Randy Green's Blog, page 482
April 14, 2012
Knock Knock. Who’s There? – Part 3
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel.” [Ezekiel 1:28b-2:3a]
Ezekiel caught a vision of the Lord. As is to be expected from a godly person, he fell on his face in worship. Now let’s learn what followed next.
Before giving Ezekiel his commission, the Lord directed him to stand up. It was as if to say, “The time to worship is past, Ezekiel. Now I will commission you as My prophet and dispatch you to the stiff-necked Israelites, to rebuke them for their sins and call them to return to Me in repentance. You cannot do this on your knees, so stand up!”
Let’s itemize the steps in Ezekiel’s call to ministry from the Lord:
1. catch a vision of the Lord
2. bow in worship before Him
3. hear Him speak
4. get up and get to work
Is that about it? Uh, not quite yet. Something crucial is missing in a call to ministry here. We need to see the Lord, yes, and we need to respond to Who He is by worshiping Him. We most definitely need to understand what He wants with us as well, and then we need to arise and begin the work. However that much only leads to religion, not spiritual service. Something is missing, I tell you.
Ah, yes, I got it. To perform spiritual service we need the Holy Spirit! Accordingly we next learn, As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. At this point Ezekiel had the Spirit’s gifting and power to perform the work to which the Lord called him. Ezekiel was enabled to understand the Word of God for him personally, so he knew what ministry it was to which the Lord called him.
This is a fine blueprint for us today as well. In order to ever truly catch a vision of the Lord—and this precedes everything else if our hearts are to enter the equation—but to see the Lord for real, we need to be into the Word of God for real. A vision of the Lord can only be achieved by faith, and faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ.
So what say ye? Do you desire to know the Lord Jesus for real? Or are you satisfied with keeping Him in a box known as the church building? If we truly want to know the Lord personally, we must commit our lives to sitting quietly at His feet daily with Bible opened, ears attentive, and hearts willing to obey.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Ezekiel caught a vision of the Lord. As is to be expected from a godly person, he fell on his face in worship. Now let’s learn what followed next.
Before giving Ezekiel his commission, the Lord directed him to stand up. It was as if to say, “The time to worship is past, Ezekiel. Now I will commission you as My prophet and dispatch you to the stiff-necked Israelites, to rebuke them for their sins and call them to return to Me in repentance. You cannot do this on your knees, so stand up!”
Let’s itemize the steps in Ezekiel’s call to ministry from the Lord:
1. catch a vision of the Lord
2. bow in worship before Him
3. hear Him speak
4. get up and get to work
Is that about it? Uh, not quite yet. Something crucial is missing in a call to ministry here. We need to see the Lord, yes, and we need to respond to Who He is by worshiping Him. We most definitely need to understand what He wants with us as well, and then we need to arise and begin the work. However that much only leads to religion, not spiritual service. Something is missing, I tell you.
Ah, yes, I got it. To perform spiritual service we need the Holy Spirit! Accordingly we next learn, As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet. At this point Ezekiel had the Spirit’s gifting and power to perform the work to which the Lord called him. Ezekiel was enabled to understand the Word of God for him personally, so he knew what ministry it was to which the Lord called him.
This is a fine blueprint for us today as well. In order to ever truly catch a vision of the Lord—and this precedes everything else if our hearts are to enter the equation—but to see the Lord for real, we need to be into the Word of God for real. A vision of the Lord can only be achieved by faith, and faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ.
So what say ye? Do you desire to know the Lord Jesus for real? Or are you satisfied with keeping Him in a box known as the church building? If we truly want to know the Lord personally, we must commit our lives to sitting quietly at His feet daily with Bible opened, ears attentive, and hearts willing to obey.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 13, 2012
Knock Knock. Who’s There? – Part 2
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel.” [Ezekiel 1:28b-2:3a]
Ezekiel first caught a vision of the Lord, and then he responded by worshiping Him. The next step in his call to ministry, the third one, was to hear the Lord speaking to him. So it was with Ezekiel. The Lord directed Ezekiel to stand up and receive the Word of the Lord.
By way of an aside let it be noted that “God” didn’t call Ezekiel to the ministry. Look at the text again and see for yourself. “The Lord” gave the call. The word “God” refers to the high and mighty Creator, He Who is far above man and unapproachable by us. The word conveys deity in an impersonal aspect.
The phrase “the Lord” is quite different. In the original Hebrew “the Lord” is not a generic term or an expression of deity. It is the actual name of Deity, aka YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah. When the phrase “the Lord” is used it conveys Deity as personally involved with man in a covenantal relationship.
Ezekiel’s call to ministry was personal involvement with the Lord. He was called to serve the Lord, and it doesn’t get any more personal than that! Hence the identifier “God” would have been out of place in this case. Ezekiel was called to the Lord’s personal service as His prophet.
The Lord told Ezekiel to stand up before hearing the Word of God. It would be easy to see no significance in this…except for the fact there was crucial significance! The Word of God which Ezekiel was about to receive was his call to ministry from the Lord.
Here’s the thing, dear friends. Too many Christians believe they receive the Lord’s call to the pastorate, for example, only to take their ease and bask in the accolades heaped upon such a holy man of God. The ministry has no place for lazy folks, or for seekers of fame and fortune. The ministry is a position of work, hard work, grueling work. The fainthearted need not apply!
There is a time and a place for everything. The time to worship the Lord must perforce precede the time to serve our fellow man. Still, the time to worship must draw to a close and we must rise from our knees, if we will ever get around to serving our fellow man. We cannot float on a silver cloud while playing a golden harp forever. What use would we be?
Answer: we would be of no use at all! Perhaps we should pause at this point, in order to cogitate on this very point. Tomorrow we will bring this study to a close.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Ezekiel first caught a vision of the Lord, and then he responded by worshiping Him. The next step in his call to ministry, the third one, was to hear the Lord speaking to him. So it was with Ezekiel. The Lord directed Ezekiel to stand up and receive the Word of the Lord.
By way of an aside let it be noted that “God” didn’t call Ezekiel to the ministry. Look at the text again and see for yourself. “The Lord” gave the call. The word “God” refers to the high and mighty Creator, He Who is far above man and unapproachable by us. The word conveys deity in an impersonal aspect.
The phrase “the Lord” is quite different. In the original Hebrew “the Lord” is not a generic term or an expression of deity. It is the actual name of Deity, aka YHWH or Yahweh or Jehovah. When the phrase “the Lord” is used it conveys Deity as personally involved with man in a covenantal relationship.
Ezekiel’s call to ministry was personal involvement with the Lord. He was called to serve the Lord, and it doesn’t get any more personal than that! Hence the identifier “God” would have been out of place in this case. Ezekiel was called to the Lord’s personal service as His prophet.
The Lord told Ezekiel to stand up before hearing the Word of God. It would be easy to see no significance in this…except for the fact there was crucial significance! The Word of God which Ezekiel was about to receive was his call to ministry from the Lord.
Here’s the thing, dear friends. Too many Christians believe they receive the Lord’s call to the pastorate, for example, only to take their ease and bask in the accolades heaped upon such a holy man of God. The ministry has no place for lazy folks, or for seekers of fame and fortune. The ministry is a position of work, hard work, grueling work. The fainthearted need not apply!
There is a time and a place for everything. The time to worship the Lord must perforce precede the time to serve our fellow man. Still, the time to worship must draw to a close and we must rise from our knees, if we will ever get around to serving our fellow man. We cannot float on a silver cloud while playing a golden harp forever. What use would we be?
Answer: we would be of no use at all! Perhaps we should pause at this point, in order to cogitate on this very point. Tomorrow we will bring this study to a close.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 12, 2012
Knock Knock. Who’s There? – Part 1
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!” As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. Then He said to me, “Son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel.” [Ezekiel 1:28b-2:3a]
I recall a time when I was going through the business of my day, all the while waiting on a phone call about a prospective job. I didn’t sit by the phone twiddling my thumbs, mind you. But my busy day could not dismiss from my consciousness the position I awaited, no matter how hard it tried!
Well, the phone never rang…but a knock on the door did! I opened it to behold a courtly gentleman standing before me, bedecked to play the part. He couldn’t be satisfied, it would seem, to dispatch a letter to me. Nor would it suffice for him to talk to a voice over the phone. He wanted to see me face-to-face because the position was too important to go through formalities in filling it.
His earnestness and gravity confirmed my own inclination to accept the position. This process was no small matter, and the solemnity portrayed by this true gentleman conveyed that he had the same understanding of the matter as I did.
We are privileged to observe this same solemnity in Ezekiel’s life, as we read the verses quoted to start this text. Ezekiel’s situation was a good deal more solemn than mine, I have to admit. I see a five part progression in the Lord’s call to ministry for Ezekiel, for that is what the verses record. Let’s take a bite and savor these, shall we?
To receive a job, a position, a ministry, we first need someone to offer the job to us. We also need to see the person who does this. And so it was with Ezekiel. He had a vision of the Lord God Almighty.
When any person—and it matters not whether he be human or angelic—but when anyone truly beholds the Lord God, his response is always the same, and that without fail. He falls on his face in awe and worship. The very nature of the Lord impels created beings to bow before their Creator. So it was with Ezekiel. He fell on his face before the Lord. He bowed in worship.
We would do well to emulate Ezekiel in this. Let’s pause here and do just that, shall we? We will continue in this vein tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I recall a time when I was going through the business of my day, all the while waiting on a phone call about a prospective job. I didn’t sit by the phone twiddling my thumbs, mind you. But my busy day could not dismiss from my consciousness the position I awaited, no matter how hard it tried!
Well, the phone never rang…but a knock on the door did! I opened it to behold a courtly gentleman standing before me, bedecked to play the part. He couldn’t be satisfied, it would seem, to dispatch a letter to me. Nor would it suffice for him to talk to a voice over the phone. He wanted to see me face-to-face because the position was too important to go through formalities in filling it.
His earnestness and gravity confirmed my own inclination to accept the position. This process was no small matter, and the solemnity portrayed by this true gentleman conveyed that he had the same understanding of the matter as I did.
We are privileged to observe this same solemnity in Ezekiel’s life, as we read the verses quoted to start this text. Ezekiel’s situation was a good deal more solemn than mine, I have to admit. I see a five part progression in the Lord’s call to ministry for Ezekiel, for that is what the verses record. Let’s take a bite and savor these, shall we?
To receive a job, a position, a ministry, we first need someone to offer the job to us. We also need to see the person who does this. And so it was with Ezekiel. He had a vision of the Lord God Almighty.
When any person—and it matters not whether he be human or angelic—but when anyone truly beholds the Lord God, his response is always the same, and that without fail. He falls on his face in awe and worship. The very nature of the Lord impels created beings to bow before their Creator. So it was with Ezekiel. He fell on his face before the Lord. He bowed in worship.
We would do well to emulate Ezekiel in this. Let’s pause here and do just that, shall we? We will continue in this vein tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 11, 2012
Keep Your Eye on the Ball – Part 2
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness [Lamentations 3:21-23].
We left off yesterday by noting how Jeremiah had to endure the most raucous belligerence from the Israelites. He was the Lord’s prophet to them during a time of utter apostasy, and they hated him with a vengeance for proclaiming the Lord’s judgment on them. Jeremiah was daily beleaguered by his fellow Israelites.
That much in and of itself sufficed to make Jeremiah’s ministry unenviable. But then there came the cherry on top. After the Lord dispersed the Israelites into Babylonian exile, the remnant of the people kidnapped Jeremiah and forced him to hie off to Egypt with them.
This was in direct violation to the Lord’s express command to them to remain in the land of Israel and not go to Egypt. Consequently the Israelites were continuing in their rebellion against the Lord. This could only result in the Lord’s curses alighting on them…and Jeremiah was with them! Ergo, Jeremiah had to suffer God’s wrath right along with them.
Jeremiah is often referred to as “the weeping prophet”. He had to endure the sight of his people suffering the Lord’s vengeance for their outright apostasy. The people were conquered by the Babylonians and taken as slaves to Babylon. The city of Jerusalem was leveled and the temple ransacked and burned. Jewish women were raped in public, and Jewish babies were seized by the feet and their heads dashed against the rocks. Nothing was left of the Lord’s witness in Israel.
If anyone deserved to wallow in self-pity, Jeremiah qualified! But it wasn’t Jeremiah’s style. He was a true man of God, a prophet of the Lord who fearlessly proclaimed the true Word of God to his people, regardless of the consequences. Jeremiah succeeded at this without losing heart and becoming demoralized because of one thing: he didn’t walk by sight but by faith. He believed the Word of God which cannot fail, rather than eyesight which usually does fail.
Read the words quoted at the start of this study. Jeremiah didn’t look at how bad everything was and resign himself to helpless, hopeless defeat. He looked at the Lord and took Him at His Word. He knew the defeat was temporary. The Lord promised him that the Babylonian exile would last for seventy years and no longer. Then the Lord would return Israel to the land and rebuild the temple and city.
All around Jeremiah the temple was aflame and the city of Jerusalem a smoldering ruins. It didn’t deter Jeremiah. He looked away from the temporality of the world and turned his gaze to the Lord to see eternal reality. He ejaculated, “I have hope! The Lord never leaves me or forsakes me. He is faithful, even when I am not. His mercies never fail. They are new every morning.”
I learned a lot from Jeremiah, and I’m much the better for it. Permit me to encourage you to open your heart to the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah. You too will be better equipped to face life’s ordeals.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We left off yesterday by noting how Jeremiah had to endure the most raucous belligerence from the Israelites. He was the Lord’s prophet to them during a time of utter apostasy, and they hated him with a vengeance for proclaiming the Lord’s judgment on them. Jeremiah was daily beleaguered by his fellow Israelites.
That much in and of itself sufficed to make Jeremiah’s ministry unenviable. But then there came the cherry on top. After the Lord dispersed the Israelites into Babylonian exile, the remnant of the people kidnapped Jeremiah and forced him to hie off to Egypt with them.
This was in direct violation to the Lord’s express command to them to remain in the land of Israel and not go to Egypt. Consequently the Israelites were continuing in their rebellion against the Lord. This could only result in the Lord’s curses alighting on them…and Jeremiah was with them! Ergo, Jeremiah had to suffer God’s wrath right along with them.
Jeremiah is often referred to as “the weeping prophet”. He had to endure the sight of his people suffering the Lord’s vengeance for their outright apostasy. The people were conquered by the Babylonians and taken as slaves to Babylon. The city of Jerusalem was leveled and the temple ransacked and burned. Jewish women were raped in public, and Jewish babies were seized by the feet and their heads dashed against the rocks. Nothing was left of the Lord’s witness in Israel.
If anyone deserved to wallow in self-pity, Jeremiah qualified! But it wasn’t Jeremiah’s style. He was a true man of God, a prophet of the Lord who fearlessly proclaimed the true Word of God to his people, regardless of the consequences. Jeremiah succeeded at this without losing heart and becoming demoralized because of one thing: he didn’t walk by sight but by faith. He believed the Word of God which cannot fail, rather than eyesight which usually does fail.
Read the words quoted at the start of this study. Jeremiah didn’t look at how bad everything was and resign himself to helpless, hopeless defeat. He looked at the Lord and took Him at His Word. He knew the defeat was temporary. The Lord promised him that the Babylonian exile would last for seventy years and no longer. Then the Lord would return Israel to the land and rebuild the temple and city.
All around Jeremiah the temple was aflame and the city of Jerusalem a smoldering ruins. It didn’t deter Jeremiah. He looked away from the temporality of the world and turned his gaze to the Lord to see eternal reality. He ejaculated, “I have hope! The Lord never leaves me or forsakes me. He is faithful, even when I am not. His mercies never fail. They are new every morning.”
I learned a lot from Jeremiah, and I’m much the better for it. Permit me to encourage you to open your heart to the Word of the Lord through Jeremiah. You too will be better equipped to face life’s ordeals.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 10, 2012
Keep Your Eye on the Ball – Part 1
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness [Lamentations 3:21-23].
I’ve had my fair share of personal tragedies in my lifetime. In fact I’d venture to say that I’ve endured some of yours too! Some of these tragedies were difficult, not to understate the matter. Others were excruciating, in some ways crippling me for life.
Often I’ve looked around and wondered why I have to face so many trials, so many insurmountable obstacles. Why, Lord, can’t you let someone else enjoy them for a while? Why me, Lord? I didn’t volunteer to be a punching bag. I don’t qualify for the “He-man of the Year” award, that I should be considered strong enough to bear such a multitude of beatings! Why me?
You know, the longer I carried on suchlike verbiage, the worse off I became. It never failed. When I crawled on my belly and whined incessantly, things only became worse. And here I thought they couldn’t get any worse! Nothing constructive ever comes of pity parties, dear friends. And if they’re not constructive, guess what? They’re destructive! This is why things only got worse when I employed that approach. It is destructive.
But you know, there is much more to be garnered from these observations. When I whined to the Lord and felt sorry for myself—and it doesn’t matter whether or not, or how much, truth was involved in my complaints—but when I behaved in such a fashion, I had my eyes fixed on the problems and on myself. This is known in Biblical parlance as walking by sight. I determined reality based on what my eyes told me was real.
If anyone ever had real trials and tribulations to endure, Jeremiah sure qualified! He was badgered and beaten and abused pretty much his entire adult life, and this by his own countrymen. In fact the citizens of his own town, Anathoth, were the worst lot amongst his antagonists. You would think he could at least catch a break in his hometown!
Jeremiah had to bring the Word of the Lord to the Israelites during one of the most depraved periods in their history. Consequently they were about as virulent and vengeful as any apostate people could ever be. They contemned Jeremiah for speaking the true words of God because the Lord condemned them for their outrageous sinning, and they had no intentions of repenting!
Oh, dear. Out of time again. We will continue this topic on the morrow. Enjoy some time alone with Jesus now, why don’cha?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I’ve had my fair share of personal tragedies in my lifetime. In fact I’d venture to say that I’ve endured some of yours too! Some of these tragedies were difficult, not to understate the matter. Others were excruciating, in some ways crippling me for life.
Often I’ve looked around and wondered why I have to face so many trials, so many insurmountable obstacles. Why, Lord, can’t you let someone else enjoy them for a while? Why me, Lord? I didn’t volunteer to be a punching bag. I don’t qualify for the “He-man of the Year” award, that I should be considered strong enough to bear such a multitude of beatings! Why me?
You know, the longer I carried on suchlike verbiage, the worse off I became. It never failed. When I crawled on my belly and whined incessantly, things only became worse. And here I thought they couldn’t get any worse! Nothing constructive ever comes of pity parties, dear friends. And if they’re not constructive, guess what? They’re destructive! This is why things only got worse when I employed that approach. It is destructive.
But you know, there is much more to be garnered from these observations. When I whined to the Lord and felt sorry for myself—and it doesn’t matter whether or not, or how much, truth was involved in my complaints—but when I behaved in such a fashion, I had my eyes fixed on the problems and on myself. This is known in Biblical parlance as walking by sight. I determined reality based on what my eyes told me was real.
If anyone ever had real trials and tribulations to endure, Jeremiah sure qualified! He was badgered and beaten and abused pretty much his entire adult life, and this by his own countrymen. In fact the citizens of his own town, Anathoth, were the worst lot amongst his antagonists. You would think he could at least catch a break in his hometown!
Jeremiah had to bring the Word of the Lord to the Israelites during one of the most depraved periods in their history. Consequently they were about as virulent and vengeful as any apostate people could ever be. They contemned Jeremiah for speaking the true words of God because the Lord condemned them for their outrageous sinning, and they had no intentions of repenting!
Oh, dear. Out of time again. We will continue this topic on the morrow. Enjoy some time alone with Jesus now, why don’cha?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 9, 2012
No Wiggle Room Allowed - Part 2
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study by noting how Jesus came on the scene of history doing many good works. The sick were healed, the hungry fed, the naked clothed, the blind given sight. That was the good side of the coin. Now let’s take a gander at the bad side of the coin.
The bad side was that He suffered terribly from scorn, derision, persecution, and finally martyrdom. And here’s the thing, dear friends. Jesus didn’t take the bows when the good side of the coin was on the ascendant. No, but instead He gave the glory to His Father in heaven. And when the bad side of the coin had its day, He neither complained nor blamed.
Alas, but sinful man back in the day failed to take his cue from this holy behavior by the Son of man. Instead he continued deluging Him with the blame for every wrong He faced, while portraying the good He did as bad. Sinful man redefined the good side of the coin as “bad” and the bad side as “good”. No wonder they crucified the Lord of glory!
Isaiah foretold this roughly 550 years before it occurred. Methinks even the Hubble telescope could not see that far! But Isaiah did. So how’d he do it? Simply put, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Him. The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Godhead, so He knows everything always.
In the verse quoted to start this study Isaiah expressed this predilection of sinful man most incisively. On His part Jesus “bore our griefs and carried our sorrows”. Two sides are involved here:
1. Jesus
2. sinful Israel (and by extension sinful Gentiles too)
Jesus suffered and died, but it wasn’t for His own sins. It was for the sins of sinful man. This is known as substitutionary or vicarious atonement. One person suffers punishment on behalf of another.
Notwithstanding this truth, sinful Israel (and we Gentiles too) mocked and contemned Him during His sufferings, claiming He was being punished by God for His own sins. For the good He did they offered Him no appreciation. For the sufferings He bore they affixed the blame to His forehead. From their perspective Jesus could do no right, but He was adept at doing wrong.
We today are confronted with the same choice. Is Jesus never right but always wrong? Or is He always right and never wrong? Those are the only two choices, dear friends. He cannot be partially right and partially wrong. He doesn’t allow us that wiggle room. He claimed He was God. God can never be partially right and partially wrong.
This is the issue confronting every son of Adam today. Make your choice, my friends. Your eternity rides on which one you choose.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 8, 2012
No Wiggle Room Allowed - Part 1
Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted [Isaiah 53:4].
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Emotions are a funny thing. If I ride the emotional roller coaster, I am up one moment and down another. Sometimes the ups and downs aren’t so far apart, in which case I appear to be “normal”, whatever that is! At other times though the ups and downs are so distant, it would take the Hubble telescope to make the two meet. Does the medical term bipolar disorder come to mind?
I’m really not a raving maniac, honest? Not even in the worst of times, if I may be so forward as to borrow from Dickens. It’s just that sometimes I realize I am not the cause of all the evils in the world, in which case I am having a good day. Then there are those times where my emotions tyrannize me into thinking everything is my fault. Those are not the good days, believe me.
You see, I suffer from the same affliction which all of us share to one extent or another. It appears in the Spiritual Dictionary of Medicine wearing a decorative three-piece suit “s-i-n”. Some of us blame self for every wrong. Sin is at the root of this malady. Others of us blame everyone else for the wrongs they encounter. Sin is also at the root of that malady.
What is so baffling about such a state is this: though we blame the world when things go wrong, we take all the bows when things go right. One side of the coin is our inability to look in the mirror and see self as the culprit. The other side of the coin is our ability to look in the same mirror and see self as the hero. “Never at fault and always in the right!” Such is the motto of sinful man.
When the Lord Jesus came on the scene circa 3 B.C., sinful man was bedecked in the same three-piece suit. The Son of God simultaneously became Jesus the Son of man. At circa 27 A.D. He went about the Promised Land sharing the Good News. He healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, restored hearing to the deaf and raised the dead. He even feed multitudes with food He called into existence by His mere Word.
Oh, no. We’re out of time once again…and just when we finally met up with Jesus too! We will continue this topic tomorrow. See you then.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 7, 2012
Busted!
(Israel asked the Lord), “Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?”(The Lord answered), Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers [Isaiah 58:3].
I recall back in the day when I was a young tyke, barely knee-high to a grasshopper. I had a not so unusual way of obeying my dad. When he told me to clean my room, I did…sort of. Everything on the floor I swept under my bed. Everything on the chair and bed and dresser I tossed into the closet, abruptly closing the door behind the mess.
“Ah, I cleaned my room in short shrift,” I applauded myself. “Dad will certainly be pleased with my diligence in obeying his directions.” After all, when I looked around the room it appeared clean. I saw nothing out of place and in need of redirection. If possession is 90% of the law, appearance ought to be 90% of clean. Right?
Too bad for me I wasn’t the law. Dad was! And he didn’t buy what I was selling. He didn’t settle for poking his head through the door to have a look-see and settle on appearances. He had the audacity to actually enter my bedroom, open the closet door for a peek, and raise the bed skirt to see what was under the bed.
Busted! Dad knew my propensities better than I did. When I “cleaned” my room, I acted without thinking. Dad, contrariwise, recognized my puerile predilection for appearance over essence and cut to the chase. It didn’t take many of those inspections to learn that going through the motions in my obedience to Dad didn’t cut it. I learned to clean my room for real at a very early age.
In Isaiah’s day the Lord’s kids, the Israelites, behaved in much the same way to Father God’s instructions. They were very religious, you see. They tithed mint and cumin, dotted their “i’s” and crossed their “t’s”, and fasted at every conceivable opportunity. And then they parked their carcasses on all the street corners and every other high profile place, and prayed out loud to God, “See how good we are, God? No need to thank us. It’s our pleasure.”
Yes, indeed. These guys were holy rollers and Father God just had to be proud of them! Or were they? And was He? According to the Biblical text quoted at the start of this study, God wasn’t buying what they were selling. He actually had the audacity to enter their room, open the closet door for a closer look, and peer behind the bed skirt to discover the truth. Who’s He think He is anyway? The nerve of some people!
The Biblical text records Israel’s hurt feelings by the words “fasted” and “humbled ourselves”, while the Lord didn’t acknowledge the holiness of their behaviors. Despite the Israelites’ protest, it would seem the Lord had a good reason. His indictment of their religious activity was this: On the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.
This means that, while the Israelites were going through the motions of fasting, they were cavorting in their own pleasures. They were also oppressing their fellow Israelites who worked for them. The whole point of fasting is to temporarily set aside our indulging of the flesh, in order to strengthen the spirit. In this manner we attempt to draw closer to the Lord in our personal relationship with Him.
The Israelites, you see, outwardly performed religious functions, but inwardly they were still living to please the flesh, to please themselves. Father God gave them quite specific instructions about obeying His Word, but only from the heart, only out of love for Him. They preferred to sweep the mess under the bed and hide it in the closet for appearances’ sake. In this way they had more time to please themselves. Alas for them, but Father God took a closer look into their hearts. Busted!
So how about you and me. Are we busted too? Or do we truly love the Lord and obey His Word as the outworking of our love for Him? It wouldn’t do to be busted at the Bema of Christ and lose our eternal rewards.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I recall back in the day when I was a young tyke, barely knee-high to a grasshopper. I had a not so unusual way of obeying my dad. When he told me to clean my room, I did…sort of. Everything on the floor I swept under my bed. Everything on the chair and bed and dresser I tossed into the closet, abruptly closing the door behind the mess.
“Ah, I cleaned my room in short shrift,” I applauded myself. “Dad will certainly be pleased with my diligence in obeying his directions.” After all, when I looked around the room it appeared clean. I saw nothing out of place and in need of redirection. If possession is 90% of the law, appearance ought to be 90% of clean. Right?
Too bad for me I wasn’t the law. Dad was! And he didn’t buy what I was selling. He didn’t settle for poking his head through the door to have a look-see and settle on appearances. He had the audacity to actually enter my bedroom, open the closet door for a peek, and raise the bed skirt to see what was under the bed.
Busted! Dad knew my propensities better than I did. When I “cleaned” my room, I acted without thinking. Dad, contrariwise, recognized my puerile predilection for appearance over essence and cut to the chase. It didn’t take many of those inspections to learn that going through the motions in my obedience to Dad didn’t cut it. I learned to clean my room for real at a very early age.
In Isaiah’s day the Lord’s kids, the Israelites, behaved in much the same way to Father God’s instructions. They were very religious, you see. They tithed mint and cumin, dotted their “i’s” and crossed their “t’s”, and fasted at every conceivable opportunity. And then they parked their carcasses on all the street corners and every other high profile place, and prayed out loud to God, “See how good we are, God? No need to thank us. It’s our pleasure.”
Yes, indeed. These guys were holy rollers and Father God just had to be proud of them! Or were they? And was He? According to the Biblical text quoted at the start of this study, God wasn’t buying what they were selling. He actually had the audacity to enter their room, open the closet door for a closer look, and peer behind the bed skirt to discover the truth. Who’s He think He is anyway? The nerve of some people!
The Biblical text records Israel’s hurt feelings by the words “fasted” and “humbled ourselves”, while the Lord didn’t acknowledge the holiness of their behaviors. Despite the Israelites’ protest, it would seem the Lord had a good reason. His indictment of their religious activity was this: On the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.
This means that, while the Israelites were going through the motions of fasting, they were cavorting in their own pleasures. They were also oppressing their fellow Israelites who worked for them. The whole point of fasting is to temporarily set aside our indulging of the flesh, in order to strengthen the spirit. In this manner we attempt to draw closer to the Lord in our personal relationship with Him.
The Israelites, you see, outwardly performed religious functions, but inwardly they were still living to please the flesh, to please themselves. Father God gave them quite specific instructions about obeying His Word, but only from the heart, only out of love for Him. They preferred to sweep the mess under the bed and hide it in the closet for appearances’ sake. In this way they had more time to please themselves. Alas for them, but Father God took a closer look into their hearts. Busted!
So how about you and me. Are we busted too? Or do we truly love the Lord and obey His Word as the outworking of our love for Him? It wouldn’t do to be busted at the Bema of Christ and lose our eternal rewards.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 6, 2012
Homework 101 - Part 2
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with [Ecclesiastes 1:13].
We concluded our last study by noting how Solomon found study and learning to be “grievous” and an “affliction”. Now let’s learn why.
We humans (i.e., creatures or created things) are created by God the Creator to have fellowship with Him. When He made us, He included this ability. No other created thing has it. Humans alone are created in the image of God.
Ergo, when we reject fellowship with the Lord and go off on our own to do our own thing, we cannot find fulfillment because we are not filling our lives full of the One for Whom we are made. We are like an automobile which has H2O in the gas tank. We just don’t run right!
If we want to drive down the road of life with any fulfillment, we need to drain the H2O and instead fill our tank with H2S (i.e., Holy Spirit fuel). We can’t buy H2S at just any corner gas station, you know. It can be purchased only through the Word of God. It is much more affordable than gasoline. “Come, buy…without money and without cost” (cf., Isaiah 55:1).
Oh, but we mustn’t leave out any of the essentials. To know the Lord and grow in the Spirit, we require the Word of God. This isn’t a superstition thing, dear friends. We don’t learn a few adjurations and prayers and invocations and then call it quits with learning. We need to feed on the Word of God day in and day out 24/7/365, and this lasts for an entire lifetime.
Consider that we don’t eat once and then stop, nor do we eat occasionally when it is convenient. We eat several times a day every day, and no one has to make us either! The same applies in the spiritual realm, dear friends. The Bible is the Christian’s spiritual food. How can we expect to stay alive, much less grow and mature spiritually, if we don’t eat our spiritual food?
Let’s not adopt the teacher’s words and profess Bible feeding to be “grievous” and an “affliction”! Rather, let us rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for preserving His Word for us. Let’s chow down on the good things He wants to share with us. Let’s appreciate Him and His Word. Now is an excellent opportunity for us to do so. I’ll race you to the prayer closet.
Oh, but I must add an addendum before taking my leave. For all you teachers and would-be teachers in the Church, this study holds immeasurably more relevance for you. When the Lord gives a Christian the gift of teaching, He accompanies this with a craving for study and learning His Word.
If anyone wants to wear a coat and tie, be held in honor as a wise and spiritual person, receive a sizable paycheck, and hang out in the church building so as to avoid the unpleasantness outside its walls—listen up: don’t apply for a preaching/teaching position. You don’t belong! The Lord didn’t call you to the pastorate. You don’t have the spiritual gifts which accompany such a ministry.
Every Christian should grow in grace so that he truly wants to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But a teacher of the Word of God must do much more than that. He must crave the Word. He mustn’t be satisfied with what he has and stop wanting more.
He mustn’t become distracted with activities and visitations to the extent he cannot be alone with the Lord Jesus daily, being fed by Him with the whole counsel of God. Only then will he be equipped to feed the flock of Christ with real spiritual meat. Only then will he be excited by the Word so that he can pass on his enthusiasm to the flock. Only then will the flock be piqued to follow his example.
Think on these things, O thou would-be Bible teachers. Don’t you dare usurp a teaching ministry. Beware lest you fall into the hands of the living God!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study by noting how Solomon found study and learning to be “grievous” and an “affliction”. Now let’s learn why.
We humans (i.e., creatures or created things) are created by God the Creator to have fellowship with Him. When He made us, He included this ability. No other created thing has it. Humans alone are created in the image of God.
Ergo, when we reject fellowship with the Lord and go off on our own to do our own thing, we cannot find fulfillment because we are not filling our lives full of the One for Whom we are made. We are like an automobile which has H2O in the gas tank. We just don’t run right!
If we want to drive down the road of life with any fulfillment, we need to drain the H2O and instead fill our tank with H2S (i.e., Holy Spirit fuel). We can’t buy H2S at just any corner gas station, you know. It can be purchased only through the Word of God. It is much more affordable than gasoline. “Come, buy…without money and without cost” (cf., Isaiah 55:1).
Oh, but we mustn’t leave out any of the essentials. To know the Lord and grow in the Spirit, we require the Word of God. This isn’t a superstition thing, dear friends. We don’t learn a few adjurations and prayers and invocations and then call it quits with learning. We need to feed on the Word of God day in and day out 24/7/365, and this lasts for an entire lifetime.
Consider that we don’t eat once and then stop, nor do we eat occasionally when it is convenient. We eat several times a day every day, and no one has to make us either! The same applies in the spiritual realm, dear friends. The Bible is the Christian’s spiritual food. How can we expect to stay alive, much less grow and mature spiritually, if we don’t eat our spiritual food?
Let’s not adopt the teacher’s words and profess Bible feeding to be “grievous” and an “affliction”! Rather, let us rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for preserving His Word for us. Let’s chow down on the good things He wants to share with us. Let’s appreciate Him and His Word. Now is an excellent opportunity for us to do so. I’ll race you to the prayer closet.
Oh, but I must add an addendum before taking my leave. For all you teachers and would-be teachers in the Church, this study holds immeasurably more relevance for you. When the Lord gives a Christian the gift of teaching, He accompanies this with a craving for study and learning His Word.
If anyone wants to wear a coat and tie, be held in honor as a wise and spiritual person, receive a sizable paycheck, and hang out in the church building so as to avoid the unpleasantness outside its walls—listen up: don’t apply for a preaching/teaching position. You don’t belong! The Lord didn’t call you to the pastorate. You don’t have the spiritual gifts which accompany such a ministry.
Every Christian should grow in grace so that he truly wants to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But a teacher of the Word of God must do much more than that. He must crave the Word. He mustn’t be satisfied with what he has and stop wanting more.
He mustn’t become distracted with activities and visitations to the extent he cannot be alone with the Lord Jesus daily, being fed by Him with the whole counsel of God. Only then will he be equipped to feed the flock of Christ with real spiritual meat. Only then will he be excited by the Word so that he can pass on his enthusiasm to the flock. Only then will the flock be piqued to follow his example.
Think on these things, O thou would-be Bible teachers. Don’t you dare usurp a teaching ministry. Beware lest you fall into the hands of the living God!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
April 5, 2012
Homework 101 - Part 1
And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with [Ecclesiastes 1:13].
There are many fine things in life, but there is not a universal consent as to what is on the list! For instance, some folks love football and hate baseball. Others love baseball and hate football. Some love both, and then there are the gainsayers who have no use for either.
Joe likes pizza and Ron likes cabbage (go figure). Sally prefers dresses while Nell won’t be caught dead in one. Ken enjoys a good read in Shakespeare but Barbie can only stomach Dickens. Then there are the folks who love any and all fields of study, as contrasted with those who hate learning anything intelligent! They can’t even be persuaded to lift a finger to turn the page in a book.
The quoted text which began this study contains a sharp contrast. Funny thing is only one person is involved. The one and the same person both loved and hated learning! And he didn’t have a split personality either. Behold the contrast:
1. I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven
2. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with
Point #1 depicts a lover of learning. This dude (aka Solomon, the teacher in Jerusalem) established as his goal to know everything there is to know about everything under heaven. Now that is a tall order! Indeed, it was a bit much to take on, I do believe.
The teacher learned this truth for himself. In Point #2 he confessed as much. He found his tall order to be “a grievous task”, one with which he felt “afflicted”. His task at hand was not merely difficult, nor annoying, neither frustrating. It was “grievous”. That word hints of burdens and oppression, even great pain and suffering. Does the idiom “to bite off more than I can chew” come to mind?
As we ponder Solomon’s words, let’s be sure to keep the context of the Book of Ecclesiastes in mind. He repeatedly states that what he records in Ecclesiastes is from the standpoint of things “under the sun”. The phrase denotes what occurs on earth as understood from earth’s perspective. This is not the Lord’s invisible spiritual insight. It is man’s visible material sight.
If I may be permitted to paraphrase a bit, Solomon essentially said, “I really wanted to learn everything there is to know about everything, so I put my mind to accomplish this. But alas, it wore me out in no time. I mean, no matter how much I learned, there was always so much more to know. I was always running behind, trying to catch up. O! my aching head! Grievous ‘tis.” Such were the efforts and the results of the teacher’s attempts at learning.
Here’s the thing, dear friends. Learning is a wonderful thing for us. We cannot fill our time in a more profitable manner. However, it is what we learn that is important, not learning for the sake of learning. And yes, some folks do detest having to learn anything new, while others crave new knowledge. But in both cases it is an essential of life to learn throughout life. We must never graduate from learning.
Let’s get to the chase, shall we? Solomon taught in Ecclesiastes how everything under the sun can only lead to boredom, ennui, lassitude, apathy. In the context of Ecclesiastes he is unqualifiedly correct. If we live for the things of the world (i.e., for created things), regardless of what they are, we cannot find any real and lasting fulfillment. This is what the teacher meant in today’s Bible verse.
Sorry. We’re out of time again. We will continue this topic in our next study. See you then. Enjoy time with the Lord now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
There are many fine things in life, but there is not a universal consent as to what is on the list! For instance, some folks love football and hate baseball. Others love baseball and hate football. Some love both, and then there are the gainsayers who have no use for either.
Joe likes pizza and Ron likes cabbage (go figure). Sally prefers dresses while Nell won’t be caught dead in one. Ken enjoys a good read in Shakespeare but Barbie can only stomach Dickens. Then there are the folks who love any and all fields of study, as contrasted with those who hate learning anything intelligent! They can’t even be persuaded to lift a finger to turn the page in a book.
The quoted text which began this study contains a sharp contrast. Funny thing is only one person is involved. The one and the same person both loved and hated learning! And he didn’t have a split personality either. Behold the contrast:
1. I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven
2. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with
Point #1 depicts a lover of learning. This dude (aka Solomon, the teacher in Jerusalem) established as his goal to know everything there is to know about everything under heaven. Now that is a tall order! Indeed, it was a bit much to take on, I do believe.
The teacher learned this truth for himself. In Point #2 he confessed as much. He found his tall order to be “a grievous task”, one with which he felt “afflicted”. His task at hand was not merely difficult, nor annoying, neither frustrating. It was “grievous”. That word hints of burdens and oppression, even great pain and suffering. Does the idiom “to bite off more than I can chew” come to mind?
As we ponder Solomon’s words, let’s be sure to keep the context of the Book of Ecclesiastes in mind. He repeatedly states that what he records in Ecclesiastes is from the standpoint of things “under the sun”. The phrase denotes what occurs on earth as understood from earth’s perspective. This is not the Lord’s invisible spiritual insight. It is man’s visible material sight.
If I may be permitted to paraphrase a bit, Solomon essentially said, “I really wanted to learn everything there is to know about everything, so I put my mind to accomplish this. But alas, it wore me out in no time. I mean, no matter how much I learned, there was always so much more to know. I was always running behind, trying to catch up. O! my aching head! Grievous ‘tis.” Such were the efforts and the results of the teacher’s attempts at learning.
Here’s the thing, dear friends. Learning is a wonderful thing for us. We cannot fill our time in a more profitable manner. However, it is what we learn that is important, not learning for the sake of learning. And yes, some folks do detest having to learn anything new, while others crave new knowledge. But in both cases it is an essential of life to learn throughout life. We must never graduate from learning.
Let’s get to the chase, shall we? Solomon taught in Ecclesiastes how everything under the sun can only lead to boredom, ennui, lassitude, apathy. In the context of Ecclesiastes he is unqualifiedly correct. If we live for the things of the world (i.e., for created things), regardless of what they are, we cannot find any real and lasting fulfillment. This is what the teacher meant in today’s Bible verse.
Sorry. We’re out of time again. We will continue this topic in our next study. See you then. Enjoy time with the Lord now, okay?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
