Is There Benefit in Study or Not

ECCESIASTES 12:11-12  part one  “Who is the “shepherd” in verse 11.

 10The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. 11The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.…

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. ESV

The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. NAS

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. KJV

The Question Is Ask Should We Study The Bible Or Its Not All That Important?

So the question that is often ask, did Moses and David, and Solomon know that they were writing the very Word of God when they sat down to write their books, Genesis, Psalms and Song of Solomon!  And many will say “no.”   Some will say that Proverbs and Ecclesiastes , because when you read them they don’t seem to be written by in a bibical worldview,  so they say they were just wrtting what they were thinking.

When you are not careful in your interpretation of a verse or even words you could arrive at a wrong idea of the meaning of the text.

In the verse there is reference to “one shepherd.”

Treasury of Scripture  gives us some references:

Acts 2:37
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Ezra 9:8
“But now, for a brief moment, the LORD our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.

Proverbs 1:6
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.

Proverbs 22:17
Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach,

Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

Ecclesiastes 10:12
Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.

Isaiah 22:23
I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a seat of honor for the house of his father.

Treasury of Scripture  which I often use for references

The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. kjv   One Shepherd  (esv)

as goads

Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? said the LORD; and like a hammer that …

Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, …

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said …

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through …

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any …

masters

John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a master of Israel, and know …

given

Genesis 49:24 But his bow stayed in strength, and the arms of his hands were made …

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you that lead Joseph like a flock; …

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs …

Ezekiel 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, …

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, …

1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown

 

Matthew Henry gives this view:

 12:8-14  The Shepherd of Israel is the Giver of inspired wisdom. Teachers and guides all receive their communications from him. The title is applied in Scripture to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The prophets sought diligently, what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. To write many books was not suited to the shortness of human life, and would be weariness to the writer, and to the reader; and then was much more so to both than it is now. All things would be vanity and vexation, except they led to this conclusion, That to fear God, and keep his commandments, is the whole of man. The fear of God includes in it all the affections of the soul towards him, which are produced by the Holy Spirit. There may be terror where there is no love, nay, where there is hatred. But this is different from the gracious fear of God, as the feelings of an affectionate child.

The fear of God, is often put for the whole of true religion in the heart, and includes its practical results in the life. Let us attend to the one thing needful, and now come to him as a merciful Saviour, who will soon come as an almighty Judge, when he will bring to light the things of darkness, and manifest the counsels of all hearts. Why does God record in his word, that ALL IS VANITY, but to keep us from deceiving ourselves to our ruin? He makes our duty to be our interest. May it be graven in all our hearts. Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is all that concerns man.

John Gill comments:  John Gill was the pastor of the church where Charles Spurgeon came after John Gill who was there for 50 years

John Gill

John Gill (23 November 1697 – 14 October 1771) was an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian who held to a firm Calvinistic soteriology. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, he attended Kettering Grammar School where he mastered the Latin classics and learned Greek by age 11. He continued self-study in everything from logic to Hebrew, his love for the latter remaining throughout his life.

His first pastoral work was as an intern assisting John Davis at Higham Ferrers in 1718 at age 21. He became pastor at the Strict Baptist church at Goat Yard Chapel, Horsleydown, Southwark in 1719. His pastorate lasted 51 years. In 1757 his congregation needed larger premises and moved to a Carter Lane, St. Olave’s Street, Southwark. This Baptist church was once pastored by Benjamin Keach and would later become the New Park Street Chapel and then the Metropolitan Tabernacle pastored by Charles Spurgeon.

During Gill’s ministry the church strongly supported the preaching of George Whitefield at nearby Kennington Common.

Which are given from one shepherd. All these words of the wise, collections, etc., proceed from one source, or are set forth by one authority. Who is] this shepherd? Some say that he is the archisynagogus, the president of the assemblies of wise men, to whose authority all these public utterances are subjected. But we do not know that such supervision existed or was exercised at the time when Koheleth wrote; and, as we saw above, there is probably no reference to any such assemblies in the passage.

The “one shepherd” is doubtless Jehovah, who is called the Shepherd of Israel, who feeds his people like a flock, etc. (see Genesis 48:15; Genesis 49:24; Psalm 23:1; Psalm 80:1, etc.). The appellation is here used as concinnous with the thought of the ox-goad, intimating that God watches and leads his people like a tender shepherd and a skilful farmer. This is an important claim to inspiration. All these varied utterances, whatever form they take, whether his own or his predecessor’s, are outcomes of wisdom, and proceed from him who is only wise, Almighty God. It is no disparagement of this work to imply that it is not the production of the true Solomon; Koheleth is ready to avow himself the writer, and yet claims a hearing as being equally moved by heavenly influence. It is like St. Paul’s assertion (1 Corinthians 7:40), “I think that I also have the Spirit of God.”

When you see in the text “shepherd”  in the kjv you might not view this as the Great Shepherd, but as we see what Gill says, its should be “Shepherd” which the ESV  capitalized it.  Which does make good sense because the ancient Hebrews often referred to God as their “shepherd” as in Psalms 23:l

And as the writer sums up his teaching by calling us to “fear God and keep His commandments (12:13) would give evidences that the “Shepherd” here in these verse se would be our Creator.

 

THEN WHEN SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THESE ARE WORDS THAT GOD GAVE THEM TO WRITE IN TERMS THAT WOULD BE KNOWN TO THE WRITER.

So to study the Scritpures would be of a benefit to every Believer.

We will address the reason the Preacher said the other comment in these verses  next

Why Thirty Sermons from First Peter 1:1-18?

So why do we preach/teach such small portions of scripture at a time?

We have worked our way through the book of Romans verse by verse for over 180 sermons and have just about finished chapter eleven.  So you ask why are you taking so long through the book of Romans?

We have also taken our time in the first chapter of First Peter. We have worked our way down to verse 18 and its our 30th sermon.

So why are we so slow you might say?  It is some important that you have to take your time in the passages?

This is the first time I have attempted to explain my method of teaching the Word of God. When you extract from a text of scripture like Romans 11 or even Luke 4 or even First Peter One,  the term is called “periscope”.  This term in preaching terms refers to a portion of the biblical text that is of manageable size for homiletically and liturgical use in the ecclesiast setting.  This is to say: in the public worship of teaching the Bible in an homiletically sermon. So what I have done since 1983 I have taken a slice of text from the book studying that I believe I can preach.

So taking a paragraph and break it down into a sentence and down to a word and present a sermon to the people. This is called preaching the text. You read and exposited a portion of scripture in a manner that the people of God corporately  encounters the Bible. 

When a group of God’s people come together in a worship service, the desire of the preacher is to present a sermon from a portion of God Word and give a clear interpretation of the biblical periscopes (section of text in the book you are studying.)

As we have illustrated in our study of Romans and in First Peter, the impossibility of grasping the entirely of the magnificent breadth of biblical thought on any one single occasion.  On a giving Sunday in one 45-60 sermon to give the breadth of any section of scripture is near impossible.

When you are given such a short time to speak to the people gathered before you,  and to give an adequate interpretation of the text you then have to have a short portion of scripture.

Justin Martyr reported on a Sunday gathering of Christians where the Gospel and the Prophets were read, “along as time permits” which is suggesting that a relatively fixed period of time had been allocated for the weekly event. 

It really is incontrovertible, you have to agree that it is impossible to conceive the fact that no single sermon can capture and do justice to all the specific thrusts of all the text that is before the preacher in the teaching of the Word of God

So to capture the wealth of the breath of the text you then have to take small portions at a time. You need to understand the substantial and momentous nature of the context of the written text, the body of work that the Spirit has given us in each book of the bible.

First Peter chapter one is packed with wonderful words that need to be carefully explained for our edification. 

You know they say that the density of the town is so compact, in this meaning the density of truth compact in the first chapter of First Peter is packed with significance and meaning and makes it impossible to engage in a larger portion of scripture.

So with a small portion of the text it allows a more intensive explo9ration of the depth and force of the text so that the teaching can have a greater impact on the congregation.

Thus you have thirty sermons in the first eighteen verses of First Peter.  Where you can encounter in some depth the various aspects of the Christian life: holiness, hope, obedience, and redemption, salvation, etc.

The idea is to present the text in a way that the explanation of the text will have been stated effectively on the people that they will understand the will of God for their lives.  So that the Christian will be brought into the right or correct will of God it’s precepts, priority and practice.

The goal of preaching endeavor, after all, is not just to merely to explicate, analyze and develop an idea of the text, but to expound it in such a way that its implications for current hearers are brought home with conviction and to transform lives for God’s glory.

As Tertullian states

“We assemble to read our sacred writings…with the sacred words we nourish our faith, we animate our hope, we make our confidence more steadfast, and no less by inculcations of God’s precepts we confirm good habits.”

Which is what Peter was saying to the people in his time.

And then Philo observed

“That on the Sabbath people were taught l lessons of virtues “by which the whole of their lives may be improved” Spec. Laws 2. 15:62 and Creation 128 and Josephus, Ag, Ap 2.18)

Having learned that transformation of individuals can not happen in one sermon, nor even over a few years of sermons. Life changing is not a one-time phenomenon, and as I have learned, life changing experience can not be accomplished instantaneously7; wish it did.  But it involves really a lifetime of progressive, gradual, and an increase and addition amount  of teaching

And I have learned it takes time to change the focus or direction of the will of a person. To change the focus or direction of the will toward the will of God take time. One sermon just will not work.

When I am preaching or teaching, my approach is to give instruction and to help bring about  the improvement of the person’s moral values, their approach to living in the will of God, and to bring growth in their love for Christ and fellow believers.

Thus it becomes necessary for the edification of God’s people in any given sermon to use  a unit-sized block of Scripture in a single sermon and a single push of truth that is capable of being applied to their lives.

 

DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

The older I get the more I learn how little I really know about the Bible.  While its true that over the last 50 years I have been trying to learn the meaning of the Bible I realize just how little I know.

I think I know Matthew, Luke, Acts, Romans , I Corinthians, Ephesians , Philippians, I Peter 1, and 1 Thessalonians 1 to 3 and  and Philemon and Hebrews, and Revelation rather well. But when I began a second turn of teaching Romans I realize I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. 

I love to study Scriptures, but I can tell you sometimes I think it is impossible to understand the Scriptures fully, or even a little. 

Over the years I realize that so many people just don’t believe the way I have come to believe about the Word of God. People will say “that’s Charles!” I wonder what they mean by that!!  What I think the interpreting of the texts are there are many others who have a different idea of what they mean.

I mean there are few preachers, theologians and elders that agree alike, so what makes me think I know more than the rest  Is it possible to know the Bible? 

As I was reading today and working on Romans 9, it occurred to me, I wonder if God doesn’t think the same away about us trying to understanding his Word.

As God listens to us as we teach and try to explain the Bible each week, I wonder if he is shaking His head and muttering to Himself, “Where in the heavens did he get that from? Most  likely  from John MacArthur.”  “I said nothing like that at all.” “Did he just take My words right out of context?” 

If Paul could, but he doesn’t by the way, but if Paul could listen to us teach his books, like Romans 9 he might be saying, “how could he so misunderstand and misrepresent what I was saying.” 

I am sure that while I read a lot from those men who have died 500 years ago, or 150 years ago, they might say,  “you just misunderstand what I was trying to say.”

Can you imagine what the “Holy Spirit” thinks.  We hear all the conflicting  reports what the “Holy Spirit” supposedly tells Christians from all over the world.  Some one will report that the Holy Spirit told them to start a Bible College, while another said that is not what the Holy Spirit told me, he said we need to build a church.”

Whose revelation from the Holy Spirit was correct since both views were the opposite  idea.   The Holy Spirit said they were both wrong.

I know Bob Temple said this in Rivers of Joy Baptist a few times:  “God said it, I believe It, and that settles it.” 

Yes that might be true, but  “what is it that “God really said.”