Comments for May 3

v. 5-8 - This is not so much God's mercy toward those who are fearful of the battle, but, as they have been told that God will fight for them and make them victorious, this weaning process, especially verse 8, is one of keeping only the faithful and upright before God - those who really believed God that he would fight for them. The lessons for us are pretty obvious really! Deut.1:28, Jud.7:3, Luke 9:62. Rev.21:8 condemns the fearful and unbelieving, amongst others, to the second death.

v. 2-4 From a human point of view one might expect that the military officers and captains would give this exhortation but no, it was the job of the priests because the battles were Yahweh's.

v.3,4 - Whilst in the life of the people of the time this was a literal battle, these words are surely true for us in every battle that we face, whether it be against adversaries or simply against our own desires. If we act in faith at all times, God is there with us. If God be for us, who can be against us?

20:5 - 9 However it is the officers who ensure that those who fulfil certain conditions leave the battle field. From a fleshly point of view one would expect the officers to be encouraging the faint hearted and preventing those with 'excuses' from deserting the battle.

20:8 The principle of the fearful being sent back is see here. (Judges 7:3)

:19 The prohibition on felling the trees in the land in a time of battle was disregarded by Jehoram (2 Kings 3:25).

20:5-8 The various provisions for men to be excused from warfare reinforces the point that Yahweh was the one who was doing the fighting, even though He was using men to do it.

V.17-18  An important principle is introduced into the war law of Israel. Regarding the people they fought against, and the cities they besieged, once they entered the land of Canaan. It was to be a war of utter extermination. We saw this when Saul was commanded to slay the Amalekites. 1Sam 15:3  Saul for his failure to destroy all, was ejected from the kingship. 1Sam 15:23

V.17-18  An important principle is introduced into the war law of Israel. Regarding the people they fought against, and the cities they besieged, once they entered the land of Canaan. It was to be a war of utter extermination. We saw this when Saul was commanded to slay the Amalekites. 1Sam 15:3 Saul for his failure to destroy all, was ejected from the kingship. 1Sam 15:23

All the inhabitants of local cities had to be destroyed (Deut 20:16-18). God said that if they were left alive they would convert Israel to their abominations and their gods. Even the women and children had to be killed.  Solomon's wives proved the point.

Lenient treatment was meted out to nations that did not pose an idolatrous influence to Israel (vs.10-12).

But it was imperative that Israel eliminate these Canaanite tribes V.17 so that they were not influenced by their idolatrous ways.  Unfortunately, Israel did not carry out their assignment as commanded.  This caused centuries of problems, especially Baal worship which was allowed to flourish and influence the Israelites. 

The lesson for us is to nip a (sin) problem in the bud before it finds a home and becomes too difficult to remove. 

20:11    Peace could be made with cities ‘far off’ 20:15 They could be made tributaries. Israel sinned in that they treated the inhabitants that lived among them in this way, making the tributaries – Judg 1:30 etc: - but they did not even apply this law consistently because rather than the inhabitants of the cities becoming servants to Israel Israel became their servants.  Judg 3:8

V.1,4 - when we leave Egypt/sin and get baptised we still have spiritual battles to face but as Peter Cresswell noted, we don't have to face them alone. God wants us to turn to Him in prayer for help. God can help in so many ways, some quite unexpected, some not immediately recognized. We always have the opportunity to please God by showing love and support to each other.

20:8 The ‘faint hearted’ man was a man who lacked faith. We might be inclined in such circumstances to reprove the brother and tell him that he should have more faith. However God’s approach is to recognise his weakness and allow him to return home. Remonstration does not increase faith.

20:18   The ‘vindictive’ God of the Old Testament, as some would portray Him,  has the well being of His people in mind. These nations were being dispossessed because their iniquity was now full – Gen 15:16. There is a spiritual counterpart in our lives. The degree to which God protected Israel by destroying those nations is an indication of how we should feel about the potential influence of the world in our lives.

V.17 Canaanites is a term usually associated with the collection of non-Jewish tribes found west of the Jordan. They practised forms of idolatrous worship and had to be utterly destroyed. They would encompass the nations listed here:

-The Hittites worshipped Ashteroth (Ishtar, Astarte).

-The Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites are associated with the Hittites.

-The Amorites were masters of the black arts and witchcraft. Later, they influenced Israel under the Judges.

- The Phoenicians, who dwelt along the Mediterranean coast, worshipped Ashteroth.

v. 19-20 we are reminded of the tree of life.  Adam and Eve barred the way to the tree of life Gen 3:17,22,24. For us as we journey and warfare in the wilderness towards the promised land our tree of life in the wilderness is wisdom and understanding Prov 3:13,18 which must also bring forth fruits of righteousness Prov 11:30, Prov 15:4.  To keep us until by God's grace and mercy we come into that promised land and taste of the fruit of the tree of life Rev 2:7, Rev 22:2,14.

The cutting down of the trees which did not bear fruit takes us to Jesus' parable of the fig tree Luke 13:6-9.

20:1 The fundamental point Israel are being reminded of here is that winning battles was not down to their skills. It was down to God’s involvement. By this point they had already experienced that when they took control of the whole of the East of Jordan when they took the land of Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. The difficulty is continuing to believe what God has said.

V.1 Today, Israel is largely secular.  It wants to be a nation like all the nations, just as it wanted a king like all the nations (1Sam 8:5).  And so, Israel sees itself solely responsible for its survival.  It does not turn to Yahweh its God for help.  It depends on its armed forces as it struggles in the geo-political world.  And so, it has built up the strongest and most efficient armed forces, which includes nuclear weapons, in the Middle East. 

Israel relies on the arm of the flesh instead of relying on its God.  Israel has forgotten its own history when Yahweh delivered it from the enemy countless times.  Where is the faith of Hezekiah as he faced the most powerful army of his time (2Chron 32:8)?

Despite its powerful armed forces, Israel will be horribly defeated when Russia and its allies invade it (Eze 38:1-9; Zech 14:2).  Only the power of Yahweh, by the hand of the returned Jesus, will be able to save it (Eze 39:1-5).

As for us, we must put our faith and trust in Yahweh when we are faced with the things that oppose us.  We need not defend ourselves.  He will deliver us if we stand firm (Psa 34:7; 37:7; Prov 3:5,6).

Jesus links v5-7 with his parable in Luke 14:18-21. Here he links the reasons for going home  "excuses" for not wanting to come to the feast prepared by the master of the house.

Later in Luke 14 Jesus again picks up our chapter in Deuteronomy. In Luke 14:31-32 he says he who goes to war should first see whether he has enough strength to carry it out. Shouldn't these fearful men have thought about their fields, un-married wives, and houses before they came out to war? Jesus says those who do not forsake his family (Luke 14:25) and all he has (Luke 14:33) can't be his disciple; or in other words go to war with him.

This rather harsh assessment of the old testament scripture was aimed at the Jews. God had provided them with the promised land, but they had never fully claimed it as theirs. The book of Judges is full of failures to fully drive out the people who inhabited it. So Jesus likens this to a feast and guests who turn down the invite. These guests were about to be rejected and the invite be given to the Gentiles. The Romans would now make war against the land and occupy it giving no excuses. It is interesting to note that Roman soldiers were executed immediately on deserting the army.

20:3 The encouragement of God ‘let not your hearts faint' is echoed by David when he went out against Goliath – 1Sam 17:32

20:8    The provision that the fearful could return from the battle is one of the means that God tells Gideon to employ – Judg 7:3 – when God was seeking to reduce the size of Gideon’s army. Thus forcing the point that the battle was God’s and not down to the might of Israel’s army.

20:13  It is often said, by critics of the Bible, that God was vindictive and blood thirsty. Verses such as this are cited to support that view. However it must be remembered that this judgement on cities outside the borders of the land of Canaan was only to be executed upon those who would not make peace with Israel.

20:3   At the beginning of the wilderness journey Israel were afraid before Pharaoh – Exo 14:10- However their fear was ill founded. God did deliver. In encouraging the people, here, not to fear Moses reminds Israel that they had no reason to fear.

The "offer of peace" in v10-13 was a life or death ultimatum for the inhabitants of a besieged city. God's law had allowed for His enemies to be saved completely alive, with their cities, homes and goods intact, as long as they humbled themselves and agreed to serve Israel. Jesus picks up this law in order to highlight the solution to our own situation (Luke 14:31-33, Psa 2:12).

Deut 20:17

“But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee” (cf. Deut 7:1).

What is in a name? Plenty! The following information was taken from http://shamah-elim.info/

20:14 Whilst Israel were to prepare for the battle and fight they are reminded that the victory would be “of God” 

20:11-12   The only cities with which Israel could “make peace” were cities outside the boundaries of the promised land. The cities within the borders of the promised land had to be destroyed and their inhabitants killed.

Deut 20:8

Remember David and Goliath? the whole army was afraid of Goliath, they should all have gone home!

It took a young boy to step forward, to recognise he fought for God and have no fear.

Did he risk his life? Was he sure God would deliver him?

It didn’t matter… David put himself in harms way for God and trusted whatever outcome would be right.

20:7  “cheer up his wife” might seem a strange way of speaking. Maybe what God is teaching is that the man cannot go to war until he has an heir. The provision of a son would mean that his inheritance would remain with his wife.

20:15-16           The different way in which cities far off were to be treated comparted to cities in the land was for a specific reason. Israel would have dealings with locals but not with those far away. The influence of those nearby would be great. Hence the need to utterly destroy those cities. Those far away would have less influence so were less of a threat.

20:16  The injunction to save nothing alive is known by, of all people, Rahab– Josh 2:3.

20:19 A “scorch and burn” approach is often used to overcome an enemy. Their land is destroyed and rendered unable to produce food for the people thus causing them to submit. Such behaviour was not acceptable to God’s army – the children of Israel.

20:10 Israel were to treat cities near to them differently to those far off. Those nearby were to be destroyed. Those far off were to be offered peace. Only if they would not submit were Israel to attack them. Sadly Israel did not make any distinction and were quite happy to dwell with the inhabitants of the land.

20:5 I do not find any indication in the Law of Moses that a person’s house was to be “dedicated” so we must conclude that this was something that the people had decided to do themselves and it was acceptable to God.

t 20:3-4 Whilst the comments here by God speaks about military battles there is a principle that we do well to think about.

We might think that we are at war against the flesh all on our own. However if we think like that we are forgetting that God gave His son that the battle with sin is unequal. God is on our side!

20:5-8 What other nation gave its soldiers the freedoms God gave to the children of Israel. The instruction read like commands. If you have … then you must go back from the army. This even included those who were “fearful” these provisions were the demonstration that God did not need anyone to fight His battles.

OFFER OF PEACE

Some people have said that the God of the Old Testament was a blood-thirsty and vindictive God. To back their view, they point out that the LORD instructed his people Israel to go to war and kill all the inhabitants of Canaan without mercy, and then take over their land. But God’s mercy extended much further than we might care to remember.

In his instructions as to how Israel were to behave during battle, God gave these instructions: “When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labour and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.” (Deut 20:10-12).

The people Israel battled were not destroyed with no say in the matter. They were offered peace, but most refused and engaged Israel in battle, thus signing their own death warrant.

When Joshua led the children of Israel into the land of Canaan, some of the inhabitants did make peace with them, and Israel honoured that agreement for peace, going to extreme measures to do so.

Old Testament or new, God shows himself to be a merciful God, giving sinners the opportunity to repent and accept his conditions right up to the last minute. We have the same choice. Have we made peace with God?

May we be merciful this week, just as God is merciful to us.

20:1  Whatever potential enemies in war the nation might face a simple remembrance of the deliverance from Egypt should have provided the faith to believe that their God would fulfil His word.

Do we believe that the God who gave His son for our sins will forgive us of sins of which we repent? Do we really believe that he wants to give us the kingdom? Luke 12:32.

v.13 - The ultimate wisdom is so simple. This is truly the conclusion of the whole book - all other activities (as tested by Solomon for us) have proved to be vanity. Let us learn from this without having to find out for ourselves. ch.5:7. 8:12, Deut.10:12, Ps.111:10.

This chapter speaks, in parable form, about the demise of the nation of Israel.

The almond tree [v5] echoes Aaron's rod [Num 17:8. 'Flourished <05006> actually means 'provoked' see Num 16:30. This use in Ecclesiastes is the only place where the word is not translated in a way which indicates rebellion or displeasure. Thus linking the rebellion of the people against the authority of the house of Aaron and the way that the people provoked God with their sins. So Ecclesiastes is likening the deterioration spoken of as a consequence of rebellion against God.

v.8 - These words are repeated so many times. The constant cry of the wise man reminds us over and over again that our own pursuits are worthless, and yet we don't listen. The biggest problem we have with Solomon's words is that we don't listen to them and heed them and we still put our energies into that which is vanity.

Notice the way in which Solomon, by the Spirit, echoes the words from early Genesis regarding the way in which Eve and Adam were enticed by the serpent.
 

The wisdom of God is contrasted with the wisdom of men. We saw a similar thing in Proverbs. Especially Chapters 5 and 7

THE CONCLUSION
Solomon's mission in Ecclesiastes was to find the meaning of life. Many have tried but few have truly found it. He searched out everything, good and bad and discovered that almost everything in life was meaningless. The AV. describes it as vanity, other versions say that that meaningless life if like chasing the wind. But it is the 'almost' that we should be interested in. There is one thing in life that is not meaningless and it is summed up in Solomon's concluding remarks. "...here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
Nothing in life is worth anything unless it is eternal. God is eternal. He lives and has lived for ever. It is to him we are responsible and by his standards we will be judged. At that judgement comes our eternal destiny. Will we be accepted into his kingdom or be thrown from it? Will; we live for ever in peace and righteousness or be separated from God eternally and face eternal death? This is what is important. "Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole of man. Everything else is meaningless.

:1 The implication is that in old age it is more difficult to appreciate why things are happening in our lives and by implication it is more difficult to understand God's chastening hand. (I speak from ignorance not being old) - if this analysis is correct then the message is clear. We should not delay taking note of the chastening hand of God in our lives.

12:9  Whilst Solomon did write many proverbs under inspiration his claim to wisdom needs to be tempered by what we know about  his life.

We know God granted him wisdom 1Kin 4:29 but it does not follow that he always used it.

Likewise we know what God requires but we do not always do it.

V.1  "Remember" Tells the whole story. The Hebrew word is ZAKAR (2142) Which means to mark, to mention, to think on, bring to call, be mindful of. Whether we are of a youthful age, or aged, there can be no better directive for any one of us. 

As the line from a Rolling Stones song says: What a drag it is getting old...  Function decreases while aches, pains and other ailments increase.  The joy of life can fade as mortality becomes ever real.  The whole human experiment seems truly meaningless at this point.  Only the hope of eternal life through the Gospel makes any sense. 

George Bernard Shaw said that: youth is wasted on the young.  The years flee and youth passes quickly.  And so, let us take each moment to serve Yahweh while we are able (v.1). 

YOUTH FOR GOD
 
Solomon's exhortation to young people reaches its climax right at the start of Ecclesiastes 12.  He says, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." (Ecc 12:1)  This is such important advice for every young person to take note of. 
 
Our time of youth is the time when we lay the foundation for the rest of our lives.  It is the time when life changing decisions are made - career choices, the choice of a marriage partner, the place we live, the principles we live by, and, of course, our faith.  The decision to serve God and to remember him in daily life is going to be an easier one to make and follow through as a young person than it will be if we try to change when we are old.  When we get older we become too set in our ways and too comfortable to want to change they way we live.  We can't afford to put it off because our eternal life and salvation are at stake. 
 
Youth is the time we think we are invincible - but we are not, and the time may come sooner than we think for us to die.  Now is the time to make the change for God and to give him your life.  Remember him in the days of your youth.  There is no better opportunity.

V.6 The descriptive phrases of death are similar to the more modern phrase (rearranged to fit the occasion): the bucket be kicked.

The last two verses of this book, Ecc 12:13,14, remind us as did yesterday’s chapter, that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2Cor 5:10). This is Solomon’s summary of  his life’s enquiries. Fear God, keep His Words, and remember that we will be judged.

12:7 In speaking of the dust returning to the earth the preacher is drawing upon the punishment of Adam and Eve – Gen 3:19 so this is another link we can make to the narrative of the fall as we have already seen links in verses Ecc 12:11,14.. So the end of the matter which the preacher is speaking of is the curse that came upon Adam and Eve.

V.11 - I'm unclear exactly what this verse means, could it be an echo of Christ being willingly crucified by the Sanhedrin?

12:8 This verse contains the last ‘all is vanity’. The remainder of the book extols the virtue of seeing how life is more than vanity.

12:9 The preacher was wise, he gave heed, or listened intelligently. The teaching of the people had to be oral. Solomon would have had a large audience when ever he spoke on occasions such as this. We are clearly shown in the next verse that they were words of truth. 

12:13   The ‘conclusion’ to ‘fear God and keep His commandments’ draws on the language of Deut 5:29 showing that the whole matter relates to how one reacts to God’s word.

Vs.13,14 The essence of man's role is stated regardless of the meaninglessness of this present life.

With the hope of eternal life, which is available through Jesus, this meaningless life has meaning. Without taking on salvation, through the Lord, life is truly useless.

Arrogant, selfish youth gives way to the decrepit dismantling of the person towards the ultimate destination of oblivion (vs.1-8). Praise be to Yahweh that He has provided a way out of this - should we choose to accept His invitation (Isa 40:31).

BEFORE THE DAYS OF TROUBLE

The words, "Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I have no pleasure in them...'", may have more relevance to us than we might have expected. (Ecc 12:1)

Traditionally, and quite rightly, the words that follow, describing what the days of trouble will be like, are taken to be metaphors of old age. They describe the onset of blindness, deafness, stiffness of the joints and the whitening of hair. But perhaps there is another ways of looking at this that has specific relevance for us today.

The message for us is to "remember your creator ... before the days of trouble come." Both Jesus and Daniel spoke about a time of trouble coming in the last days that would be worse than anything that had gone before. (Matt 25:21, Dan 12:1) The teacher also talks about the sun, moon and stars being darkened. Again, these are phrases echoed in last day prophecies by Jesus and Isaiah. (Matt 25:29, Isa 13:10) Could this, then, be a description of the trouble in the last days when the freedom to remember and learn of our creator, as we are free to do now, will have been taken away? If there is the slightest chance of it, then let's take the advice very seriously and use every opportunity to remember our creator now, before the days of trouble come.

12:1 The nation was a young kingdom. Solomon, by inspiration, is warning the nation as one would warn a son. We have noted in a previous year the way in which the language of this chapter is used in later prophets as a warning to Israel who have turned away from God.

V.1 Following on from yesterday’s Eccl. 11 comment: Here youth (bechurim; bechurot) means young men and women.

V.7 Science has rightly concluded that: energy can neither be created nor destroyed but that it can be changed to other forms.

Yahweh is the creator of all things including energy.  The spirit which animates a human being is a form of energy that Yahweh loans out for a given time. When that human expires, the spirit energy is not lost but returns to its owner Yahweh.

12:11 Notice the ‘wise’ is a ‘shepherd’ – Eze 34:23-24 - a prophecy of the shepherd who would care for the flock – in times or waywardness.

Remember your creator in the days of your youth

Every day we live, we grow one day older. There are some old people who wish they were younger and some young people who wish they were older. But the truth of the matter is, we need to make the most out of life every day of our lives, regardless of how old we are. The secret is to grow old gracefully. Some learn this lesson, while others never do.

Growing older day by day is not something of which we have control, yet how we choose to live each one of those days is something of which we do have control.

What does it mean to grow old gracefully?
Ecc 10:12 says, "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious"
John 1:14 The Lord Jesus was described as being "full of grace and truth".
Strongs defines this word "grace" as, "the divine influence upon the heart and it's reflection in life".
There's our secret to growing old gracefully. We must allow God's divine influence upon our hearts.

How?
Rom.10:17 - "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
But it doesn't stop there!
We must in turn reflect this Godly influence in our lives, reflecting "grace and truth" in all we do.
If we are wise parents and children, that's what we'll remember to do "in the days of our youth".

12:10   Do we think that the book of Ecclesiastes records ‘words of truth’? Do we see the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes directing our way of thinking about life?

Ecc 12:13

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God (Elohim), and keep his commandments: for this is the whole (duty) of man.”

This verse actually ends: “for this is the whole man.”

People have struggled for millennia to tackle questions on what is the meaning or purpose of life, what is life all about, and why are we here, and these questions have been a subject of much philosophical, scientific and theological speculation. While the prospect of a utopian society has never been more remote, and present society seems intractably sub-optimal in terms of the chances of individual fulfillment, Scripture teaches us that those who have a reverential fear of God and keep His commandments will have found the true meaning of life in their completeness, and this brings about a full sense of contentment!

Life did not come about by chance, and equally life was not given without purpose. Our creation was intended to give God pleasure by seeking Him, by getting to know Him, and by being a reflection of His glory. Solomon answers the value of these practical questions, while seemingly a profound and an elusive mystery, to be about being one with our Creator! It is about our obedience and submission to His will.

Existentialists think life has no meaning; Wittgenstein believed these were all meaningless questions; Darwinians thought the meaning of life was to produce more life. The problem is we have been asking the wrong questions! If we change the questions to how we may gain satisfaction from life, we will find a whole new set of answers, as Solomon declared.

12:14    The end of the whole matter is that God will judge the world.  The age old problem which started in Eden – Gen 3:9 – will finally be resolved.  The power of sin will be vanquished. Life will not more be ‘vanity and vexation of spirit’. Those who have been exercised in these things –Ecc 1:13 – will finally inherit the blessings of God.

12:2    The returning clouds after rain contrasts the lovely picture of the kingdom of God shown in 2Sam 23:4. Whilst there is a wonderful prospect for those who hearken to the wisdom of God it is not to be achieved through the labours of this life.

1. Ecc 12:2-4 - apparent references to aging (which follow the youth of Ecc 12:1).

2. Ecc 12:5 - (NIV) "when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets" - references to aging, loss of vigor, fear, feebleness, etc.

3. Ecc 12:5 - "and the almond tree <8247> shall flourish (<5006> can mean "be despised" as food is no longer relished as it once was, can also mean "blossom" which could be whitish like aging hoary hair)".

4. Ecc 12:5 - (NIV) "and the grasshopper (Isa 40:22 - grasshoppers can refer to people) drags himself along and desire is no longer stirred" - the normally active hopping grasshopper is barely moving due to age/infirmity.

5. Ecc 12:5 - (NIV) "Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets" - reference to death as is Ecc 12:6.

6. Ecc 12:7 - (NIV) "the dust returns to the ground it came from" - reminds us of an earlier description of creation to the curse of death (Gen 3:19).

7. Ecc 12:7 - (NIV) "the 'spirit'(<7307> can mean breath, power, life) returns to God who gave it" - in Ecc 3:19 <7307> is translated "breath" in reference to humans and animals.

8. Ecc 12:9-12 - some scholars are not sure if Solomon wrote these verses or if they were added by others.

9. Ecc 12:12 - this doesn't despise the human intellect but it demonstrates an awareness of its limitations (Ecc 8:17).

10. Ecc 12:13 - (NIV) "Fear<3372> God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man" - Christ did this perfectly, while Solomon, despite his wisdom, did not - mere comprehension of wisdom isn't enough, wisdom needs to be applied with self-control and a love of God above all (Matt 22:36-40).

11. Ecc 12:14 - we may fool our friends, and even ourselves (Jer 17:9), but we can't fool God and we will be accountable at the judgment. But Christ died so we might have our sins forgiven, possibly Solomon near the end of his days, despite all his temptations, repented and was faithful. We don't know, that will  be for Christ to decide when he returns to earth at the judgment of the still living and the dead who will be resurrected (Dan 12:1-3;2Tim 4:1).

12:3     In 11:9 the young man is encouraged to “rejoice” this is because the time will come, as spoken in this verse, when such activities are not possible. It is all too easy to put off today things which we think we will do tomorrow. We know not what tomorrow will bring. We should use our time as if it is precious.

Is Solomon saying in verses 11-12 that all we need to know has already been written?

12:13  To conclude that the whole duty of man is to keep God’s commandments highlights that the “sore travail” that Ecclesiastes speaks of is the environment where the teaching of God is to be implemented.

12:12     The “son” in this verse is encouraged to see the contrast between the “king” of 4:13 who will not listen to admonition and the requirement laid upon him. Power and authority do not guarantee wisdom.

12:12    The preacher is not saying that study is bad. The word translated study carries the sense of eagerness. We do need to be eager in learning the things of God. However such activity is not something that “the flesh” likes.

Summary of Ecclesiastes 12

12:1-7      Remember the creator before life gets too hard

               Before God destroys the temple

12:8-12    wise inspired proverbs are good for instruction

12:13-14  Because God will bring our works into judgment

               Therefore keep His commandments

12:11  The truly wise one shepherd, of course, is Jesus Christ – John 10:16

12:11 We should remember that “king” Solomon wrote these words, inspired by God. However he likens the wise to a “shepherd” from the perspective of human thinking the king is the pinnacle of achievement and the shepherd is at the lower end of the social scale. However the inspired king emphasises the shepherd was to be taken heed of. Of course this is not speaking naturally. He is speaking of the qualities of a shepherd. One who leads his flock and cares for them.

12:13  we might want to write a comprehensive rule book for life. However the counsel if simple “fear God … keep His commandments”. In a similar way the whole of the Law of Moses is covered in two simple phrases  Matt 22:37-40.

12:11-14 There is only “one shepherd” – Jesus Christ (John 10:17). If we are “wise”  (12:11) we will “hear [his] voice” (John 9:27)

So after all we have read in Ecclesiastes the summary is “fear God and keep His commandments” (12:13).

Adam and Eve thought that they would benefit from knowing how to discern “good and evil” (Genesis 3:9) The lesson is clear. There is only one “voice” to which we should listen.

12:13 “Fear God and keep His commandments” reflects the two great commandments in the Law of Moses –Matt 22:37-40

12:14  Solomon has been inspired to say much about life, its emptiness, and the need to focus on correct things. Whilst we might struggle to see the relevance of some of what we have read in Ecclesiastes there is no missing the key point. God will, eventually, judge our thoughts and actions.

Ecc 12:11

“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given by one shepherd.” 1611 KJV

“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails deeply fastened, which are arranged by workmen and given forth from one master builder.” Holy Bible Aramaic Translation of the Peshitta, George M. Lamsa

For clarity, what this verse is saying is better understood as read in 1Cor 12:4-12. It speaks of diverse gifts of different workmen according to their several abilities, as it relates to wisdom and knowledge, given by the one and same Spirit of God, the workmen being one body in Christ, our master builder (Eph 4:11-16).

12:14 So the final appeal to all. Life is indeed empty without God and will end in oblivion (;7). So recognise that God will, eventually judge.

So we ask. How do we profit from our time on the earth?

Do we see God at work in our lives? Or is it all futility?

11 v.18 - The vision was given to Peter, but his expounding of it convinced the others of what God wanted them to realise. This type of openmindedness is essential when dealing with the things of God. ch.13:47,48, 14:27, 15:3.

11 v.2 The contention of ‘those of the circumcision’ with Peter marks the continuing problem of the integration of the gentiles into the first century Christian community. The first rumblings are seen in the issue of the Grecian and Hebrew widows [Acts 6:1] and rumbles along throughout the whole of the Acts and is seen also in the letters.

12 v.4 ‘Easter’ is more correctly the Passover.

12 v.12 ‘The house of Mary’ may well have become a meeting place in Jerusalem during the early days of the first century ecclesia. During the time that Jesus was in the tomb it would appear that Peter and John, at least, were staying in a house in Jerusalem. Mary, after going to the tomb and finding it empty, told Peter and John who ‘ran’ to the tomb [John 20:1-4] implying that they were staying quite close by the tomb.

11:19 Even though the persecution of Saul had ceased the benefits of that persecution were still being seen. Here we see brethren who had travelled out of the land of Israel to escape the persecution.

12:11 That peter was delivered by the angel is like David's deliverance from Achish - see David's comment about this event Psalm 34:7. There are a number of similarities between the two events. Herod wanted to kill peter with the sword. David was trapped by the Philistines. Peter had already been in trouble because he used a sword in the garden of Gethsemane. David had Goliath's sword with him when he went to Achish. Rhoda was accused of being 'mad' because she asserted Peter was outside. David was 'mad' before Achish.

PERSECUTION

Persecution is good for us. Persecution has been the saviour of Christianity more than once. Persecution is good for Christians. There are a good many places around the world right now where Christians are facing persecution. Where I live there is no persecution, but others are facing torture, prison and death because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. However, those that stand in the face of persecution have strengthened their faith, and have a much stronger faith than those of us who have never faced the same trials. Persecution sorts out those who are committed from those who are not. God used it to spread the gospel, which is how the church in Antioch started. If believers hadn't fled Jerusalem because of persecution, Christianity might have been stuck there, but thanks to the spread of believers, Christ has been preached even to us. A much bigger danger to our faith than persecution, is apathy. Many people facing persecution for their faith do not have Bibles and they hunger for them. Many of us do have Bibles and cannot be bothered reading them. Let us not be apathetic, but make the most of any freedom we have to spread the gospel and strengthen faith.
Thank God for persecution!

11:2 'they that were of the circumcision' is not speaking of the apostles. It is a name to describe a faction - like those who claimed to be 'of Apollos' (1 Corinthians 1:12). One wonders how this faction viewed the command of Jesus 'go ye into all the world and preach (Mark 16:15) and ' ye shall be witnesses ... unto the uttermost parts to the world' (Acts 1:8). Maybe they gave the restricted meaning 'land (of Israel)' to the word translated 'earth' indicating a narrow view of preaching. If we ever think to be restrictive in our preaching, being selective in whom we speak to for whatever reason we must remember that if the apostles had been restrictive in their preaching we would not be 'in Christ'.

12:4 That Peter was imprisoned at Passover - the same time of the year as Jesus' death, might have caused Peter to wonder about what Jesus had said of Peter's death (John 21:18-19).

11:15  "as on us" This is an important remark. This shows that the giving of the Holy Spirit was "as on us" without distinction because they were Gentiles,(them) and we were Jews.(us) The gift was the same in both cases.

11:16 In remembering what Jesus said Peter is remembering what Jesus said in Acts 1:5

12:1 In saying that Herod 'stretched forth his had to vex certain of the church' we learn that his approach was very different from Saul. Whilst Saul cast any believer into prison Herod was selective. He, it seems, had it in mind to kill the brethren he saw as the leaders of the new community.

11:4-11 we see Peter recounting his conversion of the previous chapter (see my comment on yesterday's reading).  In v.12 we find that 6 brethren went with him to see these 3 men.  In v.18 we see the reaction of his 6 brethren.  So immediately after his conversion, Peter begins to strengthen his brethren, just as Jesus said in Luke 22:32, as we mentioned yesterday.

11:2,3,4  Peter was confronted by Jewish believers concerning Gentiles.  His explanation that the Gospel was open to all was accepted.  Contrast this episode with Peter's later lapse under pressure from Judaisers (Gal 2:11,12).

12:4 This is the only place in the KJV where the word Easter appears.  It is an error which has been corrected by modern translators as Passover.  

The term Easter (from the Saxon word Eostre) is named from the pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn.  Springtime is an awakening like dawn, and hence the connection.  Springtime is associated with fertility and thus such manifestations as eggs and bunnies form part of the tradition. It was at the time of Passover that sacrifices were made to Eostre.

True believers should shun participation in any pagan activity, no matter how innocent it seems.

11:3 The charge against Peter was twofold, meeting with uncircumcised men, and eating food with them. He was not taken to account for baptising Gentiles, because Jews were used to receiving proselytes into fellowship with them.

11:1-3 That Peter was the one who had to contend with the Jews would help to confirm in his own mind that the gentiles are now included in God’s plan. If we have to prove our point to others it has the benefit of confirming the correctness of our view to ourselves.

12 Peter’s deliverance from prison was his ‘Passover’ deliverance. Consider the links remembering that this was at Passover time (12:3)

12:1 We note here that only one Church (ecclesia) is referred to, showing that the ecclesia in Jerusalem and in Judea were considered to be one ecclesia. Although there are many ecclesias in the True faith to-day, each having complete autonomy in themselves, they are nevertheless all part of one world wide ecclesia.

12:6  Peter, imprisoned at passover – Acts 12:3-4 – had his own passover deliverance. The lamb was ‘bound’ and ‘kept’ as was Peter.

The story of Rhoda holds great lessons for us, (Acts 12:12-16). The young lady, probably a sister, and the other disciples were all praying for Peter’s release from prison. When she went to answer the door, she recognised Peter’s voice, but got so excited she didn't even open the door, but ran in and told everyone that Peter was at the door. Poor girl, they called her mad! Then they said that it must be his angel! They didn't think, or believe, that their prayers could be answered so quickly.  The lesson is that we must believe, when we pray.

12:11   That the angel delivered Peter out of the hand of Herod is a fulfilment of God’s promise which David understood Psa 34:7

WE NEED BARNABAS

Now, more than ever before, we need Barnabas. I recently read a book about saving lost sheep. The book was based on the fact that too many Christians leave the church and try to make it alone. It then asked what we can do to help. But it is a shame that a book like this even needed to be written. That's why we need Barnabas, and more people like him. It's great to try and bring people back, but even better to encourage them to stay.

Barnabas seems to have been a natural encourager. He was sent by the church to Antioch to meet the new believers in that city. "When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." (Acts 11:23) If only we had more encouragement to stay true to the Lord with all our hearts, we wouldn't need to rescue lost sheep because they wouldn't stray.

Barnabas has done his job and he has left us his example to follow. It would be nice if he could be in all our churches at once to encourage us all, but he is not. So it is up to us to follow his example and to encourage each other to remain true to the Lord with all our hearts. There is no point waiting for someone else to do it because it may never happen. Start the trend. A potential lost sheep may just need you to encourage them to stay. Be a Barnabas to someone today.

11:10-11 Here we see an indication as to how Peter was able to see that the vision he saw related to the coming of Cornelius. The three times the command to kill and eat was given matches the three men of Cornelius. Whilst we may think that we would like clearer indications than this the way in which Peter spoke shows that he saw a relationship between the two ‘three’ events.

11:22 There were two cities named Antioch.  The one mentioned here was in Syria. It lay 300 miles north of Jerusalem and 12 miles from the Mediterranean Sea.

The other Antioch was in Pisidia a region of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) (Acts 13:14).

11:25 Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia in Asia Minor (present-day Tersous in Turkey, a decrepit town where no remains exist of the former Tarsus).  It was the birthplace of the apostle Paul (Acts 21:9; 22:3).

The city was founded by the Assyrians.  The Greeks colonised it, and then the Romans took over.  It is no wonder that Paul was multi-lingual, adding, at least, Aramaic and Hebrew to his Greek and Latin (1Cor 14:18).

During the Roman civil wars, the city was faithful to Julius Caesar.  He rewarded it for its service.  Later, Augustus made it a free city.  Under the Romans, a free city was one which could govern itself and which did not have to pay tribute to Rome. However, Roman citizenship was not granted. Then, how did Paul acquired his Roman citizenship (Acts 22:25-28)?   

Paul was free born (citizen by birth) in a place that did not automatically confer citizenship. Therefore, his father or someone in Paul’s ancestry must have either paid to become a citizen; or that the ancestor in question did something for the Romans that resulted in the reward of citizenship. Once that person became a citizen, the honour was automatically passed down to progeny.

11:17 Gamaliel had warned the Jewish leaders about how they should treat the apostles – Acts 5:39- and now Peter uses the same argument. Not that Gamaliel was a good counsellor but that his argument was sound. The apostles should leave things in God’s hand and accept the way He worked.

EVIDENCE OF GRACE

Barnabus was sent to Antioch because a number of Greeks had accepted the word of the Lord. At this stage the gospel had mostly been preached to the Jews, so no one knew quite what to expect when the Greeks and other Gentiles became Christians. The questions the believers in Jerusalem probably wanted answered were things like: Do they really believe? How strong is their faith? Will they fit into the Jewish way of doing things? How will this affect the rest of the church? And where will things go from here?

We don't get all the answers from the Bible, but we do hear something important that reveals Barnabus' observation about these people. "When he arrived and saw evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts." (Acts 11 v 23)

The key  thing that Barnabus saw was the evidence of the grace of God. Barnabus would have seen a number of people who had been saved; he would have seen lives changed by the power of the gospel; he would have seen the love, joy and peace of the new believers, and their dedication to the Lord.

If someone like Barnabus came to visit us would he see the evidence of the grace of God in our life? Do we show the joy of the relationship we have with Jesus? Do we live a changed and fulfilling life? By God's grace are we dedicated to God? Let us show the evidence of the grace of God in our lives.

12:17    The way in which Peter told them to show the matter of his release from prison to James and the brethren is rather like the way in which the angel told the women – Mark 16:7 – to go and tell the disciples and Peter about the resurrection.

11:29 In saying that every one gave ‘according to his ability’ we see a principle of the law of Moses – Lev 27:8 – is implemented in the life of the first century believers.

Acts 12:4

A Message About Easter:

Every year in spring, worshippers around the world celebrate Easter. Easter Sunrise Worship Services are held on the tops of hills or mountains and devotees kneel and bow in worship towards the East as the Sun crests the horizon. They think they are worshipping and honouring Jesus, but in reality they are dishonouring him. The sunrise services have to do with the pagan worship of the sun god (Eze 8:15-16), and not the Son. Jesus rose from the dead while it was still dark outside (John 20:1)! So why does Christianity insist on remembering the resurrection when the sun rises?

The simple answer is that Rome took over Christianity in 325 A.D. when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire included many religions with many different gods. The sun god was Tammuz; the moon goddess was Ishtar. The spirit of compromise between Paganism and Christianity then amalgamated.

Ishtar, pronounced Easter, was a day that commemorated the resurrection of their god, Tammuz, who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon-goddess. Ishtar, also known as Semiramis, proclaimed a forty-day period time of sorrow every year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz, and during this time no meat was to be eaten. The Yezidis, or pagan devil worshippers of Kurdistan in Iraq, whose early masters were the Babylonians, still observe this time. Today, we call this period LENT!

The pagans baked sacred cakes and marked them with a “T” or a cross. The Jews incurred God’s wrath by making these cakes for use in the festival honouring Ishtar and for this idolatry they were severely punished (Jer 7:17-18). Today, they are referred to as hot cross buns!

Because a wild pig killed Tammuz, Ishtar proclaimed that pig was to be eaten on Easter Sunday. We call it the Easter Ham!

Ishtar, the moon goddess, claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg, which became known as Ishtar’s egg. This egg landed in the Euphrates River and hatched at sunrise on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox, and turned a bird into an egg-laying rabbit. To honour her, the priest of Ishtar sacrificed 3-month old human babies and took eggs and dyed them in their blood. Today, this event is commemorated by Colored Eggs! The egg is also a pagan symbol of fertility.

Tammuz was very fond of rabbits, and rabbits became a part of their sacred religious festivals. Tammuz later became known as Baal, the great life giver and god of fire. Because rabbits multiply so rapidly, they also became a pagan symbol of fertility. Their festival practices involved fertility rites we call sexual licentiousness. Today this practice is commemorated by Chocolate Bunnies!

Easter originated from the pagan worship of false gods, and began long before the time of Christ. Ishtar, or Astarte, or Ashtoreth is one goddess under various names worshipped in different countries. The name, Ishtar is of Babylonian origin, and one of the titles given to her is the “queen of heaven” (Jer 7:18). Today, Rome calls her, Mary!

The mixing of pagan mythical and heathen customs with all its trappings is not the resurrection of Christ, and opposed to the Scriptural meaning of his resurrection. The Scriptures clearly record that the only worship acceptable to God is worship that conforms to His instructions concerning how He wants to be worshiped, and nothing else.

11:1-3   That it was Peter who now speaks of the conversion of the gentiles helps to convince the gainsayers. Peter was a reluctant preacher to the gentiles – at least initially. If he had, on the other hand, been a disciple who from the start had advocated the inclusion of the gentiles into the church then his opponents would have given less credence to his comments. Thus we see that God chose a man most suited for the work.

11:20-21         The believers in Jerusalem had a real problem seeing that the gospel should be preached outside Jerusalem to gentiles. However it might be that those who did not live in Jerusalem  had less of a problem with preaching to others than Jews. Hence the comment here that men from Cyprus and Cyrene preached to “Grecians”. 

"What God has cleansed..."

This is not only making a statement about the Gentiles. God had cleansed unclean animals, which meant that Peter was going against the Law of Moses in order to eat it. With these words, God is saying that He has removed the need to keep the law. In confirmation of this Peter goes straight to the house of the Gentile and eats with him and the assembled Gentile believers. The strong implication here is that Peter ate unclean meat -- after all, why would a Gentile have Kosher meat in his house? This is the whole reason why the Jewish brothers contended with Peter:

"they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." Acts 11:2-3

There would be numerous laws that Peter transgressed in doing so; laws to do with washing, bodily uncleanness, food preparation, and so on. We must make the conclusion therefore that the power of the law was no longer in force.

What does this mean to us? Surely it means that we can read the Law of Moses for guidance but should not fear the consequences of it. It means we should treat the law as a part of God's word, but not force others to adhere to it. The death and resurrection of Jesus takes away the power of the law (Rom 6:14)

EVEN THE GENTILES

As Peter recounted the events of the teaching and conversion of Cornelius and his household, the reaction of those who heard his story was this: "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18).

Even though I was born into a believing family, I was not born a Jew or as a direct descendant of Abraham. As a result, I am one of those the early believers talked about when they they exclaimed that God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life. What a blessing that is!

Sometimes, especially if we have grown up with the knowledge of the gospel all our lives, it can seem like something we automatically inherit, it can become something that is "normal" and not treasured by us. But we need to remember that our salvation, the opportunity to repent, and the hope of life are ours only by the grace of God. We must not take it for granted. As such, our response must be a wholehearted response, giving thanks and praise to our God and Saviour, giving our lives to him in love and total commitment.

12:6   Have you ever wondered how long Peter was in prison and how long the brethren and sisters prayed for him?  He was imprisoned before Passover intending to try him after the feast. – Verse :4. It was the night before his trial that he was released – verse :6. So we might conclude that Peter was in prison for almost a week.

12:20-23         The comment about Herod’s displeasure and subsequent oration and the people’s response need not be in the record, or so it seems. However it highlights the end of folly and the way that Herod was actually not in control of events despite what he had done to James and tried to do to Peter.

12:25    the “ministry” that Paul and Silas were involved in when they went to Jerusalem was taking welfare for the brethren and sisters in Jerusalem who were in great need.

11:28-30       Notice how the disciples did not just accept that there was going to be a famine. They took measures to try and help those of their brethren who were affected by it. We do not know why the famine came. However it provided an opportunity for the believers to manifest the spirit of Christ. It is all too easy to simply bemoan poor circumstances. We should take opportunities to help our brethren.

12:22-24         Herod’s orating was seen by some as “the voice of a god” – but he died. By contrast the “Word of God” grew and multiplied. A similar contrast is presented in Acts 19:9-20

11:25-26 So it seems, after his conversion, Saul / Paul disappeared off the scene for a while ant it required Barnabas’ initiative to bring Paul back into the work of preaching and strengthening the believers. That they stayed din Antioch for “a whole year” highlights the value of extended fellowship to cement strong bonds between fellow believers. 

12:23 Herod being “eaten of worms” echoes the fall of the king of Babylon as prophesied by Isaiah: “the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee” (Isa. 14:11). The people had said of Herod, “It is the voice of a god” (Acts 12:22) and the king of Babylon had sought to be like God: “I will be like the most High” (Isa. 14:14). Also, he had “opened not the house of his prisoners” (Isa. 14:17) and Peter “was kept in prison” (Acts 12:5) by Herod. Herod had ‘a hostile mind’, or was `intending war’, “with them of Tyre and Sidon” (Acts 12:20, AV mg.), and the king of Babylon had “ruled the nations in anger” (Isa. 14:6).

11:25-26 So it seems, after his conversion, Saul / Paul disappeared off the scene for a while ant it required Barnabas’ initiative to bring Paul back into the work of preaching and strengthening the believers. That they stayed din Antioch for “a whole year” highlights the value of extended fellowship to cement strong bonds between fellow believers. 

11:24 The way Barnabas is spoken of – “a good man” – is one of the reasons why his words were accepted. His life reflected what he taught. This is fundamental. Our lives must reflect what we believe. Actually they always do reflect what we believe. However it should be that our lives reflect the character of Jesus.

11:29-30 The way in which the record indicates that the disciples responded to the words of Agabus is a clear indication that the New Testament prophets were accorded the status and authority of the prophets in the Old Testament. The disciples did not “wait and see” whether the prophecy came true. Their immediate reaction was to accept the truth and immediacy of the prophecy.

12:4-6  A Quaternion of Roman soldiers was made up of four soldiers. Two who were handcuffed to the prisoner and two outside the prison cell. So we see that there were actually 16 soldiers in prison. Four times the normal detachment for one prisoner. The Romans were taking no chances – or so they thought!

11:2-3  Peter was an apostle appointed by Jesus. However there were men who “contended” with Peter’s baptism of Cornelius. A more appropriate response would have been to ask Peter to explain what had happened, giving Peter the benefit of the doubt, rather than confronting Peter. As it happens Peter’s actions were totally justified. How often do we jump to conclusions before assessing the whole matter?