For this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'After He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you-for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye-I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me'" (vss. 8-9). This passage is referring to future times. The Messiah is speaking of the time when He will punish the enemies of Israel. This passage is amazing in the accuracy of what it implicitly prophesies about the Messiah. First, this passage contains Trinitarian theology. The Messiah, who is speaking, is called the "LORD Almighty" ("For this is what the LORD Almighty says..."), but then the Messiah speaks of being sent by the "LORD Almighty" ("...Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me"). So, we have the Messiah, who is called "the LORD Almighty", being sent by "the LORD Almighty." This would be a great mystery, if we weren't already schooled in the doctrine of the Trinity. Our Lord Jesus Christ, we know, was indeed sent by our Father in heaven. Also, this passage speaks subtly of the Messiah coming twice. The Lord says: "After He has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you..." After His first coming, the Messiah was "honored" by God. He was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father (see Heb. 1:3). In His second coming, the Messiah will be sent "against the nations that have plundered [the Israelites]." This passage also prophesies that the Israelites will accept the Messiah at His second coming. The Lord says that after He has raised His hand against the enemies of Israel, "then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me." The prophecies continue in this vision: "'Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,' declares the Lord. 'Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling'" (vss. 10-13). Here we have prophesied that, through Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Gentiles will be accepted as children of God: "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people." Paul speaks of this in Ephesians: "Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called 'uncircumcised' by those who call themselves 'the circumcision' (that done in the body by the hands of men)-remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ... For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord... This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:11-13;18-21;3:6). Then also, once again, this passage prophesies that the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, will be accepted by the children of Israel as their Messiah: "I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you" (vs. 12). This is something that Christians should be reminded of. The Lord is not finished with Israel. It is prophesied in both the Old and New Testament that the children of Israel will accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah. They will be our brothers in Christ. Their rejection of Christ as Messiah is temporary. Paul emphasizes this: "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'" (Romans 11:25-27). The prophecies in the book of Zechariah are, you must agree, amazing. They are so accurate concerning Jesus Christ, His mission, the events of His coming, and the theology of the New Testament, that those who study this book cannot but be convinced that this is the Word of God. Who else but God would know these things hundreds of years in advance of their occurrence? Indeed, we praise You, O Lord, for Your perfect Word. We thank You that You have given it to us, so that we may be sure, through the fulfilled prophecies concerning Your Son, that indeed You sent Him to save us from our sins. Bless us as we study Your Word. Help us, by Your Spirit to understand it in truth, and interpret it accurately. In the name of Jesus, whom You sent to save us, we pray these things, Amen. =========================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 21, 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. - God's Sovereignty Over Prosperity Doth trading fail, and voyages prove bad; If you cannot discern the cause, 'tis sad. ------------------------------------------ OBSERVATION. ------------ There are many sad complaints abroad (and, I think not without cause) that trade fails, nothing turns to account. And though all countries are open and free for traffic, a general peace with all nations, yet there seems to be a dearth, a secret curse upon trading. You run from country to country, and come losers home. Men can hardly render a reason of it; few hit the right cause of this judgment. APPLICATION. ------------ That prosperity and success in trade are from the blessing of God, I suppose few are so atheistical, as once to deny or question. The devil himself acknowledges it: "Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land" (Job 1:10, AV). It is not in the power of any man to get riches: "Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth" (Deut. 8:18, AV). It is His blessing that makes good men rich, and His permission that makes wicked men rich. That maxim came from hell, Quisque fortunae suoe faber: Every man is the contriver of his own condition. Certainly, "the good of man is not in his own hand" (Job 11:16, AV). "Promotion cometh not from the east nor the west" (Ps. 76:6-7, AV). This being acknowledged, it is evident that in all disappointments, and want of success in our callings, we ought not to stick in second causes, but to look higher, even to the hand and disposal of God. For whose it is to give the blessing, His also it is to withhold it. And this is as clear in scripture as the other: It is the Lord that takes away the fishes of the sea (see Hos. 4:3; Zeph. 1:3). "It is He that curseth our blessings" (Mal. 2:3, AV). This God doth as a punishment for sin, and the abuse of mercies; and therefore in such cases we ought not to rest in general complaints to, or of one another, but search what those sins are that provoke the Lord to inflict such judgments. And here I must request your patience, to hear a plain, and close word of conviction. My brethren, I am persuaded these are the sins among many others, that provoke the Lord to blast all your employments: 1. Our undertaking designs without prayer. Alas! How few of us begin with God, interest Him in our dealings, and ask counsel and direction at His mouth! Prayer is that which sanctifies all employments and enjoyments (see I Tim. 4:5). The very heathen could say, A Jove principium: They must begin with God. O that we had more prayers, and fewer oaths! 2. Injustice and fraud in our dealings. A sin to which merchants are prone, as appears by this expression: "The merchant uses dishonest scales; he loves to defraud" (Hos. 12:7). This is that which will blast all your enjoyments. 3. An over-earnest endeavor after the world. Men make this their business: they will be rich. And hence it is, they are not only unmerciful to themselves, in wearying and wasting their own spirits with carking cares, but to such also as they employ; neither regarding the souls or bodies of men, scarce affording them the liberty of the Lord's day, (as has been too common in our Newfoundland employments), or if they have it, yet they are so worn out with incessant labours, that that precious time is spent either in sleep or idleness. It is no wonder God gives you more rest than you would have, since that day of rest hath been no better improved. This overdoing hath not been the least cause of our undoing. 4. Lastly, our abuse of prosperity, when God gave it, making God's mercies the food and fuel of our lusts. When we had affluence and confluence of outward blessings, "this made us kick against God" (Deut. 33:15), "forget God" (Deut. 4:14), yea, grow proud of our strength and riches (Ezek. 16:13 and Jer. 2:31). Ah! How few of us in the days of our prosperity, behaved ourselves as good Jehoshaphat did? "He had silver and gold in abundance, and his heart was lifted up in the way of God' commandments" (II Chron. 17:5-6), not in pride and insolence. REFLECTION. ----------- Are these the sins that blast our blessings, and wither our mercies? O then let me cease to wonder it is no better, and rather admire that it is no worse with me; that my neglect of prayer, injustice in dealings, earthly-mindedness, and abuse of former mercies have not provoked God to strip me naked of all my enjoyments. Let me humbly accept from the Lord the punishment of my iniquities, and lay my hand upon my mouth. And O that these disappointments might convince me of the creature's vanity, and cause me to drive on another trade for heaven; then shall I adore thy wisdom in rending from me those idolized enjoyments. Ah, Lord! When I had them, my heart was a perpetual drudge to them: how did I then forget God, neglect my duty, and not mind my eternal concernments! Oh, if these had not perished, in all probability I had perished. My God, let my soul prosper, and then a small portion of these things shall afford me more comfort than ever I had in their greatest abundance. "A little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked" (Ps. 37:16). =========================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 8:14-22 ===================================== The Healing Power of Jesus -------------------------- 14When Jesus came into Peter's house, He saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on Him. 16When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." Matthew, by recounting some of the miracles that Jesus performed, continues to demonstrate that Jesus had the authority to say what He said in the Sermon on the Mount. This section begins with Jesus healing the apostle Peter's mother-in-law: "When Jesus came into Peter's house, He saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on Him" (vss. 14-15). Note first, parenthetically, that Peter was married. Some traditions claim that Peter was not married, yet the fact that he had a "mother-in-law" refutes this. In fact, it seems that Peter (whose Greek name was Cephas) sometimes took his wife on missionary journeys. Paul mentions this when he speaks of the rights of the apostles: "Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?" (I Cor. 9:5). When Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law, He "touched her hand." We saw in the previous section, that Jesus healed the centurion's servant without even coming near him. He spoke the word and the servant was healed, though he was far away. However, most of the time, there was some bodily contact between Jesus and the ones He healed. One reason for this is that Jesus responded to the amount of faith of the one making the request of Jesus. As we saw in the previous section, Jesus was going to visit the centurion's servant to heal him. But when the centurion convinced Jesus that his faith was such that he believed Jesus could heal his servant without visiting him, Jesus, after commending the faith of the centurion, healed the servant without visiting him. One problem with Jesus healing in this way is that people could claim that the healing was a coincidence. One might say, "Ah. The servant just happened to be cured that same day. Jesus had nothing to do with it." And so, another reason, quite possibly, that Jesus healed often by physical contact was so that there would be no doubt that the healing resulted from the power of Jesus. "Our Lord several times wrought miracles without touching, and even at a distance, as in the healing of the centurion's slave in the preceding verses; but He usually performed some act, such as touching the person, taking Him by the hand, etc., which would make it evident to all concerned that He was the cause of the miraculous cure" [Broadus 181]. The quick recovery of Peter's mother-in-law is notable: "He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on Him." We would have expected the fever to have left her weak, but the Lord healed perfectly, and completely. "She got up and began to wait on Him." There were no after effects of the fever. "In the case of Christ's miracles, it was with diseases as with the sea. After the storm there is a swell, before the sea sinks into a calm. But Christ reduced the fury of the sea by a word to perfect calm, as He did the rage of the fever to perfect health" [Wordsworth, in Broadus, 181]. It is quite beautiful that the hand that had been touched and healed by the Lord, immediately began to serve the Lord. "She got up and began to wait on Him." The best testimony to others of the work the Lord has done in your life is to serve Him. News of Jesus' healing power must have spread quickly: "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick" (vs. 16). The writers of the Gospels document in detail only a few of the numerous healings that Jesus performed. Every indication is that Jesus healed all those who came to Him. We find throughout the Gospels numerous summary statements, like the one here in vs. 16, that say that Jesus healed "all" the sick who were brought to Him (see also Matt. 4:24; Matt. 12:15; Matt. 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 4:40). We learn from this that Jesus healing power is absolute and unlimited: no illness was beyond His power to heal. Some of His healings even required the physical transformation of the healed individual, such as the healing of the shriveled hand (see Matt. 12:9-13). A visit of Jesus to a town must surely have been a remarkable event, to say the least, transforming the whole community. "The sun which had set upon an expectant crowd of miserable creatures, arose the next morning upon a city from which disease had fled" [Kitto, in Broadus, 181]. Jesus' healing of all who came to Him fulfilled, we are told by Matthew, a prophecy from the book of Isaiah: "This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases'" (vs. 17). Matthew here is citing Isaiah 53:4. In Isaiah 53, the writer prophesies the Messiah as the Suffering Servant. The verse that Matthew cites is part of a passage that tells how the Messiah will bear our sins and die for us: "Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-6). And so, by declaring that Jesus' healing ministry fulfills this passage, Matthew is teaching us that Jesus' healing ministry is closely related to His act of atoning for our sins by dying on the cross for us. We learn here of the connection between sin and sickness, atonement and healing. Though we cannot say, in most cases, that a particular sickness of ours is a result of a particular sin of ours, we can say that all sickness in the world is a result of sin in the world. Sickness was not a part of the original creation, but rather came to us when death came to us after the Fall of man. So then, Jesus' healing of all sicknesses and infirmities that were brought to Him looks forward to the time when, because of Jesus' death on the cross, the results of the Fall of man will be reversed. "Jesus' healing ministry is itself a function of His substitutionary death, by which He lays the foundation for destroying sickness" [Carson, 205]. "The healings anticipate the passion in that they begin to roll back the effects of the sins for which Jesus came to die" [Gundry, in Morris, 198]. "What He suffered in our stead made it right that we should be relieved, to some extent even in this life, and completely in eternity, of all the consequences of our sins." [Broadus, 182]. Indeed, we thank You Lord, for sending Your Son into the world for our sake, that He may reverse the effects of our sin, and lead us healthy and whole into eternal life in Your presence in heaven. May Jesus be glorified in our lives! May we publish abroad the wonderful gift that He gave us by dying for us: He died for us so that we may be cleansed and whole, forgiven from all our sins. In His name, we pray these things, Amen. =========================================================== A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World, pt. 5 ======================================================== [Here we continue our 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 this issue, we begin the second of these sermons. In the first sermon, Thomas Chalmers taught that our love for the world cannot be expelled unless we replace it with love for a greater object: the love for God. Here in the second sermon, Samuel Davies tells us why we should prefer things eternal to things temporal.]-Ed. Things Unseen to be Preferred to Things Seen by Samuel Davies (1724 -1761) ----------------------------- "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Cor. 4:18, AV). Among all the causes of the stupid unconcernedness of sinners about religion, and the feeble endeavours of saints to improve in it, there is none more common or more effectual, than their not forming a due estimate of the things of time, in comparison of those of eternity. Our present affairs engross all our thoughts, and exhaust all our activity, though they are but transitory trifles; while the awful realities of the future world are hid from our eyes by the veil of flesh and the clouds of ignorance. Did these break in upon our minds in all their almighty evidence and tremendous importance, they would annihilate the most majestic vanities of the present state, obscure the glare of earthly glory, render all its pleasures insipid, and give us a noble sensibility under all its sorrows. A realizing view of these would shock the libertine in his thoughtless career, tear off the hypocrite's mask, and inflame the devotion of the languishing saints. The concern of mankind would then be how they might make a safe exit out of this world, and not how they may live happy in it. Present pleasure and pain would be swallowed up in the prospect of everlasting happiness or misery hereafter. Eternity, awful eternity, would then be our serious contemplation. The pleasures of sin would strike us with horror, if they issue in eternal pain, and our present afflictions, however tedious and severe, would appear but light and momentary, if they work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. These were the views the apostle had of things, and these their effects upon him. He informs us in this chapter of his unwearied zeal to propagate the gospel amidst all the hardships and dangers that attend the painful discharge of his ministry. Though he bore about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus, though he was always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, yet he fainted not; and this was the prospect that animated him, that his "light affliction, which was but for a moment, would work out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Cor. 4:17). When we view his sufferings absolutely, without any reference to eternity, they were very heavy and of many years' continuance; and when he represents them in this view, how moving is the relation! (See II Cor. 11:23-29). But when he views them in the light of eternity, and compared with their glorious issues, they sink into nothing; then scourging, stoning, imprisonment, and all the various deaths to which he was daily exposed, are but light, trifling afflictions, hardly worth naming; then a series of uninterrupted sufferings for many years are but afflictions that endure for a moment. And when he views a glorious futurity, human language cannot express the ideas he has of the happiness reserved for him; it is "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." A noble sentiment! And expressed in the sublimest manner the language of mortals can admit of. It is glory, in opposition to affliction; a weight of glory, in opposition to light affliction; a massy, oppressive blessedness, which it requires all the powers of the soul, in their full exertion, to support; and in opposition to affliction for a moment, it is eternal glory; to finish all, it is a far more exceeding glory. What greater idea can be grasped by the human mind, or expressed in the feeble language of mortality! Nothing but feeling that weight of glory could enlarge his conception: and nothing but the dialect of heaven could better express it. No wonder that, with this view of things, "he should reckon that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed" (Rom. 8:18, AV). The apostle observes, that he formed this estimate of things, while he looked not at the "things which are seen, but at those which are not seen." By the things that are seen, are meant the present life, and all the things of time: all the pleasures and pains, all the labours, pursuits, and amusements of the present state. By the things that are not seen, are intended all the invisible realities of the eternal world: all the beings, the enjoyments and sufferings that lie beyond the reach of human sight; as the great Father of spirits, the joys of paradise, and the punishment of hell. We look on these invisible things, and not on those that are seen. This seems like a contradiction; but is it easily solved by understanding this act, described by looking, to be the act not of the bodily eye, but of faith and enlightened reason. Faith is defined by this apostle to be "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1, AV). And it is the apostle's chief design in that chapter, to give instances of the surprising efficacy of such a realizing belief of eternal, invisible things; see particularly Heb. 11:10, 13, 14, 16, 25, 26, 27. Hence to look not at visible, but at invisible things, signifies that the apostle made the latter the chief objects of his contemplations, that he was governed in the whole of his conduct by the impression of eternal things, and not by the present; that he formed his maxims and schemes from a comprehensive survey of futurities, and not from a partial view of things present; and, in short, that he had acted as an expectant of eternity, and not as an everlasting inhabitant of this wretched world. This he else where expresses in equivalent terms, "We walk by faith, and not by sight" (II Cor. 5:7). Further, he assigns a reason why he had a greater regard to invisible things than visible in the regulating of his conduct: "...for the things which are seen, are temporal, but the things which are not seen," says he, "are eternal." An important reason indeed! Eternity annexed to a trifle would advance it into infinite importance, but when it is the attribute of the most perfect happiness, or of the most exquisite misery, then it transcends all comparison: then all temporal happiness and misery, however great and long-continued, shrink into nothing, are drowned and lost, like the small drop of a bucket in the boundless ocean. My present design, and the contents of the text, prescribe to me the following method: I. I shall give you a comparative view of visible and invisible things, that you may see the trifling nature of the one, and the importance of the other. This I choose to do under one head, because by placing these two classes of things in an immediate opposition, we may the more easily compare them, and see their infinite disparity. And, II. I shall show you the great and happy influence a suitable impression of the superior importance of invisible to visible things would have upon us. [We will continue (D.V.) with Mr. Davies' study in the next issue.] =========================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 ======================================= The Unhappy Wealthy Man ----------------------- 1I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: 2God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil. 3A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man- 6even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place? Solomon has been writing, in the last few sections, about the inability of material things, in themselves, to bring satisfaction in life. He ended the previous section by telling us that it is God who enables us to enjoy our lot in life. And when God enables us to do so, then we can live a happy, fulfilled life. Solomon described such a man's life: "He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart" (Eccl. 5:20). Solomon here gives us an example of the opposite case: "I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: God gives a man wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil" (vss. 1-2). I believe that all of us have seen examples of this. We read in a newspaper or magazine of someone who has "wealth, possessions, and honor", and yet we read of how miserable his life is. "'Never judge a book by its cover,' goes the old saying, and men should never get confused about the true state of others' affairs by looking merely at their outward welfare. A man may possess wealth, honor, numerous children, long life, and virtually every outward good that anyone could possibly imagine; yet he can still be a very broken, dissatisfied, and unhappy person" [Kaiser, 80]. We see in our day and age the same thing that Solomon saw thousands of years ago. And such cases have been occurring countless times over and over in the intervening years. Why then do we still think that "wealth, honor and possessions" will bring us happiness? Solomon elaborates on the futility of the life in his example: "A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man-even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?" (vss. 3-6). Solomon argues that this wealthy, powerful man, even if he enjoys one of the greatest blessings of those in his culture-even if he has a "hundred children"-he would have been better off never having been born, and worse than that, he would have been better off if he had been stillborn. The crux of Solomon's argument is clear: what good are "wealth, possessions, honor, prosperity, a hundred children" if you aren't given the ability to enjoy them? "Despite the complete absence of identity and utter lack of experience of life, the stillborn has a huge advantage over the shattered man-the advantage of 'rest' or even 'pleasure' as the rabbis sometimes translated the word. To feel nothing, know nothing, experience nothing, [Solomon] deems preferable to the vexing pain of missing out on all the things that bring satisfaction" [Hubbard, 153]. And yet, how many of us envy the man with "wealth, possessions and honor", and pray to be like him? Should we not rather pray that God enable us to enjoy our lot? Concluding his argument with a forceful point, Solomon asks the rhetorical question: "Do not all go to the same place?" (vs. 6). As we have mentioned numerous times in our study of Ecclesiastes, Solomon throughout this book argues from a worldly point of view, as he seeks to find fulfillment and meaning in life. Eventually, all discussions concerning meaning and fulfillment in life must consider the afterlife. Death must always rear its head, because life itself is so fleeting. The worldly man believes that death brings nothingness. For him, there is no afterlife. And so, in Solomon's argument, the stillborn child is better off than the unfulfilled wealthy man, because the stillborn child goes directly to nothingness, while the unfulfilled wealthy man must suffer in life, and then die. His wealth does not do him any good in life, and it certainly will not do him any good in death. As Paul teaches: "For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (I Tim. 6:7). The main mistake of the unfulfilled wealthy man is that he seeks fulfillment and meaning in this world alone. He "misunderstands the fact that the earthly life has its chief end beyond itself; [his] failing to penetrate to the inward fountain of true happiness, which is independent of the outward lot, makes exaggerated and ungrateful demands on the earthly life" [Keil & Delitzsch, 307]. God does not enable him to enjoy his wealth, because he is so occupied with his material things that he gives no heed to God. For true fulfillment in life, for true happiness in life, he needs to follow the advice of Jesus: "Seek first [God's] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:33). Concluding Statements --------------------- 7All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied. 8What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others? 9Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 10Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he. 11The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? 12For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone? The first six chapters of Ecclesiastes contain a running discussion by Solomon concerning meaning and fulfillment in life. These verses conclude this discussion with a series of statements and rhetorical questions that touch on what Solomon has found in the course of this discussion. Solomon's conclusion is that he has found no conclusion. Using man's wisdom, Solomon could not discover the answer to finding meaning in life. At every turn was "meaningless"ness. Seeking material riches did not provide fulfillment: "All man's efforts are for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied" (vs. 7). Seeking wisdom did not provide fulfillment: "What advantage has a wise man over a fool? What does a poor man gain by knowing how to conduct himself before others?" (vs. 8). Even if we focus on what we have, rather than getting carried away with our desires, though this is "better", we remain unfulfilled: "Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (vs. 9). Solomon is spent. His argument has run its course. The answers are beyond him. "Whatever exists has already been named, and what man is has been known; no man can contend with one who is stronger than he" (vs. 10). He has found no benefit from his musings: "The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?" (vs. 11). The lesson Solomon has learned is that man, through his wisdom alone, cannot find the answers to meaning and fulfillment in life. "For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow?" (vs. 12). The answers must come from someone outside of life. Death nullifies any worldly advantage. The briefness of life, as compared to eternity, makes any worldly advantage meaningless. Any meaning found in life, therefore, must necessarily be connected to finding answers concerning what is beyond this life: "Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?" (vs. 12). The One who has eternity in His hands, is also the One who can tell us "what is good for a man in life." For what we do in this brief life, affects our destiny in eternity. If we ignore in this life the Lord of the Universe, who holds eternity in His hands, He will ignore us in eternity. On the other hand, if we seek Him in this life, seek to do His will in this life, seek to obey His commands in this life, He will not only give us fulfillment and meaning in this life, He will bring us into a glorious eternity in His presence after this life in concluded. May the Lord be praised!