Scripture Studies - Vol. VI; No. 4 - May 1999 ============================================= In this issue: Old Testament Study - Genesis 49:28-50:26 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 15, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 6:25-34 A Study for Young Christians - On Backsliding A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 Bibliography - Suggested Reading Postscript - God is in Control Footnotes ---------------------------------------------------- "Scripture Studies" is edited by Scott Sperling and published ten times a year by Scripture Studies, Inc., a non-profit organization. It is distributed all over the world by postal mail and via the internet free of charge. If you would like to financially support the publication and distribution of "Scripture Studies", send contributions to: Scripture Studies Inc. 20 Pastora Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 USA Contributions are tax deductible in the United States. 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, free of charge, send your request to the above address. or, via email to Scott Sperling at: ssper@aol.com Back issues are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ScriptureStudies.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. May God bless you as you study His Word. ====================================================================== Old Testament Study - Genesis 49:28-50:26 ========================================= The Death and Burial of Jacob ----------------------------- 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. 29 Then he gave them these instructions: "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites." 33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people. 50:1 Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. 4 When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh's court, "If I have found favor in your eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 `My father made me swear an oath and said, "I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of Canaan." Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.'" 6 Pharaoh said, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do." 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh's officials accompanied him--the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt-- 8 besides all the members of Joseph's household and his brothers and those belonging to his father's household. Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9 Chariots and horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company. 10 When they reached the threshing-floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly; and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. 11 When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of Atad, they said, "The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning." That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim. 12 So Jacob's sons did as he had commanded them: 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 `This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. 19 But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. --------------- Jacob, having blessed each of his sons (see Gen 48:15-49:27), now gives them instructions concerning his own burial. "Then he gave them these instructions: `I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and cave in it were bought from the Hittites'" (Gen. 49:29-32). Notice that Jacob gave very specific instructions to his sons for his burial. He didn't just say, "Bury me in the promised land." He told them exactly where. Jacob did not want just an empty promise from his sons. It was very important to Jacob to be buried with his forefathers Abraham and Isaac. The three patriarchs of the nation of Israel--indeed, of the people of God--are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our God is called, many times, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And so, it is fitting that these three patriarchs be buried together. After Jacob's death, these three belonged to the past, and yet, their burial together in the promised land pointed very much to the future. God had directly promised each of them--Abraham (see Gen. 15:!8), Isaac (see Gen. 26:3), and Jacob (see Gen. 28:13)--that their descendants would be given the promised land. And so, Jacob's desire to be buried in the promised land can be seen as Jacob staking a continued claim to the promised land. "When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people" (49:33). Note that the phrase "gathered to his people" did not refer to the burial of Jacob's body, but the afterlife of his soul. At this point, Jacob had not been buried. However, as soon as he died, he was "gathered to his people". And so, even those in Old Testament times knew that there is an afterlife. Moreover, they saw the afterlife (and the Bible affirms this here) as a time when the godly will be "gathered to [their] people", reunited with their loved ones. Joseph was greatly saddened by his father's death: "Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept over him and kissed him" (50:1). Joseph always considered himself more a son of Jacob, than a dignitary in Pharaoh's court. Next, we are given a glimpse of Egyptian burial customs: "Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days" (50:2-3). Joseph himself would see that Jacob's request concerning his burial was fulfilled. He appealed to Pharaoh to allow him and his people to go to Canaan to bury Jacob (see 50:4-5). Pharaoh's love for Joseph is once again apparent. He not only allows the sons of Jacob to go to Canaan, but also, to honor Jacob, he sends "the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt" (50:7). And so, with Pharaoh's full support and help, "Jacob's sons did as [Jacob] had commanded them: They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite, along with the field" (50:12-13). Then, "after burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father" (50:14). Significantly, this was the last time the direct sons of Jacob saw the promised land, "and ages of oppression are to roll on before their children see it."[1] As for Joseph himself, he had not been in the promised since he was sold into slavery as a teenager. One can well imagine that there was some desire on Joseph's part to remain in God's promised land. It must have been very difficult for him to return to Egypt. But, return he did: "After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father" (vs. 14). And the sons of Jacob were destined to return to Egypt: God had foretold it. Long before, God had prophesied to Abraham: "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years" (Gen. 15:13). After the brothers returned from burying their father, something quite amazing happened: "When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, `What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?' So they sent word to Joseph, saying, `Your father left these instructions before he died: "This is what you are to say Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly." Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.'" (vss. 15-17). We see here again the power of the conscience, and the long-lasting sting of guilt. "This sense of guilt after so long a time is very striking. The men were now getting on in years, and yet remained fully conscious of those early sins and were in dread of their consequences."[2] The brothers somehow got the idea that Joseph's restraint in punishing them was solely due to the presence of Jacob. So they invented fictional instructions (certainly these instructions of Jacob were their invention, for we have no record of Jacob ever acknowledging to his sons that he knew that the sons sold Joseph into slavery), ostensibly from Jacob to Joseph, that Joseph forgive the brothers (as if he hadn't already generously demonstrated his forgiveness). It seems they were measuring " Joseph by themselves, and thought that he was harboring resentment and only biding his time."[3] But Joseph's true feelings could be seen in his reaction to their message: "When their message came to him, Joseph wept" (vs. 17). Joseph wept in sympathy for the weight of conscience that his brothers were carrying. "His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. `We are your slaves,' they said. But Joseph said to them, `Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives'" (vss. 18-19). Note that Joseph gives two bases for his forgiveness: (1) "Am I in the place of God?" - As far as Joseph was concerned, it is God's place to deal with sin; (2) "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" - Joseph saw that God was working (even through their sin) everything for their good. This last basis is worth dwelling upon. Joseph saw the events of his life, not in relation to how they affected him through suffering, but how God's plan was accomplished through him. "Joseph renders his office subservient to the design of God's providence; and this sobriety is always to be cultivated, that everyone may behold, by faith, God from on high holding the helm of the government of the world."[4] Note well that Joseph's forgiveness did not only consist of withholding revenge, but also consisted of practicing love for them, thus proving he truly forgave them: "[Joseph said to them], `So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.' And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them'" (vs. 21). "It was a token of a solid and not a feigned reconciliation, not only to abstain from malice and injury, but also to `overcome evil with good,' as Paul teaches (Rom. 12:21) and truly, he who fails in his duty, when he possesses the power of giving help, and when the occasion demands his assistance, shows, by this very course that he is not forgetful of injury. This requires to be the more diligently observed, because, commonly, the greater part weakly conclude that they forgive offences if they do not retaliate them; as if indeed we were not taking revenge when we withdraw our hands from giving help... Therefore, we shall then only prove our minds to be free from malevolence, when we follow with kindness those enemies by whom we have been ill treated."[5] The Death of Joseph ------------------- 22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years 23 and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. 24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." 25 And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." 26 So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt. --------------- Here we have a summary of the rest of Joseph's life. From all appearances, he lived the last seventy or so years of his life in peace and tranquility... which I am sure was fine with him, given the turmoil of the first forty years of his life! But although Joseph lived in peace and tranquility in Egypt, and although he was a respected and prosperous man in Egypt, yet at the end of his life, he still looked ahead to the time when his people would return to the promised land: "Joseph said to his brothers, `I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob'" (vs. 22). "It is evident from his dying injunction, that he had not allowed himself to be so immersed with the politics, the honours, or the pleasures of a foreign and a heathen capital as to obliterate the memory of, or shake his faith in, the Divine promises to Israel."[6] Similar to Jacob, Joseph on his death-bed gave his family-members instructions concerning his burial: "And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, `God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place'" (vs. 25). Joseph desired to be buried in the promised land, as did Jacob, but Joseph looked ahead to the time when God would lead His people out of Egypt. It is significant that in Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith which enumerates the great acts of faith in the Old Testament, Joseph is remembered for these death-bed instructions: "By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones" (Heb. 11:22). Joseph had his eyes on the future, on what God would do for His people in the future, on how God would accomplish His purposes in the future, just as He accomplished His purposes throughout Joseph's life. The presence of Joseph's coffin, with his bones therein, were to be a constant reminder to the children of Israel of God's promises that they would return to the promised land. "Joseph being dead would yet speak, and in the days that were not far ahead of them the coffin would remind them of the glorious future and inspire them with hope and courage amidst present difficulties."[7] By the way, these instructions of Joseph were carried out, hundreds of years later. When the Israelites left Egypt, "Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, `God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place'" (Ex. 13:19). Then, after they had settled in the promised land, "Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem" (Josh. 24:32). This brings us to the end of our study in the Book of Genesis. I will let W.H. Griffith Thomas summarize this great book: "The value of this book is evident. It is in some respects the foundation of the Biblical revelation of God. It is the germ and explanation of everything that follows in the history of Divine redemption through the seed of the woman. It may almost be said that there is no truth in the Bible that is not found here in germ. Thus the seven great doctrines which form the warp and woof of the Bible are all in this book. (1) The Doctrine of God as Creator, Preserver, Law-Giver, Judge, Redeemer. (2) The Doctrine of Creation as the act and process of the Divine will, wisdom, and power. (3) The Doctrine of Man in his contact both with earth and heaven, a union of flesh and spirit in a twofold nature. (4) The Doctrine of the World as the sphere of the human race in its unity, variety, and divisions. (5) The Doctrine of Human Life, first as individual, then as social and in the family, then as tribal, and at length gradually developing into national life. (6) The Doctrine of Sin as the assertion of man's independence of God, his unwillingness to remain loyal to the Divine will, with the results of evil both negative and positive in the loss of holiness and fellowship with God, and the impossibility of rendering to God the obedience and glory due to His Name. (7) The Doctrine of Redemption, with the universe as its sphere, man as its subject, Divine grace as its source, the Covenant as its method, and the people of Israel as its repository and instrument. Redemption is found in promise and in symbol, and is prepared for by the onward march of Divine providence. When Genesis is carefully studied along these lines we readily see that it contains the promise and potency of that varied, prolonged, and complete development which we find elsehwere in the Bible."[8] Praise You, God and Father, for the all of the blessings we have received by studying this book. May we meditate and respond to all of the great lessons this book teaches us. Help us to grow by Your Spirit in knowledge of Your Word, so that it overflows into our lives, and makes us into what You would have us be, conformed to the likeness of Your Son Jesus Christ, through whom we pray these things, Amen. *(Next month, we will begin a study of the post-exilic prophets: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.)* ====================================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 15, 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 is in Control ----------------- *The seas within their bounds the Lord contains: * *He also men and devils holds in chains.* OBSERVATION. It is a wonderful work of God to limit and bound such a vast and furious creature as the sea, which, according to the judgment of many learned men, is higher than the earth; and that it hath a propension to overflow it is evident both from its nature and motion, were it not that the great God had laid His law upon it. And this is a work wherein the Lord glories, and will be admired. "Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth." (Ps. 104:9,11), which it is clear they would do, were they not thus limited. So Job 38:8,10,11: "Who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb, and brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said, `Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further'; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" APPLICATION. And no less is the glorious power and mercy of God discovered in bridling the rage and fury of Satan and his instruments, that they break not in upon the inheritance of the Lord, and destroy it. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee, and the remainder of wrath Thou shalt restrain" (Ps. 74:10), by which it is more than hinted that there is a world of rage and malice in the hearts of wicked men, which fain would, but cannot vent itself, because the Lord restrains or, as in the Hebrew, girds it up. Satan is the envious one, and his rage is great against the people of God (see Rev. 12:12). But God holds him, and all his instruments in a chain of providence; and it is well for God's people that it is so. They are limited as the sea, and so the Lord in a providential way speaks to them, "Hitherto shall ye come, and no further." Sometimes He ties them up so short that they cannot touch His people, though they have the greatest opportunities and advantages: "When they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, and strangers in it, when they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, He reproved kings for their sakes, saying, `Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm'" (Ps. 105:12-15). And sometimes He permits them to touch and trouble His people, but then sets bounds and limits to them beyond which they must not pass. This is a pregnant text to this purpose: "Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days" (Rev. 2:10). Herein, there are four remarkable limitations upon Satan and his agents in reference to the people of God: a limitation as to the *persons*, not all, but some; a limitation of the *punishment, *a prison, not a grave, not hell; a limitation upon them as to the *end*, for trial, not ruin; and lastly, as to the *duration*, not as long as they please, but ten days. REFLECTION. O my soul! what marrow and fatness, comfort and consolation mayest thou suck from the breast of this truth in the darkest day of trouble? Thou seest how the flowing seas drive to overwhelm the earth. Who has arrested it in its course, and stopped its violence? Who has confined it to its place? Certainly none other but the Lord. When I see it threaten the shore with its proud, furious, and insulting waves, I wonder it doth not swallow up all: but I see it no sooner touch the sands, which God hath made its bounds, but it retires, and, as it were, with a kind of submission, respects those limits which God hath set it. Thus the fiercest element is repressed by the feeblest things. Thou seest also how full of wrath and fury wicked men are, how they rage like the troubled sea, and threaten to overwhelm thee and all the Lord's inheritance; and then the floods of ungodly men make thee afraid, yet are they restrained by an invisible, gracious hand so that they cannot execute their purpose, nor perform their enterprise. How full of devils and devilized men is this lower world! Yet, in the midst of them all, hast thou hitherto preserved. O my soul, admire and adore that glorious power of God by which thou art kept unto salvation. Is not the preservation of a saint in the midst of such hosts of enemies as great a miracle, though not so noticable, as the preservation of those three noble Jews in the midst of the fiery furnace, or Daniel in the den of lions? For there is as strong a propension in Satan and wicked men, to destroy the saints, as in the fire to burn, or a lion to devour. O! then, let me cheerfully address myself to the faithful discharge of my duty, and stand no longer in a slavish fear of creatures, who can have no power against me but what is given them from above (see John 19:11), and no more shall be given than shall turn to the glory of God (see Ps. 74:10), and the advantage of my soul (see Rom. 8:28). ====================================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 6:25-34 ===================================== Do Not Worry ------------ 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 "So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." --------------- In this section, Jesus speaks on worry and anxiety. Jesus not only tells us why worry and anxiety are both unnecessary and futile, He also gives us a godly remedy for and an alternative to worrying, by which we shall gain, without worrying, the very objects about which we were worrying. Jesus ties this teaching to the previous section by beginning, "Therefore...". In that section, He warned us, "You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matt. 6:24). So here, by saying "Therefore...", He is saying that we cannot serve God if we are constantly in a state of worry, and that to worry is, in effect, to serve the god of Money. Jesus begins: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear" (vs. 25). As we study this teaching, we must remember that Jesus lived in a society where hunger was a much greater concern than it is now, for most of us who are reading this. So, if the command not to worry was appropriate then, it is even more so now. And yes, note this, Jesus is giving us a command: "Do not worry." Jesus' disciples are not to live a life of worry. It is a disservice to their Master. To worry is to belittle all the great things our Lord and Master has given us. Jesus next gives us some reasons why it is unnecessary to worry. First, He says: "Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (vs. 25). Jesus is making an argument from the greater to the lesser. God has given us the greater things, life and a beautifully created body, so He will also give us the lesser, food to sustain life and clothes to protect the body. "It is truly no small offense we do God, in not trusting Him to supply us with food and clothing, as though He cast us into the world without any heed. When a man is firmly persuaded that God clearly sees the state of our life--of which He is the Author--he will have no doubt that, in fact, He considers its necessities very well."[9] A second reason not to worry: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (vs. 26). Jesus now gives us an argument from the lesser to the greater. God provides for the lesser things--the birds of the air--and so He will certainly also provide for us, who are "much more valuable" to Him. "If it were firmly fixed in our minds that by God's hand nourishment is brought to the birds, it would be easy to take hope for ourselves, for we are founded on His image, and are reckoned among His sons."[10] Make no mistake: In the sight of God, in whose image we have been made, we humans (just as Jesus has said here) are "much more valuable" than the birds of the air, or any other living creature (contrary to the beliefs of many). We have been favored by God on earth. Look around! Which species has dominion over the earth? As David said, thanking God for man's dominion: "You made [man] ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds and beasts of the field; the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas" (Ps. 8:6-8). In the beginning, God commanded us to have dominion over the earth: "[F]ill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Gen. 1:28). Yet, despite this dominion over the animals that we have been given, we foolish humans must here be taught by them. "We behave so shamefully that a feeble sparrow must stand in the gospel as doctor and preacher of the wisest of men, and daily hold forth before our eyes and ears, teaching us to trust God, though we have the whole Bible and our reason to help us."[11] Jesus chooses wisely the example of the "birds of the air". Through them, we have an example of how God provides for His creatures. Even though birds have not been given the ability to "sow or reap or store away in barns", yet they are fed by God. But note well: God provides for the birds through the industrious labor of the birds themselves. Birds do not just sit around and wait for God to drop food into their mouths, but rather, they busily search for and gather their food. So also, God provides for us through the talents and the abilities He gives us, that we might work for our food and, in so doing, valuably contribute to society at the same time. Thus, the point of Jesus' teaching is not that we do not need to work for our sustenance, but that we need not worry about our sustenance because God will see that we have the opportunity to work for it. Jesus gives us yet another reason why we should not worry: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (vs. 27). Certainly, worry accomplishes very little. And far from lengthening our lives, as we know from today's medical sciences, worry is much more likely to shorten our lives. Implicit in all this teaching is that, as David realized, "My times are in Your hands" (Ps. 31:15). God will feed us, clothe us, and take us home when He chooses. Our worrying will not lengthen our lives. And we will not die until God has determined that our work in done. Jesus further teaches: "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?" (vss. 28-30). Jesus moves on to talk about worrying about clothing. Again, He uses an example from nature, "the lilies of the field", which God clothes with splendor greater than Solomon's. So again, we can learn from that which is much less valuable in the sight of God, that we too shall be clothed. I dare say that many more of us worry more about the "splendor" than the clothes themselves. And if worrying about clothes is wrong, certainly worrying about splendor is sinful. But God is gracious. He gives us not only clothes, but promises that we shall be clothed with "much more" splendor than the lilies of the field, and even with more splendor than Solomon in all his glory. We will receive the clothes here on earth, and the splendor in heaven, when we join our Lord to live in eternal glory. Jesus continues: "So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them" (vs. 31). Worry, Jesus suggests here, is unworthy of a Christian: it is a pagan activity. "As they see it, they must seek the supply of these necessities by their own efforts and out of their own resources. Anxiety is natural for them. But worry should not characterize God's children."[12] Pagans either see no God, or believe in an unconcerned God who sleeps in heaven. All the onus of life's responsibilities and troubles is upon themselves. We believe in a caring, loving God, who not only created us, but also remains concerned for us. He made all, and knows all, and so He can certainly help us through life's difficulties. He went to great lengths to reconcile us to Him, even sending His own Son to die for us, and so will He not also feed and clothe us? Again, God is not a God who is aloof and unconcerned about our welfare, for as Jesus says, "...Your heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]" (vs. 32). What a blessing! God knows our needs. He personally knows what each and every one of us needs. In fact, He knows what we need better than we do! God also knows what we *don't* need. I dare say it is in this that most of us have a problem with God's providence: when He denies us things that we don't really need. Next, Jesus gives us a remedy for worrying, a productive alternative to worrying: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (vs. 33). "Our Lord does not simply command us to avoid worldly anxiety, but gives us something positive to do instead, as a means of precluding it."[13] We are to replace worrisome fretting with an active pursuit of God's will. Let God do the worrying, you do the serving. By "first", Jesus does not mean "first in time", but "first in importance". "Jesus is clearly saying that the disciple's first and best effort is to be directed toward God's kingdom, not any personal needs."[14] If you are primarily occupied with seeking God's will and serving Him, you won't have time to worry about the others things. Jesus enumerates two things to "seek first": "His kingdom" and "His righteousness". These are almost synonymous. To seek "His kingdom" is to be submissive to God as King, seeking to do the things that He wills, as well as battling to expand His kingdom. To seek "His righteousness" is to obey His law completely, including the teachings on true righteousness given by Jesus here in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus concludes this section: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (vs. 34). This almost sounds like a worldly teaching, kind of a "Don't worry, be happy" philosophy. But Jesus' teaching, "Do not worry", is in the context of faith that God cares for us today, and will care for us in the future. Moreover, this life is full of trouble, and "each day has enough trouble of its own." Thus, to anticipate future troubles by worrying about them today is to double them. Blessedly, though troubles visit us daily, so does God. By His grace we will pass through the troubles of this life, enduring them, learning from them, being strengthened from the journey, until we enter into His kingdom and glory forever, where we will never again hunger or thirst, where we will be led to springs of living water, where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (see Rev. 7:16-17). May the Lord be praised! ====================================================================== A Study for Young Christians - On Backsliding ============================================= A Classic Study by Richard Baxter (1615-1691) --------------------------------------------- [Here we continue our reprint of Chapter 2 from Richard Baxter's classic tome *A Christian Directory*.15 This chapter consists of twenty directions to (as Mr. Baxter says) "young Christians or beginners in religion, for their establishment and safe proceeding." Though these studies were written specifically for "young" Christians, I think that you will find (as I have), there is much in here worthy of meditation also for those who have been walking with God for many years.]--*Ed.* Direction XVIII - On Backsliding -------------------------------- Watch diligently both against the more discernible decays of grace, and against the degenerating of it into some carnal affections, or something counterfeit, and of another kind. And so also of religious duties. We are no sooner warmed with the celestial flames, then natural corruption is inclining us to grow cold, like hot water, which loseth its heat by degrees unless the fire be continually kept under it. Who feeleth not that as soon as in a sermon, or prayer, or holy meditation, his heart hath got a little heat, as soon as it in gone, it is prone to its former earthly temper, and by a little remissness in our duty, or thoughts, or business about the world, we presently grow cold and dull again. Be watchful, therefore, lest it decline too far. Be frequent in the means that must preserve you from declining: when faintness telleth you that your stomach is emptied of the former meat, supply it with another, lest strength abate. You are rowing against the stream of fleshly interest and inclinations; and therefore intermit not too long, lest you go faster down by your ease, than you get up by labour. The degenerating of grace is a way of backsliding, very common, and too little observed. It is when good affections do not directly cool, but turn into some carnal affections somewhat like them, but of another kind: as if the body of a man, instead of dying, should receive the life or soul of a beast, instead of the reasonable, human soul. For instance: 1. Have you believed in God, and in Jesus Christ, and loved him accordingly? You shall seem to do so still as much as formerly when your corrupted minds have received some false representation of Him; and so it is indeed another thing that you thus corruptly believe and love. 2. Have you been fervent in prayer? You shall be fervent still, if Satan can but corrupt your prayers by corrupting your judgment or affections, and get you to think this corruption to be the cause of God; and get you to think those to be the troublers of the church, which are its best and faithfullest members, thus turning your prayers against the cause and people of God by your mistake: and you may pray as fervently against them as you will. The same I may say of preaching, or conference, and zeal: corrupt them once, and turn them against God, and Satan will join with you for zealous and frequent preaching or conference or disputes. 3. Have you a confidence in Christ and His promise for your salvation? Take heed lest it turn into carnal security, and a persuasion of your good estate upon ill grounds. 4. Have you the hope of glory? Take heed lest it turn into a careless venturousness of your soul, or the mere laying aside of fear and cautelous suspicion of yourselves. 5. Have you a love to them that fear the Lord? Watch your hearts, lest it degenerate into a carnal or a partial love. Many unheedful young persons of different sexes at first love each other with an honest, chaste, and pious love; but then imprudently, using too much familiarity, before they were well aware, the love hath turned into a fleshly love, which hath proved their snare and drew them further into sin or trouble. Then also, many have honoured them that fear the Lord, who insensibly have declined to honour only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honour, or that were esteemed for their parts or place by others, and little honoured the humble, poor, obscure Christians who were at least as good as they: forgetting that the "things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15), and that God valueth men not by their places and dignities in the world, but by their graces and holiness of life. Abundance that at first did seem to love all Christians, as such, as far as any thing of Christ appeared in them, have first fallen into some sect, and over-admiring their party, and have set light by others as good as them, and censured them as unsound, and then withdrawn their special love, and confined it to their party, or to some few; and yet they thought that they loved the godly as much as ever, when it was degenerate into a factious love. 6. Are you zealous for God and truth and holiness, and against the errors and sins of others? Take heed lest you lose it, while you think it doth increase in you. Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal: in how many thousands hath it turned from an innocent, charitable, peaceable, tractable, healing, profitable, heavenly zeal, into a partial zeal for some party, or opinions of their own; and into a fierce, censorious, uncharitable, scandalous, turbulent, disobedient, unruly, hurting, and destroying zeal, ready to wish for fire from heaven, and kindling contention, confusion, and every evil work. (Read well James 3). 7. So if you are meek or patient, take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by. To be patient is not to be merely insensible of the affliction; but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it, as overruled by things of greater moment. How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of religion, is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world. Throughout both the eastern and the western churches, (though the essentials of religion through God's mercy are retained, yet) how much is the face of religion altered from what it was in the days of the apostles! The ancient simplicity of doctrine is turned into abundance of new or private articles of religion: and alas! how many of them false! So that Christians, being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity, cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is, and who is to be esteemed a Christian; and so they deny one another to be Christians, and destroy their charity to each other, and divide the church, and make themselves a scorn by their divisions to the infidel world: and thus the primitive unity, charity, and peace is partly destroyed, and partly degenerate into the unity, charity, and peace of several sects among themselves. The primitive simplicity of worship is turned into such a mask of ceremony, and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise, that if one of the apostolical Christians should come among them, he would scarce think that this is the same employment which formerly the church was exercised in, or scarce know religion in this antic dress, so that the amiable, glorious face of Christianity, is so spotted and defiled, that it is hidden from the unbelieving world, and they laugh at it as irrational, or think it to be but like their own. The principal hinderance of the conversion of heathens, is the corruption and deformity of the churches that are near them, or should be the instruments of their conversion. And the probablest way to the conversion of those nations to the true reformation of the churches, both in east and west, is if they were restored to the ancient spirituality, rationality, and simplicity of doctrine, discipline, and worship, and lived in charity, humility, and holiness. And, as for those whose hearts and conversations are in heaven, with all worldly glory and honour as under their feet, they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes even of heathens and other infidels, that many would flock into the church of Christ, and desire to be such as they. Their light would so shine before these men that they would see their good works, and glorify their heavenly Father, and embrace their faith. The commonest way of the degenerating of all religions duties is into this dead formality, or lifeless image of religion. If the devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty, he will give you leave to seem very devout, and make much ado with outward actions, words, and deeds; and you shall have so much zeal for a dead religion, or the corpse of worship, as will make you think that it is indeed alive. By all means take heed of this turning the worship of God into lip-service. The commonest cause of it is a carnality of mind (fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly religion) or else a slothfulness in duty, which will make you sit down with the easiest part. It is the work of a saint, and a diligent saint, to keep the soul itself both regularly and vigorously employed with God. But to say over certain words by rote, and to lift up the hands and eyes, is easy: and hypocrites, that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of worship, do think to make all up with this formality and quiet their consciences and delude their souls with a handsome image. Yet run not here into the contrary extreme, as to think that the body must not worship God well as the soul, or that the decent and edifying determination of the outward circumstances of religion, and the right ordering of worship, is a needless thing, or sinful; or that a form of prayer in itself, or when imposed, is unlawful: but let the soul and body of religion go together, and the alterable adjuncts be used, as things alterable, while the life of holiness is still kept up. ====================================================================== A Study of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 ======================================= A Time for Everything --------------------- 1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. --------------- Having concluded that "everything is meaningless" from the standpoint of human wisdom (see Eccl. 2:23), Solomon began to consider that God has a direct and active role in man's existence and subsistence. Solomon observed: "A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?" (Eccl. 2:24-25). Here in chapter 3, Solomon continues to explore God's role in man's journey through life. Solomon notes that God has ordained things such that: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" (vs. 1). Solomon then goes on to list specifically the "activities" for which there is a "time" and "season" (see vss. 2-8). The word "time" used in verse 1 denotes a "fixed" or "appointed" time[16] (see Ezra 10:14 and Esth. 9:27,31 for other uses of the same word). Thus, Solomon is implying that God has ordained that each of us experience these things at their fixed and appointed time. We are not muddling about through the experiences of life at the mercy of blind chance, but rather according to the purposeful plan of a loving, caring God. "Solomon boldly argues the thesis that every action of man can be traced to its ultimate source, an all-embracing plan that is administered by God."[17] As stated, Solomon goes on to list specifically the "activities" for which there is a "time" and "season". These are the things of life. This is all of life summarized. He gives fourteen pairs of contrasts, grouped into seven pairs of pairs. In the Bible, the number seven often symbolizes completeness, and so here, we have, in these 7 pairs of pairs of activities, all of life summarized completely. Look at your life. Are you not in the midst of two, three, four of these activities right now? In his list, Solomon begins appropriately with life and death, which are the overriding activities of our existence: "A time to be born and a time to die" (vs. 2). "The very minute of every one's entry into this world, whether it be timely or [premature]; and likewise of their departure out of it by death, whether natural or violent, is from eternity fixed, and cannot fall out sooner or later than God hath appointed."[18] David says, speaking to God: "All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be" (Ps. 139:16). And Job: "Man's days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed" (Job 14:5-6). And so, indeed, our times are in God's hands (see Ps. 31:15). Now, we all are very conscious of the fact that we experienced "a time to be born". In fact, every year we celebrate our birthdays. But we should all be equally conscious of the fact that for each and every one of us, there will come "a time to die". The reason we should be conscious of this is that the most important decision in life has to do with our "time to die". We must all be careful of how we prepare for the afterlife, for the implications of how we prepare for the afterlife have eternal consequences. We are taught that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Heb. 9:27). Thus, each and every one of us should make sure he is prepared for that judgment. Now, if a man were sinless, if he always perfectly and unerringly lived his life in a way that pleased his Creator, he would not have to worry about the judgment that occurs after our "time to die". But for the rest of us, for we who have not always lived up to God's standards, we who have not always lived in a way that pleases God, we must worry about the judgment. For we who have not always pleased God in this life will, in justice, stand condemned in the judgment. But wait! God in His great mercy has provided a way for us to escape condemnation in the judgment, through a decision we make in this life. God sent His Son into this world. His Son lived a perfect life, unerringly pleasing to God, so His Son was not Himself under condemnation. God in His mercy to us allowed His Son to accept the condemnation that we deserve. God's Son died for us, so that, if we accept this gift of a sacrificial death, we may escape condemnation when we face the judgment. For this reason, we all must be conscious of our "time to die", in order that we may be prepared to face it without condemnation. We must accept from God the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. We must believe that "God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Solomon continues: "...a time to plant and a time to uproot" (vs. 2). Since Solomon in these verses is speaking of all of life, I believe that this statement speaks of more than planting crops for harvesting, but rather speaks of the great movements of our lives, of the times we decide to "plant" ourselves and settle to live someplace. The times of "planting" are very important, for they determine the environment in which we and our families will live. Thus, the decisions concerning when and where we will "plant" ourselves, and for that matter, when we will "uproot", must be made with fervent appeals to God's guidance, for such decisions greatly affect the course of our lives. There is also "a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build" (vs. 3). The word "kill" does not denote "murder", but rather justified killing. Yes, God has ordained that there is "a time to kill". There are times of war that are ordained by God. Then also, there are times when a society must put to death as a punishment those who have murdered. There is also "a time to heal". Of course, we should all do what we can to "heal" those who are sick around us. But since this statement is in opposition to "a time to kill", I believe that Solomon is in effect saying, "There is a time when we should seek to heal, even when we would be justified to kill." In other words, there are times when, instead of going to war (though we may be justfied to do so), we should seek to heal the relationship between countries so as to avoid war. Then also, there are times when, though a murderer deserves to die, we should show mercy. Such decisions, of course, require great wisdom and discernment. Again, appeals to God's guidance in such matters are greatly needful. Just as there is a time to kill and heal, so also there is "a time to tear down and a time to build" (vs. 3). This can speak of projects that are built and torn down. It can also speak of tearing down and building as applying to relationships. In context, I believe that the latter is what Solomon is referring to. He has just said there is a time to kill (as in a war), but there is a time when we should render a punishment short of killing ("to tear down"). Then also, there is a time to "build" a cooperative relationship. Speaking more personally, Solomon notes that there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance" (vs. 4). We all, in this fallen world, endure times of sadness; we all (thankfully) enjoy times of gladness. Solomon notes that these times of sadness and happiness come in degrees. At times we "weep", but in times of great sadness we "mourn". At times we "laugh", but in times of great joy, we "dance". There is also "a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain" (vs. 5). The first pair here seems to refer to different sorts of toil. When it was time to prepare for planting crops, stones in the soil would be scattered, thrown away from the area where the crops were to be planted. Then, when it was time to construct a building, stones would be gathered as building materials. The second pair refers to acts of love: "...a time to embrace and a time to refrain." There is a time to express love, and there is a time when physical expressions of love are inappropriate. These days, there is a real need for many people to have self-control and realize that there is "a time to refrain" from embracing. Concerning material possessions, Solomon notes that there is "a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away" (vs. 6). It seems we have more problems knowing when to "give up" and "throw away", than when to "search" and "keep". We always seem to be "searching" after some material desire. And when we gain these desires, we are very loathe to depart with them (just look in your garage and closets). We must also cultivate the ability to know when to "give up" seeking the things of this world, and to know what things are not worth "searching" for in the first place. We must also know when to "throw away" things that are spiritually, as well as physically harmful to us. Many times our material wants and possessions interfere with our relationship with God. When this happens, it is time to "give up" and "throw away". Next, Solomon seems to speak of interpersonal relationships: "...a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak" (vs. 7). Volumes could be written on the second pair of this set. "Great wisdom is required to know when, as well as what to speak."[19] Most of us, it seems, have problems knowing when to "be silent". Then again, we must also take care that we are not silent when we should speak. There are times that "all the Lord's people ought to observe, and make use of, wherein they cannot without sin be silent, as when they are called to give a testimony to known truth (see I Pet. 3:15), when they see their brother sin and have opportunity to rebuke him (see Lev. 19:17), when they see him in affliction and standing in need of a word of comfort from them (see I Thess. 4:18), and when those that have a call to speak publicly to the Lord's people are born down (see Mal. 3:16), and especially there are times of speaking to and instructing of those under their charge (Deut. 6:7). The Lord is to be depended upon for light to discern these particular seasons, and for the matter and manner of speaking in them (see Prov. 16:1)."[20] Finally, there is a "time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace" (vs. 8). The first pair concerns the deepest individual feelings, the second pair, the most extreme public actions. Note, as there is a "time to love", there is also "a time to hate". For the Christian, this hatred should not be a hatred felt towards individuals, as it is a hatred expressed for sinful actions. We, as God's people, should hate sin. The Psalmist exhorts: "Let those who love the Lord hate evil" (Ps. 97:10). Then also, there are times when "we will be called to carry ourselves, even toward those of our nearest relations as if we did hate them; to wit, by forsaking them for Christ when we cannot enjoy Him and them both." For Jesus spoke of the cost of being a disciple: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26). Having summarized the events of men's lives, Solomon next compares the human point of view with the heavenly point of view. First, when speaking from the human point of view, Solomon recalls words he wrote earlier in the book, when he was looking at all of life from the point of view of human wisdom: "What does the worker gain from his toil?" (vs. 9, recall also Eccl. 1:3), "I have seen the burden God has laid on men" (vs. 10, recall also Eccl. 1:13). And he is right. From a strictly human point of view, as men strive to find meaning in the things of the world, the contrasts and cycles of life that men endure are frustrating. But Solomon realizes that there is more than this world, and a deeper wisdom than human wisdom. When Solomon by inspiration of the Holy Spirit steps outside the human realm and reflects on the big picture, he realizes that "[God] has made everything beautiful in its time" (vs. 11). The "meaninglessness" of life from the human point of view has become "beauty" when God's plans and purposes are considered. Oh Lord, may we have the discernment to see life from Your point of view, and may we have the wisdom to recognize the beauty of Your plans and purposes as You work through our lives. ====================================================================== Bibliography - Suggested Reading ================================ Bibliography and Suggested Reading ---------------------------------- Baxter, Richard. *A Christian Directory*. Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books. (Originally published in 1673). Broadus, John. *Commentary on Matthew*. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1990. (Originally published in 1886). Bridges, Charles. *A Commentary on Ecclesiastes*. Edinbrugh: Banner of Truth, 1992. (Originally published in 1860). Calvin, John. *A Commentary on Genesis.* 2 Vols. in 1. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1965. (Originally published in 1554). Calvin, John. *A Harmony of the Gospels*. 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1972. (Originally published in Latin in 1555). Candlish, Robert S. *Studies in Genesis.* Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1979. (Originally published in 1868). Carson, D. A. "Matthew" from *The Expositor's Bible Commentary*, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Flavel, John. *Navigation Spiritualized* from *The Works of John Flavel*, Vol. V, pg. 206ff. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1968. (Originally published ca. 1670). Hubbard, David. *Mastering the Old Testament: Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon*. Dallas: Word, 1991. Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. *A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments.* 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1993. (Originally published in 1866). Kaiser, Walter. *Ecclesiastes: Total Life*. Chicago:Moody, 1979. Keil, Carl & Delitzsch, Franz. *Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament.* Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971. (Originally published ca. 1880). Kidner, Derek. *The Message of Ecclesiastes*. Downer's Grove, IL:Inter-Varsity, 1976. Morgan, G. Campbell. *The Gospel According to Matthew*. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992. Morris, Leon. *The Gospel According to Matthew.* Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1992. Nisbet, Alexander. *An Exposition with Practical Observations upon the Book of Ecclesiastes. *Reprint Edition. Edmonton, Alberta: Still Waters Revival Books, 1998. (Originally published in 1694). Pink, Arthur W. *Gleanings in Genesis.* Chicago: Moody, 1981. Ryle, J. C. * Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew.* Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1986. Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Genesis. Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 1985. Spurgeon, Charles. *The Gospel of Matthew*. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1987. Thomas, W. H. Griffith. *Genesis: A Devotional Commentary*. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1988. Wiersbe, Warren. *Be Satisfied*. Wheaton, IL:Victor Books, 1990. ====================================================================== Postscript - God is in Control ============================== "For what else can be said where heat and cold bring equal danger? Then, in what direction soever you turn, all surrounding objects not only may do harm, but almost openly threaten and seem to present immediate death. Go on board a ship, you are but a plank's breadth from death. Mount a horse, the stumbling of a foot endangers your life. Walk along the streets, every tile upon the roofs is a source of danger. If a sharp instrument is in your own hand, or that of a friend, the possible harm is manifest. All the savage beasts you see are so many beings armed for your destruction. Even within a high-walled garden, where everything ministers to delight, a serpent will sometimes lurk. Your house, constantly exposed to fire, threatens you with poverty by day, with destruction by night. Your fields, subject to hail, mildew, drought, and other injuries, denounce barrenness, and thereby famine. I say nothing of poison, treachery, robbery, some of which beset us at home, others follow us abroud. Amid these perils, must not man be very miserable, as one who, more dead than alive, with difficulty draws an anxious and feeble breath, just as if a drawn sword were constatly suspended over his neck?... But when once the light of Divine Providence has illumined the believer's soul, he is relieved and set free, not only from the extreme fear and anxiety which formerly oppressed him, but from all care. For as he justly shudders at the idea of chance, so he can confidently commit himself to God. This, I say, is his comfort, that his heavenly Father so embraces all things under his power--so governs them at will by His nod--so regulates them by His wisdom, that nothing takes place save according to His appointment; that received into His favour, and entrusted to the care of His angels, neither fire, not water, nor sword, can do him harm, except in so far as God their master is pleased to permit." -- John Calvin ====================================================================== Footnotes: ========== [1] Robert Candlish, Studies in Genesis, pg. 793. [2] W. H. Griffith Thomas, Genesis: A Devotional Commentary, pg. 484. [3] Ibid. [4] John Calvin, A Commentary in Genesis, Vol. II, pg. 488. [5] Ibid., pg. 489. [6] Jamiesson, Fausset, Brown, A Commentary, pg. 273. [7] Thomas, op. cit., pg. 487. [8] Ibid., pg. 506. [9] John Calvin, The Harmony of the Gospels, Vol. I, pg. 221. [10] Ibid., pg. 221. [11] Martin Luther, cited in Broadus, Commentary on Matthew, pg. 153. [12] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, pg. 161. [13] Broadus, op. cit., pg. 151. [14] Leon Morris, loc. cit. 15 All Scripture citations in this study are taken from the King James Version. [16] Charles Bridges, A Commentary on Ecclesiastes, pg. 48. [17] Walter Kaiser, Ecclesiastes: Total Life, pg. 60. [18] Alexander Nisbet, An Exposition...Upon the Book of Ecclesiastes, pg 130. [19] Bridges, op. cit., pg. 61. [20] Nisbet, op. cit., pg. 146.