Christ's Forerunner

The Certainty Of Christ's Forerunner

Book of Luke 1:1-25; 57-80


A forerunner is a messenger who was sent forth to proclaim the approach of another.

It can also be said that a forerunner is also a sign of something that is to come.

As we begin in the Book of Luke, which is what we say, one of the "Gospels", we can understand that this book was written by Luke who also wrote the Book of Acts.

The authorship of Luke was never questioned by the early church and we should not question it now.

It seems that Luke was also a Gentle who was raised in Troas which is now called Old Constantinople.

It is probable that Luke found the Lord Jesus Christ through the Apostle Paul, when Paul was on his second missionary trip where he joined Paul on his trip to Philippi.

We know that Luke was also a physician, which would lead us to believe that he was highly educated.

This should also assure us that God provided this man Luke, for Paul's health.

It is probable that Luke was the last one to remain with Paul before Paul became a martyr for the Lord and his head was removed.

It is probable that both the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts were written before the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD because this thing is never mentioned.

Luke was not an eyewitness to the life of Jesus Christ but Luke sets forth an eyewitness account of Jesus, the Son of Man, the Savior to the world.

Luke assures each of us that he obtained his information of Jesus from those who were eyewitnesses and Luke was an eyewitness to all those things he wrote of the Apostle Paul!

Luke writes to someone called Theophilus.

The name Theophilus means "lover of God".

It is believed that this man was probably a Roman, probably a person of rank, to whom Luke dedicated both of his books to, but we can be sure the Book of Luke and the Book of Acts were written to all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ!

It can be said that the Book of Luke is the "Gospel to the Gentiles".

Just like the rest of the Bible, the "Gospel" of Luke is a record of historical events!

Christianity is based on historical facts and not the false theories and false ideas of man as are all other religions.

All man-made religion are based on the notions of some man and not on historical facts.

The Book of Luke is a written proclamation of the truth of Jesus Christ!

Let's Begin:

*****Luk 1:1  Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
Luk 1:2  Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;
Luk 1:3  It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
Luk 1:4  That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

We see that word "many" for many had written about the life and the work of Christ but they were not as complete nor as orderly as Luke wished to record.

We will see that Luke includes many more things than the other two Synoptic Gospels which are the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, for the Gospel of John had not been written at this time.

Because that we have four written records of the life of Christ, it is in itself strong evidence that all these events are true!

We need all 4 "Gospels" to get the full picture of these events.

Luke says these things "are most surely believed"!

In fact the Greek words that were translated into English actually mean they were fulfilled, that they were actually performed and they had run their full course.

The events in the life of Christ before His ascension, actually took place, they had their purpose, they were accomplished and they were fulfilled.

We have the written records of the truth of Jesus Christ!

The things that were accomplished and believed were the things of the Old Testament which were fulfilled by Christ in the New Testament.

Therefore the whole Bible is a record of these things and the whole Bible can be believed as the truth!

So Luke begins:

*****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.

The time of Herod the Great can be proved, so when Luke mentions "the days of Herod" it establishes a time line for these events.

Herod was the son of Antipater, who Julius Caesar gave control of Judaea in 47 BC.

Herod was awarded the title King of Judaea by Mark Antony in 40 BC.

Herod by blood line was also a descendant of Esau.

During the time of David, the priests that served the Temple were divided into 24 courses and each priests served at the Temple twice each year for one week at a time.

The priest of the course of Abia were the eighth of the 24 courses.

Zacharias, which means "remembered of Jehovah", was a descendant in the line of Aaron and the father of John the Baptist.

Elisabeth was also from the line of Aaron, the first of the High Priest, and the older brother of Moses.

Elisabeth, which means "one whose oath is to God", was the mother of John the Baptist and was also a related cousin of Mary the virgin mother of Jesus.

Elisabeth was the daughter of a priest.

She was a pure women and a virgin at her marriage as God gave Aaron the laws of the priesthood.

Lev 21:14  A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

So we see that both the parents of John the Baptist were of the bloodline of Aaron which was a coveted distinction in Israel.

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

They were both righteous in the eyes of God.

They were both joined together and committed to each other.

They were both walking in the commandments of the Lord and seeking to please Him in all that they did.

Remember there 613 commandments especially to the priests.

They were blameless but this does not mean they were perfect.

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

These are basically the same qualities God requires of us all!

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

We see even though they were righteous and walking in the ways of the Lord, they still had human problems.

Christians will never be isolated from the human problems in this world until the Lord returns!

AND, We should clearly understand that all believing Jews knew of the prophesies of the Messiah.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

To be childless in the believing Hebrew society, was a terrible calamity in that day.

Children were considered as a blessing from God and they are a great heritage to all families.

If the wife of a believing Jew could not bear him children, she was thought to be cut off from God and certainly could not bear the Messiah.

It was every female Jew's wish to bear the Messiah.

A believing Jew was expected to divorce his wife and remarry to some one who could bear him children.

All these things weighed heavy on Zacharias and Elisabeth, but they clung on to their marriage.

They were now elderly and all the problems that come with growing old were also upon them.

BUT, They were not aware of the plan of God.

*****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.

Next we see that these were parents who worshipped the Lord.

Zacharias was faithful to his priesthood and he had been all his days.

Zacharias was faithful in his duties even though God had not given him a son.

You know, if the Lord never does anything but save us, we have already gotten more than we deserve!

Zacharias would have seen the birth of a son as the greatest blessing that he could have received!

Zacharias' job of burning the incense was considered to be the highest of the priestly duties and not many ever got this opportunity.

We should remember that incense was burned upon the altar by a priest before the morning sacrifice and after the evening sacrifice.

The burning of incense reminded all those who could smell it, that the sacrifices were being made for their sins.

The aroma of the incense was just like prayer, it enveloped the sacrifice and carried the sacrifice before the throne of God!

God says:

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.

And we know that Elisabeth was a faithful wife all those years she was married to Zacharias.

While the people prayed outside the Temple during the burning of the incense, God sent His messenger to Zacharias.

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

As Zacharias was performing his duty of burning the incense, he was praying to the Lord and the multitude, still outside in the courtyard, were also praying.

All those outside were to be as much involved in this worship service, as was Zacharias.

Remember the incense was burned before the morning sacrifice and after the evening sacrifice.

You see our prayers are to be well seasoned with love and devotion, lest we offer strange incense that will bring the wrath of God!

We see in the Book of Revelation that "incense" symbolizes the prayers of the Saints:

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Those prayers were to be directed to God through our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

We can see that if our church is as much involved in the worship and the prayers as our pastor we can certainly move the hand of God, especially when it involves any part of His plans and His will.

After all what had God said:

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

John the Baptist was to be that messenger!

We can see that Zacharias and Elisabeth needed a son and had been praying for a child for many years. God had said that He would send a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord, so God met the need of this family in a very special way.

Notice this was not a dream nor was it a vision, Zacharias was in the presence of an actual angel sent from God.

Certainly Zacharias was troubled.

According to the Scriptures we are always in the presence of God's angels, but they just are not visible to us.

Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

And for those who want to know the language of angels we see that this angel spoke in a language that Zacharias clearly understood!

*****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.

It is probable that Zacharias was still praying for a child even in his old age.

We know that there is nothing to hard for God!

It is probable that Zacharias was also praying for the Messiah, no doubt he was praying for the redemption of Israel because Israel was in the hands of the Roman government at that time.

We do know that both prayers were answered and this angel said that the prayer of Zacharias had been heard!

Elisabeth would indeed bear a son and his name would be John.

The name John actually means "Jehovah's gift".

John would be a great man in the sight of the Lord.

Jesus said:

Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

John would make his parents proud because of the life he would live.

John would cause many others to rejoice with his message.

John would live a disciplined and controlled life.

Notice again, that those that serve the Lord should abstain from all alcoholic beverages!

John would abstain from any appearance of doing evil all the days of his life.

John would be filled with the Holy Ghost from the very first, a vessel chosen by the Lord for a special service in a very special way!

God asks no more than this from us all:

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.

We can see the truth of God that He will bless those that are faithful to Him!

John would be a prophet or a preacher who would turn many back to the Lord Jehovah.

John would be the forerunner of the promised Messiah!

John the Baptist was to be that messenger.

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

John the Baptist was the first great "Gospel" preacher.

We should also remember, it had been more than 400 years since God had inspired the words of Malachi.

*****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.

John the Baptist was not the Elijah that was to return to this earth for that has not even happened yet, up to our day and is still in the future.

John did come with the same Spirit and the same power of Elijah!

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.

We will next see Elijah as described in the Book of Revelation:

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Elijah will be one of those two witnesses with the other being Enoch.

These two did not see their own death.

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

Now we see where Zacharias made a simple mistake.

*****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.
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.

When we pray we must believe that God has the power to answer our prayers!

Mat 21:21  Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

When we do not believe that God can do the impossible we are hindering our own prayers.

Zacharias just could not believe the message this angel had.

Zacharias prayed in faith but but Zacharias thought that God would never answer his prayer.

It is possible that God answered this prayer more for us, that He did for Zacharias!

We need to see and understand the truth of the Scriptures!

There is absolutely nothing to hard for God!

Zacharias said to Gabriel, it just too late for us now, for such a thing to happen and Zacharias asked for a sign.

The name Gabriel means "the mighty one of God" or "God is my strength" .

Gabriel said, he stood in the presence of God ready to do whatever He commanded.

Gabriel said, it was he who was appointed to bring good news to men.

Gabriel had shared good news to Daniel.

Gabriel had shared good news with Zacharias.

Gabriel had shared good news with Mary.

Gabriel would share good news with Joseph.

Zacharias had failed to believe the words of Gabriel which came directly from the mouth of God, so his sign was he had to be disciplined.

Zacharias had let his tongue speak and not his heart, so God stopped his tongue from speaking.

We must understand that we have the true Word of God, we have the truth.

The sin of unbelief, is the greatest sin of all, and the only sin that cannot be forgiven.

God will certainly discipline us all if we speak words of distrust and unbelief!

The day is soon coming when God will stop all disbelief, and every knee will bow to Him!

While these things were going on inside the Temple, the people outside the Temple who had been praying became restless and concerned.

*****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.
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.

When Zacharias came out of the Temple he was suppose to tell all the people how the sacrifices had been made and their sins were forgiven and how they were blessed of the Lord.

BUT, Zacharias could not speak.

All Zacharias could do was make motions with his hands.

The people who had taken the time to come to the Temple then realized that Zacharias had been in the presence of God, because there was no other answer. They thought Zacharias had seen a vision.

Coming to church is a wonderful thing and also a commandment of God.

Those times that it seems that God is right there in the house with His people are certainly special times!

Even though Zacharias could not speak, he stayed on to fulfill his duties.

It was certainly not time to get mad and quit on God!

*****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.

Elisabeth hid herself for five months and the best answer for this seems, that she wanted to spend some time alone with God and her husband.

She and Zacharias had many things to prepare if they were going to raise a son at their age.

We must remember Abraham and Sarah went through this same thing.

Elisabeth was not hiding her pregnancy, because she proudly went out in public in her sixth month when it would certainly be noticeable.

She was excited that God had taken away her reproach among men!

God had promised Abraham a multitude of descendants, as the stars in the sky and a woman who was barren was looked down on, especially by the Jewish men.

Skip too Verse 57

*****Luk 1:57  Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
Luk 1:58  And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

The birth of any child is a precious event to most every family but the birth of John the Baptist was a significant event for all the world.

The birth of John the Baptist showed the awesome power of God!

Both Zacharias and Elisabeth were far beyond childbearing years yet she was with child.

Zacharias had been visited by Gabriel, God's messenger, and every word he had said was proved to be the truth.

We see that it is God who is able to control all the things of nature.

We will also see that God is able to fulfill the promises of the Bible, just as He has written them down for us!

God will never break a promise!

Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

The birth of John the Baptist also showed the mercy of God.

God was merciful to Elisabeth, just a simple woman who had been faithful all her days.

God was merciful to the entire world because He would use John in His plan of salvation.

John the Baptist was instrumental in pointing us all to the Messiah, the Christ child, Jesus.

John the Baptist would fulfill his God-given purpose, just as we are all to fulfill the purpose that God has given to us.

We are all born with a purpose!

And his name would be John.

*****Luk 1:59  And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.
Luk 1:60  And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.
Luk 1:61  And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.
Luk 1:62  And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
Luk 1:63  And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.
Luk 1:64  And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

By God's commandment, all Jewish males were circumcised on the eighth day after their birth.

Circumcision meant that the child was offered up and dedicated to God.

It should not surprise us that a baby dedication is more for the parents than it is for the child!

The eighth day was also the official day for naming the child.

It was a common practice to name a son after his father or at least someone in the family and Zacharias was a popular name because it meant "remembered by Jehovah".

Elisabeth would not allow this to take place and insisted that he be named John which means "gift of God".

To Elisabeth, this child was certainly a precious gift from God.

The naming of a child was reserved for the father so these relatives took this matter to Zacharias.

Zacharias shocked them all by writing the name John and they all marveled at what Zacharias had written.

Our lesson is, that the name John proved what Gabriel had said to Zacharias and immediately the tongue of Zacharias was loosed and he could speak again.

Why are these details so important?

We must be able to trust that the Word of God is the truth and the Lord Jesus Christ said He was the truth but also much much more than the truth.

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

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.

Luke, keeping to his truth recorded these things from eyewitness accounts!

When the tongue of Zacharias was loosed, it was also a sign to all those who questioned Zacharias.

*****Luk 1:65  And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.
Luk 1:66  And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

The family and friends of Elisabeth and Zacharias saw an actual miracle that day as Zacharias began to speak.

It had been nine months since Zacharias had seen God's messenger, Gabriel, and he had much to say.

Those family members were not frightened but they did have a reverent fear of God for what they had witnessed.

They wondered at what was about to happen because they were witnessing the hand of God in this family that they had known for so many years.

Today, God is still doing miracles but most of them go unnoticed!

These events became the talk of the town and then the talk of all Judaea.

A child that had the touch of God from his birth was born into the world!

These people kept these things in their heart for they were not about to forget this day.

What is the truth of God?

Psa 111:9  He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

And Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost!

*****Luk 1:67  And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
Luk 1:68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
Luk 1:75  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
Luk 1:76  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
Luk 1:77  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Luk 1:78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Zacharias became the third person in the Book of Luke to be filled with the Holy Ghost and all three were his family. Elisabeth, The baby John, while still in the mother's womb and himself.

It was time to give God the praise!

This group of Scriptures is known as "The Benedictus"!

When the tongue of Zacharias was loosed it proved that his sin had been forgiven because he had obeyed God.

In "typology" this joy and praise is a picture of what happens to each Christian.

We believe and obey God and we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. God immediately forgives us of our sins and then immediately fills us with the Holy Ghost!

Verse 68: We see Zacharias as a Christian who is looking back to the cross.

"For the Lord God has visited and redeemed His people"!

Zacharias became a prophet. Zacharias began to praise the Lord who had not yet been born.

It was God Himself who came to this earth in the person of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah!

In the Old Testament, God is involved in the affairs of the world.

In the New Testament, God gets personal, one on one, with every believer!

God paid a tremendous price for each believer to be saved!

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was the mighty Savior from the house of David!

It is the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is the "horn of salvation"!

The "horn" symbolizes strength, power and might.

AND, Only the Messiah is able to save His people!

Heb 7:25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

David was raised up by God to deliver and rule the people of Israel.

Christ, the Messiah was raised up to deliver and to rule over God's people!

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It is the Messiah, Christ Jesus, who will fulfill the entire covenant to Abraham!

It is the Messiah, Christ Jesus, who will fulfill all His promises to Israel!

It is Jesus Christ, the Messiah who will fulfill all His promises to the Church!

Verse 76 confirms the purpose of John the Baptist.

We can just imagine as Zacharias looked down at his son knowing that he would be called a prophet of the Highest.

There had been no prophet in Israel for over 400 years and John would be the first since Malachi.

Christ was called the "Highest", the "Most High God"!

Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

John the Baptist was to be the prophet of the Most High God!

John was to proclaim salvation, "by the remission of sins".

Salvation is conditional, our sins must be forgiven!

They cannot be forgiven until we ask the Lord for forgiveness!

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

John the Baptist was to proclaim the rise of the Lamb of God.

John the Baptist was to proclaim Jesus as the "Dayspring" from on High, "the Dawn of the Morning".

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

John the Baptist was to proclaim that Jesus was sent to give light, to guide our path, and not only the Jews but also to the Gentiles, and to all those who sit in darkness.

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while in the womb of his mother and he began to grow in the Lord.

*****Luk 1:80  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Here we see the only Scripture that tells us of the childhood of John the Baptist.

John may have grown as a normal child but there are certain things that we must observe.

1) John advanced far beyond a normal child spiritually.

John was committed even as a child to follow and obey the Word of God.

2) John was raised in a different environment than most all other children.

John was raised in the desert.

John was raised away from all the things of the world.

3) John stayed away from world until God called him into His service.

John led a life of obedience.

If we are going to be the servants of God, we need to avoid the things of the world and obey the Word of God!

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Those that doubt the ministry of John the Baptist are denying the truth of the Scriptures!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Celebrating God's Love

Celebrating God's Gift Of Love

Song of Solomon 1-8


Again today we see more of the Holy Ghost inspired writings of Solomon.

The difference in these Scriptures is the fact that Solomon wrote this Book of the Song of Solomon, while he was still young and maybe even before he became King of Israel.

We know that the Book of Ecclesiastes was written after Solomon had gotten old and had experienced the sin of the humanistic world before returning to the wisdom of the Lord.

Solomon wrote many songs:

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

But it seems that this was Solomon's most loved song.

Modern day Bible Scholars may declare that this Book of the Bible was written by someone else, but all the evidence still leads us to Solomon.

In fact modern day Bible scholars are rejecting much of the Scriptures, but that does not make them right, and in all cases they are wrong.

The reign of Solomon was between 971 and 931 BC so we can be sure that we can date the writing of this Book near those years if not 970 BC.

This Song of Solomon was written to the Jewish nation where Solomon ruled.

This Song of Solomon shows us that the true love of Solomon's life was a Shulamite.

Most all of us will agree, that there is nothing wrong about a Book of the Bible that depicts the beauties of courtship and marital love.

After all the family was the first thing that God established:

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.
Gen 2:25  And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God created the means of a perfect marriage, to be the union of one man and one woman with enough love to last until death parted them.

We should also not be fooled, in typology this account in the Song of Solomon must be considered as a "type" of the love that Christ has for the Church, the "Bride Of Christ"!

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.

Solomon will display this "type" of love for his first wife Naamah who was the mother to Solomon's only son Rehoboam.

Many disagree as to who this Shulamite was. but most all the evidence will lead us to Naamah.

It seems certain to most that the bride that Solomon loved the most was Naamah.

2Ch 12:13  So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

Notice Rehoboam began to rule when he was 41 years old and we know that Solomon reigned for 40 years.

2Ch 9:30  And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Rehoboam was born before Solomon became King.

In actuality, the name Shulamite is the feminine, where Solomon is the masculine.

In other words, both names are derived from the name "Shalem" which means "peace".

There is great beauty in "Shalem" as it relates to Jesus Christ and His Church.

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the "peace" that He brings to the Church!

We must also remember Shalem or Salem is the name of Jerusalem and the Church was born in Jerusalem!

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Melchizedek is said to have been king of Salem, which is "king of peace".

Heb 7:2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
Heb 7:3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

In typology, it is the Church who are the true Shulamites!

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

So keeping all these things in mind, let's begin with Chapter 2 and verse 1.

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

These terms are often applied to Jesus Christ but in actuality it is the bride who is speaking in this Scripture.

In effect, this bride has humbled herself to be like two common wild flowers.

She considers herself unworthy in comparison to the King!

In the first chapter she had compared her King to a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi.

Son 1:14  My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

These were beautiful aromatic plants.

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.

BUT, She considered herself as no more than weeds that simply flowered.

"Sharon" was only a swampy plain south of Mount Carmel that produced heavy vegetation and wild flowers.

In that day of Solomon, the "lily of the valley" was not a flower as we think of now, it was just a common wild flower.

This young maiden was saying, "I may be pretty but I am nothing special as such my king deserves".

She considered herself to be just an average everyday wild flower!

Thank goodness for the love of God, who loved us while we were still sinners and we are all certainly unworthy of His love!

For God is the picture of Love in, His Son Jesus Christ!

1Jn 4:8  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

We know how this bride of Solomon saw herself but now we will how this King saw his bride.

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

If she was just an everyday wild flower, she was assured by Solomon that the rest of the world were just a field thorns.

In fact, if she was just a lily, Solomon considered the rest of the women in his kingdom to be not flowers at all, but only thorns and weeds of no value.

As far as Solomon was concerned, there was not another like her in all the world!

Eph 5:28  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Eph 5:29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

We can be sure this new wife rejoiced with her King.

*****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.

There are may trees in the forest and they all have their uses, but if you are hungry you will have to find an orchard.

But if you are in the middle of the forest and you happen to find an apple tree, then you can find the refreshment that is needed to be satisfied.

What we see is, that as far as these two lovers are concerned, they have compared each other to the rest of the world and no one else comes close to how they feel for each other!

Just as the thorns referred to all the other women to Solomon.

Those trees referred to all the other men to this Shulamite.

This is the feeling every couple should have before they wed!

In typology we know that the world is no friend to the Church.

Psa 17:8  Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psa 17:9  From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

The truth is, that there is no other part of the body that is so wondrously created and so well guarded as the eye and we all realize the importance of our eye sight.

So God guards His Church as tenderly and as well, as we guard the pupil of our eyes and as He would His own eye!

The Church is that important to Our God, The Lord Jesus Christ!

Most people do not think too much of a shadow, until that are hot and trying to find a cool place.

AND, We all never seem to think of Christ, until we have a certain need but Christ always says, "come and I will forgive you".

BUT, Our Lord is not a God that we can just place on a shelf and take Him down as we need Him!

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

And the truth is, that the greatness and the goodness of the true "tree of life" will not only protect each sinner but He will also preserve the sinner throughout eternity!

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Of course this is the city of the New Jerusalem!

AND, The "tree of life" is always sweet to the taste!

And now we will see that this Shulamite, as she tries to describe to her friends how wonderful her future Husband truly is.

*****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.

We see that her husband had a special banquet where she, the bride was the honored guest.

This special banquet was to celebrate his engagement to his darling bride and to present her as the "bride" of the King.

We understand "a banner" as flag on a flag pole showing ownership and protection.

This bride considers Solomon's banner to be his great love for her!

As a humble bride, her fear is overcome by the presence of her King!

"Flagons" are "raisin cakes". These were known throughout Israel because they were considered to be aphrodisiac.

"Apples" were also shared by lovers and were thought to have aphrodisiac properties.

Remember this how the bride is describing this thing to her other female friends.

All these things, the King's praise, the King's public display of his love, and his eternal protection, had only made her to desire him even more.

She was certainly "love sick" as she described his left hand under her head and his right hand in an embrace of her.

She was seeking for her husband to revive her as she was dreaming and fantasizing about her wedding night, when she would totally belong to her husband.

The Apostle John describes the Lord when he first saw him in the Revelation of Christ:

Rev 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

And Isaiah writes these things:

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.
Isa 54:6  For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.

The Apostle Peter put it like this:

1Pe 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

And of course the Church knows these things as the marriage supper of the Lamb:

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.

And now this bride of Solomon has become very serious and very possessive:

*****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.

This young bride seemed to be was stressing to all her friends that even with all these desires, she was going to save herself until the marriage.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

2Co 11:1  Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
2Co 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as "a chaste virgin" to Christ.

This young Shulamite bride, cautioned all her friends to flee temptation as she had done.

A "roe" would be a "Gazelle".

A "hind" would be a doe, a "female Deer".

We know that both of these animals are very fast animals.

And her friends should flee temptation, as fast as they could.

God says:

2Ti 2:22  Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

This "soon to be bride" was excited about her wedding night because it would be a new, first time experience with this husband she had committed her love to.

We should remember most women are seeking protection, intimacy, and public displays and expressions of affection from their husbands.

Eph 5:33  Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Because this is the way the Jesus Christ loves His Church:

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

We can see that one way to end divorce, is to begin and continue in a marriage according to the Word of God!

Most men need their wife to respect him and then admire him for his stance on the Word of God!

Pro 31:10  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Pro 31:11  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

No doubt Solomon and his new bride had cultivated their love through a long dating relationship because they had grown to know each other so very well.

*****Son 2:8  The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
Son 2:9  My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

When a couple spends some time dating, they are able to determine if there is something more between them than just a physical attraction.

In verse 8 we see a young bride going back in her thoughts to the scenes of her home life, when her future husband would come calling as she intently listened for his arrival.

We also know there are many things we may forget in life, but the one thing that will always remain with us, is that period time when we first experienced our Savior and our salvation!

We see as she describes herself inside the home, while her future husband is outside the wall and maybe she sees him approaching from her window.

As Solomon approached, he may have cried out to her, as again she pictured herself as a shy gazelle and he as a young but powerful stag.

*****Son 2:10  My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Son 2:11  For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

As Solomon approached the home of his beloved, she heard his call and rushed to be prepared to leave with him.

Our lesson is we of the church should remain in an instant notice to be prepared the calling of our Lord.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

It will then be time to go home.

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.

And just like at the  end of Winter we maybe worn out by the dreariness of it, but at the first signs of Spring we have the joy of new life.

The Spring reminds us of our resurrected Christ.

*****Son 2:12  The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
Son 2:13  The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

The flowers begin to bloom.

The birds are singing.

The turtle dove has returned to mark the arrival of spring.

The figs are beginning to ripen.

The vines are in full blossom.

The wonderful smell of Spring is everywhere!

And Jesus cries out "Come My Love What Are You Waiting For"!

1Co 15:42  So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
1Co 15:43  It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
1Co 15:44  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

The truth is, the Lord loves the sight of His people.

The Lord delights in our songs and prayers to Him.

God does not like secret Christians!

The Lord loves, and must have, a close and personal relationship with each of us!

*****Son 2:14  O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

A dove was the only bird that could be offered in sacrifice.

It was the dove that was the sign of world peace to Noah.

It is the white dove that is the sign of purity.

David when he was distressed wished he had the wings of a dove so he could fly away from his toubles.

It was the dove that was the symbol for the Holy Spirit and proof to John the Baptist that the Lord Jesus was truly the Lamb of God!

And there truly exist a dove whose feathers, all except the wings, are literally as yellow as gold!

1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

All these things should bring us encouragement as the Lord's return draws so very near!

For sweet is the voice of Jesus and His countenance is beautiful for He is Perfect!

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Anything that is not perfect will be lost in perfectness, when we have at last attained to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

We will remain with the foolish when we reject the Lord, but if we bow before Jesus now and accept His salvation plan, we will one day soon be perfect with Him and we will be at home!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

God's Wisdom In Our Life

Applying God's Wisdom To Life

Ecclesiastes 11-12


Making application in theology, is the act by which the truths of Jesus Christ are transferred to mankind, for his justification.

The pure fact is, that any life that omits the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed be a life that is meaningless!

To deny that Christ Jesus is not God is to reject all the Scriptures!

1Jn 2:22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Jesus was the Messiah sent from God, this is a fact!

Christ means Messiah.

Messiah means the God-Man.

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

You cannot become a child of God if you reject Jesus Christ as God!

1Jn 5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus "is the Christ" is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Who are the deceivers in our world?

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, "who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist".

All those that deny Jesus Christ are denying God!

Jud 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, "and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ".

God tells us all these things so we can know the truth.

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; "that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God".

Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the wisdom of God and we must apply this wisdom to our lives for our lives to have meaning!

*****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 believers we have the ability to enjoy all the years of our lives.

Every stage of life from young to old offers pleasures that cannot be relived!

The sun rises and then the sun sets everyday and as long as we can see the sun we know we are alive because our eyes are closed at death and there is only darkness.

Even in these days of sunlight we will still have some dark days:

Job 3:20  Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;
Job 3:21  Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

To most of us, we remember the days we were young as the daytime of our years compared to now, since we are old and see these day as the night time of our years.

The truth is, that once we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we really have no excuse not to enjoy every day that we live, even on those dark days.

The truth is, the younger we begin our relationship with the Lord, the more pleasant our memories will be as we grow older.

These things are only meaningless to those who do not know the Lord!

As Solomon was searching the true meaning of life, he discovered the truth of God!

What ever path we choose, to know the Lord as our Savior is a choice, and at the end of every life we will come the judgment of God!

*****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.

In reality, we should have only one thought as we live this life that God has given to us and it is the fact that we all will face God in judgment.

This does not limit rejoicing at any age as some surmise.

Young people have very little time and very few opportunities to enjoy many things while they still have the strength to do them.

Believe me when I say, that in every older person there is the spirit of a young person, who knows that there are so many things that we are not physically able to do, that we wish we had done while we were still young.

We end up remembering all the mistakes we made rather then the joys we could have had!

It is true, that even after salvation we have a tendency to place restrictions on ourselves, that God has never placed on us!

The truth is, God richly provides many things for our enjoyment:

1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

God just expects us to make wise choices and we already know that true wisdom can only come from a close personal relationship with the Lord.

God expects us all to banish sorrow and worry and to put away sadness from our bodies and our minds.

Judgement is not a thing to bring sorrow.

We should look forward to the judgment of God knowing that to know the Lord on a personal basis is to gain the reward of eternal life and the opportunity to earn even other rewards.

There are great benefits in serving the Lord!

The truth is, we will never enjoy a life without Jesus Christ!

If we try to enjoy the pleasures of sin, which can only last a short time, we will be handicapped by the knowledge of the coming judgment.

Job 20:4  Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,
Job 20:5  That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

We should never allow the cares of this world, to rob us of the life that God intends for us to have!

If we begin to live a holy life in our young days, we will not have anything to worry about in our old age!

1Ti 4:11  These things command and teach.
1Ti 4:12  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

The truth of the Bible is, that if we cannot accept the truth of the Book of Genesis, we will never know the truth of our Creator!

*****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;

What is the most important thing for our youth today?

Our youth need to reject all the teachings of evolution which are all lies, and remember that we have a Creator!

When we realize that we are created, we will also realize we were created with a Divine purpose.

When we realize that our Creator has now become our Savior, it will change our life forever!

Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the Spirit of God will actually live within our bodies!

This means, that no matter where we are, we will always have God's presence to guide us!

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.

A true Creator can make things out of nothing. God made us out of nothing.

By the right of creation, God is entitled to have authority and control over our lives.

In today's language, we would say that God owns the patent on our lives as human beings, and God will never sell us out.

As humans we will all answer to our Creator!

We have only One Creator, who then is our only Judge, who will judge our lives, our words, our thoughts, and all our deeds.

Those that reject these things are doomed to Hell and later the "Burning Lake of Fire".

AND, we must not listen to false religions, who say that there is no Hell because this place certainly exist!

If we will live with the awareness of God throughout our younger years, while we have the desire and energy, we can still enjoy life and the things that life has to offer!

Joh 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".

Knowing Christ is knowing the truth of life!

It is a fact and most all of us up in years, will concede that most of our time is now spent trying to hold onto the life that we have.

There is not much fun in growing old, but that does not mean that there is no joy even in the aged life.

Every age of life will have it's particular joys!

We should all realize, that God is saying it is not much fun getting old!

Solomon will now describe what it is like getting old.

*****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:

For most of us in our latter years, there will be more days of no light and no joy and the good.

More days that grow dark from clouds of problems and the pain of growing old!

As we get older, we have pains and afflictions that just do not go away.

We know that when dark heavy clouds pass by and drop their rain, they will then roll on by and the Sun will then come out.

BUT, this is not the case with the storm clouds of old age!

As we get older, we may find some relief from the aches and pains of the body but it will only be temporary and the aches and pains will always return.

It is best to remember God while we are still young, while we can still avoid some of our foolishness that will be the cause of many of our aches and pains of our old age!

*****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:

Watch how Solomon describes the decay which creeps into the body as we get older.

While we are young, we need to learn to walk faithfully with the Lord because a day is coming when we will not be able to serve God as we would like to.

We see that this passage refers to our body as an aging house that is beginning to fall apart.

The keepers of the house are the hands and the arms.

The strong men are the legs.

The grinders are the teeth.

And those windows are the eyes.

We need to remember our Creator before the arms begin to tremble and we cannot protect our homes, our bodies.

We need to remember our Creator before our bodies begin to stoop over.

We need to remember our Creator before our teeth start falling out.

We need to remember our Creator before our eyesight starts failing.

None of us will be like Moses who at 120 years old, his eyes were not dim nor his natural force was abated!

Verse 4 adds, we need to remember our Creator before our legs become to weak to walk outside.

As we know, many of our aged brothers and sisters our house bound or in nursing homes due to bodily weakness and can no longer get out the doors into the streets.

They have difficulty in hearing.

Difficulty in speaking.

Difficulty in singing.

Along with difficulty in sleeping, because even the pleasant chirping of the birds is a distraction on most days.

Verse 5 adds the the fear of falling from heights or the fear of falling from ladders or even falling down the stairs.

It is that fear that limits the things that we  used to do with ease!

But there is also the fear of just being in the way while others are productive!

As we get older, sometimes we just feel that we just get in the way so we just don't offer to help.

We need to remember our Creator before our hair turns gray as the almond blossoms.

We need to remember our Creator before even the chirping of the insects is bothersome and as our hearing fades, we hear that ringing in our ears or the jungle in our ears, even when it is quiet and their are no sounds.

We need to remember our Creator before all our desires fail, especially that desire to serve our Lord which we can no longer do because our bodies have become so feeble.

We must remember our Creator before we are placed in that long home and death has over come us, and all life goes out!

The truth is, one day we will move out of our earthly house of clay, and will move into a permanent dwelling in either Heaven or Hell.

That move to Heaven will be the most glorious of our accomplishments, especially if we have remembered our Creator in the time of our youth.

That move to Hell will be a move to everlasting torments if we have rejected our Creator!

We are all just one step away from eternity at all times!

David while he was still young and before he was King of Israel, said these words:

1Sa 20:3  And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, "there is but a step between me and death".

David did not forget his Creator while he was still young!

The truth is, a person is alive one day and full of life and the next day they have been overcome by death!

Solomon had already gotten old, before he realized the same things his father knew when he was very young.

The truth is, if we sow the seeds of sin while we are young, we will painfully reap what we have sown in our old age!

Solomon realized his mistakes and returned to the Lord before his death!

It can be said that Solomon broke all ten of the moral laws of God and most probably all of the 613 commands of the Jewish Law and it is certain that Solomon broke God's commandments given to all the kings of Israel.

We would be wiser than Solomon if we remembered our Creator while we are still young!

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.

If for no other reason, we need to remember our Creator because in reality life is certainly fragile!

*****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.

There are many ways of interpreting this silver cord, by if we keep with the theme of the body, that silver cord represents the marrow of the spine, which is white and precious as silver, to our wellbeing and the strength in our back.

That golden bowl of the lamp, then answers to the skull which is full of all the wisdom we have obtained in our life time and much of it is very valuable.

In the days of Solomon, many a lamp was suspended from the ceiling of the homes to provide light.

Over time that cord would decay to a point when it would snap and that golden bowl would  fall to the ground and that light would be out.

Solomon's point was, that our life can snap or give way at any time because life is fragile and the light of our life will be put out.

When the pitcher is broken you can draw no water from the pool, even though the pool is full.

When the crank is broken at the well, you can draw no water at the well even though the well is not dry.

At our death, it is too late to depend on God unless we have remembered our Creator while we are young.

We cannot draw from the wisdom of God after we have met death!

Life is fragile and death can come at any moment!

Then at that very moment, the physical body will return the the dust from which is was made.

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.

God created man from the dust of the ground and man became a living soul when God who is Spirit, "breathed the breath of life into man".

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Gen 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18  Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

And that spirit which was breathed into man's nostrils will return to the Creator who made it!

Even in death we see that God keeps His promise to every human being!

It is what God does with the that "Spirit of Life" after death that has the most importance and that is a decision that God did not make but that we make ourselves!

The molecules of the body disintegrate back to it's basic elements.

Job 20:11  His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

God's life giving spirit does not ever die!

Isa 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isa 57:16  For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.

All those who are part of the Church, those with their names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will return to the Lord.

Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Those who do not have their name written down in the Lamb's Book of Life, will begin their life of torment!

Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

These are the facts of life and we all need to realize we have a Creator while we are still young!

Vanity is nothing.

Vanity is meaningless.

All those that do not know the Lord as their personal Savior are less than nothing, less than meaningless, in the eyes of God.

Psa 62:9  Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: "to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity".

We need to take the time to know our Creator!

Psa 39:4  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

We must listen to the words of those who preach the truth!

*****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.

As Solomon brings this book to an end, he lists several facts that we all need to listen to.

Solomon had asked God for wisdom and God had answered that prayer and Solomon became the wisest man to have ever lived.

So this great Book of the Bible was written in part to share that wisdom with all those that study the Word of God.

Solomon also realized that he had stumbled greatly in serving the Lord and he wrote this book so we could avoid the same pitfalls of life that he had fallen prey to.

Solomon did not realize until he was close to death, that lasting fulfillment and satisfaction in this life, can only come from the the giver of all life who is our Lord.

Solomon realized if our youth could see the mistakes that he had made, then maybe they could be saved from making the same mistakes.

We must also remember these words of Solomon were also inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore they are all true.

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

We can trust the words Solomon has written for as being true and upright.

"Upright" means that the Holy Spirit has approved these words as being right and correct.

"True" means with certainty and trustworthiness.

These words that Solomon has written, are things that happen in life.

We can trust all the Word of God to be the truth.

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.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words are like goads.

*****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.

A goad was a pointed instrument that was used to cause an animal such as an ox to move a little faster and in the right direction.

We should study the Book of Ecclesiastes because these words "are like nails" which are used to bind things together.

The Word of God is designed to guide us to the proper place in life and when we get there God's Word will nail us in place for safe keeping.

Jesus was nailed to the cross because that was the one place where He could bring salvation to us all!

This "ones shepherd was not Solomon there is only one true Shepherd and that is the Lord Jesus Christ!

The entire Word of God contains the goads and the nails to bind us all to our true Shepherd!

Solomon is saying "don't take my word for it, because God gave me these words and they are true"!

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.

We now have the complete Word of God, so we can see the importance of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

The meaning of true life is found in God, through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is the answer to all life's questions.

In fact Jesus is the answer to every question that we have!

Once we know the answer to every question of life (Jesus), then we can have His joy also!

*****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.

It has surprised historians to find so many books that were written at the time of Solomon, before him and just after.

But God adds a strong warning to all of us.

Beware of reading endless books in the place of God's Word!

Beware of wasting needed time and energy on to much study of other books!

God's says this:

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Again we must realize that God takes full responsibility for His Words!

When we rightly divide the Word of God, we are not responsible for the actions of those that hear it! These things are in the hand of God!

No other book explains life better than the complete Word of God!

After all, if you bought a new car you would expect to get an owners manual for that car.

God made us all and He has given us all His owners manual!

So we can come to only one conclusion!

*****Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

The most important thing we can remember in this life that will provide true and eternal life, is to "Fear God" and "Keep His Commandments".

Nothing in life is as important as these two things!

All who keep the commandments of God do so because we all revere God for who He is!

Duty means that we are bound to God by His truth!

But we should also fear God and keep His commandments because God's "judgment" is coming.

Our every deed will be judged, good or bad.

Our every secret thing will be judged, good or bad.

It is impossible that we can keep anything from the all-knowing God!

This world may deny Him but the fact remains that God sees every thing that goes on in this world.

Pro 15:3  The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

To know the truth means, that the coming judgment of God is also a source of great comfort to those that know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The great truth of the Bible is this:

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

If the Lord is not the center of our life, then we are missing out on joy and satisfaction.

If we do not have a personal relationship with the Lord, we have not made peace with God.

If we are not obeying the commandments of God, there are some areas in our life that are suffering because of it.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Making The Right Choice

Knowing How To Make Wise Choices

Ecclesiastes 5-10


The one thing that gets us all in the most trouble is the choices we make in life.

God gave us all the gift of a freewill!

God gave us all the ability to choose.

God does not want a bunch of robot Christians!

Freewill is the power to direct our own actions without restraint.

The greatest choice we all have to make concerns life after death.

God first explained this to Israel:

Deu 30:19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: "therefore choose life", that both thou and thy seed may live:
Deu 30:20  That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

We all have to make this choice!

Again God had to explain this to Israel through Joshua:

Jos 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, "choose you this day whom ye will serve"; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Jesus also presented this choice to the apostles and even Peter knew the choice that had to be made and most all of us can relate to Peter:

Joh 6:65  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? "thou hast the words of eternal life".
Joh 6:69  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

It is only Jesus Christ who has the words of eternal life!

We should consider that no person knows what lies ahead but those who know the truth and are wise and are in God's hands.

Once we know the truth then our eyes are open to the truth!

We also know that to the human, death is the most horrible of tragedies.

Death is the fate of everyone.
Death is the end for all those who live in the world.
Death is the end of all hope.

And we know that life is uncertain and totally unpredictable!

Let's begin at Chapter 9 verse 11:

*****Ecc 9:11  I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

The truth of this world is, that the outcome of a person's life is unpredictable!

Abilities are not a guarantee of success!

Things just do not turn out like we expect them to!

The results of things are most always determined by unforseen circumstances.

Success is never guaranteed!

Most things are determined by being in the right place at the right time, in others words by chance.

Many things are just a matter of timing.

Timing is something we have a limited control over!

Chance refers to those things that cannot be prepared for, or unseen factors over which we have no control.

For instance an unexpected death can affect our success.

*****Ecc 9:12  For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

No matter how hard we may work, or how close we are to finishing a project, death can suddenly and unexpectedly bring things to an unforeseen end!

Death is like a net that catches a fish against it's will.

Death is like the trap that seizes a bird in it's clutches unaware.

Unexpected and catastrophic events can effect our success.

Trips, falls, accidents, cancer, heart attacks, or some other illness can stop things that looked like they were about to be finished.

Only while there is life, do we have the opportunity of preparing for our death, since death is certain.

It takes wisdom to make the best possible use of life while it lasts!

*****Ecc 9:13  This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
Ecc 9:14  There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
Ecc 9:15  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

We see that the wisdom, this world has to offer, has no guarantee of success!

It seems that Solomon may be relating this statement to an actual event in history of his own lifetime.

This event concerns a poor but a very wise man.

A small city was under attack by a mighty king. This city had a wall but other than that, it had no real means to defend itself.

This city was helpless against this mighty army.

Living in that city was a very wise but poor man who suggested a great military solution that worked, and the city was saved.

One would think that this man would at least be rewarded for his wisdom, but that was not the case and this man was soon forgotten.

God would not give us this lesson if we were not to learn from it!

It is a fact that the world we live in, is but a small thing to an awesome and a mighty God.

One day soon an angry God will inflict judgment on this world.

God demands justice on each sinner!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the answer to this dilemma.

Jesus Christ offered Himself as the innocent Lamb of God, and by His sacrifice this little city, which in "type" represents the Church is now made safe.

Today we see that many in the Church have forgotten the Savior and His sacrifice is no longer remembered by far too many, who call themselves Christians.

*****Ecc 9:16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

In our story, this poor man's wisdom was more powerful than that of the mighty kings army.

In our world today, we know that the "Grace" of God is more powerful than the wrath of God!

Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 5:19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

In our story, this poor man was despised because he was wiser than all others in this city.

In our world, the Lord Jesus Christ is despised, because He has made salvation such a simple thing that the world rejects it as not possible and His words are not heard!

The truth is, in this world we live in, wisdom and accomplishments can be despised and go unrewarded because of self-centered and prideful people.

Our world finds it humiliating, to admit that they are in need of a Savior!

The truth is, wise words spoken quietly are much more powerful than the loud words of all those who are foolish!

*****Ecc 9:17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

When this little city was about to be over run, no doubt there were many who proclaimed to know the answers, but it was only the poor wise man who calmly knew the truth.

We must all realize it is the wisdom of God that will prevail in our lives at all times.

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

The truth is, God's wisdom is much better than any weapon of war, but it is also true that one sinner can destroy much good!

*****Ecc 9:18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

The truth is, that life offers no guarantees.

Abilities and knowledge do not always lead to success!

AND, Doing something that is great for others does not guarantee gratitude!

It is the unforeseen future things that happen, that can change all our plans, which includes our death!

Most of us buy insurance for the unexpected events in our life.

The greatest insurance we can have, is a close and a personal relationship with the Lord and it is free!

The Lord said He would never leave us nor forsake us, but the Lord also warned us that we walked among wolves and even walked among some wolves in sheep's clothing.

We cannot trust that tomorrow will come!

We cannot rely on anything except the fact, that God loves us and we are on the winning side.

God's plan and God's power will lead us to victory!

We are only wise when we depend on the Word of God for our answers!

We are only wise when we are in daily contact with our Savior!

Life is unpredictable!

Death is certain!

True happiness is only found, when we appreciate the people and the things that God has placed in our lives!

Psa 144:15  Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

Happiness is the result of making wise decisions and then living life wisely!

We must also realize that foolish behavior is dangerous.

*****Ecc 10:1  Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

We must realize that even very little foolish behavior is dangerous to us.

Remember Noah who found "Grace" in the eyes of the Lord but when the flood was over, Noah relaxed with the wine. Noah lived 350 more years but we never hear of any more good things from him.

We should remember Moses, who struck the rock and did not get to go into the promise land with the others.

Even one transgression can have serious consequences, just as one piece of bad fruit can ruin the whole bushel.

Solomon says, you could have the most expensive perfume that money can buy, but if flies get into the bottle and die and float to the top, suddenly that perfume is worthless.

One senseless impulsive mistake, can ruin the testimony of the Christian and his ability to witness, and render us of little use to the Lord.

The truth is foolish behavior exposes a corrupt heart!

*****Ecc 10:2  A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

The Bible is specific, a person's heart determines their actions and their words!

Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Our words are actually commentaries of our wills. To be in the will of God is to keep our soul and our body under control to do whatsoever God wills us to be doing.

This verse has no reflection on the right handed or left handed people, but as we lefties know most of our world is right handed.

The right hand, in the Word of God, refers to the hand of strength and dexterity and the left hand is seen as the weaker hand.

The Scripture means a wise man will lean toward his strengths and not his weaknesses.

It can also means that the wise man will strengthen his reputation rather than cause dishonor to his reputation!

A corrupt heart shows a lack of good sense!

*****Ecc 10:3  Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

As Christians we must always be concerned about our testimony!

Not only will we worthless in the work of the Lord if we ruin our testimony, but we must also remember that we will one day stand before the Lord and give an account of our actions!

We know that Noah and Moses were still used by the Lord, but they had lost their effectiveness.

These men are great heroes of the Bible, but just like Samson their light grew dim.

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

These heroes of the Bible could have shined even brighter, just as we all can!

Remember they to must stand before the Lord and give an account of themselves!

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit daily!

We must put on the armor of God daily!

We must pick up our own cross and follow the Lord daily!

We must speak with the "sword of the spirit" which is the Word of God in all our conversations.

Remember it is God who is responsible for His own words and we our responsible for our own words.

It's best to speak with God's Words as much as possible, rightly divided!

*****Ecc 10:4  If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

It seems that the the biggest problem we have with our youth of today is their lack of respecting authority.

It begins at the home and proceeds into the world.

Today as we speak there are many movements against our police officers.

Solomon gives us some advice on dealing with authority.

The first thing we must do is respond when those in authority become angry with us.

1) First we must not quit and run. (leave not thy place)

If our boss gets angry at something we have done we should not just forfeit our position.

We must not base our response on hurt feelings, or embarrassment, or because we are angry.

Even if we feel like we have been wronged, we should not do anything foolish.

2) We must remain calm and if possible correct our mistake. (for yielding pacifieth)

We must not be fueled by our emotions!

We as humans find it very hard to admit we are wrong!

Words spoken out of anger and emotion are often irresponsible, and they cannot be recalled.

God says:

Pro 15:1  A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

We should not run away from an irate boss but ride out his anger.

Just the same, children, especially teenagers, should not run away or lose respect for a parent because of harsh words or lost tempers.

That husband or that wife should not let heated arguments come between them!

Remember, as God forgives us, we should forgive those who cause us hurt.

Now no one should be expected to stay in an abusive relationship!

Nor should someone with a bad temper just be excused for their actions!

God says:

Ecc 8:6  Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

We should not retaliate for bad behavior.

We also, should not walk away from our responsibilities.

We are to patiently wait for the right time to address the issues that caused the problem to begin with!

We must remember that we are all sinners saved only by the "Grace" of God!

Here again we know that Jesus Christ set the perfect example:

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

What is God's command in such situations?

Eph 4:31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Eph 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

As it is soon time to vote again for a new president, let's look at God's advice on choosing the right people to be our leaders.

*****Ecc 10:5  There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Ecc 10:6  Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Ecc 10:7  I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

There is a great danger in having unqualified people in positions of authority!

In my opinion, this is exactly what we have in America today, to many people who are unqualified as leaders and our nation is suffering because of it.

When a leader is unqualified or on a specific and harmful agenda, they will also appoint or give authority to people who have no proven ability who think the way that they do.

Favoritism, is no way to choose a secure working government nor to run any company, and surely not in the family.

Today our politicians make so many promises, not so much to the people as to their backers and to the lobbyist and then offer them positions for their support.

Disastrous decisions at any level, can cause real problems for everyone!

In fact some leaders will allow the unqualified to rule, while those who are qualified become servants to them.

This is where our military finds itself today.

This is where we find our judicial system today.

And as is true in our nation and in our government, we can also see this happening in many of the churches today as the gay movement is allowed into leadership positions in the church.

For this very reason God gives us strict guidelines and qualifications for church leaders:

1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

And

Tit 1:5  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
Tit 1:6  If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Tit 1:7  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Tit 1:9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

And even the deacons of the church:

1Ti 3:8  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1Ti 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
1Ti 3:10  And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1Ti 3:11  Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
1Ti 3:12  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1Ti 3:13  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

We see:

1) They were to be men of good reputation.
2) They were to be men full of the Holy Spirit.
3) They were to be men who displayed wisdom.

There is reason for all these things!

The Church would not be having the problems that it has today, if these guidelines were strictly followed as God commands!

We have become careless in choosing church leaders.

We have become careless in choosing national leaders.

We have become careless with the Word of God!

*****Ecc 10:8  He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

God used Solomon to give us some good advice.

When digging a hole there is always the danger of falling into it!

If we are wise, we will use caution when working around holes and place some barriers for our own protection and a means of escape.

Upon completion the next danger is forgetting where we dug that hole.

In Solomon's case, this hole was probably to trap an animal so the entrance would be camouflaged.

1) Our lesson is, that we must keep good records on the things that are important in this life!

When knocking down walls there also great dangers to avoid.

Danger hides in places we cannot see.

We must always be aware of what is going on around us.

2) Our lesson is, that we must always pay close attention to our surroundings and expect the unexpected!

We must plan our work for the best results.

*****Ecc 10:9  Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

If you are a stone worker, you must be aware of the dangers of lifting heavy stones and the danger working with them.

If you are a woodsman, you must be aware of the danger of felling trees and making lumber.

Honest labor can have it's own misfortunes!

Honest labor also has it's own rewards.

We must remember that even Jesus Christ was known as a carpenter for probably 20 years.

3) Our lesson is, that honest labor that is well planned, brings more in rewards than in does in hazards.

Wise planning also includes the care of the equipment that is needed to perform our task.

Proper equipment that is well maintained can aid us in our labors.

*****Ecc 10:10  If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

We have already established that this lesson is about the choices we make in life.

This verse teaches us, that we must choose to work smarter, and not harder.

This verse refers to an axe.

When we work with a dull axe, the work will be much harder than with a sharp axe.

We see also that an axe may even work even better with a coat of oil.

We all know, we need put oil on a bit when drilling in hard metal or the bit will over heat and get dull.

We all know, that if we are cutting masonry we need a wet saw and not a dry saw.

If we choose the right tools and those tools are well prepared, then we are working smart and maybe we won't be so harsh on our bodies and even have a little less stress in our lives.

Another thing we should do, is to avoid taking short cuts.

Most short cuts mean being unsafe in the things we do, therefore taking a chance with our lives.

*****Ecc 10:11  Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

Snake charming was a popular form of entertainment in the days of Solomon and it still is today.

In an effort to collect as much money as possible, some snake charmers would sometimes rush their shows and they would get bitten because the snake was not fully charmed.

This was dangerous and most times was even deadly.

Our lesson is, that while it is wise to accomplish our task rapidly as possible, it is dangerous to take short cuts to try to make a greater gain.

The snake needs to be fully charmed, before it has a chance to strike out at the charmer, which is "the babbler" in our verse.

Another lesson is, that we need to resolve every dangerous condition before it can cause us harm.

The truth is, God gives us these principles of work because we are to be God's laborers.

1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

We are to take these principles of work and not only apply them in our daily life to meet our own needs, but we are to apply these principles to the work that God has given us all to do.

1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. "But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon".

1) We must work cautiously and be prepared for the risks that comes with God's work.

We are no threat to the Devil when we are idle, but he will attack all those busy in the work of the Lord.

2) We need our best tools and a good work ethic to be witnesses for the Lord.

Our message will always be the same but we may have to change our methods.

3) God gives us all certain Spiritual gifts that we need to develop and sharpen our skills.

4) We must realize that of all the work that we do, the work of the Lord is the most important.

We must give our best to it!

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

We know that those who are wise, are those that know the Lord and if we need advice it is best to get it from those who know the Lord as their personal Savior.

*****Ecc 10:12  The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Ecc 10:13  The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Ecc 10:14  A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Most people are identified as wise or foolish by the words they speak!

The words of those that know the Lord are gracious because of God's "Grace"!

The words of a fool, who are all those that reject the Word of God, will only bring destruction to him and to all those that are influenced by his words!

The words of a fool are like a weapon that can only cause harm!

A fool's words may start out as harmless but in the end they are full of evil.

A fool will only lead others away from God and bring their own destruction.

A fool will boast about knowledge that he does not have, such as Evolution, or Climate Change.

We already know that only God can tell us what tomorrow will bring, their are no true prophets today.

Jas 4:13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

And one can only watch the work of the fool to know that a fool cannot know the facts of life!

*****Ecc 10:15  The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

A fool will simply wear himself out on a simple project and everyone that follows him, while producing very little results.

A fool will always have the right answer.

A fool will always no everything.

A fool will always be an expert on every subject.

But a fool cannot  even go to town and back without having all sort of problems!

We must not be people who speak foolishly.

We must let our words be more like those of Jesus, (gracious).

Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Eph 4:29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

We must not allow ourselves to be led by someone who is foolish!

And we must not become distracted in the work of the Lord, by those that slander and downgrade God's people!

We must remember the truth of the Scriptures!

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

We must remember that when we are using God's Words, that God takes full responsibility for the results.

And finally we must be aware of false prophets.

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

We actually don't have a lot of time to do the work of the Lord, we must make that time count!

The choices we make are very important to the Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!