This morning's Bible reading began with this beauty in Ecclesiastes 10:1: "Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's
ointment, and cause it to give off a foul
odour; so does a little folly to one respected
for wisdom and honour." A man with a good reputation can have it sullied by foolish words and choices, even as expensive and aromatic fragrances can be tainted by dead, rotting flies. I don't care how luxurious or costly a perfume might be, but no one who seeks to impress splashes foul bug juice on their face. Ointment made to promote healing would be rejected when contaminated by flies or maggots. In the same way, sinful choices negatively affect the usefulness of a person who once enjoyed a good reputation.
When Solomon wrote this, it was common for perfume and costly ointments to be kept in clay jars or pots. The precious ointment used to anoint Jesus a thousand years later was likely a one-use box, the contents stored in alabaster which was sealed to prevent loss or contamination. The pots and jars most people stored things in, however, had lids which were not airtight. It is entirely possible the clay lid was accidentally left off a pot of ointment, and flies attracted by the scent drowned in it. I imagine a person who carelessly forgot to replace the lid upon discovery quickly swatted the flies away, scooped out any flies trapped within, and (after a quick smell-check) covered the container again.
Today creams, perfumes, and ointments have caps and lids which provide a tight seal. No flies in the ointment! Why? Because flies are incapable of unscrewing a cap or lid. They are only able to enter and foul the ointment when there is easy access. For a person who puts their trust in Christ, this is most encouraging. According to some books or people, it would seem Christians are very much at the mercy of demonic oppression, sin, and the evils of society. This over-emphasis of the power of Satan and details on how to defend ourselves against unseen satanic forces puts people in a fearful and defensive posture, assuming the devil has his hand in everything from our bad complexion, a crazy neighbour, and the knock in our washing machine.
Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are sheep of His fold, I believe we are safe with Him. Satan is indeed like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but it will not be us when we abide in Christ. We do not need to repeat prayers from books concerning spiritual warfare, as if there is any power in words alone to have "victory" or "deliverance." Jesus is victor, and He has delivered us from the power of sin, death, hell, and the devil - forever! Our role is to believe Jesus, and loving Him we will obey Him. He is the One who has given us a new heart and filled us with the Holy Spirit. We are to do our part to walk in faith, hope, and love. When we make foolish choices, it is like a person who removes the lid from their expensive cream and gives an opportunity for Satan (in this example Beelzebub, lord of the flies) to pester and corrupt us. Praise the LORD for the indwelling Spirit of the Living God who not only convicts us of sin, but forgives and restores us by His grace.
Having put off the old man with his sinful ways, having been born again by faith in Jesus we are to live in the way which fully pleases God: a life of godliness, righteousness, and purity. We aren't just to avoid sin, but to choose to do what is right. Ephesians 4:25-28 says, "Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." We keep a lid on the ointment (so to speak) when we walk led by the Holy Spirit. Little sins can corrupt our witness, and the wise take this warning to heart and quickly repent. Small foxes can do great damage to tender vines, and holes in the fence need to be quickly patched up. Seemingly minor moral stumbles cannot be safely ignored. Good ointment has been so bad it needed to be disposed of, and many solid followers of Jesus have been disqualified for their folly.
When Solomon wrote this, it was common for perfume and costly ointments to be kept in clay jars or pots. The precious ointment used to anoint Jesus a thousand years later was likely a one-use box, the contents stored in alabaster which was sealed to prevent loss or contamination. The pots and jars most people stored things in, however, had lids which were not airtight. It is entirely possible the clay lid was accidentally left off a pot of ointment, and flies attracted by the scent drowned in it. I imagine a person who carelessly forgot to replace the lid upon discovery quickly swatted the flies away, scooped out any flies trapped within, and (after a quick smell-check) covered the container again.
Today creams, perfumes, and ointments have caps and lids which provide a tight seal. No flies in the ointment! Why? Because flies are incapable of unscrewing a cap or lid. They are only able to enter and foul the ointment when there is easy access. For a person who puts their trust in Christ, this is most encouraging. According to some books or people, it would seem Christians are very much at the mercy of demonic oppression, sin, and the evils of society. This over-emphasis of the power of Satan and details on how to defend ourselves against unseen satanic forces puts people in a fearful and defensive posture, assuming the devil has his hand in everything from our bad complexion, a crazy neighbour, and the knock in our washing machine.
Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are sheep of His fold, I believe we are safe with Him. Satan is indeed like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but it will not be us when we abide in Christ. We do not need to repeat prayers from books concerning spiritual warfare, as if there is any power in words alone to have "victory" or "deliverance." Jesus is victor, and He has delivered us from the power of sin, death, hell, and the devil - forever! Our role is to believe Jesus, and loving Him we will obey Him. He is the One who has given us a new heart and filled us with the Holy Spirit. We are to do our part to walk in faith, hope, and love. When we make foolish choices, it is like a person who removes the lid from their expensive cream and gives an opportunity for Satan (in this example Beelzebub, lord of the flies) to pester and corrupt us. Praise the LORD for the indwelling Spirit of the Living God who not only convicts us of sin, but forgives and restores us by His grace.
Having put off the old man with his sinful ways, having been born again by faith in Jesus we are to live in the way which fully pleases God: a life of godliness, righteousness, and purity. We aren't just to avoid sin, but to choose to do what is right. Ephesians 4:25-28 says, "Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." We keep a lid on the ointment (so to speak) when we walk led by the Holy Spirit. Little sins can corrupt our witness, and the wise take this warning to heart and quickly repent. Small foxes can do great damage to tender vines, and holes in the fence need to be quickly patched up. Seemingly minor moral stumbles cannot be safely ignored. Good ointment has been so bad it needed to be disposed of, and many solid followers of Jesus have been disqualified for their folly.
It seems fitting to conclude with an exhortation from Solomon in Proverbs 4:20-27: "My
son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my
sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep
them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with
all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of
life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put
perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of
your feet, and let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to
the right or the left; remove your foot from evil." When the life of Jesus is lived out through us, by God's grace we shall do greater than what Solomon commanded his son.
No comments:
Post a Comment
To uphold the integrity of this site, no comments with links for advertising will be posted. No ads here! :)