The Gospel According to John, 1:1,2: Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?

First, to say something about the word, gospel. Gospel is defined in the Bible as good tidings or good news. Compare the word substitution between the following New Testament and Old Testament verses.

First, from the New Testament with Jesus speaking and quoting Isaiah, chapter 61;

Luke 4:18a  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…

Then, from the Old Testament with Isaiah writing;

Isaiah 61:1a ¶  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…

This is the gospel or good news about Jesus Christ and the salvation of mankind from the eternal suffering which is his due after physical death as we are genetically, socially, culturally, mentally, and in every other way in rebellion to God from the moment we are born and are held accountable for it when and if we have the capacity to make a choice between God’s way or our own.

Cross referencing like words, phrases, and verses that are either quoted or alluded to or paraphrased between the Old and New Testaments is a fundamental way of getting meaning from the Bible. You cannot trust commentaries necessarily to provide you all of the cross references and all lexicons are notoriously known by lexicographers for being unreliable. Therefore Strong, Danker, Thayer, etc. etc. will probably not give you an accurate idea of what a word passage means. You must learn them yourself by reading and re-reading the Bible from cover to cover and making notes.

1 ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  The same was in the beginning with God.

In the beginning is a reference to time. The Word preexisted time and was in the beginning of time. The Holy Spirit uses Greek and Hebrew in often unique ways, creating a Biblical language through the writers that rises above every day speech. Here, John, uses the word, Logos, which is translated into Word, uppercase W.

Some philosophies of the Greek world used the word, Logos, to describe the creative force of the universe. John here makes it clear that the Logos is not an impersonal force but a person, an entity. A knowledgeable Greek or Roman, who had heard Sophist preachers speak on this would have understood what John was saying, even if they did not agree.

So, the Word was here in the beginning of time. It was with God, coexisting. In fact, it was that very God, here in the beginning with Him. How could this be you ask? The Bible, rather than traditional theology, which talks of three persons in one that sounds vaguely polytheistic, makes this clear. These three parts acted in unison.

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Genesis 3:22  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Genesis 11:7  Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

A self-conscious, aware being is composed of three parts; a spirit, which is how it knows things unseen such as a spiritual world, a soul, which is the seat of its will, emotions, reasoning ability, and identity, and a body, which is how it interacts and knows the physical world around it.

Man is composed of these three parts.

1Thessalonians 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 20:27  The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Job 19:2  How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

The higher animals, those capable of self-consciousness and recognizing their individual identity apart from others, are composed of these three parts.

Numbers 31:28  And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

Job 12:10  In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Ecclesiastes 3:21  Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

God, as well, is composed of these three parts.

Matthew 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

2Corinthians 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

1John 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

God the Father, as He is referred to specifically in verses like Matthew 11:27 and Romans 6:4 and implied in verses like Acts 3:13 and Galatians 4:4, is the soul of God, the seat of will and self-identity.

Psalm 11:5  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

God has a Spirit which knows and interacts with His creation.

Genesis 1:2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The Bible calls Him the Holy Ghost and the active agency by which He operates inside of each believer and in the world, Spirit, is referred to by the neutral pronoun.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Romans 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God..

We are often unable to distinguish the fine difference between the Holy Ghost and the Holy Spirit (used only once in Luke 11:13 with Holy capitalized as well as Spirit) because of the Roman Catholic church’s use of the Latin word, Spiritus, for both words, while English has the subtle variation of language to provide us with two words, ghost and spirit, translated from the same Greek word but with a slightly different meaning based on context and usage.

In another subtle and on the surface difficult-to-understand manner the Bible uses, spirit, with a lowercase s to refer to God’s will and attitude which proceeds from God the Father, not a reference to the separate and distinct Spirit of God, uppercase S.

Job 26:13  By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

1Samuel 10:10  And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the physical incarnation of God on earth.

John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Colossians 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Hebrews 1:3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

These three parts of God are one individual capable, unlike us or the higher animals as we physically die when one of our component parts separates from the others, of operating independently of each other but with one intent, one will, and one purpose.

Deuteronomy 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD…

John 10:30  I and my Father are one.

With Jesus Christ as the, “Son of God,” with a capital S, you have God in the flesh coming with the same authority as God the Father.

John 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Philippians 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Finally, it is Jesus Christ by whom all things were created, as the Bible will say clearly in the next verse.

Ecclesiastes, chapter 12, comments: the whole duty of mankind

1 ¶  Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3  In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4  And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; 5  Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6  Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Solomon concludes as he continues with a discussion of old age. He implores the young reader to think about God in their youth before the, “evil,” days come and life loses so much of its pleasure. Before the glories of the heavens grow dim and the light of the intellect grows dark, that is the time to think on your Creator. Before every trouble that comes upon you is followed by another as quickly as the first ends, think on God. As in his Proverbs, Solomon constantly tries to alert the young person to his need for God and the emptiness of the things of this earth that he or she is taught to hold in high esteem.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

The young person needs to always remember;

1John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

In poetic language Solomon describes the issues of growing old with arms and legs weakening, losing teeth, eyesight dimming, loss of hearing, being forced to arise early in the morning, not able to enjoy music as we once did, fear of heights, gray hair, loss of strength and sexual desire, all because man or woman is preparing to go to their grave, their, “long home.”

Then, we shall be broken like a piece of pottery, like piece of machinery, or even a valuable treasure that cannot be repaired. To the dust our bodies return and God recalls the spirit that He gave us.

Genesis 2:7  And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 18:27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes…

    8 ¶  Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. 9  And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

All of this short life passes away very quickly. No matter what you are going through right now, when you are old it will seem like it has been a very short time. There are no do-overs in life, is no rewind button. Solomon desires that a young person live a life knowing what’s important, not a life of regrets and sadness over what is past. He has spent this little book trying to warn people from the very mistakes he made himself. Some of it may not seem to apply to us. We aren’t temporal kings sitting on the throne of a kingdom dedicated to God. But, most of it does apply to us directly because whether we are a king or a pauper, a president or a peasant, life holds the same frustrations and can hold the same emptiness if we do not hold what is of value.

Solomon mentions his Proverbs which you should study. He insists that what he wrote was the truth and had value. Wise words prompt us to do right, words spoken as sure nails driven by Pastors in teaching and exhorting, all drawing from Christ. Solomon points out that, even in 1,000 BC there were many books published, no end to them as in our time, and mostly what they provide is an endless loop of looking for something you cannot find. True knowledge is found only in God and in His word.

    13 ¶  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

So, for Solomon there is a conclusion. Fear God. Fear of God is awe (Psalm 33:8), honor (Malachi 1:6), humility (Proverbs 22:4), reverence (Hebrews 12:28), and it can be terror and dread if you reject His sovereignty over your life (Isaiah 8:13). I’m sure you can find other definitions within the pages of the Bible.

Keep God’s commandments. For Christ, who is God in the flesh and by whom which are saved, has given us the standards we are to live by, standards which only He can place in our heart;

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

A Christian should regularly read and reflect on the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew, on Paul’s admonitions in Romans 12 and 1 Thessalonians 5, on 1Corinthians 13, and on the entire Bible in context, understanding to whom a particular passage was written, and praying that the Holy Ghost would guide you in how to apply it to yourself.

God is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king, all three branches of government; our judicial, our legislative, and our executive. Salvation is found only in Him.

Isaiah 33:22  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

If you are not now a Christian, understand, it is the duty of every man and woman on earth to obey God who walked in the flesh on earth as Jesus, the messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, by trusting in Him and His righteousness alone for eternal life. You will be judged by that decision.

John 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 

29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Ecclesiastes, chapter 11, comments: Solomon's advice to the young

1 ¶  Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2  Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3  If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5  As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6  In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Solomon here says to disperse your bounty generously and give to those in need. You don’t know what the future will hold any more than you are aware of how a particular unborn child is developing. Whatever happens, happens. It is what it is. You may be the one who is hungry when all is said and done. The person who worries unduly about the outcome, who spends too much time observing the wind or regarding the clouds, will neither sow nor reap. Don’t over think life. Work hard and generously help others.

Ephesians 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1Thessalonians 4:11  And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12  That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

    7 ¶  Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: 8  But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9  Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Life is good and we must appreciate it but the pleasures of youth are soon over. All of the things you expect and hope for in the way of material possessions, success, and status are emptiness. Enjoy the strength of youth and the pleasures of a young, strong body but always keep in mind that God will bring everything into judgment. Do right. Do not be sorrowful and put away iniquity from yourself remembering that all of these things will pass away and one day you, if you live, will become old.

Solomon said in another place;

Proverbs 16:31  The hoary [gray or white hair symbolizing age as in Leviticus 19:32] head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

A young man has from about 15 years old to about 35 years old to be in his prime and then he begins to slip. They put amateur athletes in the “Masters” division of many sports at 35 because they lack the full powers of youth. That twenty years is a short time. A young woman bears the blossom of youthful beauty but in her upper 30’s and into her 40’s the blush is often off the rose and things change drastically for her. Our bodies stop being so forgiving. We are a very short time in our prime of life. Enjoy it but don’t sin against God. You will have a lot longer to deal with the consequences of your behavior than you will have to enjoy the benefits of a youthful body. The person you will be at 50 or 60 years should not have to resent and be disgusted or ashamed by the memory of the person you were at 20 or 30.

Ecclesiastes, chapter 10: the perils of government

1 ¶  Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2  A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. 3  Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

Solomon continues to extol the value of wisdom as he points out that it doesn’t take much to ruin something valuable like dead flies do expensive ointment. So, your reputation, as good as you think it is, can easily be brought down by one thoughtless or sinful action.

A wise man carries his heart like a right-handed man uses his right hand. It is practical and useful and wisdom comes natural to him, and is not forced. To a fool wisdom is a difficult thing like a right-handed man trying to wield a tool with his left hand. If you are right-handed try writing a letter with your left hand or driving a nail holding the hammer in your left. You’ll see how awkward and unnatural wisdom is for a fool when he tries to apply it to any situation.

A fool cannot hide his foolishness. In whatever he does it will eventually become clear to everyone of what nature he is. A fool’s behavior announces to everyone that he is a fool.

Solomon spoke about fools a great deal in Proverbs. As a king he had probably met many of them. He certainly fathered one.

    4 ¶  If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5  There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6  Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7  I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8  He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9  Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10  If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11  Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

The Biblical definition of, “spirit,” with a lowercase s, is often, depending on the context, about an attitude, ability, a person’s will, or feelings.

Genesis 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Exodus 35:21  And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

In verse 4 Solomon talks about submitting to a human authority. Americans don’t have much of a concept of submission to earthly authority, one reason being that in our country we are supposed to be the political authority over the government which is a rather different direction for this verse to take. An American politician would do well to acknowledge his faults and errors to us and this has been shown to be true in history as we are much more likely to forgive a political leader who admits his errors up front than one who fights for his innocence and then finally confesses. One of  the main political parties in this country doesn’t seem to care and the other one shoots its own wounded so this is arguable, I understand.

For us, we acknowledge that God is our ruler and we would do well to confess our sins to Him as He promises forgiveness.

1John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God’s forgiveness and cleansing is precipitated by our confession to Him and acknowledgement. I would recommend that if you still are plagued by the sin you didn’t so much as confess it as you sought a pass for being punished by committing it. There is a difference. Repentance of sin isn’t so much a, “I did this. I’m sorry. Don’t punish me,” as it is a, “I did this. I’m sorry. I never want to do it again. Please remove it from me.”

In 5-7 as presented in context with verse 6 Solomon points out how the ruler who is not wise will promote and take as advisors inferior men while the people he should be listening to are set in a subservient role. Solomon thought it evil that a ruler would set foolishness in dignity and prefer the lower to the better man. Again, reversing that, as in America the people are to be the ruler politically, it is stupid for us to have elevated media stars to positions of power rather than search for the best and noblest to lead the way. We often find ourselves in a position where we have placed a base person in a powerful position merely because of his or her appearance and how favorably the media handles them. We, ostensibly the rulers in this country, are very bad judges of character because we are so shallow ourselves.

Solomon then goes on to lay out a few sayings regarding the consequences of our (or the ruler’s) dumb decisions. We would do well to use wisdom in choosing our temporary leaders and they would do better to use wisdom in determining the direction they lead the country, state, or locality. Solomon goes on, in his way referring to a king in his day, to describe the fools we have elected.

    12 ¶  The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13  The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14  A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15  The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

The fool who is a ruler will talk and talk and say nothing of value. While a wise man’s words are full of grace the fool starts out sounding like one and ends up seeming to be insane. Who knows what he is talking about? By the time the fool is done talking you don’t know which way is up, or in the idiom of the Bible, don’t even know how to walk into the city with wide gates and avenues. The most obvious thing becomes complicated because of what the fool says. Just listen to the typical political stump speech.

    16 ¶  Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17  Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18  By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 19  A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20  Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Matthew Henry noted that the, “happiness of a land depends on the character of its rulers.” Of course with the character of the average American so low we cannot expect much from the people we choose among us to lead.

I was told in the Army that the men eat first, their officers last. I was also told that the three priorities should be men, mission, and materiel, in that order. It is a sad day for a country when an immature leader is ruling and the leaders put their needs first above the people and indulge in every depravity. A fortunate country is one where the leaders carry themselves with dignity and are respectable and not prone to such depravity and bad behavior and place the people they are serving first.

Solomon makes a point about how a building needs to be maintained and we can compare that statement, based on his context, to the building of state. Any good government is a balancing act and must with effort be carefully maintained. A bunch of slothful, greedy, and corrupt rulers bribed by gifts and seeking their own ends and not the people’s will bring the house down.

And, as a wise man once said, if something doesn’t make any sense you can be sure there is a dollar in it. If you want to know why things happen that seem to have no logic to them just follow the money. Solomon points the importance of greed out over 3,000 years ago. Using the appearance of gaiety and feasting as a ruse. Solomon says to look at the influence of money.

But, be careful what you say about these things openly, particularly now on the internet where we all speak so freely and often carelessly, because someone is listening. Fowls of the air are a reference to Satan’s attack in stealing the word of God from a shallow professor of faith in Mark, chapter 4, and “birds of the air” will infiltrate the highest levels of the organized church, the kingdom of heaven, in Matthew 13.  In the true spiritual kingdom of God uniting all true believers those wicked people as, “fowls of the air,” will shelter themselves in its shadow but, of course, are not part of it, in Mark, chapter 4.

Consider the birds of the air and the fowls of the air and Satan, the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), in the fact that there is no longer such a thing as a truly confidential conversation or private thought spoken aloud. Or, perhaps there never was.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 comments: the best laid plans often fail

11 ¶  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12  For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

Solomon speaks here of what we all have seen, the uncertainty of events, and that in spite of all of our talents and preparations things do not always go as planned. From our point of view, in this life, randomness tends to look like it is in charge of things. However, when we study the book of Job we see clearly that nothing, not even the minutest process of nature, happens without God’s direct intervention. By this, the idea that your will can produce any desired consequence without God’s permission or direction is laughable.

Job 38:38  When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together? 39  Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions, 40  When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

And Isaiah relates to us the very words of God in an advanced understanding of what is. Some people, brainwashed by the popular culture and a dualism from Asia, think that evil is the absence of God. But, they are wrong. In the context of the verse following we have evil or violence and disaster in opposition to peace, as light is in opposition to darkness, but all by the hand of God’s permissive or directive will.

Isaiah 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Some foolish preachers have even declared that Hell, mankind’s natural destination without Christ, is the absence of God. However;

Psalm 139:8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

According to the Bible, randomness is an illusion. Solomon, looking at things strictly from our perspective, sees randomness in control, although it appears to be part of the overall point he will make at the end.

Man and woman do not know when they will die anymore than an animal knows when it will be caught in a net or a snare. Death and destruction can and often do fall on human beings when they least expect it or had other plans.

Deuteronomy 32:35  To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Don’t be surprised to learn that the study of history is the study of unintended consequences. Learn that nothing can happen without God’s permission or His direction.

    13 ¶  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14  There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Solomon remarks about how the wisdom of a poor man often goes unnoticed. One of the striking things about our system of government is the fable told in school that anyone can be the president. Of course, a factory worker has no chance to be president unless he has made his way through the ranks of politics and become tarnished by a worldly philosophy. If he is not corrupted over time he will be marginalized as a crackpot and a loon. Common sense, justice, and decency are not respected in the political world. Access to powerful backers and an ability to manipulate the media are.

Solomon repeats a much used thought of his that wisdom is better than strength. Here it is better than weapons of war. But, while wisdom is more certain than might it is rarely heard and it only takes one idiot in power to ruin a good work. We have the privilege of knowing what happened with Solomon’s son who, in his stupidity and arrogance, lost a substantial part of the kingdom his father and grandfather had made. As in verses 11 &12 Rehoboam did not realize the consequences of his foolishness. See 1Kings 12 to see how this happened.

We, as human beings, don’t know when our end will be and often, in spite of all of our best preparations, don’t achieve the success we view should be ours. Some people appear very lucky and in spite of equal talent and ability others appear to be losers. You do your best and live right before God and pray for success and that God will use you in some way but the outcome and what He has planned for you or what He will allow to happen to you are beyond your control. When you get to the end of your life you might think what a great person you are and how you’ve been the captain of your fate and the master of your destiny as in the pagan poem, Invictus, by William Ernest Henley. But, God will laugh at your, “unconquerable soul,” in the end. The Bible shows that God, not you, is the master of your fate, and you would do well to consider that.

For every ten thousand ambitious, money-hungry people who were taught and believed that the world was their oyster and they were a pearl of great value there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine who finished their lives in frustration and unrealized dreams. The seemingly, limitless opportunities of youth whether it be in sports, business, entertainment, academia, or politics often become the bitter memories of a life that got away.

The king who authorized the translation of this Bible wrote a pamphlet of advice to the son he thought would reign after him. That son died prematurely and the son who did reign was a fool who eventually was beheaded in a revolt. For all of our best intentions we cannot know what will come after us.

 

 

 

Ecclesiastes 9:4-10 comments: one chance

4 ¶  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6  Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7  Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8  Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9  Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 10  Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

At least, Solomon says, while you’re alive, there is hope. The living have the opportunity, we would say from our perspective, of receiving Christ as their personal Saviour, and while they are alive that hope remains. The dead know have nothing more to do with this world and their hope is gone if they have not trusted in Christ.

Job 7:7 ¶  O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good. 8  The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. 9  As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 10  He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

A person’s enjoyments, his pleasures, and his daily toils perish with his flesh. His passions, his feelings, and his influence in worldly affairs, except by his memory, are gone. Your power tools and your baseball card collection have no meaning in eternity, as neither do your American Girl dolls or your Precious Moments figurines.

John 6:27  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

1Corinthians 6:13a  Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them...

We should learn to live in the now, enjoying what God has so kindly given us, but act keeping eternity in mind.

For verse 8 it is noteworthy to remember that in Revelation white garments are a type of the righteousness of the saints, believers, as a symbol of that righteousness.

Solomon tells the man to live joyfully with the wife that God has given him all the days of his life. Solomon elsewhere speaks of this.

Proverbs 5:15 ¶  Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. 16  Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. 17  Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee. 18  Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. 19  Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Paul expresses the relationship between a husband and wife as being a type of Christ and His church, His bride, as Paul defines the limits of wifely submission in contexting it with Christians submitting to each other. Women clearly are not to submit to men in general but to their own husbands as Paul repeats in Titus 2:5 and as Peter says in 1Peter 3:5. God is not the author of confusion ;

Ephesians 5:21 ¶  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Solomon here tells a person to be the best that he or she can be, to work hard, and excel in the best way they can in their work but understand that when your life is over that is gone. You will not be a salesperson, a janitor, a company CEO, or a homebuilder in death. Paul tells the Christian that there is something more for him to consider as we do not live in a kingdom dedicated to God;

Romans 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Ephesians 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

There is a clear division here, and it is important to remember that Solomon is speaking only of this temporal existence. It would be easy, as some unbelieving “scholars” have done, to get into the thinking that Solomon didn’t know about a resurrection. But, that is a stupid idea as a resurrection is spoken of in the oldest written book of the Bible, Job, hundreds of years before Solomon, and in Isaiah’s writing, hundreds of years after Solomon, the speculations of educated idiots influenced by eighteenth century German heresies notwithstanding.  

Job 19:25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Isaiah 26:19  Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

And as Job refers to his resurrection Solomon will later refer to the spirit of man returning to God. Keep in mind, though, that Solomon’s lamentation in Ecclesiastes is exclusively a perspective on this physical existence.

So, Solomon says here to be grateful you’re alive, be the best you can be at what you do, enjoy your life and your spouse, and remember, you get one chance to make a difference in this world.

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…

Ecclesiastes 9:1-3: how do you tell the difference when its all the same?

Chapter Nine

1 ¶  For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Solomon points out one of the great mysteries of life for the person of faith. No man knows whether or not God loves him by his experience in the world. The lives of righteous and just men, today, those who trust in the righteous and just Lord Jesus Christ, are in God’s hands and we are to trust Him no matter what events happen to us. If we look strictly at life from a temporal point of view we don’t understand this, as righteous and wicked both come to the same end. Churchgoer or barroom denizen, the person who worships God on Sunday morning with other Christians or the person who sleeps in and watches the morning news, one thing, in the end, comes to them all.

Mankind is not basically good like the popular mythology goes.

Genesis 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

When atheists look around at Christians they often see the same divorce rate, the same rate of alcohol, drug, and porn abuse, and the same troubles and trials that afflict all men. Christians aren’t exempt from sin, mental illness, from disease, from unemployment, from broken families, and statistics don’t bear out that claiming eternal life through Jesus Christ guarantees your children won’t go wild or your health fail at a young age.

Christians like to pretend that “going to church” promises them a better life and, indeed, it can but not if the lessons learned aren’t taken to heart and the philosophies of the world aren’t rejected. Christians covet stuff they don’t have and are in debt as much as anyone else. What is the difference between a Christian and anyone else? What does your lifestyle or attitude offer a sinner right now in this life that he can’t get by a humanistic philosophy? Do you manifest the fruit of the Spirit? Do you express the blessings of charity toward your brothers and sisters and even all men? Do you put on the whole armor of God daily? What does the world see when it sees you? A nutcase? A bigoted, hateful, and mean-spirited individual sitting on his or her Medicare provided scooter and screaming about socialism? Do you spend time talking about holding up in your house with your guns and canned food daring the “gubmint” to come get you at some point in the future when “those people”, whomever they are, take over? Or do they see a person secure in their beliefs, kind and charitable to all, caring for their lost souls and showing them a better way and the truth of Jesus Christ, looking heavenward and living in accordance with Biblical principles and having a day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute relationship with a living, risen Saviour?

People see how God cares for His people not in how much money or comfort they can acquire but how they rejoice and are grateful when the doctor gives them bad news, when the boss lays them off, and when someone they love is laid to rest. It is by the direction of our heart and the place we look for answers, our love for other Christians and, indeed, even the lost reprobate, and our faith and trust in Christ, even if He lets us lose our family, our material possessions, and our health like Job or risk death like the Hebrew young men in Daniel in the fiery furnace. As Job said;

Job 13:15a  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…..

And in Daniel;

Daniel 3:14  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Solomon’s point that the same end result is the fate of all men, good or bad, is well-made and it is hard to tell that God loves us by what happens to us over which we have little control.  So I ask you, what defines the Christian and makes him different than anyone else? Let it not be self-righteous prating and hateful attitudes. Let it be faith, hope, and charity, gratitude, and trust in Christ even unto death itself.