The Promise of John the Baptist

  Book of Luke Chapter 1 Verses 4 through 25

 An Angel Foretold John's Birth 

 Who was Luke, who wrote the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts?

 Luke was a physician, maybe the most educated of all the writers of the Scriptures.

Luke was a Gentile, the only Gentile writer of the Scriptures.

 He was familiar with the Greek and Roman world and the Gospels.

 No doubt he was very familiar with the Apostle Paul.

 He stresses the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the person of Christ, and the ministry to the Gentiles.

 Luke is seen with Paul at Troas, a city in Asia Minor.

 Luke went to Jerusalem with Paul when Paul was arrested.

 Luke was with Paul when he was a prisoner in Caesarea.

 Luke was with Paul when Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

 Paul called Luke the beloved physician: Col 4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

 Paul called Luke a fellow worker in the spreading of the Gospel: Phm 1:24  Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers. 

 Luke was the last one to remain with Paul in his imprisonment.

 The writing of the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts was probably in the first century 58-62 AD, because Luke did not mention the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and he would have.

 Who was this Theophilus? Some believe he was a Gentile convert to Christianity and possibly a high official in the Roman government.

 This is suggested by the use of the words "most excellent".

 Because that name, Theophilus, means "Lover of God".

 We should know that there were many early attempts to narrate the life of Jesus Christ, but the four Gospels give us all that we need to know and preserve everything that was accurate and essential when those others did not.

 We know that the Gospels were led by the Holy Spirit, and only the books that were guided by and approved by the Holy Spirit make up the canon of the Bible we have today.

 Luke gives us an eyewitness account of the life of Jesus Christ. Luke was not an eyewitness, but he chose to get his information from those who were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus Christ.

 The Book of Luke is the Gospel of salvation. Luke uses the words salvation and Savior many more times than the other Gospels.

 The Book of Luke gives us an orderly view of the whole life of Jesus Christ.

 Luke's Gospel is a record of historical events that are being verified every day!

 We will begin in verse 4

 *****Luk 1:4  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. 

 It may be that the purpose of the Book of Luke is to look at the Lord Jesus Christ as Man, the Son of Man.

 Joh 19:5  Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 

 Pilate realized that "here stands the Man of God, who has fallen into the hands of mere men and our Lord Jesus came willingly.

 The intent of Luke was to establish the truth of Jesus Christ, God's Messiah.

 As Christians we must know that Christianity is based upon the truth of the Almighty God!

 The Gospel is more about God's creating power than His deliverance.

 Believers are "Born Again" a new creation of God!

 Tit_3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

 2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

 To become a Christian is to be accepted by the only true God, our Creator.

 Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 

 The greatest feeling we can have as believers is to know we have been accepted by our Creator and chosen to join Him in Heaven in His house.

 Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

 Let us look at the birth of John the Baptist.

 *****Luk 1:5  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 

Luk 1:6  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 The parents of John the Baptist were righteous parents; they were godly parents.

 This is the foundation that every child should have.

 This family was childless because Elisabeth was barren.

 So, John the Baptist was a promised child.

 The name Zacharias means "Remembered of Jehovah".

 That phrase “the course of Abia" has a meaning.

 There were 24 groups assigned to the Temple, of all the descendants of Aaron, and Zacharias was in the eighth group.

 Each group served in the Temple for one week twice every year.

 John's mother was Elisabeth, and her name means "One whose oath is to God".

 Elisabeth was the daughter of a priest.

 She was a pure woman, a virgin at her marriage.

 All priests were required to marry a virgin.

The Bride of Christ must be considered the virgin wife (without sin) of our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ

 Like everyone who has ever lived, they had human problems in their lives.

 They were committed to each other, and they were committed to Jehovah.

 They spent their lives doing the things that pleased God.

 They obeyed the commandments.

They obeyed the ordinances.

They were blameless.

 These things do not mean they were perfect.

 None of us can be perfect until we reach Heaven's gates.

 They were faithful and living in such a way that no one could charge them with open sin.

This should be the same for Christians of today.

 They had now become elderly.

 John was promised to these godly parents right at the end of the reign of Herod the Great.

 This Herod also reigned at the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and died during the time that Joseph had taken the Lord Jesus to Egypt to keep Him safe, though Herod could never have harmed Him.

 It was the providence of God.

 We know that Herod murdered every child in Bethlehem up to the age of two years old.

 Herod the Great was a wicked man.

 *****Luk 1:7  And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. 

 We should remember that God had promised His Messiah since the time of Moses.

 Deu 18:18  I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

The Messiah would have a Jewish mother.

 Elisabeth had spent her entire life knowing that she could never be the mother of the Messiah because she was barren.

This was the wish of every Jewish mother. 

Some even considered baroness as a punishment for sin.

  1Sa 1:6  And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 

 She felt she was disfavored and displeasing to God.

 God was about to change things for Elisabeth.

 *****Luk 1:8  And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 

Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

 For Zacharias, burning incense in the Temple was a great honor.

 A priest would probably only get one chance for this duty their whole lifetime.

 This duty was chosen by lot, and the lot was cast to choose one of those who had never had this opportunity, and finally, near the end of his life, Zacharias had been chosen.

 The incense was burned upon the altar by a priest before the morning service and after the evening service.

 The aroma of the incense was just like a prayer, as it enveloped the sacrifice and that aroma before the throne room of God.

 We should understand that the golden incense altar represents Jesus Christ as our Mediator.

 1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

 The golden altar of incense stood squarely in front of the Mercy Seat, depicting Jesus Christ interceding at God's right hand.

 Having a son to be born into any family at that time was also considered one of the greatest blessings from God.

 Both Zacharias and Elisabeth had remained faithful even though they were childless.

 Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 

 *****Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

Zacharias and Elisabeth had many friends, and those friends were praying for Zacharias while he performed this great honor, and he also was praying.

 We should be praying for our pastor the whole time he is preaching and giving us the Word of God.

 1Ch 16:11  Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. 

 If we do not see anything else, we should be able to see that we must patiently serve the Lord continuously all our days because He knows what we are going through, and remaining faithful is the only path to great blessings.

 Things were about to change for this godly family.

 *****Luk 1:11  And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 

Luk 1:12  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

Luk 1:13  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 

Luk 1:14  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 

Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 

Luk 1:16  And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 

Luk 1:17  And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

 No doubt that Zacharias and Elisabeth were people who prayed, and they may have seen prayers answered for others, but they dearly wanted a child and preferred a son.

 We must realize a son was more apt to help them in their old age than a daughter in that day.

 Zacharias was even praying while he was performing his duties in the Temple.

 Zacharias was in God's House and working near the Holy of Holies on the right side of the Golden Altar of Incense.

 It seems that the right side is always the right side of the Lord to be on.

 Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

 This was the place for prayer, and the angel of the Lord said Zacharia's prayer had been heard in Heaven.

 In the Book of Luke, we see more about angels than any other of the preachers in his day.

 Notice the first words of the angel were "fear not".

 Zacharias had nothing to fear, for he was a godly man, but not a perfect man, because we see that doubt entered into him.

 The Hebrew name for John is Johanna and is the name of four other Israelites.

 John the Baptist

John the Apostle

John Mark, who traveled with Apostle Paul for a short time.

John, the Kindred of Caiaphas

John, the father of Simon Peter

John, the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, would be a great man of God.

John would cause his parents to be proud of him.

John would be great in the sight of God.

John would be like one of the prophets of old, Elijah.

John would take the vow of the Nazarene.

John would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth.

John would cause many to rejoice.

 There had been 400 years of silence of the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament, during which God did not speak to His people, and no Scripture was written. 

The 400 years of silence began with the warning that closed the Old Testament: “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. 

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse," and this period ended with the coming of John the Baptist, the Messiah’s forerunner.

 Mal 4:5  Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 The thing we can see is the fact that God does reward those who are faithful to Him.

 Next, we should understand that there is no good time to quit on God, especially in our older years.

 1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 

 John the Baptist was the prophet of the New Testament and turned many to the Lord.

 John the Baptist was the forerunner of the promised Messiah, and John preached and lived a whole lot like the Prophet Elijah from the Old Testament.

 Mat 17:10  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 

Mat 17:11  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 

Mat 17:12  But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 

Mat 17:13  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist. 

 *****Luk 1:18  And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 

Luk 1:19  And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 

 We should understand that it is never too late for God to answer a prayer, so we must never quit praying.

 Zacharias had lost confidence in himself, and he and his wife had a hard time believing this angel.

 Zacharias had forgotten that he was a child of God and not a child of the world.

 There is nothing too hard for God to accomplish at any time in our lives if we do not give up.

 Jer_32:17  Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

 Jer_32:27  Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

 We either believe in God or we don't, at our own peril.

 It is only our Heavenly Father who can overrule the laws of nature!

 The angel Gabriel is one of those angels who stand in the presence of God, awaiting God's commands.

 Isa 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 

 Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 We know that Michael is the most powerful angel, but we should not believe that there is any weakness in the angel Gabriel.

 The name Gabriel means "Hero of God".

 Gabriel always brings "Good News”, but Zacharias also got some bad news because of his doubts.

 *****Luk 1:20  And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 

Luk 1:21  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. 

Luk 1:22  And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. 

 We should understand that angels have no spirit. They speak straight up and do not show emotion.

 They speak the message that God has given to them just as He spoke it.

 To not believe what an angel tells you is to not believe in God the Father who gave him that message!

 We should understand that God's angels are very powerful and they speak reality.

 Because of that moment of doubt, Zacharias would spend the next nine months not being able to speak at all.

 The Jews still have a problem with the truth of God that they need to change.

 They expect God to show them a sign so they can know the truth.

 1Co_1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

 Gabriel was not offended by what Zacharias said, but the reaction of Zacharias was an offence to God.

 We need to be careful how we respond to the Word of God.

 The Bible is more about commandments than it is about suggestions.

 If we reject any part of the Word of God, we will certainly not have the ability to share the Word of God with others.

 God will not allow us to speak words of distrust or unbelief to those who need to hear the truth of the Gospel.

 We should understand that the chastening of the Lord can sometimes be painful.

 Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

 We should be more like Jeremiah when we have made such a mistake.

 Jer 10:24  O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 

 We need to ask for God's mercy in His chastisement.

 When the Lord sits as King of this world from Jerusalem, He will put a stop to all unbelief and distrust, just as He did to Zacharias.

 One of the major problems in our prayer life is that we do not believe that God will do what we ask of Him.

 Why pray at all if we do not have enough faith that God will answer our prayers?

 Can God change the course of nature? At any time, He so chooses to do it!

 Zacharias was to lead these people waiting on him in prayer after his work was complete, but he could not because God had taken away his voice until the time that John was born.

 *****Luk 1:23  And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 

Luk 1:24  And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 

Luk 1:25  Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Zacharias had lost the use of his voice, but he still fulfilled his duties despite being chastised for unbelief.

He did not quit on God! 

He finished his course, and he returned home.

Elisabeth, after conceiving, hid herself for five months.

We have to think that she needed time alone with God to absorb all that was happening to her and to prepare herself for the job of being a godly parent even in her elder years.

Zacharias and Elisabeth lived to see God fulfill His promise.

When God makes a promise, He will keep that promise!

Elisabeth is conscious of the fact that God has shown His favor to her, and she is thankful.

She had wanted a child all her days of marriage, but it had not happened.

She had been barren, but by a miracle of God, her barrenness was over.

She did all the things she could do to have a healthy baby because she knew John would be used mightily by God.

This child, John the Baptist, would represent the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament as he would preach to the world the soon coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we answer God's calling, we become a part of God's salvation plan and the providence of God!

Amen

We Need to Celebrate God's Gift of Love

 Wisdom Celebrates God's Gift of Love

 Song of Solomon 1 through 8

 

The Song of Solomon is written about the love of a husband and a wife for each other.

 Most scholars believe this book was written by King Solomon.

 We know that Solomon wrote many songs, but this song is the only one approved by the Holy Spirit to be included in the canon of the Bible.

 1Ki 4:32  And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. 

 This book is probably written to the Jews, but we know that every book of the Bible was also written to the Church.

 There are several ways that could be used to interpret the words of this book, but it is always best to use a literal view of the Scriptures.

 2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

2Pe 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

2Pe 1:21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Wisdom Celebrates God's Gift of Love.

 We should interpret this book and its text naturally and plainly.

 It is a song about human, married love as God intended it to be.

 The marriage between one male and one female is the only approved marriage in the Scriptures.

 Everything else is an abomination to God and living in sin.

 We should be able to see an actual, historical relationship of King Solomon and his most loved first wife, a Shulamite woman.

 We can also see in typology that this marriage could be used as a type of the relationship of our Lord Jesus Christ to His Church.

It should also represent our own love for our Savior.

 The one thing we must do as we study the Bible is not to make this story fit some cultural mold.

 Almost every king in the day of King Solomon had a harem, and it was expected of them largely for the purpose of expanding their seed.

 Many of the king's marriages were for political purposes to build alliances with kings of other nations to provide security, but also prosperity for his nation.

 The Bible in no way defends the practice of polygamy!

 Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

 God uses the leaders that he puts in place in every nation.

 King Solomon was living in sin!

 Neh 13:26  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless, even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

 We can also understand that none of Solomon's marriages to this harem were romantic or loving.

 Many of these wives were considered possessions.

 Most of these wives lived with this and accepted it.

 These things remained this way until the coming of Jesus Christ, as he brought changes even to the Jews.

 Jesus Christ elevated the status of women at that time and still does today.

 A relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the best relationship that any of us can achieve, male or female.

 It is the epistles of the New Testament that reveal God's intention in every marriage of a male and a female.

 There are no other God approved marriages other than a male born a male and a female born a female to each other.

 The marriage of King Solomon to this Shulamite woman was not political.

 We can see the beauty of marital love and God's approval of the sexual relationship within a godly marriage.

 We can also see a type of Spiritual relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church (The Bride of Christ).

 *****Son 1:1  The song of songs, which is Solomon's. 

Son 1:2  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. 

Son 1:3  Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 

Son 1:4  Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. 

 If we love the Lord Jesus Christ, then we should love the Word of God.

 We know from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation that the Word of God is all about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We also know that every word, every phrase, every passage in the Word of God is inspired by God Himself, and it is profitable for teaching, for reproving, for correction, and for training in righteousness so that we can be equipped for the good work of the Gospel.

 2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

 This Song of Solomon is no different; it is the inspired Word of God!

 This is not a song about Solomon; it is a song about love!

 It is a song about human love, romantic love between a man and a woman.

 These are the words of the bride as she states her passionate love for her bridegroom.

 She does not name him. It was needless because all who know her know who her Bridegroom is and is the only One in her thoughts.

 If we put in the name of Jesus Christ, then those kisses of Jesus are meant to imply everything in Christ, and with Christ, Jesus in his person, and Jesus in his fulness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, so on our part the kiss of grace implies everything that can denote love, adoration, faith, dependance, homage, subjection, and praise.

 If we apply this action to ourselves, it should mean that we cast ourselves on the Lord Jesus as a poor, dying sinner in need of salvation, saved by His blood.

 We can see that His kisses had an intoxicating effect on this wife, His bride.

 In most cases, this ointment is the oil of the olive, which many times is often perfumed.

 Oil in the Bible many times refers to the Holy Spirit.

 1Sa 16:13  Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

 This wife could only imagine the scent of her husband, whose ointment was just right for her senses.

 In the same way, His fragrance filled the air around Him; his good name, His character, and His reputation had saturated the community of those who had made themselves pure through the blood of Christ.

 Remember, a good name is better than precious ointment.

 She loved the way He smelled, but most of all she loved who He was.

 No wonder those who were pure loved Him.

 He was the most sought-after man in the Kingdom.

 She was now the envy of all the other maidens just as the Church is the envy of flase religion today.

*****Son 2:1  I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. 

Son 2:2  As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. 

Son 2:3  As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. 

Son 2:4  He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. 

Son 2:5  Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. 

Son 2:6  His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 

Son 2:7  I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

 The term "the Rose of Sharon" is often associated with our Lord Jesus Christ, symbolizing His beauty, His perfection, and the love He offers to all who believe in Him.

 Many see "the Rose of Sharon" as the Church or as the Believers who are cherished as the people of God.

 Many see "the Rose of Sharon" as it describes the intimate relationship between our Lord Jesus and all those who love Him, and the love God has for His creations.

 Nowhere in the New Testament is our Lord Jesus actually referred to as the Rose of Sharon.

 He is referred to by many as the Rose of Sharon because many see the Rose as the most beautiful of all flowers.

 Sharon is a place, and it is one of the largest valley plains in all of Israel.

 In the time of King Solomon, it was considered a wild and fertile plain and had many beautiful flowers that grew wildly.

 Sharon was known for its beauty and majesty.

 Almost all Bible scholars say this Shulamite woman was the person who is described as the Rose of Sharon, as King Solomon's bride.

 Many say she is described as a black woman, and she could have been, and there would have been no problems if she were.

 What she was saying was that she was not like all those other women who were spoiled with riches, but that she worked out in the elements of the seasons, including the sun, and the sun had darkened her skin compared to the fair maidens of Israel. 

 This young shulamite was saying that she was not one of those dainty spoiled children of royalty.

She was not afraid of hard work. 

 To us who love Him, this passage refers to Jesus as being the Bridegroom and the Church as His Bride.

If the Church is not a hard working church it is not the Bride of Christ.

 The Holy Spirit is using the "lover" analogy to describe the personal relationship that He wants us to have with God's Son.

 Our Scripture says that she is the Rose of Sharon, a type of country flower, and is indeed a type of the Church.

 In type, the Church is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily among the thorns.

The Church is the Lily among the thorns of worldly people.

 It is Solomon who speaks up to his bride, saying she is as a lily compared to the thorns of other women, as the Church is in this world.

 As far as Solomon was concerned, there was not another woman in the world like his Shulamite bride.

 She may have seen herself as pretty, but she did not see herself as something special, she confessed she was just an average, everyday wildflower.

 She was not seeking compliments, nor a false sense of modesty; she was just being sincere.

 She said that Solomon was like an apple tree in a forest of other trees.

 Apple trees did not grow in the forest of Israel at that time, and if one was found, it was because someone had dropped a seed from an apple they had brought from somewhere else or a passing bird.

 Solomon had snatched her away from hard labor, and she was comfortable in his shade. Solomon had actually rescued her from her previous life.

 His fruit was sweeter than anything she had ever known.

 We can see that this apple tree is in type as the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Church now lies in His shadow His safety.

 In verse four, we see this bride give her testimony to her friends of how her life had changed, as if they were all in the banquet house where she is the honored guest.

 In type, we see that the Born-Again child of God, as they have entered into that Heavenly House of the Lord, and sitting at the table of the Lord Jesus Christ, no longer the Bride but now the wife.

 Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 

 This young bride had to admit she was lovesick and overwhelmed by the love shown to her by her husband, the King.

 In type, this is the Church sitting at the feet of Jesus, amazed at the love He has shown to us.

 She does not talk so much of her love as she does of His love for her.

 Isa 54:5  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 As he embraces her, she feels that moment of rest and security that she has never had in life.

 She wishes to remain in His arms forever.

 The left arm is the arm that comes as it was from His heart; the right arm is the arm of His power.

 The fact that his left hand is under her head also means that he lifts her head to look at him.

 The fact that his right arm embraces her means that he keeps it protective around her.

 Deu 33:27  The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

 Love cannot be forced upon anyone, or they will lose their security.

 Those female gazelles and female deer are shy animals and will flee at the first sign of danger.

 This Shulamite had a great desire to consummate the marriage, but she knew she must remain chaste until that time came, and she warned all those around her.

 She made her friends promise her that they would also wait for the right person.

 In type, we see that we must make a strong commitment to the Lord and stick with our convictions.

 Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

 *****Son 3:6  Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? 

Son 3:7  Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. 

Son 3:8  They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 

Son 3:9  King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 

Son 3:10  He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 

Son 3:11  Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. 

 The wedding custom of that day in Israel was that weddings did not take place at the Temple nor at any Synagogue, but rather in the couple's homes.

 There would be a procession to the bride's home led by the Groom, who would then escort her back to their own new residence.

 Next, a wedding feast was given, which could last up to a week or longer.

 Though the wedding feast was prolonged, that couple would consummate their marriage on the first night.

 Verse 6 tells us that King Solomon and the Shulamite began their procession back to Jerusalem.

 This verse tells us what the onlookers saw.

 King Solomon, the richest man in the world, would have provided for an extravagant ceremony.

 That pillar of smoke reminds us of the time that the Lord Jesus led the Jews out of Egypt.

 The bride is perfumed, which tells us of her excellent virtues and service, which are acceptable to God and the Grace of Jesus Christ, which are a sweet savor to our Heavenly Father.

 He makes His Bride enriched and beautiful with the perfume and powders. The spices of Arabia were famous at that time.

 Rev 5:8  And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 

 2Co 2:14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 

 That wilderness was a place of bondage and misery, sin and humiliation, but Jerusalem was the mountain of the Lord.

 Psa 68:8  The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 

 Today the Church is passing through the wilderness, and the Church must follow the Lord Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of lords to New Jerusalem.

 We must leave the wilderness of sin and unbelief to have an everlasting union with our Savior.

 As the Church has been recognized, then the Bridegroom must be recognized.

 Those sixty valiant men were twice the number of men who usually traveled with the King, but He wants the bride to feel safe.

 We can see that the bed is a type of the Church, which is beautiful through the beauty of Jesus Christ.

 Which is also safe by the protection of Jesus Christ.

 In which Jesus Christ is glorified, and all believers enjoy sweet fellowship with Him throughout eternity.

 We should understand that God will use whatever it takes to protect His Church from the wiles of the Devil.

 Every valiant man was prepared to fight to prevent danger to the Church.

 That darkness is the world of Satan, the Devil.

 1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 

1Th 5:6  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 

1Th 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 

1Th 5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1Th 5:10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 

1Th 5:11  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 

 No matter how bright the Church shines, it cannot shine like our Savior.

 That chariot is where the Bride and the Bridegroom ride together is in typeology the Gospel, where our Savior was triumphant, and the Church rides into Glory.

 1Pe 1:25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 

 Heaven is going to be the most beautiful place we have ever laid eyes on, and we do not have the words to describe how Heaven will be.

 We are still to be busy with the work the Lord has given us to do, even while we know the Trumpet could sound at any moment.

 John the Baptist said John 3:29  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 

 Rev 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

 Weddings just do not seem to be important in today's world.

Many couples just move in together to see if they are compatible and most of them separate because they forgot relationships take commitment.

 *****Son 4:12  A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 

Son 4:13  Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, 

Son 4:14  Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 

Son 4:15  A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 

 In that day, many gardens were enclosed to keep animals and strangers from having access to them.

 Solomon was saying that his bride was like an enclosed garden that only he had access to.

 The Lord Jesus feels this way about the Church as He strives to keep the Church pure, if the Church looks to Him only as the Head of the Church.

 The true Church is defended by the providence of Almighty God and reserved for His use.

 Whosoever loves the Lord Jesus Christ and shares their love with Him alone will shut themselves off from other objects of love.

 Mrk_12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

 Solomon was praising this Shulamite for her purity until the marriage ceremony was completed.

 The Shulamite was bringing to her husband a precious gift, a gift that could only be given once.

 This speaks to all the fair maidens in the Church.

 It is a gift for that one special person on the wedding day. The same one who has that endless love for them.

 Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 Solomon continues to describe how lovely his bride is to him.

 She was the greatest orchard.

She was the most pleasant of all fruits.

She was the most fragrant flower.

She was the most aromatic herb.

She was like the best of all perfumes.

She was the sweetest of all sugar canes.

She was the most fragrant of all the oils.

She was the most divine of all females.

She was the most anointed of all oils.

She was a living fountain of water.

 She was now ready and available to refresh the life of her husband.

 Psa 46:4  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 

Psa 46:5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

 *****Son 5:1  I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 

 Solomon knew it was this Shulamite who made him complete.

 Gen 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

 Nine times in this one Scripture, Solomon uses the word “my”.

 His bride had given all she had to him.

 This is exactly what the Lord Jesus expects from His Church.

 Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

 1Jn 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 

1Jn 3:19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 

1Jn 3:20  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 

1Jn 3:21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 

1Jn 3:22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 

1Jn 3:23  And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 

1Jn 3:24  And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 

 No doubt that our young people should take a good look at the Song of Solomon once they know what it means.

 *****Son 5:2  I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 

Son 5:3  I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 

Son 5:4  My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 

Son 5:5  I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 

Son 5:6  I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 

There comes a time when the honeymoon is over and reality sets in.

 Before we get to this passage, let's just keep in mind how much of the Church has left the Lord Jesus, and He is outside the door of the Church wanting to get back in.

 Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

Rev 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

Rev 3:22  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 

 This is the Church Age we are in today.

 In Chapter 5, Verse 2, we begin to see that the newness of marriage has passed, and life has set in. Life can be harsh even for those who have such great love.

 This Shulamite was no longer "my bride", but she was "my darling".

His darling wife locked the door on him and did not let him in.

It is possible this new bride of Solomon was dreaming and had two dreams, but maybe one was a dream and the other was reality.

Either way, she was alone in the bedroom, and we do not know why.

As a believer, there may be times when we think that we are so armored up that we have lost our focus on the Lord.

If we ever lose our focus on the Lord, we are treading in dangerous waters.

This change in love is noted in the Scriptures.

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 

Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 

Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 

Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

Solomon knew she was unhappy with him, and we may not know the real reason, but He is King, and He has a large harem, and as king, he had many obligations.

He explains that he has been working as his head was filled with dew and his hair with the drops of his sweat.

She refused his advances. She was already washed, disrobed, and was in bed. Why should she dirty her feet she said to herself.

She refused to unlock the door. It is possible that she was just too tired.

We do not have to think that Solomon was trying to force the door open, probably because he could certainly have had the door opened if he chose to do so.

Husbands must realize that their wives could get tired with all the homework they have to do and many work outside the home.

It seems she was angry with Solomon for some reason.

We have to wonder how a husband with over one thousand women could ever have a true husband-to-wife relationship.

This Shulamite began to realize that she was not the queen in her household.

Solomon did not really understand God.

Eph 5:23  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. 

Eph 5:24  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

Eph 5:27  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. 

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

Solomon's bride was hurt, angry, and resentful, but her heart began to soften, and she repented of her anger, and her desire for him returned.

She notices his hands as he reaches for her.

The Lord Jesus said: Luk 24:39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 

Psa 45:8  All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

When she reached the door to let her husband in, she could smell the myrrh that he had left behind upon the lock.

The Shulamite paid a high price for not letting her husband into the bedchamber.

We will pay a high price when we reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jhn_3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Solomon had not rejected her.

Solomon had remembered the place where they had first met and had not forgotten the love he had for her.

*****Son 8:6  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. 

Son 8:7  Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. 

A seal was a piece of metal, usually round or oval, which meant it was a sign of belonging to the king.

Seals are sometimes worn on the finger as a ring or upon a string or chain around the neck.

It would be applied to softened wax to seal some document or other government papers.

Every Christian wears the seal of the Lord: 2Ti_2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

That seal is the Holy Spirit: Eph_1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

We are sealed until the day the Lord Jesus returns to take us home: Eph_4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

The Shulamite bride of King Solomon wanted such a seal on Solomon's heart so he could not give his heart to another.

She said to Solomon, "Place me as the seal as a signet ring upon thy heart".

Love is as strong as death.

She wishes to be united in the closest way with her lover and valued as his most precious possession.

She knows that jealousy is like the fires of hell, unquenchable.

She knows that no amount of water could put out such fervent love as she has for Solomon.

It is a fact that love is life itself.

We need the Lord Jesus Christ because we need His love and lest we forget, He is the Light of Life.

Jhn_13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another

Eph_3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Eph_3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

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

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 

Amen

Wise Enough to Listen to Jehovah

 Wisdom Remembers God's Word

 Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapters 11 and 12

 In this last lesson in the Book of Ecclesiastes, we will see how the Holy Spirit describes us in our youth and then in our elder years.

 When we were young, it was the years of our greatest strength. We didn't even think about how we would be as we got older.

 Most of us can remember the energy and the drive we had then, compared to how we feel today as we have aged.

 The Holy Spirit tells us that we should have made the most in our productive years because, as we age, we lose the ability and the strength to do the things we should have done while we were young.

 We will reap in our old age what we sowed in our youth.

 The laws of sowing and reaping will always hold true.

 Whatever we sow, we will reap!

 Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

Gal 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 

 We all would have been much wiser to think about how things would be when we got older and worked harder to put back when we were young enough to do it.

 *****Ecc 11:1  Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Ecc 11:2  Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.  

 Though there are many interpretations of this verse, the most logical is that of Charity.

 To share our bread with anyone who needs it.

 It can also mean to diversify our assets.

 To the farmer, do not sow all your seeds in one field or plant all your seed at one time.

 One bad season could wipe you out.

 That old saying, "do not put all your eggs in one basket," is true even when it comes to investments.

 We should help others as much as we can, not thinking of gratitude or return but only of our duty as God's children.

 If we can help those who seem to be utterly lost, it may not be recognized by them, but God knows.

 The true meaning is that we first have to invest to have a result.

 We should do our best to invest in the Lord's work because we will always get a great return from the Lord.

 Jesus Christ again is our greatest example as He invested His life that we might have life and have it abundantly.

 Jhn_10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Jhn_20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

 Our own retirement could be better if we invested in it while we could earn an income, which goes away with age.

 It's the same with witnessing; the more time we invest in witnessing greater the opportunity to win souls to the Lord.

 It's the same for the farmer. He must take the grain out of the barn so it can be invested by sowing it back into the earth.

 All these things require faith in the only One who can provide results, Our Heavenly Father.

 *****Ecc 11:3  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. 

 We should be very clear: God will judge this earth because of sin!

 This world is filled with those who say a loving God will never judge the people He created so harshly, but they are wrong because they ignore the Word of God, He has given to us.

 2Pe 3:5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 

2Pe 3:6  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 

2Pe 3:7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

 Many think God is just too good to cause such harm to the sinner:

 Rom 3:3  For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 

Rom 3:4  God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 

Rom 3:5  But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 

Rom 3:6  God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 

Rom 3:7  For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 

Rom 3:8  And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.

 Many think they will escape the judgment of God:

 Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 

Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 

 God will judge many before the end but all those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ will be judged!

 Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

 Just as dark clouds bring rain, God's judgment will fall upon all who reject the Word of God.

 We will reap what we sow.

 Just as sure as the time that the Holy Spirit decides that He is wasting His time on some sinner, they are cut off from the source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 A tree that has lost its nourishment from the soil will die and fall and remain where it lies until it rots away.

 *****Ecc 11:4  He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 

Ecc 11:5  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. 

 Many people wait to plant their garden until the conditions are ideal, and that garden is not as productive as it could have been because they waited too long.

 We cannot just sit around with our arms crossed, afraid to take that first step in any situation, because of possibilities or impossibilities.

 There are no perfect times to do important things, and after the first step, the second step is easier.

 We know that the future is not guaranteed except for the Christian, but the day that we go home to be with the Lord, we do not know.

 We do not even know what will happen tomorrow!

 We just cannot know what God is going to do day by day.

 We cannot predict; we cannot understand or fully know what the Lord will do, nor when He will do it!

 If we are going to sow the Gospel seed, we do not need to first look at the forecast for the day.

That is just hunting for an excuse not to do it.

 *****Ecc 11:6  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. 

 When we have a job, we get up in the morning and go to work, and work till the end of the day.

 We do our job no matter what the conditions of that day are.

 It is the same with the work given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

 We should get up that morning and go to those fields white with harvest and stay till the end of the day, no matter what the conditions are.

 We have found that the life of a Christian will seldom be in ideal conditions, and much of the time, we will be unproductive.

 2Ti_4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

 Heb_6:10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

 Another thing that is sure when we meet Jesus is: 1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 

1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

1Co 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 

1Co 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

 *****Ecc 11:7  Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: 

Ecc 11:8  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.

 As Christians, we should enjoy all the years of our lives because every stage of life offers pleasures that cannot be relived.

 Every day we wake up to the sun is a good day.

 When we compare those days to the dark days of the grave, when our eyes are closed and we cannot open them.

 The good days of our life will not be as many as we would like, and the sorrowful days will be more than we would like.

 There is no comparison between the years of old age to our youthful years when we thought we could take on the world.

 The days of our youth were sweet compared to these days in our aged bodies.

 No matter our age, we are to enjoy the life God has given to us!

 In our elder years, we may not feel the joy as we did in our younger years, but we still have those memories to keep going.

 If we wait till we are old before we seek our purpose in life, we will be disappointed as we realize we have waited too long to do something for God.

 He will still use us, but we are limited by our remaining strength.

 We may not find satisfaction in what we accomplished in our younger days, and little time and little strength to make things better.

 We must understand that life without God is truly meaningless.

 My worst day as a Christian is still far better than my best days being without God!

 Psa 39:7  And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 

 *****Ecc 11:9  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. 

Ecc 11:10  Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. 

 We are commanded to rejoice and be happy while we are young.

 But "a huge but", as long as we find our strength in the Almighty God.

 What are the "impulses of his heart"? Psa 84:5  Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. 

 Our heart is the center of our life! Job 31:7  If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; 

 Our eyes are the instruments of our heart!

 Our faith is the key to what we see. What we are looking at and the way we are looking at something is determined by our faith!

 Gen 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 

 2Sa 11:2  And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

 Joy is the purpose of life, but to have good joy, we have to verify it by being aware of the judgment of God.

 For our joy to be real, God must be involved in it.

 What young people do not realize is that they have very little time to be young.

 The young people do not realize that almost every aged person still has the spirit of a young person within them, but it is trapped and imprisoned by the jail of age.

 God provides things for our enjoyment, but before we act upon those things, before we follow the desires of our hearts and what our eyes see, we must know that God will judge us for our behavior.

 We can enjoy what life has to offer, but only according to the written Word of God.

 The key to these things is our faith: Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 

 We have responsibilities as children of God!

 Our young people have responsibilities as the saved of God!

 We must know that our joy will be overcome by a sense of judgment if we are disobedient to God!

 1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

 We must remember the words of our Creator.

This is where Adam and Eve failed, and it was this action that brought sin into the world to begin with.

 *****Ecc 12:1  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; 

Ecc 12:2  While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 

 As I got older, I realized that my younger days were over before I knew it.

 We know that the Theory of Evolution is completely false, and now most of those same people are trying to convince us our world was built for us by aliens from distant planets.

 We have a Creator, and we are created beings, and our Creator is entitled to have authority and control over our lives, and we will answer to Him.

 1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

 God will judge us for what we have done in our lives.

 God asks us to believe Him and live according to the truth of His Word, and things will go well with us.

 It is the unbeliever who is doomed to Hell!

 When we were young, we thought we had the world by the tail, yet when we get old, we do not have so many joyous days.

 Most of us are ready to go home to be with our Heavenly Father, so our pains will go away.

 The joy we have remaining comes from knowing our children and grandchildren are living according to the Word of God and will join us one day in Heaven.

 We all should thank God every day that He gives us to enjoy.

 The clouds of rain come in the storm, but after the storm is over, the clouds leave, and the sun returns.

 The storms of old age stay with us until the day God calls us home.

 When one storm passes, another storm is already forming.

 *****Ecc 12:3  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, 

Ecc 12:4  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; 

Ecc 12:5  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:

 The keepers of our bodies are the hands and the arms, which are our best instruments to defend our body, which begin to tremble as we age.

 The strong men are our thighs and legs, which give us strength in our bodies.

 The grinders are our teeth because they grind the food we eat.

 Our eyes look out the windows of our eyelids through which we see.

 These are the watchmen of this house that the Lord has given to us, but as we age, they can no longer defend and care for our house.

 The doors on the street represent the ears and the lips.

 We need these things to communicate with our loved ones, but it becomes more difficult as we age.

 The sound of the grinding mill is low because we have very little interest in what is going on in our world.

 We get up with the birds because we just do not sleep well anymore.

 The daughters of song are our vocal cords, and our voices are not as strong as they used to be; people can hardly hear us.

 We are afraid of the high places, we hate the stairs, and we stay off the ladder because of our fear of falling.

 If we go out walking, we are always watching the traffic because we are afraid that we cannot get out of the way of that stray car that is not paying attention.

 The almond tree blossoms refer to our hair if it is gray or white or even exists anymore.

 We are like grasshoppers that can no longer jump but drag their body along.

 We know that our day to go home to our Heavenly Father is close, and our bodies will be put away.

 Our family will mourn us, but will they learn the lessons of salvation?

 We will go to our eternal home if we have prepared with our Savior.

 We remember we live in a house of clay, but we are moving into a permanent dwelling.

 2Co 5:4  For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 

2Co 5:5  Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 

2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 

 How valuable are we to our families?

 To God, we know our souls are the most valuable part of us, and He will claim that soul for Himself to live with Him forever in a new body.

 *****Ecc 12:6  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. 

Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 

Ecc 12:8  Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. 

Life is very precious to us all, but these bodies we live in are very fragile.

We can say that the silver cord is the thread of life because life is so fragile that it is certainly just hanging by a thread.

We must understand we have no life without the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Just as our Heavenly Father is the fountain of life: Psa 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. 

So has His Son life: Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 

Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 

Apart from God, everything else is dependent upon the Lord Jesus Christ for life and existence.

Life does not exist in its own right!

Life is not even spoken of as "made by" or "through the Word of God" but as we only exist through Jesus.

Jesus will only give true life to those who believe in Him.

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 

John the Apostle wrote: Joh 20:30  And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 

Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. 

Our life is like that gold-colored bowl suspended by a thread that is slowly becoming rotten by this sinful world, and will one day snap, dropping that bowl to the ground, and because it is only a gold-colored bowl, it will shatter as it hits the ground, and the light of life will end.

Life is only gold colored and not true gold until it accepts the truth of the Gospel, and then life becomes a valuable jewel that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sustainer of life, and life cannot exist without Him!

Once that golden bowl shatters, it returns to the dust it was made from, but that soul returns to our Creator who gave it.

That spirit of life is the soul, which was God breathed into each one of us.

Gen 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. 

The body without the God breathed spirit of life, the soul, is then dead!

That body will return to the dust of the earth from which it was made.

Job 34:14  If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 

Job 34:15  All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

The body without the spirit is dead.

Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

For those who are saved, the Holy Spirit will also return to Heaven because He promised never to leave us.

The pitcher at the fountain, when it is broken, can no longer provide that life-giving nourishment, and the broken wheel at the cistern can no longer bring up that life-giving nourishment.

That body is dead, that short life is over, and Solomon says that life has meant nothing; it is vain.

If we do not accept the purpose of life that God has given to us, then we have wasted the life that God has given to us, and that soul will suffer everlasting judgment.

Death is empty and meaningless without God, our Creator, and His Son, Jesus!

*****Ecc 12:9  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. 

Ecc 12:10  The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 

Ecc 12:11  The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 

Ecc 12:12  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. 

No doubt that King Solomon was the wisest man to have ever lived besides Jesus Himself, but Solomon did go through much of the same foolishness that we all have.

Solomon never completely gave his heart to God.

1Ki_11:4  For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

Solomon became the writer of this book to impart some of that knowledge to us.

Of course, he was guided by the Holy Spirit, as was all the Word of God.

2Ti 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 

2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

King Solomon knew he was a sinner like us all, and as a parent, he wanted us all to avoid the pitfalls of life he had fallen into.

There are many principles of life in these books that carry the name of King Solomon that are good for all people to learn.

These words of Solomon are true because the Holy Spirit will not allow false words into the preserved Word of God.

These words are inspired by God.

There is only one true Shepherd because there is only One True God.

There are millions and millions of books out there today, but there is no greater knowledge than the Books of the Bible.

Mankind will never come up with anything that can take the place of the Bible.

The Word of God is the only source of complete truth.

Only the Word of God can be perfectly and wholly trusted in this world and the world that is to come.

We will be blessed if we study the Word of God and carry it forever in our hearts!

Amen

What Is Important In Your Life

 Wisdom Recognizes What is Important

 Book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 7

 From the earliest times, the name given to a child was supposed to indicate some characteristic of that child.

 Today, we mostly set a nickname on them, and sometimes it sticks for life.

 We should ask ourselves; do we have a good name?

 The Lord Jesus says that we can get a new name: Rev_2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

 We know we are all appointed to a day of death, which really means life to the Christian, but dying with a good name is far better than being born into prosperity.

 Death is appointed to every person.

Death is a matter we all need to take seriously.

 We know that after our salvation, the most important factor for being successful in this life is wisdom, but only that wisdom that comes by the "Fear of the Lord".

 King Solomon was better known for his wisdom than he was his riches.

 It is more important today to live wisely than it was in the day of Solomon.

 The Holy Spirit has given us this collection of simple, practical sayings that we can live by.

 We must live wisely day by day.

 Every day we live is good or bad according to the choices we make that day!

 *****Ecc 7:1  A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

 We already know that the most important decision we will make in this life is that decision to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in salvation.

 So, we have to learn what matters in this life. The world will offer nothing but confusion!

 We must learn to discern between the good and the bad; Php 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 

Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 

Php 1:11  Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

 Precious ointment in the day of Solomon was so valuable that only the rich could afford it.

 Average people could seldom afford to waste what little money they had on such things as perfume.

 This ointment cost nearly a year's wages; Joh 12:3  Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 

Joh 12:4  Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, 

Joh 12:5  Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

 The Holy Spirit is teaching us that if we have to choose between a good name and a lifestyle of the rich and famous, it would be best for us to choose the good name.

 Many of us will question whether the day of our death is more important than the day of our birth.

 If we had not been born, how could we ever die that death? This is a promotion for the Christian.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ had not been born as a human, how could He ever die for our sins?

 To me, the difference is that the Lord Jesus had a miraculous birth, but we are all born in sin.

 The time we have between the time of our birth and the time of our death is the time that we get to make the right choice about the Gospel.

 For the Christian, the time of our death is a promotion to the glory world.

 Php 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

Php 1:22  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 

Php 1:23  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 

Php 1:24  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 

 I feel a whole lot like the Apostle Paul felt about this thing.

 I do not want to stay one more day upon this earth than is necessary, but I know for some in my family it is better for me to stay here for as long as God will allow me.

 The truth for the Christian is: 2Co 5:6  Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 

2Co 5:7  (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

 For the unbeliever, these things are not true because they do not have the promise of eternal life; they live every day with the promise of eternal death.

 *****Ecc 7:2  It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

 We should understand that the day of a person's death is better than a joyful feast is only true if Jesus Christ is not involved!

 We who love Jesus Christ know that to depart this world is very much better.

 Php 1:23  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

 Any reasonable person will admit that going to a festival is more enjoyable than a funeral.

 No one gets excited about attending a funeral of a family member or a friend.

 For me, death hits me right in the heart because in Vietnam, I saw death, and it is terrible, and I would rather not be around death because it brings back memories I would love to forget.

 I accept this scripture because I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.

 To those who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior, it is better to go to the house of mourning because death is something that every living soul needs to take seriously.

 There is death coming to this body of flesh we live in!

 Most of us will reflect on our own mortality at a funeral.

 In many cases, God the Holy Spirit will go to work at funerals, and in their conscience and thoughts, they will begin to feel that there can be some kind of life after death.

 We must take the time to think about what we can do to prepare for our death and help others to prepare for their death.

 Ecc_12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

 Even if you do not believe in God, our Creator, you should wonder why we do not live longer in this great world of technology.

 Heb_2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

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

Heb 9:28  So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 It is a Holy God who holds the power of life and death in His hands.

 God is not saying to avoid the right causes for celebrating because God gives much to celebrate.

 If we wait till the day of our death, we will have missed out on God's promise of life.

 *****Ecc 7:3  Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 

Ecc 7:4  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 

 We can feel sorrow or sadness for many reasons!

 Our emotions depend upon the cause of our distress.

 We cannot wish that death would simply go away.

 There will never be a life-giving serum that will overcome death.

 This was God's purpose for sending His Son to death.

 There is no life in pleasure because pleasure is short-term.

 Sorrow brings benefits to life that pleasure cannot.

 Sorrow causes us to release our emotions and draw closer to others.

 The world looks at life on the animal plane, while the child of God looks at life on the Spiritual plane.

 Life is not hopeless if we look through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Those who take the "leap of faith" into the truth of the Gospel will not be in despair because of hopelessness.

 Solomon says life is in vain, while Jehovah says true life is in our future after this short life we live today.

 We must allow sorrow to do its work in our lives while thinking about the sorrow that our Lord Jesus Christ endured both on and off the cross, then we can see the impact it had on His life, which is our life.

 Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 

Heb 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 

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

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

 It is a fool who rejects the truth of Jehovah God!

 *****Ecc 7:5  It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. 

Ecc 7:6  For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity. 

Ecc 7:7  Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart. 

 None of us likes to be corrected.

 None of us like to be scolded.

 None of us like to be criticized.

 People just prefer flattery and compliments.

 The fool is blind to Spiritual things.

 If we want to be serious about God's plan for our lives, we have to deal with wise people who will help us live our lives.

 Those who have the "fear of the Lord" cannot take away all our grief or solve all our problems, but they can show how to deal with them.

 A fool has nothing to offer to those with a broken heart!

 A fire for cooking will not last very long if it is built out of thorns and has no effect on the cooking pot.

 It is foolish to see if the pot is boiling.

 Thorns do not even make the pot warm.

There is not enough fuel in those thorns to cook with.

 It is a fool who thinks he will not see death at any time.

 It is a fool who seeks only laughter but is blind to the essentials of life.

 In reality, humans are poor judges of what is real and of lasting value unless we know the truth of the Gospel!

 A gift intended as a bribe might cause us to act differently from our understanding of the truth if we allow it.

 There are two ways to make a wise man mad.

 1) By suffering oppression from other so-called wise men.

2) By being offered a bribe to oppress others.

 This is the vanity of worldly wisdom that causes corruption and loss to those who cannot afford any loss.

 *****Ecc 7:8  Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 

 At the beginning of a matter, it is not clear how it will develop, but only at the end of a matter.

 It can only be determined if it is useful information and important if we wait until the end to form our judgment.

 It is the same in Spiritual matters as it is in practical living.

 Sometimes our lives are like unfinished projects. They start good, but we run out of steam before we can finish them.

 It is better to finish something we have started than to start something new in almost every case.

 To the righteous man, we must realize that the important things in life are not quickly completed.

 The things that really matter require commitment, determination, and discipline.

 It is not always easy to live the Christian life!

 Again, the Lord Jesus is our example: Joh 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 

 We may not think of it, but it is a great thing to come to the end of our lives knowing that we have completed the thing that God had planned for us to accomplish.

 We need patience to continue in the plan of God for our lives and see it to the end.

 Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 

 Life is too short, and our opportunities are limited for us to make a name that is good as our days come to an end.

 God does not lead us to begin something that He will not give us time to finish!

 *****Ecc 7:9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. 

 People who can hold their temper are wise for many reasons.

 Pride is the reason for those who cannot and lack patience.

 Many people get mad at God when something tragic happens in their lives or the life of a family member.

 Many people get mad at God when it does not seem that God will answer their prayers.

 These people will get mad at other people for these same reasons!

 The Word of God stresses the importance of controlling our anger.

 Jas 1:19  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 

 We can be eaten away with anger.

 Any sin of the flesh can be conquered by following the Word of God.

 1) We must know that a quick temper is a sin.

2) We must realize that we are wearing the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

3) We must listen to the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

4) We must die to ourselves, allowing Jesus Christ to live through us.

5) We must be prepared to battle the temptation to become angry by memorizing and recalling Scripture when it is needed.

 Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 

 *****Ecc 7:10  Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. 

 When we talk about the good old days, the Lord Jesus teaches us, we are not thinking right.

 It is not profitable to live in the past!

 When we think back, we tend to think of only happy days, and we forget that our past had its bad days, too.

 The world is always changing, so expecting things to stay the same is unrealistic.

 This world we live in is in constant deterioration, not progressing into a better world.

 We are to focus on today and not tomorrow.

 God will be just as faithful tomorrow as He is today.

 Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 *****Ecc 7:11  Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. 

Ecc 7:12  For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 

Ecc 7:13  Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? 

Ecc 7:14  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 

 Wisdom is a source of wealth and is precious, and is to be used wisely.

Wisdom is greatly desired.

Wisdom is one of the gifts we can get from God just by asking Him for it.

Wisdom is gained from those who have gone on before us.

 If we receive an inheritance, it is something that was earned through the efforts of those who went before us.

It is the same with wisdom.

 Wisdom is somewhat like money. It can be used wisely, or it can be thrown away.

Wisdom will retain its value unless we foolishly forsake it.

 Jehovah God is the source of perfect wisdom, and He will share it with all His children.

 There is no other knowledge that gives life like the knowledge of God the Father and God the Son, the Gospel.

 No one can change anything God has done or what He says He will do!

 The more we dispute God, the less we will understand!

 We must remember one most important thing!

 Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

 Why would we want to change anything God has already done when He did those things for His children's betterment?

 God brings prosperity and adversity to our lives, and He has His reasons.

 When we are on the mountain, we need to enjoy it to the fullest because it will not be very long before we are in a valley.

 Listen and learn from Job:

 Job 1:21  And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 

Job 1:22  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. 

 God's wisdom helps us accept that we cannot know what tomorrow will bring, but we do know what our ending will be.

 Our faith must stay steady.

 God is not committed to our short-term happiness.

God is committed to our salvation and our character after salvation!

 We cannot go through this life wondering, "What if I had done things differently”?

 It is our Heavenly Father who is in control of the years, the months, the days, the hours, the minutes, and the seconds of our lives.

 We are to learn from the things we go through and be better because we went through them!

 God knows what is best for us!

 *****Ecc 7:15  All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 

Ecc 7:16  Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 

Ecc 7:17  Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 

Ecc 7:18  It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

 Many times we as Christians are miserable because we see wickedness prosper while Christians suffer.

 1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 

 It seems the ungodly prosper in this world and no one cares if they do it illegally.

 It is only when we know the truth that we begin to understand.

 Psa 73:17  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 

Psa 73:18  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 

Psa 73:19  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 

 I do not think we realize until we get old just how fragile these bodies we live in are.

 We should be amazed that these bodies last into the seventy years that are mentioned in the Scriptures.

 Why do bad things happen to good people, and why do the wicked prosper in their wicked lives?

 When we look over the things in this world, we see that life is far different from what we expect.

 God does not always reward the righteous, and God does not always punish the wicked.

 Some people believe that only the good die young.

 The truth is that there are no guarantees in life.

 There is no formula for a long, prosperous, trouble-free existence.

 The truth is it is a sin to elevate ourselves over others in our judgment!

 We must never elevate ourselves to the place of God.

 It is a sin to think we are wiser than God!

 It is a sin to assume that living righteously places God under some obligation to us.

 God will keep every promise He has made to us in His own time and in His own place of choosing.

 We are not to become Pharisees and make salvation a works doctrine.

 1Pe 5:5  Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 

 We must never think we can commit a wicked deed and prosper as the wicked did when doing that same deed.

 A life of excessive sin will most times lead to premature death.

 We see this every day in the news.

 Our world is becoming worse just as the Lord has said.

 2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 The only answer we need to the things we see is for us to continue our walk in the name of Jesus Christ.

 We must walk daily in the "fear of the Lord".

 As long as we are on this earth, we will have to learn to deal with the brutal reality that we live in a sinful and wicked world.

 Our Heavenly Father is never unjust, and He never makes a mistake.

 We should understand that death is our friend and not our enemy.

 The Lord is always working out things for the good of us: Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

 What happens here on earth is not our final outcome!

 There is ultimate condemnation coming to the wicked!

 Psa 37:1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 

Psa 37:2  For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

 *****Ecc 7:19  Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 

Ecc 7:20  For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

 There is great strength that comes from the wisdom of the Lord!

 It is by the wisdom of God that this world could conquer sin, if this world wanted to conquer sin.

 We know that the world is too involved in sin to want sin eradicated.

 We will face temptations all day in this world.

 1Jn 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. 

1Jn 2:16  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. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

 This world is the domain of the Devil.

 1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

 Sin will rob us of our effectiveness in this world.

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 

We must face sin and deal with it according to the Word of God.

Our penalty for sin has already been paid at Mount Calvary.

We know that God is always right.

God's wisdom warns us of the dangers that lie ahead of us until He takes us home.

Amen