12/18/19

"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES" Counsel For Better Living (7:1-14) by Mark Copeland



 "THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

 Counsel For Better Living (7:1-14)

INTRODUCTION

1. In the first six chapters the Preacher has shared with us...
   a. His search for meaning - 1:1-2:24
   b. His observations during the course of his search - 3:1-6:12

2. He has repeated his conclusions time and again...
   a. Life "under the sun" is vanity - 1:2,14; 2:11
   b. Yet there is good that one can do, provided one is blessed by God
      - 2:24-26; 5:18-20

3. In relating the experiences of his search and observations, he 
   shared counsel for living life "under the sun"; for example...
   a. The value of friendship - 4:9-12
   b. The proper way to approach God in worship - 5:1

4. In the remaining six chapters the Preacher continues to share his counsel...
   a. Through a mixture of proverbs and narration
      1) Imparting wisdom designed to make the most of life "under the sun"
      2) I.e., while life under the sun is "vanity", how then should we live?
   b. There is a wealth of wisdom found in these chapters
      1) Too much to cover in detail in this series
      2) We will simply survey the Preacher's counsel as we make our
         way through the book

[With that in mind, let's take a look at 7:1-14, in which we find a
series of comparisons (note the frequent use of "better"). For example,
the Preacher would have us understand that...]

I. HONOR IS BETTER THAN LUXURY (7:1a)

   A. "A GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN PRECIOUS OINTMENT"
      1. Here the Preacher is extolling the value of a good reputation
         - cf. Pr 22:1
      2. The precious ointment is representative of luxury

   B. WHY THIS IS SO...
      1. We have already seen the vanity of wealth
         a. We may leave it for someone who is foolish - 2:18-19
         b. Unless God give us the ability to enjoy it, it is all for naught - 6:1-2
      2  A good reputation finds honor before God and men, and benefits
         us after death!
         a. Just as it did with the "elders" of the Old Testament- He 11:2,39
         b. Especially if our "names" are written in heaven! - Lk 10:20; Php 4:3

[So in what time we have in this life, it is better spent making a good
name for ourselves, than accumulating wealth! Next, the Preacher shares
what may be a shocking revelation to some...]

II. YOUR DEATHDAY IS BETTER THAN YOUR BIRTHDAY (7:1b)

   A. "THE DAY OF DEATH THAN THE DAY OF ONE'S BIRTH"
      1. The day of one's death is better than the day in which they were born
      2. Of course, this assumes one has first made a good name for themselves!

   B. HOW THIS IS SO...
      1. The day of one's birth is the beginning of many sorrows
         a. As Job observed, and even cursed the day of his birth - cf.Job 14:1; 3:1-3
         b. As did Jeremiah - Jer 20:14-18
      2. But for the righteous, the day of one's death is the beginning
         of eternal bliss!
         a. They enter into peace and rest - Isa 57:1-2
         b. They go to be with the Lord - Php 1:21-22
         c. They are blessed to be at rest from their labors - Re 14:13

[Speaking of the day of one's death leads naturally to the next bit of
counsel from the Preacher...]

III. A FUNERAL IS BETTER THAN A PARTY (7:2-6)

   A. "BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING THAN TO GO TO THE HOUSE
      OF FEASTING"
      1. Everybody loves a party, but everybody needs to attend a funeral!
      2. Why?  The Preacher tells us why...
         a. "For that is the end of all men"
            1) Life "under the sun" is not forever
            2) We must all die and face what follows next - cf. He 9:27
         b. "And the living will take it to heart"
            1) A funeral reminds us of the brevity of life and the eventuality of death
            2) A funeral forces us to face reality and encourages us to prepare for it

   B. "SORROW IS BETTER THAN LAUGHTER"
      1. The Preacher explains further why it is good to attend a funeral
      2. Laughter may have its place, but sorrow is superior to making
         the heart better - cf. He 12:11
         a. Laughter provides a temporary reprieve from the burdens of life
         b. But sorrow, especially at a funeral, encourages us to make
            positive changes
      3. For this reason, the wise person will be found often in the
         funeral parlor, while the fool would rather spend time at a party

   C. "IT IS BETTER TO HEAR THE REBUKE OF THE WISE THAN...TO HEAR THE
      SONG OF FOOLS"
      1. At a funeral, one is likely to hear the rebuke of the wise; at
         a party, the song of fools
      2. But the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns in a
         fire, and is vanity
         a. Thorns make a lot of noise
         b. But they burn quickly, provide little heat, and are 
            therefore of little value
         -- So also the laughter and songs of the foolish

[Why the Preacher inserted the proverb of verse 7, I am not sure, 
though the point is well taken. However, the next comparison states that...]
 
IV. THE END IS BETTER THAN THE BEGINNING (7:8)

   A. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN...
      1. That the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth - 7:1
      2. But the principle has application to more than just one's overall life

   B. HOW THIS IS SO...
      1. Many projects start with good intentions, but are not 
         completed; it is when they are finished that we can truly look
         back with satisfaction
      2. Many things begin with grief and difficulty, only to end in
         joy and peace- cf. Ps 126:5-6

[Our primary concern should be how things will turn out in the end,
rather than how they may look at the beginning.  To help us keep 
focused on the end, it is good to remember that...]

V. PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE (7:8-9)

   A. "THE PATIENT IN SPIRIT IS BETTER THAN THE PROUD IN SPIRIT"
      1. Pride is evil, and is of the world - cf. Mk 7:21-23; 1Jn 2:16
      2. Patience is a virtue to be pursued by the man of God - cf. 1Ti 6:11; Tit 2:2

   B. WHY PATIENCE IS BETTER THAN PRIDE...
      1. Pride leads to contention and destruction - Pr 13:10; 16:18
      2. Pride leads to anger, which resides in the heart of the foolish - 7:9
      3. Patience, on the other hand, is indicative of wisdom and
         necessary to salvation - Pr 14:29; Ro 2:7; He 10:36

[Another gem of wisdom that leads to better living is understanding that...]

VI. THE PRESENT IS BETTER THAN THE PAST (7:10)

   A. WE ARE NOT TO SAY "WHY WERE THE FORMER DAYS BETTER?"
      1. People often reminisce about "the good old days"
      2. They often bemoan that things were better then than now

   B. WHY ONE IS NOT WISE IN THINKING THIS...
      1. Memory has a way of forgetting bad things in the past
      2. Even if one experiences trials in the present, there is cause
         for rejoicing - Jm 1:2-4
      3. We may neglect opportunities for much good in the present by
         dwelling on the past

[Speaking of wisdom itself, the Preacher tells us that...]

VII. WISDOM IS BETTER THAN WEALTH (7:11-12)

   A. WEALTH HAS ITS ADVANTAGES...
      1. Money can serve as a defense in life - 7:12; Pr 10:15
      2. Money can attract many friends - Pr 14:20

   B. HOW WISDOM IS BETTER...
      1. Riches do not profit one in a day of wrath - Pr 11:4
         a. The presence of wealth often makes things worse
         b. As when marriages and business partners fight over who gets
            the money
      2. Wisdom gives life to those who have it - 7:12
         a. Wisdom will make the best use of one's wealth as a defense
         b. Wisdom will help one weather the storms of wrath

[Finally, the Preacher gives the following counsel for a better 
life...]

VIII. RESIGNATION IS BETTER THAN INDIGNATION (7:13-14)

   A. THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE...
      1. God has His purpose, which we cannot change - 7:13;Isa 43:13; Dan 4:35
      2. His purpose allows for both days of prosperity and adversity- 7:14

   B. WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS IN THE BEST WAY...
      1. Enjoy the days of prosperity
      2. In days of adversity, consider what lessons might be learned
      3. It does no good to get angry about things we cannot change
      -- As we saw earlier, there is both a time to weep and a time to laugh - 3:4

CONCLUSION

1. What has the Preacher taught us?  Simply that...
   a. Honor is better than luxury
   b. Your deathday is better than your birthday
   c. A funeral is better than a party
   d. The end is better than the beginning
   e. Patience is better than pride
   f. The present is better than the past
   g. Wisdom is better than wealth
   h. Resignation is better than indignation

2. If any of this sounds foreign to our thinking, bear in mind that it
   comes from one...
   a. Who experienced everything life has to offer
   b. Who found life "under the sun" lacking
   c. Who offers counsel from the perspective of wisdom and inspiration
   d. Who provides this counsel that we might make the best use of our
      time "under the sun"

Are we willing to accept his counsel and benefit from it, or will we
learn the hard way, and often only too late to do much about it?  "He
who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

In our next study, we shall consider his counsel regarding "a balanced
life"...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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The Flood and Mosaic Authorship by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





The Flood and Mosaic Authorship

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


In a special 2004 collector’s edition of U.S. News and World Report concerning “Mysteries of the Bible,” freelance writer Michelle Andrews penned an article titled “Author, Author?,” in which she attempted to enlighten her readers on who did not write the Pentateuch. For those familiar with the Documentary Hypothesis (the theory that the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy were not penned by Moses, but by multiple authors centuries later), Andrews’ material is nothing new. As she rightly pointed out, the theory (which she supports) has been actively taught by various Bible critics and “scholars” for more than 150 years. Her purpose, it seems, was simply to ensure that U.S. News’ readership was educated on this matter. Apparently, we can't have Americans in the twenty-first century still thinking that the Pentateuch was written by a man named Moses in 1500 B.C. (regardless of what Jesus taught; see John 5:46-47).
What compelling evidence did Ms. Andrews cite as proof that numerous authors wrote these books hundreds, or perhaps even one thousand, years after Moses lived? Her most explosive “proof,” and the “evidence" on which she spent more time than anything else, is the fact that… “there are two versions of the story of Noah and the flood” (2004a, p. 28). Allegedly,
In one version, God tells Noah to bring seven pairs of clean animals (meaning suitable for sacrifice) and one pair of unclean animals, while in the other he tells Noah to bring just one pair of each type of animal….
In one story, Noah releases a raven to search for land; in the other, he releases a dove. The flood lasts for 40 days and 40 nights in one version, but for a whopping 370 days and nights in the other. The two versions are cleverly interwoven in Genesis so that they appear as one story, albeit with a few contradictions (pp. 28-29).
Sadly, a large number of Americans turn to secular major news magazines such as TimeNewsweek, and U.S. News and World Report for their “daily devotionals,” rather than to the Bible, where they could read the real, unadulterated message from God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The fact is, Michelle Andrews incorrectly represented God’s Word (which is nothing new for anti-Christian news outlets in twenty-first-century America). In all three of the examples she cited from Genesis 6-8 regarding the Noahic Flood, Andrews failed to realize that supplementation is an acceptable, reasonable explanation to the alleged difficulties and contradictions she assumes are present.
First, the statements concerning how many animals were to be taken on the ark are neither contradictory nor proof that two or more authors wrote the book of Genesis. There is no reason why God could not have told Noah to take two of every kind of animal on the ark (Genesis 6:19-20), and then supplement this command only four verses later by telling him to take “seven each of every clean animal” (Genesis 7:2-3). If a farmer told his son to take two of every kind of animal on his farm to the state fair, and then instructed him to take several extra chickens and two extra pigs for a barbecue, would anyone accuse the farmer of contradicting himself? Certainly not! In the book of Genesis, God merely supplemented His original instruction, informing Noah in a more detailed manner to take more of the clean animals. It was necessary for Noah to take additional clean animals because, upon his departure from the ark after the Flood, he “built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the alter” (Genesis 8:20, emp. added). If Noah had taken only two clean animals from which to choose when sacrificing to God after departing the ark, then he would have driven the various kinds of clean beasts and birds into extinction by sacrificing one of each pair. Thus, after God told Noah to take two of every kind of animal into the ark, He then instructed him to take extras of the clean animals. Similar to how Genesis 2 supplements Genesis 1 by giving a more detailed account of the Creation, the first portion of Genesis 7 merely supplements the end of the preceding chapter, “containing several particulars of a minute description which were not embraced in the general directions first given to Noah” (Jamieson, et al., 1997).
Michelle Andrews’ second criticism of the Flood account, concerning whether Noah sent out a raven or a dove from the ark, is answered just as easily as her first proposed difficulty. This example is neither proof that two authors wrote the account, nor that the account is contradictory. Rather, Noah did just what the text said that he did: he sent out a raven, first (Genesis 8:7), and then, on three different occasions, he sent out a dove (Genesis 8:8-12).
Andrews’ final alleged proof that the Flood account is really “two versions…cleverly interwoven in Genesis so that they appear as one story, albeit with a few contradictions” (pp. 28-29) centers on the duration of the Flood. Supposedly, “[t]he flood lasts for 40 days and 40 nights in one version, but for a whopping 370 days and nights in the other” (p. 28). What is the answer? The elementary explanation to this alleged conundrum, which Andrews had the audacity to set before her readers without telling them the true story, is that God caused it “to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights” (Genesis 7:4), but the land was still covered with water, and Noah was not allowed out of the ark, for another 331 days (Genesis 7:24; 8:5-16). There is a difference between how long it rained on the Earth, and how long the floodwaters actually remained upon the Earth.
It is sad that writers such as Michelle Andrews are more concerned about propagating an old, worn-out theory (using false statements and deception) than they are about honestly presenting the truths of the Bible. It seems that a person cannot be considered a “Bible scholar” in the twenty-first century unless he or she is willing and able to twist the Scriptures so that they say, not the obvious, but the ridiculous. Even my four-year-old son can understand the difference between it raining on the Earth for forty days, and the floodwaters being on the Earth for a much longer time than that. People like Michelle Andrews, a freelance writer who specializes in health care, should stick to writing about things like “The Secret to Great Arms” (n.d.) or “Staking Out Safe Entrees” (2004b), and leave the Bible alone—at least until she is willing to look at it with an open mind.

REFERENCES

Andrews, Michelle (no date), “The Secret to Great Arms,” [On-line], URL: http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/df/features/arms.html.
Andrews, Michelle (2004a), “Author, Author?” U.S. News & World Report—Special Collector’s Edition, released in the fall of 2004, pp. 28-29.
Andrews, Michelle (2004b), “Staking Out Safe Entrees,” U.S. News & World Report, February 2, pp. 57-58.
Jamieson, Robert, et al. (1997), Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary (Electronic Database: Biblesoft).

The Five Manifestations of Natural Phenomena by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.





The Five Manifestations of Natural Phenomena

by Jeff Miller, Ph.D.


For over a century, scientists have recognized that all natural phenomena in the Universe can ultimately be divided into interactions between five basic, fundamental “manifestations.” In 1882, staunch evolutionist Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, biologist, and sociologist who was a prominent classical liberal political theorist of the Victorian era, recognized “likenesses and unlikenesses among phenomena…, which are segregated into manifestations…, and then into space and timematter and motion and force…” (Soylent Communications, 2011, emp. added). In First Principles, under the chapter heading, “Space, Time, Matter, Motion, and Force,” he wrote, “These modes of cohesion under which manifestations are invariably presented, and therefore invariably represented, we call…Space and Time,…Matter and Motion [action—JM]” (1882, 1:171, emp. added). “Though Space, Time, Matter, and Motion, are apparently all necessary data of intelligence, yet a psychological analysis…shows us that these are either built up of, or abstracted from, experiences of Force” (p. 169). So, time, force, action, space, and matter are the five manifestations of all scientific phenomena.
This truth—fundamental to understanding science—was articulated by an agnostic in the 19th century, and yet these fundamental principles were articulated in the very first verse of the Bible millennia ago. “In the beginning [time], God [force] created [action] the heavens [space] and the Earth [matter].” It is truly amazing that a renowned apostle of agnosticism would be the one to verbally articulate this discovery from science—a discovery which gives significant weight to the contention that one can know there is a God and that the Bible is His inspired Word. And further, it is notably ironic that the very man from whom Charles Darwin took the phrase, “survival of the fittest” (Spencer, 1864, 2:444), would be the man that unknowingly found evidence specifically supporting the inspiration of Genesis chapter one—the very chapter of the Bible that relates the truth about man’s origin. Acts 14:17 rightly says, “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good…” (emp. added).

REFERENCES

Soylent Communications (2011), “Herbert Spencer,” NNDB: Tracking the Entire World, http://www.nndb.com/people/013/000094728/.
Spencer, Herbert (1882), First Principles: A System of Synthetic Philosophy (New York: D. Appleton and Company), fourth edition.
Spencer, Herbert (1864), Principles of Biology: A System of Synthetic Philosophy (London: Williams and Norgate).

The Finger of God by Dave Miller, Ph.D.




The Finger of God

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


Skeptics have railed against the Bible on account of its allusions to God’s body parts. For example, the Bible speaks of the arm of God (Job 40:9), the hand of God (Job 19:21), the face of God (Job 13:24), the eyes of God (Deuteronomy 11:12), the ears of God (Psalm 130:2), the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3), the voice of God (Job 40:9), and even the “finger of God” (Exodus 31:18). Attentive Bible students are aware that all such references are simply accommodative language—anthropomorphisms (man forms)—in which the Scriptures provide humans with a reference point for relating to God’s activity. The Bible clearly teaches that God is spirit—not physical (John 4:24). He does not possess physical mass. Jesus Himself stated, “a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50). It is difficult for humans to conceptualize an infinite, eternal Being Who is not composed of physical matter, since humans are subject to space and time, and experience existence in a setting that is preeminently material. Nevertheless, while we may have difficulty fully understanding the nature of a nonphysical Being, the concept itself is neither self-contradictory nor incoherent.
For example, when Moses and Aaron unleashed the plagues by the power of God upon Pharaoh and the Egyptian population, Pharaoh’s magicians concluded: “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19). They simply meant that the plague was God’s doing—that the affliction was the result of God’s power. In like manner, the Bible states that the original Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses on two tablets of stone were “written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18; cf. Deuteronomy 9:10). In other words, God authored them and supernaturally placed them in writing on the stone tablets. Another sample of this type of figurative speech is seen in the declaration of the psalmist regarding God’s creative activity: “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4, emp. added). Obviously, God does not have fleshly fingers, nor would He find it necessary to use them if He had them. Being the ultimate Mind, He can bring into existence ex nihilo (out of nothing) whatever He chooses by simply willing it into existence.
This same figure of speech is seen in the New Testament as well. Jesus stated: “But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20, emp. added). He simply meant that His actions were by divine agency. Observe the alternate wording of a parallel passage where, in place of the “finger of God,” the text has the “Spirit of God”: “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). It is evident that “finger” simply refers to deity (whether the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit) manifesting His presence and power in a time-space continuum.
Those scholars who have devoted their lives to studying dead languages, discovering their linguistic intricacies, figurative features, and idiomatic expressions, have long recognized this particular figure. For example, E.W. Bullinger, who published a monumental volume in the nineteenth century titled Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (1898), labeled this linguistic attribute “anthropopatheia” or “condescension,” which he identified as “the ascription of human passions, actions, or attributes to God” (p. 871). He devoted several pages to illustrating this figure of speech (pp. 871-897). In his specific remarks regarding the “finger” of God, he wrote: “A Finger is attributed to God, to denote the putting forth of His formative power, and the direct and immediate act of God” (p. 881). John Haley, who in 1874 produced the respected and scholarly reference work Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible, defended the “immateriality” of God on the grounds that all such anthropomorphic passages “are simply bold figures and startling hyperboles in which the Orientals are wont to indulge” (p. 63). He identified the expression “finger of God” as referring to God’s “direct agency.”
The Bible has been the target of a myriad of attacks by skeptics for over 2,000 years. It will undoubtedly continue to be so. No other book in all of human history has been the object of such sustained, frenzied, and antagonistic scrutiny. For the honest, unbiased investigator, the Bible’s supernatural attributes continue to validate its authenticity.

REFERENCES

Bullinger, E.W. (1898), Figures of Speech Used in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1968 reprint).
Haley, John W. (1977 reprint), Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

ACTS 2:38 FICTIONALIZED BY STEVE FINNELL



ACTS 2:38 FICTIONALIZED BY 

STEVE FINNELL


Why do men fictionalize Scriptures rather than reading them and believing them? I will let you reach your own conclusion as to the answer. What is is purpose of water baptism according to Acts 2:38?

FOUR TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE ACTS 2:38
1. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and each of you bebaptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (New American Standard Bible)

2. Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible New International Version 1983)

3. Acts 2:38 The Peter said unto them,Let each of of you repent and be immersed, in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to the remission of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ) The Better Version of the New Testament by Chester Estes)

4. Acts 2:38 Peter told them, "You must repent and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that you may have your sins forgiven and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (The New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Phillips)

THE FOLLOWING ARE FICTIONALIZED VERSIONS OF ACTS 2:38

1. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized because your sins have already been forgiven. (Fictional Account)

2. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized as a testimony of your faith. (Invented Version)

3. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized as an act of obedience. (Fantasy Translation)

4. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized because you were forgiven the minute you believed. (The Version of Unfounded Truth)

5. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized with Holy Spirit baptism; because water baptism is not a New Covenant requirement. (The Version of Spurious and Erroneous Quotes)

6. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, for the forgiveness of sins; but water baptism is optional, because the thief on the cross was not baptized in water. (The Counterfeit Version of Truth)

7. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Rent and be baptized in order to join denomination of your choice. (The Creed Bible By Men)

8. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized as a symbolic jester, pointing to the fact that your sins were forgiven when you said "The Sinner's Prayer." ( The Book of Stuff Men made-up)

9. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized to indicate the outward sign of the forgiveness you received the very minute you believed. ( The Fabricated Book of Fantasy Verses)

10. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent and have your committed sins forgiven by faith only. And then be baptized to be forgiven of the sin Adam committed. (The Denominational Revision of Fictional Truth)   

.   

THE QUESTION IS WHY DO CERTAIN DENOMINATIONAL CHURCHES FICTIONALIZE BIBLICAL TRUTH? THE BIGGER QUESTION IS WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE FICTIONALIZED DOCTRINE RATHER THAN BIBLICAL TRUTH?

He Who Sleeps in Harvest by B. Johnson



He Who Sleeps in Harvest

“He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame” (Pro 10:4-5).
Even on a literal level, we see that the son of the husbandman is expected to enter into labor with others, and to reap where they have sown. For him to sleep when the harvest lies ready for the sickle is the most extreme laziness and indeed a great shame to his father.
A similar passage dealing with the harvest of souls is found in 1 Corinthians. Paul says, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (1 Cor 3:6-9).
We all have a job to do, and certainly we do not want to be a shame to our heavenly Father, the husbandman of souls. Our part may be to water or to glean where others have sewn, but the Lord will still require that “harvest” at our hand. Remember that the fields are white unto harvest and we must not deal with a slack hand (John 4:35). Why? Because “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Get the picture by Gary Rose




It has been 42 years since I obeyed the Gospel, but I still remember that day in late July when I became a Christian. Up until that time I thought I was one; after all, all you have to do is believe, right? That sort of thinking is terribly wrong. What about repentance, confession and baptism? It is all a package; take it or leave it. A true servant doesn’t just do part of his master’s will, he does it ALL. The two Bible passages in the picture tell the story, and here they are (slightly expanded for emphasis).


1 Corinthians 15 ( World English Bible )
[1] Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, [2] by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
[3] For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Romans 6 ( WEB )
[3] Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; [6] knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. [7] For he who has died has been freed from sin.


God wants willing servants; those who won’t question his instructions. I want to be one of them and have no intention of doing anything apart from what the Bible instructs me to do in this life. Sin is terrible and its ultimate result is eternal death. The way to rid oneself of this scourge is to follow Jesus. He died, was buried and rose again. We should do the same. For those who have not obeyed this simple pattern, I urge you to do so at your earliest opportunity. To do otherwise means that you still have a sin problem. Get rid of it today! I was drawn to this picture because it truly does say a thousand words and all of them say one thing: CHRIST!