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• Psa 4:6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.

• Psa 10:11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.”

• Psa 11:7 For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

• Psa 13:1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?

• Psa 17:15 And I — in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

• Psa 22:24 For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

• Psa 24:6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

• Psa 27:8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.

• Psa 27:9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

• Psa 30:7 O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

• Psa 31:16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.

• Psa 34:16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

• Psa 44:3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

• Psa 44:24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?

• Psa 51:9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

• Psa 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us.

• Psa 69:17 Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

• Psa 80:3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

• Psa 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

• Psa 80:19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

• Psa 88:14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?

• Psa 102:2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.

• Psa 104:15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

• Psa 104:29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.

• Psa 105:4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

• Psa 119:58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

• Psa 119:135 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.

• Psa 143:7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

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Hezekiah’s men copied out (and put in final form?) some of the proverbs of Solomon (Pro 25:1). Hezekiah was a man consumed with zeal for the Lord’s house and the worship of God there. Hezekiah “commanded the Levites to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer” (2Ch 29:30). This may mean that he authorized the use of an old collection (David’s) as well as a new collection (Asaph’s) of Temple songs. This all suggests that Hezekiah and dedicated men under his direction organized and reissued the older psalms, and supplemented the collection with newer ones (including those of Hezekiah himself: see GB, “Songs of Degrees” 102-104)… to produce a “hymnal” to supplement the Sabbath readings of Scripture in the Temple; hence the “5 books” of Psalms.

Thus Hezekiah was virtually the “editor” of the Psalter. (The Talmud has attributed to him the final preparation also of Isaiah, Proverbs, the Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes.)

Only kings (such as David and Hezekiah) would have the authority to organize and direct scribes, Levites, priests, and musicians in such a great undertaking. And David and Hezekiah were patrons of the worship of the Lord.

It is also possible that Hezekiah made inspired additions to the text of some of David’s psalms, to fit them to his own similar, though not identical, circumstances.

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Seneca wrote three books on anger, and yet Macaulay doubted whether all his philosophy ever kept anyone from being angry. Solomon only wrote a few wise sayings, but many have learned from him. “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly” (Pro 14:17). “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding” (Pro 14:29). “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city…” (Pro 16:32).

This reference to the strength of the man who can rule his own spirit goes to the root of the matter. All men have bad tempers, but some are wise and strong enough to exercise control.

It is natural for men to be selfish and to be angry if their interests are menaced. It is natural for them to resent any slight to their dignity or criticism of their work. Wherever we can observe human nature in the raw there are many scenes of ill-temper, bearing a humiliating resemblance to the quarrels of wild animals. The anger caused by selfish disputes is manifest all through Nature. With due respect to Dr. Watts, we have to recognize that even “birds in their little nests” do not always “agree”. It has to be admitted, however, that birds and beasts may often give us lessons. Man, with all his power of understanding, and with all the lessons that he has received, is the worst offender. His selfishness is greater than that of any beast, going far beyond the needs of the moment. His anger is more cruel and longer sustained. Often it is fostered and encouraged as in time of war. And in his search for weapons to slay those who have roused his wrath, man is immeasurably worse than any of the lower creatures could possibly be.

When men have been unrestrained either by fear of their fellows or by any remonstrance of conscience in their own breasts, they have proceeded to terrible extremes of cruelty in the expression of their anger. The wrath of an autocratic king is proverbially terrible. In ordinary life men are restrained by fear. Anger cannot find its natural expression for fear of reprisals which might come from an angry enemy or from the majesty of the law. Nations and individuals are often “willing to wound but afraid to strike.” They are curbed by the dread of a conflict the end of which they cannot foresee but which will be certain to bring much pain and evil. In less serious issues angry words are often restrained by the fear of ridicule. Anger will often make men foolish and there are always cruel opponents ready to laugh. Protected by the law they find pleasure in goading the victim to further expressions of impotent rage. Sometimes they go too far and the angry one, casting off all restraint and blind to consequences, gives full vent to his rage. There have been tragedies caused by such cruel and foolish feeding of a foolish anger.

Men who are well instructed either in Christian principles or in a purely worldly wisdom, restrain their anger in its expression of both deed and word. They recognize and possibly envy the power of the man who can keep cool. When provoked, they try with more or less success to conceal any warmth of resentment that they may feel. Is Christian principle he basis, or is it merely a worldly wisdom? Is anger really restrained or is it merely transmuted into a cold and deadly bitterness, possibly worse than the original passion? Anger can take many forms and find many different ways of expression. It may be a hasty ebullition quickly evaporating, and, if circumstances are favourable, leaving no bitterness behind. Sometimes after such an explosion men are better friends for having quarrelled. There is grave danger in this quick boiling of anger, however. It is so easy for something to be done or said, the effects of which will linger all through life. Lives have been lost and lives have been ruined through only a few moments of unrestrained anger. Words hastily uttered and meaning little more than an expression of momentary annoyance, may have enduring effects with such complex action and reaction that no one could possibly trace their course or even guess the sum of the evil wrought. A man of hasty temper may soon forget the words that gave relief to his angry feelings. He might be appalled if he could know the full effect of his momentary loss of control. One who is naturally of quick temper and hasty speech may well take to heart the Spirit’s warning. Let him learn to be “slow to wrath”, to rule his spirit and to guard the door of his mouth.

Anger is not properly controlled when a man is cool in the pursuit of revenge. It has become more evil, for instead of being merely a matter of feeling, it has engaged the intellect and the will, so that such a man can act a part with skill and subtlety. It is still anger, by reason made more deadly. We have scriptural authority for this judgment, for Jacob so described the cold craftiness of two of his sons, “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel.”

So in less serious issues, in which words are the only weapons, a man may congratulate himself on having controlled his anger when he is only finding a more satisfying way of relieving his feelings. He thinks of something cruel to say and he chooses the manner of speech which will make it sting most. So he is cool and collected, not because he has properly ruled his spirit, but because worldly wisdom has taught him a more effective way of striking a blow. There is as much feeling of angry resentment behind that icy bitterness of speech as was ever revealed by hot and hasty words. The ill feeling is as strong and it lasts much longer.

Anger is properly controlled and the spirit wisely ruled when a man is not only cool and reasonable, but when he is able to take the right course despite any dictates of outraged feeling. There is such a thing as righteous anger just as there is such a thing as “perfect hatred”. It is possible as the apostle suggests to be angry and not to sin. One who rules his spirit and controls his anger will be able to take the right course. When his anger is roused he will not only remember the power of cool and collected thoughts but he will remember Christ. If reproof or protest is needed he will give it, if the situation calls for a gentle answer he will find it. If the subject is one in which “silence is golden”, he will “guard the door of his mouth”, even if he has thought of a most witty and crushing answer. This is a testing point for many. It is just when we are cool and collected that we think of the scathing answer that would make an opponent writhe. Will it do good to let him have it? Or is it just one of those barbed sayings that can do no possible good, only serving to relieve the feelings of the one who speaks, and amuse careless hearers? If it is in this category it is far better suppressed, for scathing words are never without effect. If they do no good they always do harm.

There is much cause for righteous anger in the world: the travesties and misrepresentations of religion, the hypocrisy of politics, the perversions of justice, and the abomination of modern warfare. Cruelty and injustice often go hand in hand with professions of kindness and mercy; an affectation of extreme righteousness is often used as a cloak to cover dishonesty. There are still men who try to thwart good work while parading their excessive piety, whether in zeal for the Sabbath as in the first century, or in some more modern way. Yet these evils do not often excite a righteous anger. When we find an angry man he is not often protesting against the prevalent perversions of divine law. Far more frequently it is a matter of personal interests or personal feeling. The anger of worldly greed and pride is manifest every day while righteous anger is a rarity. It is not quite unknown, however. Brethren have sometimes been stirred up by flagrant perversions of truth and have done some of their best work in a spirit of righteous anger. How good it would be if this was the only kind of anger ever known among us.

Unfortunately there has often been unrighteous anger even in the work of the Truth. A little disagreement and a little contradiction, and anger is soon manifested whether naked and unashamed, or whether clad in a few tawdry rags of alleged principle. Sometimes it is a quick ebullition, disturbing and painful, but soon over. Sometimes it is an anger transmuted into the cold bitterness of a lasting enmity such as the hatred the Jews bore to their nearest neighbours. It is possible that the final verdict on such ill feeling will be similar to that of the dying patriarch on his two sons. “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel.”

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We use the word heart now with the same meaning that it bears in the language of Scripture. We refer to the deeper part of the mind where character is formed. A man may believe the Gospel in the sense that he gives intellectual assent to the argument presented to him, yet with such shallow belief that he may quite fail to play the part of a Christian. To use an old phrase, “he is convinced but not converted”. If, however, he goes further and believes “with all the heart”, it will be “unto righteousness” (Rom 10:10). “Ye shall seek me”, said God through the prophet Jeremiah, “and ye shall find me if ye search with all the heart.” [Jer 29:13]

In this sense the word heart is frequently used in the Book of Proverbs. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways” (Pro 23:26). Death and destruction are before the Lord: how much more the hearts of the children of men (Pro 15:11). And referring to the undesirable patron, “Eat and drink, says he, but his heart is not with thee.” [Pro 23:7]

All these passages may contain hidden depths, but the main meaning needs no interpretation. The word heart is used just as we employ it now. We may know what a man says, what he does and how he appears to us, but we do not know what is in his heart; how he thinks and feels. Does that smile cover an opposite feeling which would better be expressed by a scowl? Are those smooth words genuine, or are they intended to deceive? We cannot know what is in the heart of another man. We may be deceived even as to what is in our own, but all hearts are open and naked to God. “The fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the Lord trieth the heart” (Pro 17:3). In the work here mentioned the object is to clear away the dross whether in the fining of metals or of human hearts, but the proverb does not suggest that there is a perfect analogy. Rather does it imply a difference. Metals may be purified by men with fining pot and furnace, but the heart can only be tried and cleansed by God. The process of fining is far more complex and wonderful than anything that can be effected with metals. It is not merely a matter of removing dross, but something quite new has to be introduced; new hopes, new desires and in fact “newness of life.”

In this trial and preparation of the heart man must be responsive. There is a profound meaning in the words “The Lord God hath opened my ears, and I was not rebellious.” [Isa 50:5] Some men are rebellious even to the extent of making void the word of God. God gave to Saul a new heart so that he began his reign well, but he became rebellious and his heart turned to evil. His fall furnishes an excellent illustration of the proverb, “A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is the rottenness of the bones.” [Pro 14:30]

Perhaps he illustrated another proverb, well known to all readers though not much heeded in the world: “He that is proud of heart is an abomination to the Lord.” [Pro 16:5] The expression proud of heart surely refers to a quality deeply ingrained in character. It is not a superficial pride easily perceived by observers. A very shallow pride is sometimes spoken of as vanity, and while that can never be a virtue it is often too slight to be accounted a vice. We are all apt to reveal a little of this superficial pride, especially if we are unexpectedly able to accomplish something in a field beyond the scope of our natural talents. A hopelessly unmusical young man who managed to play a hymn tune probably felt far more elated than did the young Mozart when at the age of fifteen he accomplished a feat beyond the power of any man living. Men come to perform their appropriate work as a matter of course, but it is amusing sometimes to observe the childish glee with which a really capable man will for the first time master a task which happens to be difficult for him but is quite easy to others.

A proud heart means something deeper and far more serious than this. It may go with an appearance of humility. It may be so well covered that even the individual is deceived. It rarely expresses its pride in words; it will on the other hand often use words to justify the proud act or attitude which is the real expression of character.

Sometimes, however, pride is naked and unashamed, expressing itself openly and taking pride even in its nakedness. There is such an expression of a proud heart when a man declares his determination “not to ask favours of God”. This naturally goes with the decision that life is too evil to call for any thanks to the Creator. The proud heart gives no thanks for any blessings that have been received and scorns to ask for any blessings to come. It resembles the attitude of a ne’er-do-well, sponging on his friends all the time and yet affecting to despise them; too proud to ask them for any favours but not too proud to take without asking.

We depend upon the favour of God for every breath we draw, why then not ask for anything that we need? The proper attitude is shown to us in Scripture, and it is far removed from pride of heart. In everything give thanks, ask freely for all that you need, but always remember that in the sight of God you are a mere child, often wanting that which is not good, and very rarely understanding spiritual values.

Another way in which pride of heart is revealed is in man’s reluctance to admit that he has been in the wrong. Obstinacy is one of the outward signs of the abomination within. How much havoc has been wrought by unwise insistence on “what I have said I have said”. How rarely do we find the man who can be firm as a rock on matters of principle and yielding in matters of personal preference. It is much easier to find men who are naturally weak as water, but who are able to sustain a frozen rigidity when their personal pride is touched.

“The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth”, [Pro 16:23] says the wise man; and again: “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things” (Pro 15:28).

This surely means that a wise and righteous man will bring all the powers of his mind for the choice of right words that will help the hearer. Feeling, as well as intellect, is engaged in the work. He does not “pour out foolishness”, neither does he present a cold and apathetic statement of truth. “From the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”, [cp Mat 12:34] but all the time he is “studying to answer”, guarding the door of his lips, so that he shall use right words.

A foolish man may speak from the heart, without studying to answer and with no guard on the door of his mouth. Then his words only express the feeling of the moment. There is a pouring out of foolishness the consequences of which may be very evil.

Perhaps the most searching and significant passage in the book of Proverbs is in the fourth chapter. “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” [Pro 4:23] There are hidden depths in this passage giving excellent counsel to those who will give heed.

We have known people to raise foolish difficulties, actually asking “How can I keep my heart with such diligence if the heart means the part of the mind where character is formed? I am the heart and the weaknesses of the heart are my weaknesses.”

The appropriate answer to such an objector is to ask if he has ever heard of or ever tried to practise self control? If not, this subject is too advanced for his consideration, but if he knows exactly what is meant by self control, there should be no difficulty in beginning to understand this exhortation to be diligent in controlling the heart.

A man may control his natural impulse to commit a rash act merely because he fears the consequences. He may exercise such control for the better reason that he fears to disobey God or to injure man. He may make a more constant and diligent control of the heart in order that his character may develop in harmony with the divine will, and this regular guidance of thought and feeling is what is meant by keeping the heart with all diligence. The inmost thoughts of the heart have the greatest effect on character. “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he”, or so will he be (Pro 23:7). These inmost thoughts are necessarily the most effective, for they are with us all the time and they are always genuine. Even the most loquacious are sometimes silent and the most honest sometimes conceal thoughts by words. But the inmost thoughts of the heart are with us in all our waking hours, and possibly even during sleep, and those inmost thoughts are subject to no prudential restraint except the laws we impose upon them for our own good. The momentary act of self control may have little or no effect upon character, but the continuous and diligent control of deed, word, and thought may have a great effect and indeed mark the difference between death and life.

This is just the problem set before us in the wise saying, “Keep thy heart with all diligence”. [Pro 4:23] We can control deeds and words and in large measure we can control thought. We know perfectly well that in the myriad thoughts which flash through the mind there is the usual admixture of good and evil associated with all things human. Some thoughts are noble and elevating carrying with them an influence for good. Some thoughts are evil and if encouraged will lead to sin and death. Some thoughts are definitely good and helpful even if not noble and elevating. Some thoughts are mean and petty and will degrade the character even if they are not sinful.

No normal being can prevent unworthy thoughts from flitting through the mind as they are presented from outside or thrown up from the subconscious, but every normal being can decide which thoughts to encourage and which to reject. We have that which has been described as a spot light of attention which we can turn on to any line of thought we care to choose. We have a power which has been described as “awareness”, and we are not merely the creatures of mood and feeling. If a thought takes shape in the mind we are usually quite aware of its quality. Is it noble, good, useful, legitimately interesting or amusing, weak, foolish, or definitely evil? We could place most thoughts in one of these categories.

Even if feeling is aroused, we are aware of the feeling and its tendencies. We can choose whether we encourage the feeling or thrust it from the mind by something more worthy. Sometimes men say with Jonah, “I do well to be angry”, [Jon 4:9] when they are aware that they are not doing well at all. Often they exaggerate a grievance knowing that they are exaggerating. They can control such matters if they will.

Even thoughts which are soon forgotten may leave a permanent effect on the tablets of the heart, so that there is need for constant vigilance. A man who is wise enough to give heed to the words of greater wisdom will soon learn how to make use of his awareness and his powers of self control. He will not merely aim to control his actions in the hour of supreme trial, when yielding to impulse might lead to disaster; he will encourage the right kind of thought every day, making the right choice in little matters where the task is easy, and so building up stores of strength and character for the hour of trial when the right choice is difficult. All this and much more is suggested by the words, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

(PrPr)

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A List of Relevant Scriptures

Pro 10:5; 12:11,14,24; 13:11; 14:23; 16:6; 18:9; 21:25; 22:29; 24:27; 28:19; 31:13,17,31.

A Presupposition

The consistent presupposition of the Proverbs on this subject is that the person being addressed by these pithy sayings is indeed able to work. This would include most of us by far, but there are certain people who are unable to work (for whatever reason), and should not feel guilty for not being able to perform the duty described in the proverb. For them God has another word of wisdom (cf Pro 3:5,6).

Principles

1. Working is essential to living and obtaining the essentials for life.

2. Food is essential to life (Pro 12:11a; Pro 16:26; 28:19a).
3. Food in these verses can really be amplified to include any basic necessity of life (clothing, money, etc).

Lessons

Lesson 1: Accept work as God’s divine design for you (cf Gen 2:15; 2Th 3:10)! Therefore, it can be said that: (1) People who refuse to work reveal a lack of common sense in their judgment. (2) Sometimes people refuse to do the job that they have because they’re always looking for a better one (Pro 12:11b). (3) Refusing to work can lead to death (Pro 21:25).

Lesson 2: Be careful for the “grass is greener on the other side of the fence” syndrome. But, just determining to see the logic in working and then setting out to work is not enough. It is obviously the place to start, but one must also prioritize his work. Do the primary things first; the things upon which all else depends. After determining which things are primary and which are secondary, determine also the proper order of the primary and secondary things (Pro 10:5).

Lesson 3: Do first things first, according to a plan. Then, once a person has determined to prioritize his work by planning carefully, he should work hard because… Working hard is better than working in a lazy manner.

• Hard work brings a profit (Pro 14:23a).

• Work done in a slack manner is as good as a piece of work which is later destroyed. Both are valueless (Pro 18:9).

• Slack work leads to poverty (Pro 14:23b).

• Diligent work leads to control of one’s situation (Pro 12:24).

Lesson 4: If you’re going to work, you might as well work hard… there are many benefits. In the end, after a person has worked wisely and hard, he will often times find that his…

• Work can be very rewarding (Pro 12:14).

• We get encouraged when we say nice things to others.

• There is, likewise, a deep sense of pleasure as we reflect upon a job well done.

Lesson 5: Enjoy your work — it’s God’s plan! As time passes, a person who has worked wisely and diligently will find himself rewarded by his labor as well as skilled at what he does with the result that… People who are skilled at their work are sought out by people (Pro 22:29).

• Skilled people do not only serve before obscure people…

• But skilled people will also eventually be called upon to demonstrate their skill to those in positions of authority (including public arenas).

Lesson 6: If you are good at what you do, do not be surprised when others want to see you in action. The ideal wife works so well that she should be honored for her work.

• She has skill and ability at what she does (Pro 31:13).

• She has an obvious plan (Pro 31:15a)

• She works vigorously (Pro 31:17).

• She should be honored by her community (Pro 31:31).

Lesson 7: Extol your wife and women in general for their fine work.

Summary

Work is God’s idea and therefore excellent for man. Any attempt to circumvent this process only reveals an inability to perceive the obvious. However, for those committed to working, they need to know that there are ways to go about it that lead to enjoyment and reward. And those who are very skilled at their work often get opportunities to demonstrate that skill before the public. Finally, when it comes to work, no price can be paid for the ideal wife who commits herself so wisely and thoroughly to her tasks that she merits public recognition for her abilities.

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“How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 6:2).

Our relationship to the sacrifice of the Lord is not something to be recalled once a week merely, but a principle that should be kept foremost in our minds constantly throughout our life in the truth. This is our principal duty.

The Truth: A way of life

Christ’s crucifixion should be viewed with an eye to its supreme importance and practicality. It is the very foundation of the Truth and its commands. In regard thereto we are told to “exhort one another; and so much the more as (we) see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25). We are exhorted to “study to show (ourselves) approved” (2Ti 2:15), in order that “the trial of our faith” may be “found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1Pe 1:7).

What do these familiar commands entail in relation to the death of Christ? Let us examine them more closely.

“Exhort one another”. Exhort to what? To continue in the faith, in obedience to Christ’s commands.

“Show ourselves approved.” What does this demand? Works of faith based upon the example of Christ and his work.

“Be found unto praise and honor and glory.” Through what means shall we attain unto this? Surely by a daily life of dedication and service. By this we will stand or fall at the judgment seat. Paul illustrated what this requires. He wrote:

“How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:2-4).

Christ’s death and resurrection marked the first real victory over sin and its consequence, death. Our baptism into Christ commences for us the same battle which Christ fought successfully. It is a battle against the flesh; against all its tendencies to glory in the affairs of this present evil world, or to seek our own fleeting benefit instead of the service of our heavenly Father.

In that way, we must re-enact the death of Christ every day. He provides a perfect example we can follow; and a mediator through whom we may pray to God for strength and courage. Again, Paul reminds us of our obligations and privileges:

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1Co 11:1).

“For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted… seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us” (Heb 2:18; 7:25).

Two paths open out before us, and as they diverge, we must make a choice between them. One path is wide and inviting. It is the way of fleshly gratification, which ends in death: the path chosen by all those outside of the Truth, and, sad to say, some in it as well. The other path is narrow and difficult. It is the path of life; a path of suffering, for it is associated with the death of Christ. But it is the path that leads to glory in the Kingdom of God. So Paul wrote:

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors: not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom 8:13).

Praise and performance

Two books can assist us greatly in our walk in Christ. They are The Psalms and The Proverbs. Appropriately, they follow one another in the Bible. From the Psalms we learn especially to praise God, to worship Him for His goodness, strength and majesty. By this means we look outward towards God.

From the Proverbs we learn to match our praise with performance. We look inwards. We see ourselves as we really are: feeble and prone to error. We learn of rules that we must follow to please God: practical requirements of the Truth for daily performance. We learn what is required in putting to death the works of the flesh, of dying to sin as Christ did; and of living to God, as Christ did.

If we merely sing praises to God without doing His will, we become hypocrites, worthy of His contempt and rejection. Our words must be in harmony with our works.

The Hebrew word for proverb signifies a comparison, a likeness. A glance at individual proverbs will illustrate this meaning. Sometimes, however, proverbs will reveal a series of contrasts, rather than comparisons; or two divergent paths will be presented for our consideration. Some Bibles give the chapter headings of these proverbs as Moral virtues and their contrary vices, which is certainly true. The ways of the wise are compared with the ways of the fool; the path of life is contrasted with the path of death. Thus there is constantly brought to mind the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection, and our responsibility towards it.

The way of wisdom

The first nine verses of Proverbs comprise an introduction to the whole book. After announcing its title, Solomon sets forth four objectives to be gained from its contents. The rest of the chapter then amplifies what has been expressed by exhorting the reader to keep separate from sin (vv 10-19); and to take hold upon wisdom (vv 20-33). The whole can be summarized in the one requirement: Obedience!

Consider, briefly, the four objectives of the introduction.

(1) The first objective is “to know wisdom and instruction” (v 2). “Wisdom” is more than knowledge. It implies experience, solidarity, firmness. The precepts set forth by Solomon in this book are designed to make the student firm and stable in the Truth, “that we be no longer children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness” (Eph 4:14). “Instruction” in its Hebrew form denotes correction, discipline. It suggests a rigid, strong code of behavior, with restraint which ensures obedience. We are expected to adhere to these requirements, turning to the Word for instruction, rather than making our own rules of behavior.

There should be no doubt, no wavering as to what our duties are: they are all simply and clearly revealed in the Bible. From the discipline of the Word we learn the virtues of temperance, soberness, and patience (or endurance). In short, everything to strengthen us in the love and service of our Father in heaven.

(2) Secondly, the Proverbs are designed to cause us “to perceive the words of understanding” (v 2). Many in the world reject the Old Testament from their considerations, relegating it to a much inferior position to that of the New. Indeed, to a lesser degree, even Christadelphians may be affected by the same attitude, or deprecate the importance of Proverbs. But the Scriptures as a whole are designed to educate us, to bring us to a state of spiritual maturity. Paul urged that we should so use them as to grow to a full age in the truth, that “by reason of use, our senses will be exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb 5:14).

The more we study the Bible, the easier it becomes to draw the lines of distinction between good and evil, and therefore to make correct decisions. In that regard Proverbs is a book for all time: whether before or after Christ. It comprises rules for a godly life, as important now as they were to the people of Israel then.

Many of Christ’s parables are traceable to this book, showing the esteem in which he held it.

(3) Thirdly, the Proverbs are intended to provide practical guidance for daily living. Solomon wrote:

“To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels” (vv 3-5).

The term “simple” does not signify those who are stupid, but rather those who are naive or inexperienced, and therefore likely to be deceived or misled. Such must acquire subtlety.

We might have an aversion to the use of this word, recalling that it was a characteristic of the serpent (Gen 3:1). But the serpent used a “very good” attribute in an evil way. Subtlety is cleverness, skillfulness with words, ideas and logic. It is not evil in itself. It only becomes evil when used in connection with wrong ideas and motives, Christ commanded his disciples to be “as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves” (Mat 10:16).

Cleverness, or subtlety, is wrong only when it is used to gain one’s ends, contrary to the will of God. If our desires are to do the will of God in any particular, then it is right and essential to use wisdom and diligence to obtain them. Unfortunately, we do not always do so. The Lord warned:

“The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8).

Let us apply the lesson. A wise man of the world will give all that he has to achieve his ambition; he will sacrifice for the present to gain an advantage in the future. What of ourselves? We know what our great desire should be! Do we give all that we might achieve it?

(4) The fourth purpose of the Proverbs is expressed in v 6:

“To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.”

Nearly all of the commands are quite simple to understand. Many, however, have deeper meanings that are not apparent to a casual glance. As we study these commands more and more, we come to get a wider comprehension of them, and a deeper understanding of their significance; and we are caught up in wonder at the great beauty and unity of the Truth. That is what Paul meant when he told the saints at Ephesus that he prayed for them:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge; that ye may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph 3:17-19).

We are brought to that point, when we recall the practical requirements of the Truth as exhibited in the Proverbs in the light of the death and resurrection of the Lord. We need to concentrate upon the real and personal significance of the Lord’s sacrifice; not think of it only casually, for a moment, then to revert to worldly thoughts and concerns. It must become for us the most important aspect of life. Paul sets the example:

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

That is the objective of the call of the truth: to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and to be filled with all the fullness of God; to “grow in grace and knowledge”. To that end, and for such an elevating goal of life, the simple, homely book of Proverbs can inspire and uplift us. Let us thank God for His marvelous wisdom and foresight in providing us with such wonderful helps! And let us use them as guidelines for our conduct before Him.

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Author: Solomon and others.

Time: 1000 — 700 BC.

Summary: Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings from several sources, including King Solomon, laying practical rules for right living based on godly wisdom. The sayings deal with many different problems and situations. Most of the proverbs are very short and easy to remember. The proverbs are not organized in a way which puts all the sayings on one topic together. Instead, almost every verse raises a new and important idea. Proverbs presents the idea that humans are either good or evil, wise or foolish, with God or without him. Both are known by their deeds, their “fruits”, their chosen “ways” in life and their fitting ends.

Key verse: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning, of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Pro 9:10).

Outline

1.	Superiority of the way of wisdom: Pro 1:1 – 9:18
	a)	Introduction: Pro 1:1-7
	b)	Appeals and warnings confronting youth: Pro 1:8-33
	c)	Commendation of wisdom: Pro 2:1-4:27
	d)	Warnings against folly: Pro 5:1-7:27
	e)	Appeals addressed to youth: Pro 8:1-9:18
2.	Main collection of Solomon’s proverbs: Pro 10:1-22:16
3.	The thirty sayings of the wise: Pro 22:17-24:22
4.	Additional sayings of the wise: Pro 24:23-24
5.	Hezekiah’s collection of Solomon’s proverbs: Pro 25:1 – 29:27
6.	The words of Agur: Pro 30:1-33
7.	The words of Lemuel: Pro 31:1-9
8.	The virtuous woman: Pro 31:10-31

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If we thought of Solomon as a writer with nothing better than a worldly wisdom empirically acquired, we should probably not seek his advice in family matters. The ostentation of an oriental court would provide the worst possible atmosphere for such a study just as the experience of a prince would be the worst training for ordinary mortals. It is because we believe that the wisdom of Solomon was divinely bestowed that we seek his counsel.

There are not very many direct references to parents and children in the book of Proverbs but such passages as appear are very definite in character. The instruction to fathers is indeed so emphatic that everyone knows of it and the present generation is up in arms against it. Solomon advised the use of the rod; he regarded children as born outside of Eden and bringing forth folly as the ground brings forth weeds. “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is a saying known to everyone. Solomon was even more definite. He declared that a man who spared the rod hated his son. It is hardly possible to think of anything more emphatic.

In interpreting “the dark sayings of the wise”, however, we must not always insist on the literal even where the literal could easily be applied. No one would take this reference to hatred in a literal sense, for it is quite certain that a destructive leniency is usually the expression of a genuine but foolish love. The saying means that the effect of parental weakness is so bad that it is akin to hatred in its effects even though love is the cause of it. The saying is intelligible and forceful but not strictly literal. Why then insist on nothing but an actual rod and physical pain in the other part of the saying ? Correction may be made by word and look and in a hundred different manipulations of circumstances, some of which may be more effective than the rod, although even that may sometimes be necessary.

One of the sayings of Solomon seems exactly to express this idea. We should paraphrase it in this manner in modern speech. “Correct and chasten your son when he needs it and do not be put off by the fuss he makes, for even if you find it necessary to use the rod it will not kill him.” (“If thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die.”)

This has become a very unpopular doctrine in our days. The modern idea seems to be that children should be left to “express themselves” without the cramping effect of correction either by word or rod. The result is often a personal monstrosity as hideous as the creations of modern artists who with a similar disregard of the old rules try to express themselves in their art.

There are signs now that a reaction is setting in. A magistrate recently made the confession that the children’s court is a complete farce. Boys can stand plenty of lecturing and be amused by it. Most of those who are brought to the children’s court have already been ruined by the negligence of their parents. They will not be reformed by the belated advice of magistrates and missionaries.

The doctrine of Solomon is that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it away. We must train the twig while it is quite young and then there will be hope of it developing aright when it is older and less tractable. If we neglect this educational work for our children we are playing the part of an enemy and the effect will be like that of an enemy’s hatred and not of a parent’s love. This is very wise instruction however unpopular it may be in our time.

Here again we must not insist on a too literal and complete application of the proverbial teaching. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” is a statement of general tendencies and not of an inexorable law. Human beings are neither machines nor plants. They have a power of choice; they can respond to good influences or they can be rebellious. Some very good men have had a bad early training and some very bad men were given every opportunity in the instruction of their early days. One of the surprising discoveries made by each successive generation is that children differ from the very cradle. We can remember many years ago two families beginning family life at about the same time. The advent of the first baby had very different effects in the two homes. One home remained placid and well ordered; the child was brought up according to the book of rules and apparently without protest. The parents went to meetings and carried on with all their former duties. The other home was so disorganized by the arrival of the firstborn that it might have been smitten by an earthquake. The parents never dared to take the baby to a meeting and often were not able to get there themselves. The happy and placid parents with the well-ordered child looked askance at this dislocated home. They were more censorious than sympathetic. If they pitied the unfortunate pair it is to be feared that the pity was more akin to pride than to love. “Those unfortunate people simply do not know how to bring up a child. Look at the way we do it.” Then nemesis visited the complacent pair in the form of another child, and they in their turn made the discovery that babies differ. The second child knew nothing about the scientific book and did not want to know. He or she had come to make a stir in the world and apparently believed in the virtues of an early start. Thus unkind criticisms were appropriately rebuked and another of life’s lessons was painfully learned.

Yet although there are these great individual differences the general principle laid down by the wise man holds true. Folly is in the heart of a child, all need correction and guidance. We cannot be certain that success will attend our efforts, but we can be quite certain that we are right in trying to correct and instruct our children. The early training is the most important part of human education.

In all these matters “wisdom is profitable to direct”. Children need very different treatment if all are to have a good start in life. Herein lies the folly of those idealistic reformers who talk of all being given “an equal chance”. The wisest father in the land cannot be sure of giving that equal chance even to his own children, so there is not much hope of officials being successful with the children of other people.

There are some horses that will put on their best pace at the mere sound of the whip, while on the other hand we have known an old pony to stop by the wayside and begin to eat grass while the angry driver was thrashing him. Similarly there are children who are pained and perhaps made ill by a single sharp word, while there are others who will take a wicked delight in seeing how far they can trespass without endangering their little skins. To treat them all alike is criminal folly. In all cases the rod of correction is needed but many different kinds of rod can be used. The sensitive and quickly responsive child should be treated gently, while the other type should be taught that physical pain may follow too quickly on the heels of reproof to admit of any safe experiments in rebellion. Reason should be used with all types as soon as ever it is possible. Even the boy who has been most troublesome in his earliest days may with growing intelligence prove so amenable to reason that he becomes tractable just at the age when more placid children are becoming awkward.

When children reach the age of reasonable response the duties of parents increase rather than diminish. There is the world to face with all its pitfalls. Some of the great decisions of life have to be made. There are children who have been almost ruined in their early teens or even earlier than that. There are parents who seem to think that it is well to allow the problem of good and evil to be expounded by the progeny of the serpent. They leave some of the most important mysteries of life to be explained by the worst companions the children ever meet. A moral indolence is the cause of this evil.

The establishment of parental authority and the maintenance of a proper respect will be mainly through the wise handling of the little events of life. Ordinary human experience is made up of small incidents which are of little importance in themselves but which can have great effects for good or ill in the development of character and in the establishment of right conditions for greater issues. Many parents fail in these ordinary trials through making a feeble surrender of their own laws. A wise father once gave this excellent and terse advice to a mother. “First cut out about ninety per cent of your prohibitions, and then rigidly enforce those that remain.” The principal difficulty in this matter — in fact nearly the whole of the difficulty — is in the early stages. Children are quick to detect signs of weakness, and if parents try to prohibit nearly everything and then weakly give way if there is sufficient protest, the children soon learn how to gain their ends and they rapidly develop the diabolism that is within them. On the other hand, if they learn that “No” means “No”, and that whining expostulations bring punishment instead of reward, they soon learn to make the best of the ample liberty allowed to them; they cease even to seek after forbidden things and they learn the lesson of obedience. Incidentally, we may remark that they are much happier than the whiners as well as being much pleasanter.

It should go without saying that if parents desire to have well behaved and well trained children, they must not be like petulant children themselves. If they desire a reasonable and consistent recognition of parental authority, they must be reasonable and consistent in framing their rules. If parents give way to temper and temperament, if rules depend upon the mood of the moment so that a transgression may be a crime or a joke according to the condition of the parental liver, they cannot reasonably expect that the children will feel any genuine respect for them.

If fathers hold aloof, they ought not to be surprised if they fail to gain the children’s confidence. If they pretend to maintain a rigid asceticism which is far removed from their actual behaviour they need not be surprised to lose the children’s respect, for it is almost certain that the breach between theory and practice will be observed by the rising generation. More than one father in the Brotherhood with puritanic zeal has confiscated the boy’s books, condemning them as “rubbish”, and then has been caught reading them himself with evident enjoyment. The discovery of his weakness has never been mentioned to him, but others have heard of it and probably he has observed and deplored his loss of influence without ever knowing the cause. If fathers ever read the children’s books, let them do it openly: then they may be able to lead the young mind to better things, able to guide as they command respect.

We are living in days of unusual freedom in the home. Young people sometimes speak to their parents in a way that would have shocked a former generation, but we are not at all sure that the change is for the worse. Sometimes in these days a very genuine and respectful love is concealed by apparently disrespectful words. In former days sometimes disrespect and resentment were concealed by hypocritical words of deference. There can be no question as to which we should prefer of these two possibilities. Companionship between parents and children is certainly good. Children often come to have more knowledge and they may even be wiser than their parents, but if there has been a reasonable companionship there is still the respect due to age and the influence that is born of love.

There are many passages in the Book of Proverbs which might be taken in a personal sense as the instruction of a very wise father to a well-beloved son. May we not reasonably take them as from the Father in Heaven to children who may be old according to human standards but who still need much guidance ?

“My son, if thou wilt receive my words. My son, forget not my law… My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord… Hear, my son, the instruction of a father… My son, attend unto my wisdom.”

As with the natural father and son, love is the ruling principle both in giving and receiving instruction. The establishment of a law for mankind was an expression of divine love. The love of God will constrain us in our response. Perhaps even on this highest plane there is an application of the saying that “a wise son maketh a glad father.” It is written that in the affliction of Israel God was afflicted, and the Apostle says, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.” On the other hand we have the statements that God was well pleased with the Lord Jesus, that He is well pleased with the sacrifices of praise and obedience. Indeed, we are told that this is the ultimate object of creation.

If we can thus apply the personal language of the Proverbs and as sons and daughters make a response ruled by that reverential fear which goes hand in hand with love, we may find a very moving influence in these appeals to “my son.”

(PrPr 156-163).

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Wise hears and responds: Pro 1:5; 8:33; 9:8,9; 10:8; 12:15; 13:1; 15:31; 17:10; 18:15; 19:20; 21:11; 23:19. (Examples: Samuel, Eli in 1Sa 1; 2; 3.) The fool does not hear, does not act upon what he is told: Pro 10:8; 15:5; 18:2; 23:9. (Example: Saul in 1Sa 13.)

Wise is slow to express opinion or show anger: Pro 10:19; 11:12; 12:16,23; 17:28; 29:8,11. (Example: Abigail in 2Sa 25.) Fool is quick to speak and express anger: Pro 11:12; 12:16,23; 14:16,17; 18:6; 20:3; 29:11,20. (Example: Nabal in 2Sa 25.)

Wise shows humility: Pro 11:2; 12:15. (Example: apostles in Act 12.) Fool is proud: Pro 3:7; 11:2; 12:15; 26:12; 28:26; 30:32. (Example: Herod in Act 12.)

Wise works hard and is industrious: Pro 6:6-8; 10:5; 21:20; 31:10-31. Fool is lazy: Pro 1:32; 6:9-11; 26:10,16.

Wise is friend of other wise people: Pro 13:20; 14:7. (Example: Jehoshaphat in 2Ch 17:3-9.) Fool is friend of other foolish people: Pro 7:6-23 (v22 mg); Pro 13:20. (Example: Jehoshaphat in 2Ch 20:31-37.)

Wise shows restraint in pursuit of wealth: Pro 23:4. Fool shows no restraint and acts in a disgusting way when he acquires wealth: Pro 17:16,24; 19:10; 30:21,22. (Examples of both — ie before and after: Matthew and Zacchaeus.)

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Here is the perfect picture of unity — a DIVINE UNITY: the sharing of the blessings of God, poured out in love upon us all. How foolish to suppose that Biblical fellowship can be enjoyed by those who do not share the blessing of a common hope! But how foolish also to suppose that God views favorably any division among those who, despite minor differences, do share a common hope!

This psalm might well bear the title: “The Descent of Divine Blessings”. The repetition of this word “descend” is obscured in the AV because, oddly enough, its three occurrences are translated three different ways: “ran down” and “went down” as well as “descended”. But mark its uses here, and then we may follow the lovely refrain:

“Unity is like the precious ointment that DESCENDED upon Aaron’s beard; Yea, that DESCENDED even to his skirts; Even like the dew of mount Hermon that DESCENDED upon Zion.”

Through this refrain, as with the gently descending rains of summer, our Father seeks to cleanse our hearts of all pride and boasting. He seeks to refresh in our minds the principle that our unity is derived from above (descending from God), and is not the product of our own labors. Surely James had this in mind when he wrote of “the wisdom that is from above… pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy… and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace” (Jam 3:17,18).

“Can it be a question whether brethren should from conflict cease?” Truly unity — with God at the center — leads inevitably to righteousness, peace of mind, and the solution of those perplexing tangles in which Christ’s brethren, as they execute their duties, so often find themselves.

“Behold how good and how pleasant…” It is not simply good (right and proper) that we dwell together in unity. It is also pleasant (exceedingly delightful) that we do so. The appeal of Abraham to his kinsman Lot might as well be an exhortation to us: “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee… for we be brethren” (Gen 13:8). It should be enough to encourage our endeavors in the direction of unity, if only it were right in God’s sight. But the “icing on the cake” is that it is superlatively delightful as well. There is no state on earth to match this dwelling together in “the unity of the Spirit” (Eph 4:3) — with shared feelings and purposes — whether it be as husband and wife, or as an entire family, or in the larger “family” of the ecclesia.

The brethren of Christ “dwell together”. This does not mean that they merely meet and socialize a little before and after ecclesial functions. This means instead a continuing together, in the closest communion. As David exhorted the men of Judah, “Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh” (2Sa 19:12). And if other duties or infirmities or distances make this personal “dwelling together” impractical, then we still have recourse to thought and prayer for one another as a means of achieving this union.

The goal, the focal point of our unity, is mount Zion and her king. We could have no unity but for Christ and the promises. This Psa 133 is one of the fifteen “Songs of Degrees”. These glorious songs are centered in the worship of the Lord in His temple, and are in part prophetic of the kingdom age. They are also called “Pilgrim Songs” and “Songs of Ascents” — because they appear to have been composed with those in mind who journey upward to worship the Lord of Hosts in the elevated mount Zion.

And so we find the expression of our unity in the ascending of our common petitions and the descending of our common blessings. True brethren of Christ are united in one hope, one need, and one experience. Unity with Christ is intimately bound up with unity with our brethren. We cannot have one without the other.

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Mat 25:40).

But when we exalt ourselves above our brethren then we do what our Lord and Saviour would not do; we displease him; and we endanger our own oneness in the “Body of Christ”.

We must now examine the beautiful comparisons of this Divine unity: first, the holy anointing oil of Aaron (Psa 133:2), with which the tabernacle and its furniture were also anointed (Exo 30:23-33).

This anointing served as the consecration of God’s priests, empowering them to fulfill the duties of their office. All priests were anointed, but the high priest received a great abundance, an overflowing “to the skirts of his garments”. The anointing oil was an expression of God’s love in His ordinances: its “pouring out” prompts the “virgins” to love Him (Song 1:3). The anointing of Aaron pointed forward to that of Christ — “with the oil of gladness above his fellows” (Psa 45:7). Christ has received a greater glory and a greater strength, so that he might be a perfect High Priest to us his brethren.

The “oil” descended first and in greater measure upon the head, Christ, and then descended to the skirts of his garments, his “Body” as well! God’s special provision of a Son in whom we might be reconciled to Him (2Co 5:21) calls forth this picture of oil covering, not just the head, but the whole body! None of us is the head, only Christ. A realization of this simple fact would curtail most ecclesial wrangling and self-seeking. Our unity is that each of us is an integral part of the one, undivided “body of Christ” (1Co 12). All of the body shares the blessings that came through the special anointing of the head. It is not the believers who make this unity possible, for Christ has already done so. Neither do we earn our place in “fellowship” around the table of the Lord. We merely accept it, and rejoice in the blessings it affords. Our righteousness is not our own, but his that called us. Our unity is based upon our abject humility and our sincere acceptance of our subordinate and dependent position.

Finally, in v 3, we are called upon to consider the descending dew of Hermon as an allegory of our unity. The anointing oil has brought to our minds the death of Christ (“for in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial” — Mat 26:12). Here, the dew stands foremost as a symbol of resurrection (his, and ours in prospect) — completing the cycle.

Hermon is a range of three peaks which dominates the northern parts of Israel, and which is visible over the entire Land. Because of its great height, Hermon is covered with snow most of the year. In late summer this snow begins to melt, the runoff feeding reservoirs and springs to supply water to the thirsty lands of the south.

The obvious and intended symbolism of Hermon is that of the Divine Blessing, stored up in the providence of God until the proper time, when it is most needed. We can read v 3 by omitting the phrase beginning with “and” which is in italics. Thus: “As the dew of Hermon that descended upon the mountains of Zion…” It is the same dew although the two areas are over 100 miles apart: Observers say that the breezes that blow from the north across the snow-covered face of Hermon bring cooling moisture as far south as Jerusalem. (Perhaps it is this very phenomenon which called forth the description of a faithful messenger — “as the cold of snow in the time of harvest”: Pro 25:13.)

The dew comes as God’s blessing during the hottest part of the year. We are told the king’s favor is as dew upon the ground (Pro 19:12), and especially upon the hallowed ground of Zion (Bible symbol of the unified body of saints: Heb 12:22; Rev 14:1). The “manna” of God — the bread of His blessing that descended each day — was said to come as the dew falling upon the ground (Num. 11:9), emblem of the unfailing compassions of God for His people, renewed each morning (Lam 3:22,23).

“For there [upon the mountains of Zion] the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Finally, and most important, the dew portrays the saints on the glorious resurrection morn: “O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For thy dew is a dew of light” (Isa 26:19, RSV)… the first rays of the “Sun” revealing a glorious spectacle of reflected light, dancing upon the grass: “From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you” (Psa 110:3, RSV).

In that greatest of all days the Lord will achieve that perfect unity of which our assemblies are only a shadow. A great multitude, which no man can number, born in a day, silently, irresistibly, as the dew of heaven. Such is the picture of the development of the body of Christ, a multiplicity and yet a unity, appearing all together for the first time.

In the memorials which we receive each Sunday we have the reason for our unity. We have the “bread which strengtheneth man’s heart” (Psa 104:15) and the “wine that maketh glad the heart of man”. The strength and joy of a renewed life through Christ come from above. They descend upon us as the precious anointing oil, as the dew upon the earth beneath; and all we need do is stretch forth our hands and hearts to receive the eternal bounty of God’s inexhaustible store.

Let us draw together in this, the true unity of shared blessings. Let us look upon each of our brothers and sisters with deeper understanding. We are all of us, collectively and individually, those “for whom Christ died”. Let us be silent and reverent as we stand with our brethren and mingle our prayers like incense on the altar before the throne of heaven. We have come into the miraculous presence of God’s grace. It is His mercy alone that has brought each of us to share the oil of healing and the dew of refreshing, the bread of strengthening and the wine of joy. In the loving provision of His Son, the all-powerful, self-existent Lord of all being has commanded the blessing of life for evermore; and none can turn aside His decree.

May we grasp and cherish that bright hope, and lead lives worthy of the Saviour who loved us all. May the contemplation of that awesome work, the reconciliation of sinners to God, transform our minds in the understanding and practice of true Biblical fellowship. And may we now — and forever — “dwell together in unity” under the shadow of His love.