=========================================================== Scripture Studies: Vol. VII, No. 10 - Dec. 2000/Jan. 2001 ========================================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Zechariah 9:1-8 Character of a Spiritual Leader, pt. 3, by Horatius Bonar New Testament Study - Matthew 9:35-10:4 A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World, pt. 14 A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 10:1-11 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. 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Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers =========================================================== Old Testament Study - Zechariah 9:1-8 ===================================== Judgment on Phoenicia --------------------- 1An Oracle: The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus-for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD- 2and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful. 3Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. 4But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire. 5Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. 6Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. 7I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. 8But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch. With this chapter, we begin the third major section of the book of Zechariah. The first section, chapters 1 through 6, consisted of Zechariah's visions concerning Israel. The second section, chapters 7 and 8, primarily consisted of an answer by the Lord to a question posed by the Bethelites concerning fasting. The third section, chapters 9 through 14, consists of two oracles. The first oracle (chapters 9 through 11) speaks primarily of the Lord's judgment on Israel's enemies. The second oracle (chapters 12 through 14) speaks primarily of the Lord's disciplinary judgment upon Israel herself. Both oracles, by and large, speak of events future to Zechariah. However, many events described in these oracles are now in the past to us. In other words, many of the prophecies in these oracles have been fulfilled. So, as we study how some of the prophecies in these oracles already have been fulfilled, our faith is naturally strengthened that as yet unfulfilled promises, from these pages, will be fulfilled. Both oracles have been given the same title, translated here "An Oracle". This translation does not convey as much as the actual Hebrew word conveys. The actual word also has the sense of "burden" (as it is translated in the King James Version). The sense of "burden" is appropriate, for these oracles speak of judgment. The first oracle begins by speaking of the judgment upon Phoenicia/Syria: "The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus-for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD- and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful. Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire. Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch" (vss. 1-8). Much of the prophecy in verses 1 through 8 has been fulfilled. Many commentators (including myself) believe that the fulfillment of this prophecy of judgment upon the cities of Phoenicia and Syria was fulfilled when Alexander the Great marched down through these lands on his way to Egypt. Zechariah here tells us that the Lord had His hand in these conquerings of Alexander: "The word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach and will rest upon Damascus-for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD-and upon Hamath too, which borders on it, and upon Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful" (vs. 1-2). The most surprising aspect of these prophecies of Zechariah for those who heard them at the time was probably the prophecy concerning Tyre: "Tyre has build herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire" (vss. 4-5). Tyre was considered invincible at that time. She had been besieged before, yet not conquered. The Assyrians besieged Tyre for five years, unsuccessfully. Then later, Nebuchadnezzar besieged for thirteen years, unsuccessfully. During Nebuchadnezzar's siege, the entire city moved to an island about a half mile off the coast. Thus, here, Zechariah acknowledges that Tyre "was very skillful". By moving to an island, Tyre had "built herself a stronghold". Not only had Tyre moved to an island, but she had surrounded the city on the island with a double wall that was 150 feet high [Moore, 140]. She had also, through commerce, become very prosperous. As Zechariah says: "She has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets." But it is a foolish thing to trust in one's own riches, strength or skill. We can never be totally secure in our own riches, strength or skill. The Lord had marked Tyre out for destruction, and Alexander the Great was the human agent who carried out the Lord's judgment. Alexander began a siege, but after a few months, grew impatient. He then struck upon the idea of building a causeway out to the island city. He used the remains of Tyre's own mainland buildings to construct the causeway, and succeeded in conquering Tyre. The destruction of Tyre had a chilling effect on the neighboring cities: "Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither" (vs. 5). And indeed, Alexander went on to conquer these cities, as prophesied by Zechariah: "Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. Foreigners will occupy Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines" (vs. 6). After verse 6, there seems to be a shift in the prophecy to the end-times, and the ultimate judgment of idolaters in Syria, together with the conversion of those who remain alive after the judgment: "I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become leaders in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites" (vs. 7). This shift of time in the midst of the prophecy may seem puzzling, but we often see this happen in Biblical prophecy. Most notably, in prophesies concerning the Messiah, we see events in the first coming often juxtaposed with events in the second coming, though the fulfillments of these events actually occur thousands of years apart. It is difficult for us, not having the eyes of prophecy that Zechariah or Jeremiah or Isaiah had, to conceive how these prophecies were received by the prophets. They apparently saw events and heard the word of the Lord without entirely understanding all the details of what they were seeing and hearing. They did not always have a clear vision of the timeline of the fulfillment of the prophecies they described, and so as they wrote these prophetic visions down, often events from different eras merge into the same prophecy. "It is quite in keeping with the character of Old Testament prophecy that there is no perspective observed, nor clear indications given of pauses and intervals... Like the traveller who from a great distance beholds a whole mountain range as one mountain, without discerning the different peaks, with the long valleys in between, so do the Old Testament seers often behold [events] without clearly discerning from their distant point of view the interval between [the events]" [Baron, 302]. In this case, there is one prophecy because, presumably, the judgment carried out by God through Alexander was but the commencement of the fulfillment of the entire prophecy given here. David Baron explains: "Here we are reminded once again that though the more immediate reference of the prophecy in this chapter was to Alexander's march and conquests, it looked on and merges into a more distant future. Koehler rightly points out that this 7th verse was not fulfilled by the deeds of Alexander, 'since neither the remnant of the Phoenicians nor the other heathen dwelling in the midst of Israel were converted to Jehovah through the calamities connected with his expedition.' On this ground this German scholar regards the conquests of Alexander as the commencement of the fulfillment, which was then continued through the calamities caused by the wars of succession-the conflicts between the Egyptians, Syrians, and Romans-until it was completed by the fact that the heathen tribes within the boundaries of Israel gradually disappeared as separate tribes, and their remnants were received into the community of those who confessed Israel's God" [Baron, 297]. Of consolation to the remnant who were, at the time of Zechariah's writing, rebuilding the temple, is the prophesied protection of the Temple: "But I will defend my house against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch" (vs. 8). Indeed, Alexander's marauding forces bypassed Jerusalem. Josephus, the ancient Jewish historian, claims that the deliverance of Jerusalem was the result of a dream Alexander had (see Josephus Antiquities XI:8:3-5). However, the ultimate fulfillment of this verse is, along with verse 7, yet future, for we know that the children of Israel were scattered once more by the Romans sixty years after the time of Christ. =========================================================== Character of a Spiritual Leader, pt. 3, by Horatius Bonar ========================================================= A Classic Study by Horatius Bonar (1809-1889) [Here, we continue a study that enumerates the character traits of great spiritual leaders. This study was written by Horatius Bonar, and is taken from the preface of a book that he edited by John Gillies called "Historical Collections of Accounts of Revival". Mr. Bonar came up with this list of character traits by looking at the lives of the people who lead the great revivals in history. In the first two parts of the study, Mr. Bonar looked at the following traits: 1. They were earnest about the work of the ministry; 2. They were bent upon success; 3. They were men of faith; 4. They were men of labour; 5. They were men of patience; 6. They were men of boldness and determination; 7. They were men of prayer; 8. They were men whose doctrines were of the most decided kind, both as respects law and gospel. In this part, Mr. Bonar concludes the list of character traits.]-Ed. Character of a Spiritual Leader - III ------------------------------------- 9. They were men of solemn deportment and deep spirituality of soul. Their lives and their lips accorded with each other. Their daily walk furnished the best attestation and illustration of the truth they preached. They were always ministers of Christ, wherever they were to be found or seen. No frivolity, no flippancy, no gaiety, no worldly conviviality or companionships neutralized their public preaching, or marred the work they were seeking to accomplish. The world could not point to them as being but slightly dissimilar from itself, or as men who, though faithful in the pulpit, forgot throughout the week their character, their office, their errand. Luther once remarked, regarding a beloved and much admired friend, "he lives what we preach." So it was with those much-honoured men, Stoddard, Shepard, Mather, Edwards, Tennent, and their noble fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life. We extract the following account of Tennent's life and doctrine from the pen of Prince, another of the glorious band. It will illustrate some remarks under the former head as well as this: "He did not indeed at first come up to my expectation, but afterwards exceeded it. In private converse with him, I found him to be a man of considerable parts and learning; free, gentle, condescending; and, from his own various experience, reading the most noted writers on experimental divinity, as well as the Scriptures, and conversing with many who had been awakened by his ministry in New Jersey, where he then lived, he seemed to have as deep an acquaintance with the experimental part of religion as any I have conversed with; and his preaching was as searching and rousing as ever I heard. "He seemed to have no regard to please the eyes of his hearers with agreeable gesture, nor their ears with delivery, nor their fancy with language; but to aim directly at their hearts and consciences, to lay open the ruinous delusions, show them their numerous, secret, hypocritical shifts in religion, and drive them out of every deceitful refuge wherein they made themselves easy with the form of godliness without the power. And many who were pleased in a good conceit of themselves before, now found, to their great distress, they were only self-deceived hypocrites. And though, while the discovery was making, some at first raged, as they have owned to me and others, yet in the progress of the discovery, many were forced to submit; and then the power of God so broke and humbled them, that they wanted a further and even a thorough discovery; they went to hear him, that the secret corruptions and delusions of their hearts might be more discovered; and the more searching the sermon, the more acceptable it was to their anxious minds... "And now was such a time as we never knew. The Rev. Mr Cooper was wont to say, that more came to him in one week in deep concern about their souls, than in the whole twenty-four years of his preceding ministry. I can also say the same as to the numbers who repaired to me. By Mr Cooper's letter to his friend in Scotland, it appears he had had about six hundred different persons in three months' time; and Mr Webb informs me, he had had in the same space about a thousand." We might swell out these remarks upon the characteristics of the ministry of that day, as illustrative of what a Christian ministry ought ever to be, and as in many respects exposing and rebuking its defects in our day, but we must not unduly protract our study. And, therefore, instead of any further comments of our own, we add a few quotations from Whitefield's Journals. The reader will see how they bear upon the preceding statement regarding the Christian ministry. "On Thursday, he preached the public lecture at the Old South. He had chosen another text, but it was much impressed on his heart, that he should preach from our Lord's conference with Nicodemus. A great number of ministers were present: and when he came to the word, 'Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things,' he says, 'The Lord enabled me to open my mouth boldly against unconverted ministers; to caution tutors to take care of their pupils; and also to advise ministers particularly to examine into the experiences of candidates for ordination. For I am verily persuaded the generality of preachers talk of an unknown and unfelt Christ; and the reasons why congregations have been so dead is because they have had dead men preaching to them. O that the Lord may quicken and revive them, for His own name's sake. For how can dead men beget living children? It is true, indeed, God may convert men by the devil, if He pleases, and so He may by unconverted ministers; but I believe He seldom makes use of either of them for this purpose. No, the Lord will choose vessels made meet by the operations of the blessed Spirit for His sacred use; and as for my own part, I would not lay hands [of ordination] on an unconverted man for ten thousand worlds. Unspeakable freedom God gave me while treating on this head. In the afternoon, I preached on the Common to about fifteen thousand people, and collected upwards of £200 for the orphan house. Just as I had finished my sermon, a ticket was put up to me, wherein I was desired to pray for a person just entered upon the ministry, but under apprehensions that he was unconverted. God enabled me to pray for him with my whole heart; and I hope that ticket will teach many others not to run before they can give an account of their conversion. If they do, they offer God strange fire.' "He preached on Monday at Westfield and Springfield, and on Tuesday at Suffield, to large audiences, and with his usual power. A little below Springfield, when crossing a bridge, he was thrown from his horse, and 'stunned for a while;' but was soon able to remount and proceed. At or near Suffield, he met with a minister, 'who said it was not absolutely necessary for a gospel minister to be converted;' meaning, doubtless, that though conversion was necessary for his salvation, it was not indispensable to his ministerial character and usefulness. This interview gave Whitefield a subject, 'I insisted much in my discourse upon the doctrine of the new birth, and also the necessity of a minister's being converted before he could preach Christ aright. The word came with great power, and a great impression was made upon the people in all parts of the assembly. Many ministers were present. I did not spare them. Most of them thanked me for my plain dealing. But one was offended; and so would more of his stamp if I was to continue longer in New England. For unconverted ministers are the bane of the Christian Church.' "He preached with good success at Milford on Monday morning, and with less at Stratford in the afternoon. He was still more restrained at Fairfield and Norwalk on Tuesday, when the weather was cold, snow had fallen, and his hearers were few. Yet he observed that some were affected, and believed the Lord never let him preach in vain. His ride to Stanford, on Tuesday evening, was dark and rainy. That night he was visited with a great inward trial, so that he was pained to the heart. He was somewhat dejected before he went out of his lodgings the next morning, and somewhat distressed for a text after he got into the pulpit. 'But at length the Lord directed me to one, but I looked for no power or success, being very low by my last night's trial. Notwithstanding, before I had preached half-an-hour, the blessed Spirit began to move on the hearers' hearts in a very powerful manner. Young, and especially many old people, were surprisingly affected, so that I thought they would have cried out. At dinner, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me again, and enabled me to speak with such vigour against sending unconverted persons into the ministry, that two ministers, with tears in their eyes, publicly confessed, that they had laid their hands on young men, without so much an asking them whether they were born again of God or not. After dinner, finding my heart much enlarged, I prayed, and with such power, that most in the room were put under concern. And one old minister was so deeply convicted, that, calling Mr Noble and me out, with great difficulty (because of his weeping) he desired our prayers; for, said he, "I have been a scholar, and have preached the doctrines of grace for a long time, but I believe I have never felt the power of them in my own soul." O that all unconverted ministers were brought to make the same confession.'" Such were the instruments. Such were the mighty things accomplished by them in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord. In the different awakenings, there were doubtless many things which proclaimed the frailty and imperfection of the agency through which the Holy Spirit wrought His mighty signs and wonders. There were things to remind man that the treasure was in earthen vessels. These revivals were not without their blemishes. There might be errors, there might be imprudencies, there might be excitement, there might be physical emotion; but still, notwithstanding all that may be spoken against them, the hand of God was manifestly there, awakening, deepening, extending, carrying forward the mighty movement by which the walls and bulwarks of the prince of darkness were, in many of his strongest fastnesses, shaken to their deepest base. The Lord gave the word, and great was the company of those who published it, as well as of those who received and obeyed it. Nothing was to be seen but a faithful minister of Christ, surrounded by a small band of praying ones, leading on the array against the prince of darkness! There was no pomp, no display, no artifice, no carnal attraction. Yet the ranks of darkness gave way before them, and multitudes owned the power of the simple yet resistless words that fell from their earnest lips! How could the world but wonder at such vast results, so disproportioned to the apparent cause? How could they but feel, if they did not confess, that all this was the doing of the Lord? As an illustration of how remarkably the work was of God and not of man, we quote without comment the following passages: "It is observable how, at this remarkable day, a spirit of deep concern would seize upon persons. Some were in the house, and some walking in the highway; some in the woods, and some in the field; some in conversation, and some in retirement; some children, and some adults, and some ancient persons, would sometimes on a sudden be brought under the strongest impressions, from a sense of the great realities of the other world and eternal things. But such things, as far as I can learn, were usually, if not ever, impressed upon men while they were in some sort exercising their minds upon the word of God or spiritual objects. And for the most part, it has been under the public preaching of the word, that these lasting impressions have been fastened upon them." "Presently upon this, a great and earnest concern about the great things of religion and the eternal world, became universal in all parts of the town, and among persons of all degrees and all ages; the noise among the dry bones waxed louder and louder; all other talk, but about spiritual and eternal things, were soon thrown by. The minds of people were wonderfully taken off from the world; it was treated among us as a thing of very little consequence. They seemed to follow their worldly business more as a part of their duty, than from any disposition they had to it. It was then a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ, in danger every day of dropping into hell; and what persons' minds were intent upon was to escape for their lives, and fly from the wrath to come. All would eagerly lay hold of opportunities for their souls, and were wont very often to meet together in private houses for religious purposes; and such meetings, when appointed, were wont greatly to be thronged. And the work of conversion was carried in a most astonishing manner, and increased more and more. Souls did, as it were, come by flocks to Jesus Christ. From day to day, for many months together, might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out of darkness into marvelous light. Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congregation was alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minister as they came from his mouth. The assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached; some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbours. Those amongst us that had formerly been converted, were greatly enlivened and renewed with fresh and extraordinary incomes of the Spirit of God; though some much more than others, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Many that had before laboured under difficulties about their own state, had now their doubts removed by more satisfying experience, and more clear discoveries of God's love." When man proceeds to the accomplishment of some mighty enterprise, he puts forth prodigious efforts, as if by the sound of his axes and hammers he would proclaim his own fancied might, and bear down opposing obstacles. He cannot work without sweat, and dust, and noise. When God would do a marvelous work, such as may amaze all heaven and earth, He commands silence all around, sends forth the still small voice, and then sets some feeble instrument to work, and straightway it is done! Man toils and pants, and after all effects but little: the Creator, in the silent majesty of power, noiseless yet resistless, achieves by a word the infinite wonders of omnipotence! In order to loose the bands of winter, and bring in the verdure of the pleasant spring, He does not send forth His angels to hew in pieces the thickened ice, or to strip off from the mountain's side the gathered snows, or to plant anew over the face of the bleak earth, flowers fresh from His creating hand. No. He breathes from His lips a mild warmth into the frozen air; and forthwith, in stillness, but in irresistible power, the work proceeds; the ice is shivered, the snows dissolve, the rivers resume their flow, the earth awakes as out of sleep, the hills and the valleys put on their freshening verdure, the fragrance of earth takes wing and fills the air-till a new world of beauty rises in silence amid the dissolution of the old! Such is God's method of working, both in the natural and in the spiritual world: silent, simple, majestic, and resistless. Such was the reformation! Such were the revivals in Scotland under our fathers of the covenant! Such was the Kirk of Shotts on that memorable Pentecost, when the unstudied words of a timid, trembling youth, carried salvation to five hundred souls. Such was Ayr in its Pentecostal days, when from the lonely church at midnight, there went up to heaven the broken sighs of that man of prayer, John Welsh. And such was Northampton in later times, when Edwards watched and prayed for its citizens, and when, from the closet of that holy man, there went forth the living power that wrought such wonders there! "And is the Lord's hand shortened that it cannot save, or is His ear heavy that it cannot hear?" (Isa. 59:1). (This concludes Mr. Bonar's study) ---------------------------------- - =========================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 9:35-10:4 ======================================= From Hearers to Doers --------------------- 35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." 10:1He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. Matthew, by way of introducing the next section, again summarizes Jesus' ministry: "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness" (vs. 35). Note again the three activities that comprised Jesus' ministry: "teaching", "preaching", and "healing". His service was focused, and meaningful. Jesus tirelessly carried out His service. His service to His Father was His life. And He did not perform the works of service rotely. He served because He cared for those whom He served: "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (vs. 36). Compassion is a godly trait. In fact, compassion is the first trait that the Lord Himself names as He describes Himself to Moses: "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,..." (Ex. 34:6). Let us not underestimate the magnitude of the blessing of having a Lord that feels compassion for us. We do not have a Lord, as agnostics may tell you, that is aloof and apart from His creation. But we have a Lord, who not only sees all that is happening, but also feels compassion for those who are in trouble, who are downhearted, who are lost. Moreover, since our Lord lived as a man, He knows what it is like to be a man, and to experience what men experience. Thus, He is all the more able to feel true compassion. Seeing Jesus' compassion reminds us that, if we have the mind of Christ, we will also feel compassion for the "harassed and helpless." "The man who does not feel for the souls of all unconverted persons can surely not have the mind of Christ" [Ryle, 93]. Now, compassion, being a feeling, is not something that can be commanded. I cannot say to you: "Have compassion!" Rather, compassion must be cultivated. Praying for others is a great way to cultivate compassion. As you pray, put yourselves in the place of those you are praying for. Feel their needs. In this case, Jesus' compassion on the people was due to the fact that they were "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (vs. 36). Jesus, in all likelihood, was concerned for the lack of spiritual leadership for the people. We have seen in the last few studies how Jesus Himself was "harassed" by the spiritual leaders of the day. In the midst of His good works, Jesus was called a blasphemer (see Matt. 9:3), was chastised for associating with sinners (see Matt. 9:11), was denigrated for not observing man-made ritual fasts (see Matt. 9:14), and was accused of being in league with the devil (see Matt. 9:34). Now, if the Lord of the Universe was "harassed" by the spiritual leaders, most certainly the ordinary people were as well. The people had it worse, though, because they not only were "harassed", but also "helpless". Their spiritual leaders were not actually leading them. The spiritual leaders were not giving sufficient spiritual guidance or instruction. Thus, the people were "like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus brought this to the attention of His disciples: "Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field'" (vss. 37-38). Jesus seems to be speaking this to His disciples in general, not just to the twelve disciples. Note well that Jesus' first request of His disciples concerning the "harassed and helpless" is prayer: "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." Jesus does not, at first, seek workers to send out. Rather, He tells His disciples to pray that workers would be sent out. Jesus speaks first to what is most important in evangelism: not the sending out of a few, but prayer by all. Don't underestimate the value of prayer in this area: "By prayer we reach Him, without whom work and money are alike in vain: we obtain the aid of the Holy Ghost.-Money can pay agents; universities can give learning; bishops may ordain; congregations may elect: but the Holy Ghost alone can make ministers of the Gospel, and raise up lay workmen in the spiritual harvest, who need not be ashamed" [Ryle, 93-94]. It is significant and instructive that Jesus spent a whole night in prayer before choosing His Twelve Disciples (see Luke 6:12,13). Jesus' times were not unique with respect to the plenteousness of the harvest. Indeed, we could say today, in fact, anytime or anywhere: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." The number ready to hear and respond to the gospel was great then, and is great now. Do not underestimate this fact. "It is surely due to lack of spiritual insight that we fail to realize how much men are hungering for God; we are apt instead to judge hastily by cold or hostile exteriors and talk of hardness of soil and need of plowing and planting, when our Master sees crop wasting for lack of reapers" [Griffith Thomas, 137]. The prayer of verse 38 of chapter nine is answered in chapter ten. To answer the prayer that God "send out workers into His harvest field", Jesus "called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness" (vs. 1). Most of chapter ten consists of the instructions that Jesus gave to the Twelve disciples, as He sent them out to preach, teach and heal. But first, Matthew introduces to us the chosen Twelve disciples of Jesus: "These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him" (vss. 2-4). There were Twelve chosen because there are twelve tribes of Israel. Later in Matthew, Jesus tells the Twelve that they will "sit on twelve thrones" and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel (see Matt. 19:28). While Jesus instructed all of His disciples in chapter nine to pray that workers be sent out, here Jesus specially chooses twelve of them to be sent out. These were ordinary men in their occupations and stations, but they were extraordinary men in the zealousness for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We who are Christians are their children in the faith. Through them, the gospel was spread throughout the world. In chapter five, we were told that Jesus' "disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them" (Matt. 5:1-2). The teachings of Jesus to all of His disciples filled chapters 5 through 7 of this Gospel. Here in this chapter, Jesus turns the hearers into doers. Jesus is sending out twelve of those who heard His teachings to put His teachings into practice. For the true disciple of Jesus, there must be a transition from hearer to doer, from listener to servant. There is much work to be done in the kingdom of God. Brothers and sisters, if you are not yet a doer, ask that God would put you to work. Seek that method of service that God has ready for you to do. =========================================================== A Topical Study - Loving God vs. Loving the World, pt. 14 ========================================================= [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 resumes a multi-part study by Samuel Annesley, in which he examines, in detail, the greatest commandment. In this study, Mr. Annesley continues enumerating means to attain love to God.]-Ed. How May We Attain to Love God by Samuel Annesley (1620 -1696) ------------------------------- "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment'" (Matt. 22:37-38, AV). MEANS TO ATTAIN LOVE TO GOD (CONT.) ----------------------------------- In the previous sections, we looked at the inward means to attain love of God. Outward means for engaging our hearts to love God, are either directing or exemplary. 1. Directing-The only directing means is the word of God; but seeing you shall in the following sermons have particular directions about both hearing and reading of the word, I shall only hint these few things: (1.) Prize the word-Though our estimation of it will be exceedingly heightened by a further acquaintance with it, yet you will find it singularly advantageous to the inflaming of your hearts to get your hearts, as it were, graciously forestalled with the valuation of the word. When we can count the word sweeter than honey to the taste, better than gold for a treasure, more necessary than food for our sustenance (see Job 23:12), how can the soul choose but love God, whose love indited it? Shall filthy books provoke carnal love, and shall not the book of God provoke divine love? Endeavour to get but as spiritual a sense of divine truths, answerable to men's carnal lusts and feelings of other things: do but dwell upon truths till they affect you. Only here observe this necessary caution: Dwell not so upon difficulties as to hinder your further inquiry into things more easily understood, but wait in a course of diligence, and you will be able to master those difficulties which it seems next to impossible at first to fathom. Do but steer an even course between a careless neglect, and an anxious perplexity, about what you read or hear; and you will certainly attain a deep knowledge of the things of God, and a high measure of love to God. (2.) Set immediately upon the practice of those things which you shall be convinced to be your duty-Let not your affections cool upon any duty pressed upon you. Do something like that of Nebuchadnezzar. God revealed to him something of moment; he had lost the matter, and understood not the meaning; but was, as others thought, unreasonably importunate to recover both, so that presently, before the impression wore off, the heart went over (see Dan. 2:8ff). So, my brethren, fix the word by speedy practice. Though the seed of the word is long in growing to perfection, yet it presently takes root in order to grow. Were I, therefore, now exhorting you to repentance, and could bring you to no nearer a resolution than to repent tomorrow, my exhortation would be lost: so now, while I press you to love God, and demonstrate from scripture that it is your duty, offer you scripture-helps that may be effectual, provoke you with scripture-encouragements that may be overcoming, if you now put off all this till a fitter time, it is a thousand to one you put it off forever. Read this over again; and then think, "Why should not I now believe this? And how can I say I now believe it, if I do not now put it in practice? And how can I say I practise it, if I omit any one direction?" 2. Exemplary means-And here I shall give you as short a touch as may be of men, angels, and Christ Himself. We are much drawn by examples. Examples-they are not only arguments, but wings. They give us a demonstration that precepts are practicable. (1.) Men-Why should not we love God as well as ever Abraham did? God gives the word: "Abraham, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest; and offer him for a burnt-offering. And Abraham rose up early in the morning" etc. (Gen. 22:1-3). Had he not loved God, so far as the creature can love God, infinitely, every word would have been as a dagger to his heart. As if he had said: Abraham-I gave thee that name, from thy being "a father of many people" (Gen. 17:4), but now be thou the death of that seed which I intended to multiply. God seemed to change his name to Abraham, as Solomon named his son Rehoboam, "an enlarger of the people," who enlarged them from twelve tribes to two! Take now-No time to demur upon it. Thy son-So many years prayed for, and waited for. Thine only son-All the rest of thy children are not worth thy owning. Isaac-The son of thy laughter, now the son of thy sorrow. Whom thou lovest-More than ever father loved a child, and that upon several justifiable accounts. And get thee into the land of Moriah-Though no time to deliberate before thou resolvest, yet time enough for repentance before thou executest thy resolutions. And offer him there for a burnt-offering-It is not enough to give him up to be sacrificed by another, but thou thyself must be the priest to kill thy lovely child, and then to burn him to ashes. And Abraham rose up early, etc.-He quarrels not with God: "What doth God mean to give me such a command, as never to any one else in this world?" He consults not his wife: "O what will Sarah say?" He sticks not at what might expose religion: "What will the Heathen say?" You may well suppose great strugglings between nature and grace; but God seemed to press upon him with this question: "Dost thou love me or thy child most?" Abraham doth, as it were, answer, "Nay, Lord, if that be the question, it shall soon be decided, how and where thou pleasest." Another instance we have in Moses, if you will compare two or three scriptures: Moses,-at first he inquires of God, as we do of a stranger, "What is His name?" Upon God's further discovery, he begs more of His special presence; and upon God's granting of that, his love grows bold, and he said, "I beseech thee, show me Thy glory." Upon his finding God propitious, he begs that God would remove the cloud, and show him as much of His glory as he was possibly able to bear the sight of (Exod. 3:13; 33:15, 18). Take one instance more; and that is of Paul, who, thinking God might have more glory by the saving of many than by the saving of him, was willing to quit the happiness of salvation; for not the least grace, much less grace in the height of it, could possibly choose a necessity of hating and blaspheming God, which is the venom of damnation; but his love to God is greater than his love to himself; and so he will reckon himself happy without glory, provided God may be more glorified. And thus I have produced three examples,-of one before the law, one under the law, and one under the gospel. How will you receive it, if I shall venture to say-"We have in some respect more cause to love God than any, than all these persons put together"? What singular gleams of warm love from God they had more than we, are in some respects exceeded by the noon-day light and heat of gospel-love that we have more than they. What love-visits God was pleased to give them, are excelled by Christ's (as to them) extraordinary presence among us. What was to them a banquet is to us our daily bread. God opens the windows of heaven to us. God opens His very heart to us. We may read more of the love of God to us in one day, than they could in their whole life. (2.) Angels, that unweariedly behold the face of God (see Matt. 18:10)-They refuse nothing that may evidence their love to God. It is ordinarily the devil's work to be the executioners of God's wrath. It is said, "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them" (Psalm 78:49); but the good angels will not stick at it when God requires it: "The angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand" (II Kings 19:35). But now we have more cause to love God than the angels. God hath expressed greater love to us in Christ than He hath to them. "He took not hold of angels," etc. (Heb. 2:16 ); not any one of them received so much as the pardon of any one sin. God would not bear with them in so much as the least tittle. So soon as they ceased to love God with a perfect love, God hated them with a perfect hatred. And, for the blessed angels, "are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb. 1:14). But none of the saints are to minister to the angels in anything. How should we love such a Master! But I have a pattern to commend to you above the angels: (3.) Christ-And O that the mention of Christ's love to His Father might transport us! Though Christ did nothing but what pleased His Father (John 8:29). Christ suffered everything that might please Him (Phil. 2:8). Christ obeyed every command, endured every threatening that it was possible to endure, and that to the intensive extent of them; yet God dealt more hardly with Christ than ever He doth with any of us: "It pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief" (Isa. 53:10); whereas the church in the midst of her lamentations must acknowledge, "He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men" (Lam. 3:33), yet Christ prayed "that the world may know that Thou hast loved them, as Thou hast loved me" (John 17:23). Should not we then pray, and strive to love God, as near as it is possible, as Christ loved him? Christ had not one hard thought of God's severe justice; no, not when He endured what was equivalent to the eternal torments of the damned: and shall our love shrink at God's fatherly chastisements? Christ's love to God did not abate, while God poured out his wrath: and shall ours abate under medicinal providences? Whatever our outward condition is in this world, it is better than Christ's. Thus I have endeavoured to acquaint you what abilities are requisite, and how to attain them, that you may love God. =========================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 10:1-11 ======================================== Real Life 1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. 3Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is. 4If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest. 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: 6Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. 10If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. 11If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. As Solomon approaches the end of his writings in Ecclesiastes, he gives us in this chapter some words of wisdom concerning real life. And though, in this book, Solomon uncovered the shortcomings of worldly wisdom, nowhere does he advocate folly. On the contrary, Solomon well knew the dangers of folly. He begins: "As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor" (vs. 1). This carries on from the last thought in the previous chapter, where Solomon pointed out: "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good" (Eccl. 9:18). Solomon's observation is that it is far easier to be destructive than constructive, that it takes far less effort to ruin something than to create it. This, in fact, is a physical law in the universe (the Second Law of Thermodynamics), as well as a behavioral one. A sin can destroy much good; a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. Knowing this, we must guard our behavior very carefully, especially as Christians. How many times have you heard someone denigrate a Christian, saying something like, "Oh, he claims to be a Christian, but I saw him doing thus and so..."? It is important that we follow even the smallest of God's laws, because any violation that is witnessed by others harms our reputation. "A little folly is enough to produce immense mischief. The unguarded moment-the hasty word-the irritable temper-the rudeness of manner-the occasional slip-the supposed harmless eccentricities-all tend to spoil the fragrance of the ointment. The minor morals of the Christian code require strict attention" [Bridges, 234]. Note also that the better the ointment, the more liable it is to be spoiled by "dead flies". Solomon's ointment was perfume, so the "dead flies" were especially harmful. "The more excellent is the ointment, the sadder it is that so little a thing as dead flies should be allowed to spoil it... The more delicate the perfume, the more easily spoiled is the ointment. Common oil is not so liable to injury. So the higher a man's religious character is, the more hurt is caused by a sinful folly in him" [JFB, 537]. Solomon continues his observations on wisdom and folly: "The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left" (vss. 2). In that culture, the "left" represented the sinister, and so here, Solomon is telling us that the wise tend to do good, while the foolish tend to do evil. Moreover, a fool's stupidity is evident and can be discerned from afar: "Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is" (vs. 3). Next, Solomon warns against foolish behavior in the presence of authority: "If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest" (vs. 4). Solomon argues for using self-control, rather than storming off in a sort of righteous huff. Such righteous huffs have at their root usually more pride than righteousness. Self-control, or as Solomon puts it, "calmness" in the presence of a ruler's anger is a wise alternative to storming out in a righteous huff. "Calmness can lay great errors to rest." The ruler may be in error or yes, you yourself may be in error. In any case, self-control and calmness are called for, so that the error may be put to rest. This last verse speaking of rulers and errors must have brought to mind another type of injustice that Solomon had seen rulers commit: "There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves" (vs. 5-7). Solomon, in the book of Ecclesiastes, has much to say about the wisdom and folly of rulers. He understood the importance of wise rulers on this earth. Our well-being on earth, our prosperity and comfort have much to do with how wise our rulers are. Here, Solomon speaks of foolish favoritism shown by some rulers in choosing who to put in positions of leadership. Not always are the best choices made, and some rulers show their folly by putting "fools...in many high positions." Not many of us are put in the position of being the ruler of a country, but many of us are put in positions of leadership at our church or workplace. At our workplace, we must resist the temptation to advance others for reasons of foolish favoritism, rather than true ability. And then, "the evil is greatly increased, when the high stations of the Church are bestowed upon unworthy men, passing by men of God, sound in doctrine, and upright in heart." [Bridges, 242]. Next, Solomon has some words of wisdom concerning the hazards of everyday occupations: "Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer" (vss. 8-11). In everyday life, wisdom is especially important at work, because others depend on, and even pay for, your wisdom and skill at work. Wisdom is also important at work because, as Solomon points out, many occupations are hazardous. In fact, nearly all occupations have hazards to one extent or another, some more than others. Solomon is pointing out the hazards of work, not to discourage you to work, but to underscore the need for wisdom in everyday life. The hazards enumerated by Solomon can all be avoided by being wise and careful. If one constructs a "pit" wisely, and digs it with care, he will not "fall into it." In the middle east, snakes could be anywhere. If one who had to break a wall down did so with care, aware that a snake may be in the wall, he could avoid being bitten by the snake. There is a proper way to quarry stones and split logs, so as not to be injured by them. Those who are "accident-prone" usually only have themselves to blame. Most accidents, through proper preparation, with wisdom, can be avoided. One should also take the time to be properly prepared for work. If you are going to need your ax, make sure it is properly sharpened before you begin work. It takes wise planning to be properly prepared for work. The lazy man skirts planning; the wise man is always prepared for probable eventualities. It takes more time up front to be properly prepared for work, but proper preparation saves more time than it takes. And if the wise man should fall into a situation where he must use a dull ax, he realizes that "more strength is needed" and that "skill will bring success." In verse 11, Solomon warns against not having the patience to do a job properly: "If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer" (vs. 11). If the snake-charmer is too impatient, such that he fails to properly charm the snake, the on-lookers will not put money in his jar. It is nearly always better to allocate time to plan ahead before beginning work, so that a job will be done properly the first time. To rush into a job, without planning first, is to invite failure. Needless to say, not many of us are snake-charmers or quarrymen or ditch-diggers or log-splitters. Nevertheless, by analogy, we can apply these words of Solomon to our own occupations. I leave meditation upon this as an exercise for the reader.