____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ April 25, 1999 ____________________________________________________ Four Small, Wise Creatures by Matt Hennecke I am constantly amazed at the variety of life on earth. Animals, fish, birds--there are all kinds and varieties of each--and the variety speaks loudly of God's existence (Psa. 19:1). But of all the creatures God has created, there are four that seem particularly wise, even though they are small in size: the ant, the badger, the locust, and the spider. No, I haven't lost my senses, nor am I ``stretching'' for something to write about! I am simply reminded of the words of the Proverb writer: ``There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces'' (Prov. 30:24-28). The Ant The Proverb writer begins by stating that ants are ``not strong.'' In comparative terms this is true. After all, I can simply step on an ant and crush him! But in relative terms ants have amazing strength. Have you ever watched an ant carrying a morsel of food? They're tireless and strong. In fact, those who study ants tell us they can carry ten to fifty times their own weight! That would be like a 150-pound man carrying an object of 1,500 to 7,500 pounds! But more important than their relative strength, ants are constantly making preparation for the future. It seems they never rest. They are in constant motion as they go about their work. In Proverbs 6:6-8, the ``sluggard'' is warned to pattern himself after the ant: ``Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.'' Ants are also armored. Scientists call the hard, outer shell of an ant ``chitin.'' It protects them from a hostile environment and contributes to their strength. Similarly, the Christian is to be armored. We also live in a hostile world. All around us are evil men who would undo our faith. But God, in his wisdom, has provided us with a unique and glorious armor: ''...take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand'' (Eph. 6:13). Like the ant, we must constantly prepare. We must tirelessly go about the work of the Lord. ``I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work'' (Jn. 9:4). The Badger I'm not sure what animal the Proverb writer has in mind in this verse. The New American Standard (NAS) translates the Hebrew word (shaphan) as badger, while the King James Version (KJV) translates it as ``cony'' (rabbit). The concordances and commentaries don't help much either! Young's translates shaphan as ``a hare, hedgehog, or rabbit,'' while Matthew Henry calls them ``Arabian mice''! Whatever they are, these animals make their houses in the rocks. They are small and weak, yet they have the wisdom to find security in the rocks. The spiritual comparison is compelling. Like the badger (or whatever) we can only find real security in the Rock! This message of security afforded by the Lord is found everywhere throughout scripture: ``The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust....'' (Psa. 18:2). ``He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my goings'' (Psa. 40:2). ``From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I'' (Psa. 61:2). Notice Paul's remarks concerning the wandering children of Israel:''...for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ'' (1 Cor. 10:4). The believer would be wise to emulate the rock badger by finding solace and care in the Rock that is Christ! The Locust A single locust is hardly noticeable. In fact, by itself, a locust is harmless and insignificant. But when locusts travel together they get the world's attention! No one knows better the damage a swarm of locusts can cause than the Pharaoh who refused to let God's people go: ``For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees...and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt'' (Ex. 10:15). The lessons of the locust seems to be that: 1) God never intended for us to work alone, and 2) we can accomplish much by working together. After the creation of Adam, God knew it was ``not good that man should be alone'' (Gen. 2:18), so Eve was created to provide Adam with help and assistance. This same principle of ``joint effort'' is described again in Ecclesiastes 4:9. The writer tells us that ``two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.'' In other words, there is strength in numbers. The modern world refers to this phenomenon as ``synergy''--which is best expressed in the following equation: 1 + 1 + 1 = 4. With synergy, the sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts alone. The importance of working together--of emulating the locust--is clearly seen in Christ's establishment of the church which is: ''...fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love'' (Eph. 4:16). The lesson Christians everywhere can learn from the lowly locust is this: if we ``pull together'' then we can change the world! The Spider The final creature mentioned in the passage again poses a translation problem. What exactly is the writer describing? The KJV renders the Hebrew word semamith as ``spider,'' while the NAS renders it ``lizard.'' Other translators even attach the word ``poisonous'' to the creature being described. More puzzling, however, is the meaning. Unlike the earlier creatures, the analogy of the spider is not clear. In his commentary of the passage, Matthew Henry says: ''Spiders are very ingenious in weaving their webs with a fineness and exactness such as no art can pretend to come near. They . . . spin a fine thread out of their own bowels, with a great art; and they are not only in poor men's cottages, but in kings' palaces.'' Perhaps, then, the Proverb writer would have us understand this: The beauty of the spider comes from within, and he shares this beauty whether in a poor or rich man's dwelling. If this is the meaning, then there are many wonderful biblical examples of men and women whose inner beauty brought hope to both the rich and poor of the world. Joseph spun a web of beauty and godliness whether in prison or elevated to power in Egypt (Gen. 39 - 41). Job spun a web of beauty--a web of service--when wealthy and when destitute. And let's not forget Paul. Whether preaching to the poorest of the masses or while imprisoned in the splendor of Caesar's palace, his inner spiritual beauty overflowed in his message of love for all who would serve God. It is in the Good News of Christ, springing from within the true believer that ``the rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all'' (Prov. 22:2). -- via Think on These Things, January-February-March, 1998 ___________________________________________ QUERIES and ANSWERS Marble Falls, Tex. Sept. 11, `64 "How may the congregations of a county scripturally cooperate to put on a radio program with each of the congregations paying a part of the cost to the elders of one congregation? Why do you believe the Herald of Truth program scripturally wrong?" (A Listener) Reply: These questions, directed to our PLAIN TALK radio program, are of such wide interest we prefer to answer before our larger publication audience. Unintentionally (I believe this is an honest question) the writer seeks to supply his/her own answer. I hope pre-judging will not close eyes and ears to my reply. Let each church plan radio work according, to its own ability. Buy the time from the radio station, pay for it, allow your own preacher or another (as you see fit) to preach during that time, and identify the program as coming from the one congregation. The scriptures recognize no Burnet County Association of Churches, and it is dangerously foolish for us to do anything that encourages such. If it be considered advantageous to have a ``gospel'' program at the same time each day, I'm sure that can be arranged with the radio management. However, our chief concern should be to conform to God's arrangement rather than to man's. God's work can best be done in God's way --in fact, this is the ONLY way we can be assured of divine approval. Surely we see this! Herald of Truth is the product of an intercongregational arrangement. I have no objection to preaching via TV and radio, and so far as I know the contents of the programs are good. It is the pooling of a ``brotherhood'' treasury, over which one group of elders is given control, to which I do object. There is no scriptural authority for such diocesan arrangements. Highland, Abilene, is not in want. Funds sent there cannot be called ``alms'' (Acts 24:17) by the greatest stretch of the imagination; hence it is absurd to use 2 Cor. 8, etc., in an effort to justify this ``sponsoring church, brotherhood project'' program. The organizational structure of the church (defining the limits of organized functions) begins and ends with the single, independent local church. We had better leave it just as our King fixed it -- Robert F. Turner (Via Plain Talk). ___________________________________________ DECEITFUL RICHES by Jim R. Everett Jesus used a parable in which he likened the word of God to seed that fell in different kinds of soil (Matthew 13:3-9; 19-23). The four different kinds of soil in the parable represented different kinds of human hearts and the productivity of the word or the lack there of, depended on the kind of soil in which it was sown. Jesus taught that some kinds of soil, though receiving the word, did not profit from it. For instance, the word could not bring forth fruit in the heart that was filled with the ``cares of the world'' and the ``deceitfulness of riches,'' because those things choked out the word (v. 22). Notice that these riches are qualified as being ``deceitful,'' but how can riches deceive? First of all, riches are deceptive, because they appear to offer that which satisfies man's needs. However, it is obvious that the one who aspires for riches creates for himself an insatiable appetite for more -- it's like eating cotton candy. Paul warned those who want to be rich: ``For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows'' (1 Timothy 6:10). Secondly, treasures delude, because they appear as though they will serve one's needs but, in reality, they become the master. Jesus said, ``No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon'' (Matthew 6:24 and also verse 21). And, thirdly, riches beguile, because they offer men security but hide from him the truth that they are not eternal and they do not safeguard him against the loss of his eternal well being. Timothy was to warn the rich that they were not to trust in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17). Where the thorns of mammon grow, the word will be choked out. When we understand that riches are merely temporary; that they do not satisfy our needs and do not give us real security, then the power of deception is lost. Don't become a slave to things that won't last. ___________________________________________ Don't Blame The Kids by Marvin A. Noble Friend, many of us adults do an awful lot of complaining because we can't get our kids to do what we ask, but what do you suppose our heavenly Father would say about us? Some of us make more excuses than our own children. We tell the Lord we haven't enough time for Him, the weather is too bad, or we just don't feel like it; but worse yet we act like we can beat the Lord at His own game when we come up with a religious excuse for not obeying Him. Have you heard anybody say it doesn't make any difference what you do in religion just as long as you're honest and sincere? Paul shows how empty that excuse is. He says that he had always been conscientious, but that at one time he was the chiefest of sinners (Acts 23:1; 1 Timothy 1:15). Others will say, ``Why, if you love the Lord, it doesn't matter whether you obey Him or not.'' But Jesus says, ``If you love me, keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me'' (John 14:15,21). Still others have the idea that if they only have faith they don't have to do a thing; but James says, ``Faith without works is dead'' (James 2:26). Some of us get the idea we're in a position to sit back and judge each of the Lord's commands as to whether or not they look important, but we need to remember ``God resisteth the proud'' (1 Peter 5:5). Jesus warns, ``Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven'' (Matthew 7:21). Let's quit this business of trying to get out of obeying our heavenly Father. (What a bad example we set for our own kids!) We owe Him a lot of love and honor. Let's show it by keeping His word: ``For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and his commandments are not grievous'' (1 John 5:3). -- The Old Path II, March 21, 1999 ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________