Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Satisfied and Unsatisfied

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of my favorite scenes from C. S. Lewis’s classic, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is where Edmund first encounters the White Witch. In case you haven’t read the book or don’t remember the scene, this is where, in an attempt to gain his trust, she asks Edmund what he most desires to eat. He responds, “Turkish Delight, please, Your Majesty.” When she gives him his wish, he proceeds to stuff his face full of the deadly dessert, but the more he eats, the more it leaves him wanting more.

When the box is empty, Edmund stares intently at it desperately craving more. Lewis explains, “At last the Turkish Delight was all finished and Edmund was looking very hard at the empty box and wishing that she would ask him whether he would like some more. Probably the Queen knew quite well what he was thinking; for she knew, though Edmund did not, that this was enchanted Turkish Delight and that anyone who had once tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed, go on eating it until they killed themselves.”

What a brilliant picture of what sin does to the human heart! The deadly bait of sin lures a person with the promise of complete satisfaction, and yet it leaves the soul feeling somewhat satisfied and unsatisfied. The craving is satisfied in that the individual gets a taste of his heart’s desire. But the soul is left deeply unsatisfied because he desperately wants more. All the pleasures of the world and the lusts of the heart promise the same satisfaction and fail to deliver. There is no such thing as the sinner who says, “I don’t need any more because I have received all that my heart desires.” This is one of the reasons for our propensity to continue to sin. We are left wanting more.

Interestingly, according to Scripture and in our own life experience, the believer’s heart for God also knows satisfaction yet with a desire for more. But this is in a vastly different and incomparable way. Unlike with sin, when the believer experiences the knowledge of God, there is the possibility of complete satisfaction. Nothing else in the world compares with knowing God and we are willing to lay aside all earthly things to know Him. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven was like a precious pearl, and that the buyer of pearls would sell all that he owned to obtain it (Matt. 13:45-46). There is true satisfaction in God that the world can’t successfully forge.

And yet we do not know God as fully as He could be known. We see Him in Scripture, but our vision is limited by our finiteness. He is the infinite, Creator God, and we will forever remain His creatures. His mind is infinitely greater than ours and we could never successfully attain to it (Ps. 139:6; Rom. 11:33-34). His holiness alone sets Him apart from the rest of creation (Isa. 6:3).

But it isn’t only our finiteness that limits our ability to know God to the fullest. Our sin also keeps us from our goal. We are too easily satisfied by lesser things (cf. Jer. 2:13). Our hearts are too easily led astray. Though our hearts would desire to know Him, our sinful flesh constantly sets itself up as a barrier. Even though God has filled our hearts, we still struggle with a lack of desire for Him.

Still, with the believer’s heart, there will always be a deep-seated desire to know God more. Paul wrote that this was ever his goal (cf. Phil. 3:10). He was willing to lay aside everything else in order to attain a greater knowledge of His Savior. Every believer should identify with A. W. Tozer’s prayer at the conclusion of the first chapter of The Pursuit of God: “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more…O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still.” Though we know Him really, we don’t know Him fully. There should always be an ongoing pursuit in our hearts.

Sin leaves us feeling somewhat satisfied and yet dissatisfied. It leaves us craving more and more without completely filling our hearts. God leaves us satisfied and yet somewhat dissatisfied in that our lives would be lived in a constant pursuit of Him. The Bible speaks truth when it says that both the backslider and good man will be filled with the fruit of their ways (Prov. 14:14).

But even though the two might seem similar, they are vastly different. If in nothing else, they are different in their ultimate outcomes. If a person pursues sin with all his heart, he will ultimately never be satisfied and his pursuit will end in death (cf. James 1:14-15). But when a believer pursues God with all His heart, he has an eternity of life to look forward to where his heart will be completely satisfied with the one he loves most (cf. 1 John 3:1-2).

No One Expects the (Shepherds’ Conference)!

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome to another of our surprise Monday posts!

A couple weeks back I posted an article directing you to the Shepherd’s Conference resources. I just wanted to briefly, and I do mean briefly, follow up on that to let you know that the audio from the 2012 Conference is now up and online.

I’ve already included the necessary parameters in that link to filter it down to just the 2012 material, although the GCC web guy (or gal) isn’t quite on the ball, so the Spanish sermons are in there as well.  No biggie; it’s absolutely worth your time to give those recordings a listen!

Personally, I would recommend that you start with the ones labelled “General Session” (and listen to those in order), then branch out to the seminars that are of interest to you. If you don’t have time to take the comprehensive approach, or you just want a few recommendations, here are a few that I found extremely profitable:

Enjoy!

Pro Rege

I Have Learned, in Whatever State I Am, Therewith to Be Content

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Philippians 4:11

These words show us that contentment is not a natural propensity of man. ‘Ill weeds grow apace.’ Covetousness, discontent, and murmuring are as natural to man as thorns are to the soil. We need not sow thistles and brambles; they come up naturally enough, because they are indigenous to earth: and so, we need not teach men to complain; they complain fast enough without any education. But the precious things of the earth must be cultivated. If we would have wheat, we must plough and sow; if we want flowers, there must be the garden, and all the gardener’s care.

Now, contentment is one of the flowers of heaven, and if we would have it, it must be cultivated; it will not grow in us by nature; it is the new nature alone that can produce it, and even then we must be specially careful and watchful that we maintain and cultivate the grace which God has sown in us. Paul says, ‘I have learned . . . to be content;’ as much as to say, he did not know how at one time. It cost him some pains to attain to the mystery of that great truth. No doubt he sometimes thought he had learned, and then broke down. And when at last he had attained unto it, and could say, ‘I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content,’ he was an old, grey-headed man, upon the borders of the grave-a poor prisoner shut up in Nero’s dungeon at Rome.

We might well be willing to endure Paul’s infirmities, and share the cold dungeon with him, if we too might by any means attain unto his good degree. Do not indulge the notion that you can be contented with learning, or learn without discipline. It is not a power that may be exercised naturally, but a science to be acquired gradually. We know this from experience. Brother, hush that murmur, natural though it be, and continue a diligent pupil in the College of Content.

2.16a

BOB – Ecclesiastes

by Stephen Rodgers

ECCLESIASTES IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Apart from God, life is empty and unsatisfying.”

TITLE

I’ll simply let the MSB do the bulk of the heavy lifting here for me:

The English title, Ecclesiastes, comes from the Greek and Latin translations of Solomon’s book. The LXX, the Greek translation of the OT, used the Greek term ekklēsiastēs for its title. It means “preacher,” derived from the word ekklēsia, translated “assembly” or “congregation” in the NT. Both the Greek and Latin versions derive their titles from the Hebrew title, Qoheleth, which means “one who calls or gathers” the people. It refers to the one who addresses the assembly; hence, the preacher (cf. Eccles 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8–10). Along with Ruth, Song of Solomon, Esther, and Lamentations, Ecclesiastes stands with the OT books of the Megilloth, or “five scrolls.” Later rabbis read these books in the synagogue on 5 special occasions during the year—Ecclesiastes being read on Pentecost.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

So from the previous section, we know that the author is the Qoheleth…what we don’t know is whether this is intended to be a personal or titular identifier, and if titular, who it refers to.  Let’s start by lifting a line from the ESVSB:

Scholars have debated whether Qoheleth is best understood as a personal name or a title, though the latter seems more likely in view of Eccles 12:8, where the definite article (“the”) precedes the word.

(Constable points to Eccles 7:27 as another possible instance that would argue in favor of the titular position).

Assuming it’s titular, the question remains: who is the Qoheleth?

The candidate for…uh…Qoheleth-ness…that dominates every single discussion is Solomon. No other historical personage is seriously considered as a candidate, though arguments for and against Solomon have been particularly fierce the last 200 years.

In favor of Solomon, we have the following arguments:

  • The titles fit Solomon, “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Eccles 1:1) and “king over Israel in Jerusalem” (Eccles 1:12)
  • The author is characterized as someone who was surpassingly wise (Eccles 1:16) and had a very prosperous reign (Eccles 2:1–9; cf. 1 Kings 3–4).
  • The author’s moral odyssey chronicles Solomon’s life (1 Kin. 2–11)
  • The role of one who “taught the people knowledge” and wrote “many proverbs” (Eccles 12:9) corresponds to his life.
  • Jewish and Christian tradition have uniformly held to Solomonic authorship.

In opposition to Solomon, we have the following arguments (citing the ESVSB):

  • The phrase “son of David” could refer to any legitimate Davidic descendant, as it does in Matthew 1:20 with reference to Joseph and frequently throughout the NT with reference to Jesus Christ.
  • The distinctive nature of the Hebrew language used in the book is widely believed to be indicative of a date much later than the 10th century b.c. (though some scholars explain the linguistic evidence in terms of other factors, such as a later modernizing of the language, the influence of foreign languages such as Phoenician or Aramaic, or the possibility of a regional dialect).
  • The Preacher’s remarks imply a historical setting that seems in tension with the Solomonic era, such as the fact that many have preceded him as king in Jerusalem (e.g., Eccles. 1:16; 2:7, 9—though these may include non-Israelite kings), that injustice and oppression are openly practiced (Eccles 3:16–17; 4:1–3; 8:10–11), and that he has observed firsthand the foolishness of kings (Eccles 4:13–16; 10:5–6) and their abuse of royal power (Eccles 8:2–9).

So now that we’ve got that all muddled up, let’s see if we can’t make heads or tails out of all this.

  • The first argument is purely speculative. Sure, “son of David” could refer to any Davidic descendent, but is that the best explanation given the contextual cues of this particular book? What other candidate is seriously being proposed who not only fits the bill of occupying Jerusalem (Eccles 1:1) but exceeding Solomon in wisdom (Eccles 1:16) and riches (Eccles 2:7)?
  • The third argument is weak enough that it could easily be countered by pro-Solomonic speculative arguments. We know that foreign influence and corruption appeared as part of Solomon’s reign. We know that Solomon not only engaged in royal foolishness but that he had personal interactions with the monarchs of neighboring kingdoms. Why couldn’t those experiences have provided sufficient grist for the mill from which the contents of Ecclesiastes came?
  • Therefore, it’s all going to come down to the linguistic argument, particularly as it pertains to vocabulary and syntax.

I won’t bore you all the nitty-gritty details (as is appropriate considering this is coming from someone who doesn’t speak Hebrew and isn’t particularly well-versed in the nuances of the ANE Hebrew lexicon), but the basic argument comes down to this: there are certain discrepancies and oddities in the Hebrew of Ecclesiastes that don’t fit with our understanding of 10th century BC Hebrew. However, this problem is complicated when one realizes that a number of these oddities  in toto cannot be harmonized with any known chronological period of Hebrew, up to and including the post-exilic era. Some attempt has been made to place Ecclesiastes in the 450-250 BC period (J. Stafford Wright, “Ecclesiastes,” in Psalms-Song of Songs, vol. 5 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, pp. 1139-43.), but this has been vigorously refuted (“The Linguistic Evidence for the Date of ‘Ecclesiastes,’“ Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society12:3 (Summer 1969):167-81.).

Furthermore, pointing out that a particular word does not appear in the relevant body of literature until several centuries later generally does nothing to prove that word was unknown to the authors of a previous time (excluding certain noteworthy and rather obvious counter-examples based on particular derivatives or instances of coinage). However, the examples in Ecclesiastes don’t fall into these specific categories, and given the limited ANE texts at our disposal, we simply don’t have enough data to give a definitive answer.

Last but not least, in attempting to narrow down the date of composition, there is some evidence that the author was familiar with Babylonian and Egyptian literature that pre-dated Solomon’s reign (Eccles 9:8-9 strongly resembles passages from the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Egyptian “Harper’s Song”) there is no evidence of similar familiarity with the classic Greek texts of the fifth century BC and following that one would expect to find if a late date of composition was true. I’m getting ahead of myself (see DATE below), but that’s alright.

It seems clear to me that you wind up a pretty clear argument for Solomonic authorship, with a bit of room left over for fun thought experiments regarding textual emendations, but that’s about it.

DATE

That was a lot of writing; MSB quote to the rescue:

Once Solomon is accepted as the author, the date and occasion become clear. Solomon was writing, probably in his latter years (no later than ca. 931 B.C.), primarily to warn the young people of his kingdom, without omitting others. He warned them to avoid walking through life on the path of human wisdom; he exhorted them to live by the revealed wisdom of God (Eccles 12:9–14).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Once again, I’m going to let the MSB summarize this section (which largely reproduces information from preceding sections anyhow):

Solomon’s reputation for possessing extraordinary wisdom fits the Ecclesiastes profile. David recognized his son’s wisdom (1 Kin. 2:6, 9) before God gave Solomon an additional measure. After he received a “wise and understanding heart” from the Lord (1 Kin. 3:7–12), Solomon gained renown for being exceedingly wise by rendering insightful decisions (1 Kin.3:16–28), a reputation that attracted “all the kings of the earth” to his courts (1 Kin. 4:34). In addition, he composed songs and proverbs (1 Kin. 4:32; cf. 12:9), activity befitting only the ablest of sages. Solomon’s wisdom, like Job’s wealth, surpassed the wisdom “of all the people of the east” (1 Kin. 4:30; Job 1:3).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are a multitude of themes running through the book: that wisdom and pleasure apart from God are worthless (Eccles 1:12-2:16), that God confers meaning upon work and labor (Eccles 2:17-3:8 vs. 3:9-6:7; 3:22; 3:1), the injustice (and pervasive reality) of oppression (Eccles 4:1-3; 7:15-18; 12:14), the superiority of divine wisdom over and against human wisdom (Eccles 6:10; 6:8-12:7), and the fact that God…just as He gives so many other gifts…gives us meaning for this life (Eccles 12:1-14; 12:14).

I’d like to dive just a little bit deeper though, because in order to really understand the themes, you have to first understand the refrains.  And there are two refrains that are prevalent throughout this small-but-weighty book.

  • The first refrain is “under the sun.” Those three little words are invariably followed (or preceded) by some sort of negative declarative statement: work has no profit and is distressing, nothing is ever really new, church and state are both corrupt, etc. “Under the sun” refers to this world, considered on its own terms. These passages are what have caused so many to dismissively consider Ecclesiastes a cynical or even nihilistic work.
  • But it doesn’t end there. There’s a second refrain: “the great gift of God.” The fact that God is both the originator and order-er of all this apparent meaninglessness and repetition is what permits the wise man to view it in its proper context…and then enjoy it. Far from being a book of cynicism, Ecclesiastes turns out to be a book of profound optimism (Eccles 3:12-13; 3:22; 5:18-19; 8:15; 9:7-9).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

Let me again rely on the MSB to get this started:

The author’s declaration that “all is vanity” envelops the primary message of the book (cf. Eccles 1:2; 12:8). The word translated “vanity” is used in at least 3 ways throughout the book. In each case, it looks at the nature of man’s activity “under the sun” as: 1)”fleeting,” which has in view the vapor-like (cf. James 4:14) or transitory nature of life; 2)”futile” or “meaningless,” which focuses on the cursed condition of the universe and the debilitating effects it has on man’s earthly experience; or 3) “incomprehensible” or “enigmatic,” which gives consideration to life’s unanswerable questions. Solomon draws upon all 3 meanings in Ecclesiastes.

To those three options, Wilson adds “inscrutable repetitiveness” in his commentary, which enjoys a certain clarity in regards to the great themes of the book. What the reader should note is that whatever “vanity” means given the contextual cues of the relevant passage, it does not mean “absolute meaninglessness.” As one commentator put it, Solomon is too wise a man to fall into the error and idiocy of modern existential relativism.

LITERARY FEATURES

The ESVSB summarizes it in this way:

Although Ecclesiastes is wisdom literature, it does not read like a typical collection of proverbs. The proverbs are molded into clusters, and furthermore there is a unifying plot line that organizes the units together. The units fall into the three categories of recollections, reflections, and mood pieces. All of these are expressed by a narrator who in effect tells the story of his quest to find satisfaction in life. This quest is reconstructed from the vantage point of someone whose quest ended satisfactorily. The transitions between units often keep the quest in view: “so I turned to consider,” “again I saw,” “then I saw,” etc. As the quest unfolds, one is continuously aware of the discrepancy between the narrator’s present outlook and his futile search undertaken in the past. In effect, the speaker recalls the labyrinth of dead ends that he pursued, recreating his restless past with full vividness but not representing it as his mature outlook. Along with the narrative thread, the observational format of much of the material gives the book a meditative cast.

OBJECTIONS

There are really only two objections that are raised against Ecclesiastes; the first pertains to authorship and the second pertains to orthodoxy.

  • For a discussion on the authorship question, see the AUTHOR & AUDIENCE section. It’s a bit long, so you might want to pack a lunch, particularly if you plan on chasing down the various references and articles.
  • In regards to the orthodoxy of the book, critics have levied such varied accusations as it espouses cynicism (see the preceding discussion on “vanity”), the denial of an afterlife, it espouses hedonism, and its indifference in regards to reality. Let me be clear: such critics really need to learn to read better. While the illustrations of the book are certainly didactic, it does not follow that they are necessarily prescriptive (and such an interpretation is flatly contradicted by some statements within the text).

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Ecclesiastes 3:1
  • Ecclesiastes 12:1
  • Ecclesiastes 12:12 (something I became acutely aware of in writing this article)

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Many scholars who hold to Solomonic authorship believe that the books “negative tone” (I’d argue about the use of that phrase, but that’s another matter) indicates that it was written late in his life, after the issues of foreign wives and their foreign gods had begun to have disastrous consequences for Israel.
  • Walter Kaiser (in his commentary) argues that a couple of key textual variants in Eccles 2:24-26 are actually the correct autographa. Wilson takes the same view in his commentary Joy at the End of the Tether.  The NET notes find the first variant unconvincing, but agree with Kaiser et. all on the second. I bring this up simply because this passage goes to the heart of the book, and understanding it correctly either raises or resolves secondary issues.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Ecclesiastes Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Ecclesiastes”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Ecclesiastes”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Ecclesiastes”
  • NET Bible, Ecclesiastes
  • NIV Study Bible, Ecclesiastes
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Ecclesiastes”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Ecclesiastes”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Kaiser, Ecclesiastes: Total Life
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook
  • Wilson, Joy at the End of the Tether

Christian Peer Pressure

The Creamy Goodness

by Elder Peter Lim

When one thinks of the term “peer pressure,” images of kids being bullied around by bad influences come to mind. However, in Christianity, this idea is related to the idea of accountability where a person who desires to follow God better willingly submits himself to one or more fellow brothers and seeks to be kept accountable. He submits himself under those who will care enough to ask difficult questions. Accountability is voluntary, sought, and desired, but it may be unpleasant for the moment. It’s the kind of desire that you only want because you know it’s good for you, not because you always truly enjoy it, such as not eating ice cream because you don’t want to gain weight. Of course you want to eat it but in light of the bigger picture (no pun intended) you voluntarily refrain from its creamy goodness and maybe even ask your friends not to let you have any even when you ask for it.

Christian peer pressure can be a good thing when seen in this light, that those who care about you would create an atmosphere where it would be embarrassing and inappropriate to indulge in sin. Some might see this as a negative thing, where someone is pressured to do something that he doesn’t want to do. Keep in mind that what we are talking about is a voluntary submission to the standards of Scripture because we understand how much God hates sin. While it’s true that our love for God ought to be enough from even wanting to sin, we are wretched sinners who are weak and in need of help, even from fellow sinners. This is especially important for elders since they are to be the leaders and examples for the church. In 1 Tim. 5:19-20, it says:

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.
20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

Verse 19 seems to indicate that accusations against elders are not to be taken lightly. They shouldn’t be subjected to any frivolous accusations without multiple witnesses. By the same token, if they are found to be continuing in sin, their rebuke is even more severe and humiliating as they are to be confronted in public, without even mentioning here the due process of Matthew 18. This is because leaders are held to a higher standard and their disqualification is unavoidably more public than it is for the rest of the congregation. Incredibly, this act of rebuke is MEANT to strike fear in the hearts of all. Even the fear of public humiliation can be useful in keeping us accountable not to sin.

Although the rest of the congregation isn’t necessarily held to the same degree of public accountability before the church, they are still held to the same standards of conduct. Elders aren’t singled out as the only ones who are to be free from sin. All Christians are to seek to be holy. (1 Peter 1:15) Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are here to help with this. So the question is this: Who is helping to keep you accountable? Are you being honest here? Married people are probably thinking about their spouse but are they truly helping to keep you accountable or is that in theory only? Those involved in small group or discipleship relationships can probably rattle off the names of their “accountability partners,” but again, is that in theory only? Do these people exist only to share meals with or to share superficial prayer requests with? It takes time and effort to develop relationships which are at this level of trust and honesty. May we all seek them out and make ourselves vulnerable. Through the help of loving and gentle pressure from our peers, we will mature into better representatives of Christ.

Whereby They Have Made Thee Glad

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 45:8

And who are thus privileged to make the Saviour glad? His church-His people. But is it possible? He makes us glad, but how can we make Him glad?

  • By our love. Ah! we think it so cold, so faint; and so, indeed, we must sorrowfully confess it to be, but it is very sweet to Christ. Hear His own eulogy of that love in the golden Canticle: ‘How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine!’ See, loving heart, how He delights in you. When you lean your head on His bosom, you not only receive, but you give Him joy; when you gaze with love upon His all-glorious face, you not only obtain comfort, but impart delight.
  • Our praise, too gives Him joy-not the song of the lips alone, but the melody of the heart’s deep gratitude.
  • Our gifts, too, are very pleasant to Him; He loves to see us lay our time, our talents, our substance upon the altar, not for the value of what we give, but for the sake of the motive from which the gift springs. To Him the lowly offerings of His saints are more acceptable than the thousands of gold and silver.
  • Holiness is like frankincense and myrrh to Him. Forgive your enemy, and you make Christ glad; distribute of your substance to the poor, and He rejoices; be the means of saving souls, and you give Him to see of the travail of His soul; proclaim His gospel, and you are a sweet savour unto Him; go among the ignorant and lift up the cross, and you have given Him honour.

It is in your power even now to break the alabaster box, and pour the precious oil of joy upon His head, as did the woman of old, whose memorial is to this day set forth wherever the gospel is preached. Will you be backward then? Will you not perfume your beloved Lord with the myrrh and aloes, and cassis, of your heart’s praise? Yes, ye ivory palaces, ye shall hear the songs of the saints!

2.15p

Exercising Communication

by Pastor Patrick Cho

How well do you know your spouse? If you are like most, you might agree that you know your spouse pretty well, but perhaps you don’t know him or her as well as you might think. Perhaps you know that the communication in your marriage is weak. If that’s the case, it may just need some exercise. Consider the following questions:

  1. How is your partner doing spiritually? What are your partner’s greatest spiritual struggles? How can you be praying for him or her? How is your partner’s time in God’s Word?
  2. What brings your partner the greatest joys in your marriage? In life?
  3. What are your partner’s greatest fears?
  4. What are your some of your partner’s greatest disappointments?
  5. What does your partner think you do well in your relationship?
  6. What does your partner wish you would do better in your relationship?

Were you able to answer these questions? If not, it might be a good idea to go on a date with your spouse and talk about some of them.

Communication is probably always going to be an issue in marriage relationships. Men and women simply don’t communicate the same way and oftentimes misunderstand each other. Sometimes the problem is a failure to listen. Other times, the problem lies in difficulty with communicating clearly or specifically. Whatever the case, most couples would agree that a great percentage of the conflicts that arise in marriage stem from a failure to communicate well.

Not surprisingly, we find our example of effective communication in the Lord. He is the perfect communicator because He not only delivers the message perfectly (cf. John 17:17), but He also grants the ability to understand it (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12-14). Inasmuch as we strive to communicate well, we pattern ourselves after the God who made us and made known to us His will. In the Scriptures we find:

  1. God clearly communicates His existence and attributes (Rom. 1:19-20).
  2. God clearly communicates our need for Him (Mark 1:15).
  3. God clearly communicates His love (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8).
  4. God clearly communicates salvation for His people (Ps. 16:11; 98:2; Eph. 1:7-10).
  5. God clearly communicates His will (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 John 5:3).

Certainly there is much more in Scripture that God communicates, but this just goes to show that when God wants His people to know something, He communicates it effectively.

This does not mean that everyone will understand everything that God intends. Paul had made it clear in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the natural man cannot understand the things of God. This is not because God’s message is deficient or incomplete, but because the human heart is darkened in its understanding and blinded by sin. God shines the light of Christ in the hearts of men and illumines their minds to understand the truth by His grace.

Communication is key to building a healthy relationship. It is like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly. This is true in our relationship with God, and it is true in our relationships with one another. We grow more intimately acquainted with God as we come to understand what brings Him joy, what He desires, and what He requires of us. We are drawn closer to Him as we learn more about who He is and what He is like. The same is true when it comes to our marriage relationships. As we work out to know our partner better, to understand his or her joys, desires, fears, and frustrations, we too will build a stronger and healthier relationship.

BOB – Proverbs

by Stephen Rodgers

PROVERBS IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Pithy, memorable sayings encourage people to pursue wisdom.”

TITLE

Per Constable:

The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is “The Proverbs of Solomon, the Son of David, King in Israel” (Proverbs 1:1). The Greek Septuagint called this book “Proverbs of Solomon.” The Latin Vulgate named it “The Book of Proverbs.” Translators of English Bibles place Proverbs among the poetic books (Psalms—Song of Solomon) whereas in the Hebrew Bible it is found among the “Writings,” the third and final major section.

It should be noted that there is some dispute as to whether the title of the book is intended to refer to the total collection of proverbs, or just to the first section. As a number of scholars have pointed out, this may be yet another case where either/or creates a false antithesis and both/and could well be correct. After all, even if Proverbs 1:1 refers only to the initial segment of the collection, the rest of the book still contains proverbs.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

I’m going to quote the MSB on authorship, then outline the timeline the follows in the DATE section:

The phrase “Proverbs of Solomon” is more a title than an absolute statement of authorship (Proverbs 1:1). While King Solomon, who ruled Israel from 971–931 B.C. and was granted great wisdom by God (see 1 Kin. 4:29–34), is the author of the didactic section (chaps. 1–9) and the proverbs of 10:1–22:16, he is likely only the compiler of the “sayings of the wise” in 22:17–24:34, which are of an uncertain date before Solomon’s reign. The collection in chaps. 25–29 was originally composed by Solomon (25:1) but copied and included later by Judah’s king Hezekiah (ca. 715–686 B.C.). Chapter 30 reflects the words of Agur and chap. 31 the words of Lemuel, who perhaps was Solomon.

It should be noted that on the other hand, Lemuel’s sayings contain several Aramaic spellings that may point to a non-Israelite background. Scholars simply don’t agree on this (admittedly minor) point.

In regards to the audience, Proverbs tends to divide itself between a general audience (an assumed Israelite seeking wisdom) and a specific audience (a young man who finds himself at a crossroads in regards to life choices).

DATE

For anyone interested in a rough chronology of the book of Proverbs, here is a simplified outline:

  • Pre-Solomon: Various proverbs are created, circulated, and become embedded in Israelite culture. There is some evidence that these may have been influenced by other ANE cultures, such as Egypt to some degree (for example, “The Instruction of Vizier Ptah-hotep,” “The Instruction for Merikare,” and “The Instruction of Amenemope,” all of which predate the Solomonic reign by 1,500 to 300 years).
  • 971 BC to 931 BC: Solomon reigns in Israel, produces a ridiculous number of proverbs and songs (1 Kings 4:32), and records a number of these as the book of Proverbs, along with a collection of other sayings that pre-dates his reign.
  • 715 BC to 686 BC: Hezekiah reigns in Israel, and instructs a number of scholars and scribes to amend the book to include more of the proverbs of Solomon. As the NIVSB notes, this is not unusual as “this was a time of spiritual renewal led by the king, who also showed great interest in the writings of David and Asaph (see 2 Chr 29:30).”
  • Post-Hezekiah: This is where things get interesting. Some scholars would argue that some of the material in Proverbs was either written or edited during the Post-Exilic period, although the evidence for this claim is tenuous at best. Many of the sources cited below go into greater detail regarding the reasons for excluding this theory, but briefly, there are simply no significant literary, historical, or cultural indicators to adopt it over and against the records we have which indicate that the vast majority of the material originated in the Solomonic period.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Proverbs spans three contexts: 1) general wisdom literature, 2) a royal court setting, and 3) an inter-generational household. Against this multi-faceted backdrop the various exhortations and admonitions of the book will be developed.

In the context of the OT, wisdom literature was typically the purview of the Sage/Wise Man who dispensed good counsel (as opposed to the Priest who dispensed the Law and/or the Prophet who dispensed the Word of the Lord). As a result, we can typically expect the Wisdom literature to interact with the entities of the Law and Word, but to largely concern itself with the areas that are not explicitly addressed by either.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two dominant themes in the book of Proverbs:

  • Wisdom. The dominant motif of the extended discourse in Proverbs 1:1-9:18 is that of two women: Wisdom and Folly. Wisdom is a personification of God’s attribute of wisdom and ultimately represents God Himself, whereas Folly represents the various false gods and idols vying for Israel’s devotion. The conclusion is that there is no real wisdom apart from God (Prov 1:7).
  • Practical Living. As alluded to in the previous section, Proverbs has much to say on subjects that are not explored in extended or pragmatic detail in the Law or prophetic revelation. Wealth, work, and matters of the heart are all raised and expounded upon, and ultimately are all grounded in the person and nature of God Himself.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are a number of issues that could be raised in regards to challenges to correctly understanding Proverbs, even from within a Christian worldview:

  • Cultural Considerations. As with any Biblical passage, it is important to evaluate the proverbs in light of the context and culture of the original author in order to avoid drawing false conclusions. I recall a sermon I heard a number of years ago where the preacher took his cue from Proverbs 21:9 and articulated at great length how uncomfortable this would be, exhorting the audience to consider in detail what it would be like to try to keep from rolling off their own roofs. Unfortunately, while it’s a vivid image, it’s not an accurate one since the houses of Solomonic Israel had flat roofs that were often used for storage (remember Rahab?),  recreation (remember Bathsheba?) and even sleeping. Right principle; wrong illustration.
  • Literary Format. I won’t belabor the point here, except to reference the earlier articles on the Wisdom Books in general and Psalms in particular.
  • Principles vs. Promises. It really cannot be over-emphasized that Proverbs contains instruction that is intended to be understood as normative principles rather than divine promises. In general, hard work and diligence will result in financial security while laziness and a refusal to apply oneself will result in poverty.  This does not prevent hard workers from falling on hard times, or slackers from winning the lottery.

LITERARY FEATURES

Shockingly perhaps, the genre or Proverbs is proverbs.

To summarize the ESVSB in regards to some of the literary characteristics of the proverbs of Proverbs…

  • Comparison. Typically a comparison is made between A and B; however, the comparison need not be literal, and its application may vary depending on the time and culture. In this way, the English proverb “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” typically refers to interpersonal relationships…not ranching.
  • Context. Individual proverbs may stand alone, or they may be situated in a broader context (paragraph). An astute reader will need to carefully determine these factors in order to understand the proverb appropriately.
  • Concreteness. Just because a proverb employs imagery evoking a specific situation or circumstance (just weights and scales, a father/son dynamic) does not mean it is intended to exclude a more fundamental principle (honesty and labor) or a different relationship (father/daughter, mother/son, mother/daughter, etc.). Be careful not to apply an overly-literal hermeneutic.
  • Contradictions. Many proverbs seem to result in contradictions (the most famous being Proverbs 26:4-5), but this is typically the result of failing to make the proper application to the relevant circumstance.  Most languages have the same phenomenon: English has “Many hands make light work” and “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
  • Consequences. As previously mentioned, proverbs by nature deal with general truths, and are not meant to cover every conceivable situation. These are behavioral observations, rather than statistical ones.

OBJECTIONS

There are no significant objections to Proverbs that haven’t already been addressed in the DATE, AUTHOR, and/or INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES sections (at least that I’m aware of).

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Proverbs 3:5
  • Proverbs 6:6
  • Proverbs 10:1
  • Proverbs 11:22
  • Proverbs 13:24
  • Proverbs 15:1
  • Proverbs 16:3
  • Proverbs 17:28
  • Proverbs 18:10
  • Proverbs 20:1
  • Proverbs 22:1
  • Proverbs 26:4-5
  • Proverbs 27:6

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The final chapter (31) of Proverbs is a long poem in praise of wives, which was highly unusual for an ANE culture. It was traditionally recited by a husband to his wife on Sabbath evenings.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Proverbs Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Proverbs”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Proverbs”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Proverbs”
  • NET Bible, Proverbs
  • NIV Study Bible, Proverbs
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Proverbs”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Proverbs”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

The Pastor’s Joy and Crown

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Being a young pastor at a growing church, I am faced with a variety of challenges. Each week I am finding out with greater clarity – by experience – how difficult pastoral ministry can be. Each person brings a unique context and background so that even common problems have different nuances and interesting twists. No two counseling opportunities are the same. Some might say, “Ministry is easy. It’s the people that are difficult.” While that might be true to a certain degree, for the pastor, that also is the source of the irony. You do the ministry for the people.

I’ll never get over the words Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19-20). Paul couldn’t wait for that day when he would stand before the Lord and present the Thessalonians as his crown of exultation. His heart was with the people. Yes, they caused him great agony and anxiety – perhaps even more pain than all of his other suffering (cf. 2 Cor. 11:28). But his heart was with the people. He didn’t complain about the problems that people brought, but he lovingly shepherded them and sacrificially invested in them. They were his joy.

That is a sobering reminder of what ministry is about. That is why I do what I do. I know that over time there will be difficulties and the constant burden of carrying other people’s hurts and struggles. But I count it such a tremendous privilege and joy to be involved in people’s lives the way I get to. When a couple gets engaged to be married, I get to walk with them to prepare them for marriage. I oftentimes get to officiate their wedding and be involved in their lives in a way that no one else will. When a family has a child, I am oftentimes one of the first that gets to visit and play with the new kid. And even though at times it is difficult, it is a tremendous joy and honor to be asked to help shoulder the load of those who go through difficult trials.

As a pastor, I have had the joy of seeing people transformed through the ministry and teaching of the church. Honestly, nothing has encouraged me more than those who have told me that God saved them through one of my sermons. It is a blessing to hear from people that when they come to me for counseling, it is helpful and leads them the right way to change.

Our members oftentimes tell me they would rather not bother me with their problems because they know I am busy. Honestly, I have come to accept the fact that I will probably be busy until I die. But that doesn’t mean that I would rather not meet with people or help them with counseling and prayer. It can be tiring. It can be painful. It can even be discouraging at times. But ultimately, it is a privilege and honor to be called to this service.

So when people ask me if I am too busy to meet up, my typical response is, “I’m not too busy for you.” I don’t say this because it’s the right thing to say or because it’s my job. I really count it a blessing and joy to be able to serve people in the way that I do. When I hear pastors tell me, “Ministry would be easy if it weren’t for the people” or “How great would it be if all the people went away,” I sometimes think to myself that maybe they weren’t meant to be pastors. For the pastor, it is a sobering call to love people and to show them the love of Christ, but there is no greater joy.

Weekly Links (3/19/2012)

by Stephen Rodgers

No quote this time, I’ll just get straight to the point.

This is just a brief update since there are a couple of links that have an expiration date on them (either in terms of relevancy, or an actual expiration date), and therefore can’t wait until next month. I suppose I could have emailed Richard and told him to include them, but then I’d have to write it, and then he has to write it again, and meanwhile we could have been done with this for days if I just pushed the big red (it’s really blue) button.

Happy Monday!