Two are better than one

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You have to pick your wedding encouragements carefully.

The story is told of an uncle who could not make it to the happy day and so telegrammed his greeting as a simple bible reference.  It was 1 John 4:18:

“Perfect love casteth out fear.”

A word in season, as the good book says (Proverbs 15:23).  Except that the telegram left off the all-important “1” at the beginning.  So instead of reading out from First John – the letter – the best man read out the verse from John – the Gospel.

“For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband.”  (John 4:18)

If that verse is scandalous, here’s one that’s mischievous:

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.  (Ecclesiastes 9:9)

The verse is pure Ecclesiastes!  Live joyfully… it’s vanity!  Here is an “encouragement” for marriage “under the sun.”

Yet while few would put Ecclesiastes 9 on the wedding card, many write Ecclesiastes 4, which is strange:

6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. 7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. 8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

In verse 6 Solomon begins by listing the benefit of singleness – quietness!  But he observes from verse 7 and 8 that labour alone “is a sore travail.”  Verse 9 is not, therefore, the most romantic vision of coupledom.  It sees the benefits of togetherness in terms of “industries of scale”!  And verse 11 envisions your other half as a human hot-water bottle.

The benefits of two “heads” – which is how the saying has most famously passed down to us – are not mentioned.  The benefits of two are economic, militaristic and thermal.

It’s amazing how people will tend to sentimentalise sayings from Ecclesiastes.  “There is a season” is not a beautiful protest song but a total resignation to the status quo.  “A little bird told me” is not playful but sinister when on Solomon’s lips.  Yet it’s interesting how much of Ecclesiastes finds its way into common parlance.  Our culture resonates with this vision of “life under the sun”, which is unsurprising  but also sad.

However, even “under the sun” we do not escape living in Christ’s world.  And in Christ’s world it is perfectly explicable why two are better than one.  From the beginning, the LORD said of Adam, “It is not good that the man should be alone.”  (Genesis 2:18).  And of course Adam was picturing for us Christ and His desire for a bride.  We live in a world where the “travail and vexation of spirit” of community is – in the main! – outweighed by the benefits.  Because we live in a world reflecting Christ’s desire for a bride.

In eternity He has determined to have a wife at all costs.  Not for economic purposes – it would cost Him everything.  Not to make Him stronger – at the cross He would be infinitely weakened to win her.  Not simply to keep warm.  He desires a bride because in His grace He delights to share all that He has.

Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for her (Ephesians 5:25)

This is the ultimate marriage.  And it’s why, in our experience also, two are better than one.

Of making many books there is no end

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In the wake of new forms of electronic media, traditional publishers will be relieved at this verse:

“of making many books there is no end”

And students can particularly identify with the second half:

“and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

Even wise king Solomon sees the weariness of books and learning.  This is yet one more vanity of vanities he observes.  Does the world really need another paperback “bestseller”?  Do we really need another PhD?  Where does all this inflation of words and study bring us?

Well one verse earlier, Solomon shows us how to prick our word-y bubbles:

“The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.” (Ecclesiastes 12:11)

There is a Good Shepherd whose wisdom does not simply puff us up.  In fact it pops our bubbles and gives us true direction.  Even if it’s painful (goads are animal prods) Christ guides us into all truth.

We don’t need another book or another seminar.  But we do need His word.  That’s where true wisdom is found.

Cast thy bread upon the waters

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This phrase is both “useful” and “dangerous” says David Crystal in Begat.  And the reason it’s useful and dangerous is one and the same – no-one knows quite what it means!

What is “thy bread”?  What are the waters?  And what is the outcome that is promised?

“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.”  (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Which begs the question, who would want to find it again after many days?  Neither water nor “many days”  do much for the quality of bread.  Whatever investment is implied by this “casting”, the return of an old, soggy loaf does not inspire.

I have often heard Christians teach this verse as an encouragement towards generosity.  Bread is clearly money they say.  And the waters means spreading it abroad.  Thus God will bless a profligate giver.

Well charitable giving might be one application, as we’ll see.  But if this were straightforwardly an encouragement towards philanthropy it would be the only one in Ecclesiastes.  Remember that just two verses earlier Solomon has told us, “money answereth all things” (Ecclesiastes 10:19).  This is “life under the sun” remember, not a religious treatise.

To get a sense of its original meaning it’s best to read on in the chapter:

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.  (Ecclesiastes 11:2-7)

From the context, “casting thy bread” does seem to be financial advice.  But it’s not about giving money away.  It’s more about diversifying your investments to protect you against market variations.

“Oh,” says the spiritual interpreter, “so this verse has nothing to do with God?”

Well actually such a spirit of investing springs from a very particular view of God and reality.  Ancient cultures did one of two things with wealth.  They either hoarded it, protecting themselves against future scarcity; or they displayed it, making a show of their cultural standing.

Of course neither hoarding nor expensive displays will be good for the economy.  Everything stagnates when the money is squirrelled away or wasted on needless pomp.  But both Solomon and Jesus speak of another approach.  (Think for instance of Jesus’ parable of the talents, or many others in which the gifts and forgiveness of God are spoken of in monetary terms).  Here is a third way – investment.  Money gained is to be reinvested – cast upon the waters – in the hope of gaining a good return.

There is a belief here in a world that is open and yielding.  There’s a confidence that this world’s resources are not like a warehouse of tinned meats – each tin consumed reducing our supplies by one.  Instead this world is a bountiful place – a place that is fruitful and multiplying.

And such a conviction is founded upon belief in a generous God.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are an inexhaustible fountain of life and their gifts are enjoyed more in their passing on.  It works in the spiritual realm – out of the abundance of God’s love and forgiveness we pass on love and forgiveness to other – but it also works in the financial realm.  The same LORD Jesus is Lord of all.  And His world operates according to His character and purposes.

So, yes, I suppose “casting thy bread” can inspire us to be generous with our wealth.  But we can be generous because first we have a generous God whose world is correspondingly bountiful.

A little bird told me

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When we use the phrase it’s usually with a wry smile…  “Now what’s this I hear about you and a new lady love…” we tease.  What lady?  “Oh a little bird told me you were out with so-and-so.”

It’s all a bit of fun in our modern usage.  It’s a playful way of concealing our sources.  But back in Ecclesiastes it sounds quite ominous…

“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.”  (Ecclesiastes 10:20)

This sounds more like a North Korean directive from the thought police.  As with all of Ecclesiastes, it’s not meant to be wrenched from its context and pressed into service as a moral or religious pep-talk.  Solomon is opening up his spiritual journal and it’s been written from a very particular viewpoint: it’s life “under the sun“.  Here is the perspective of someone who’s refusing to deal with an inbreaking God or a life-beyond-death.  It’s only about life in the here and now.  And from that perspective, Solomon says some extremely unspiritual things.  Take, for example, the immediately preceding verse:

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.  (Ecclesiastes 10:19)

There’s a verse for a Christian bumper sticker!  It’s not great advice for the Christian life.  But it’s precisely how to live if “life under the sun” is all there is.

Our birds-as-thought-police phrase falls into the same category.  There aren’t any pithy moral fruits to be harvested, but it is interesting to see the categories of thought which Solomon takes for granted.

Firstly, the saying betrays a very deeply ingrained hierarchy.  Honour for the king is lauded (as opposed to the derision in which we hold our own leaders).

Secondly, the worst thing imaginable is to curse the king.  When Solomon ascended the throne, the people shouted “God save the King!”  Ultimately our hope is in the Messiah, the true King to represent His people, fight their battles and win their victories.  To spurn Him is to spurn all hope.

Finally, Solomon thinks of birds as messengers.  That’s an important biblical connection in that the Spirit is represented by a dove.  It is He who communicates our thoughts to God and His thoughts to us.

the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:10-11)

Now these truths could come together in a terrifyingly condemning way.  We do not always hold King Jesus in the highest regard.  Will the Spirit inform on us to the great Thought Policeman in the sky?

That’s not how Scripture speaks.  Instead the Spirit is said to communicate the King to our understandings:

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God  (Romans 8:16)

The Bird tells us good news!  And rather than informing on us to God, He intercedes for us

he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27)

In Jesus, the Bird brings not condemnation.  But to God and to us He brings good news!

A fly in the ointment

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—  Doctor, Doctor, there’s a fly in the ointment!

—  Yes, he’s recovering from a nasty soup burn.

Ehem. “A fly in the ointment” is that minor detail that causes major irritation. The phrase has evolved from its biblical origins in Ecclesiastes:

“Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”  (Ecclesiastes 10:1)

The KJB renders it “The ointment of the apothecary” as though this were the work of the pharmacist.  But, Scripturally speaking, these Hebrew words refer almost universally to the ointment of the priests.  This is the perfumed ointment you’d find in the temple.  In fact it’s more literally the scented “oil” which is being ruined by the stench of death. We’ve thought previously of how kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil in the Old Testament.  And how the oil of the High Priest was meant to flow down to bless others. But in Ecclesiastes 10 there is a problem.  One who is meant to be wise and honourable acts foolishly.  It is usually kings who are described as wise and honourable.  So here is a priestly king whose rule is ruined by folly.  It might seem like only a little folly.  But then the fly in the ointment is only a little fly.  Yet through this seemingly small intruder, the oil of blessing is ruined.  Instead of life flowing down, it is death that spreads. And so it was with Adam.  He was meant to rule in wisdom and honour.  But through folly he spread death everywhere.  It might have seemed a slight thing, his eating of forbidden fruit, but it was the ultimate fly in the ultimate ointment.  Life should have flowed out from that garden but, through sin, it was death that spread from Adam. Thank God for a true Ruler in wisdom and honour.  This King is also our High Priest.  And as Hebrews declares,

such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens (Hebrews 7:26).

And so through Christ the undefiled oil of His Spirit flows out for the blessing of the world.

Eat, drink and be merry

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“A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.”  (Ecclesiastes 8:15)

Here is very good advice.  There is nothing better in life than to eat, drink and be merry.  That is true if we only consider life “under the sun.”  Notice how that phrase bookends our saying for today.  Life under the sun is best lived by enjoying every pleasure this world affords.

Solomon does not recommend wasting much time on religion or moral strivings.  His lust for life takes him to the harem, the banquet hall, the university, the building site, the palace, but never the temple.  He mentions God here and there but he never recommends the paraphernalia of religious devotion.  If you want to live life well “under the sun”, attend dinner parties, and laugh loud.

It’s the best advice a person can give, except that the grave makes a mockery of it all.

You see, the inhabitants of Jerusalem tried to take Solomon’s advice to heart when an invading army was beseiging their walls.  God calls them to fasting and prayer, the people respond with “joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine.  [They say] let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.”  (Isaiah 22:13)  It turns out very badly for these merry makers.

Solomon’s advice does not work in the face of the coming judgement.  Solomon himself knows this.  He comes to see again and again the futility of life under the sun – it is “Vanity!”  But, Solomon is saying, if you resign yourself to vanity, then all that’s left are the parties.  You may as well party hard.

Jesus tells a parable of a rich fool who tries out Solomon’s philosophy.  He lives for wealth and pleasure and when he gets rich he says to himself,

“take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.  (Luke 12:19-20)

It’s a wonderful life philosophy… except for the one eventuality that strikes us all.  And in the face of death it’s seen to be utterly bankrupt.

Paul makes the same point from the other direction in 1 Corinthians 15:

if the dead rise not, let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.  (1 Corinthians 15:32)

Solomon’s guidance works, except for one thing: resurrection.  If the dead do not rise, then invest in parties.  But if they do, invest in resurrection.

What does that mean?  Well Paul begins the chapter by telling us to trust the gospel of Christ, crucified for sins and raised to life again.  That’s first.  And for those who are gripped by this gospel, Paul finishes the chapter telling us to “abound in the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58)  This work is in proclaiming Christ’s gospel.  Such a work will mean going without many of the pleasures that others enjoy.  In fact Paul says of his tireless work, “I die daily” (v29).

This is the irony – because of resurrection, Paul always gives himself over to death.  He expends his life in seeing others brought to Christ.  In this way he invests in resurrection.

This is not an ascetic flight from pleasures.  Remember that Jesus “came eating and drinking.” (Luke 7:34).  That’s a very good model for our own mission.  Christ’s eating and drinking was set forward as a foretaste of His resurrection life and though it He drew others to that future feast.  We will do the same.

But as we do so, the Christian will not have their eyes on their stomachs, but on their future feast.  Listen to Isaiah proclaim the true eating, drinking and making merry:

And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.  And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.  He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.  And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.  (Isaiah 25:6-9)

For the Christian it’s not “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.”  Instead it’s, “Tomorrow we eat, drink and be merry, so today, invest in resurrection.”

King's English – the poem

108 Biblical Phrases with references.  (Video here).

God forbid the powers that be
Forgetting the begetting of the KJV
It’s put words in our mouth for 400 years,
Turned the world upside down , so here’s my three cheers.

As a sign of the times , I’ll sing its praises,
Shout from the rooftops one hundred phrases.
Miserable comforters may cast aspersions,
I’ll do this in remembrance of the Authorised Version.

Like a fiery dart I made haste to start
Then fell by the way side,  was cut to the heart
In the beginning,  it seemed easy game
How the mighty are fallen,  I was put to shame.

This labour of love turned a worldly care.
My dream became my cross to bear.
I wished to wash my hands of the suff’ring,
To find a scapegoat,  pay a peace off’ring.

The years of plenty gave way to famine,
I counteth the cost,  had to re-examine.
I’d girded my loins then bitten the dust
Put my house in order as needs must.

I’d led myself like a lamb to slaughter
Success was as likely as wine from water
With this thorn in my flesh,  crying “Woe is me
With weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I got carried awayknew not what I did.
Twas a task that mastered,  a bottomless pit.
Beside myself, sore tempted to chuck it,
My tally remained just a drop in the bucket.

Twas a beast of burdengrievously borne.
I needed shelter from the storm.
I could not find what I did seek,
The Spirit was willing, the flesh was weak.

It’s written,  “Pride goeth before a fall
And for me that writing was on the wall.
At my wits end,  thought none could save it,
This task was Goliath and I was David.

The time was short,  my days were numbered,
This stumbling block had me encumbered.
The kingdom of God may come with great power,
My grapes had become decidedly sour.

The sweat of my brow began to glisten
He that hath ears, let him listen
There’s a time for everything,  but first check
That it’s not a millstone around your neck.

I fear it’s too long to fight the good fights
If it takes 40 days and 40 nights.
Tis vanity of vanities,  but I should have figured
Doesn’t it say “No rest for the wicked”?

In sackcloth and ashes,  and laughed to scorn,
I wished to high heaven I’d never been born.
I was stiff-neckedhard hearted with feet of clay,
Awaiting my own private judgement day.

Then before I gave up the ghost
The Lord appeared with heavenly host.
As fast as you can say “Let there be light
In the twinkling of an eyelike a thief in the night.

Twas my road to Damascus,  my burning bush,
For this doubting Thomas needed a push
Behold the Man! From heaven He came
The Word become fleshone and the same.

With tender mercies He casteth out fear,
And said unto me, “Son be of good cheer!
I suffer fools gladly,  and that’s where you’re standing
This task indeed passeth your own understanding.

“You’re sore brokenhearted and none too smart
But clearly a man after my own heart.
Dearly beloved,  to me you belong
And I will grant you to speak in tongues.”

So the truth set me freeAlleluiaAmen.
Out of the mouth of this babe who’d been born again
Phrases were fruitful and multiplied further.
The Lord as my helpermy cup runneth over.

O me of little faith,  I didn’t fall short.
Just look at what my God hath wrought!
By the skin of my teeth?   No we’ve done it in style
And even gone the extra mile.

So long live the King – Jesus we mean
But thank God King Jimmy has sown the seed.
So verily, verily we say unto thee
Happy birthday KJV

Some of the phrases originate from earlier translations, some from later, and some have evolved from their biblical roots into more modern idioms.  I hope you’ll forgive the odd bit of poetic licence.

🙂

To every thing there is a season

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Aside from the title – “Turn, Turn, Turn” – Pete Seeger wrote 6 words.   Solomon wrote the other 173.  Yet , today, it’s probably the Byrds’ cover version that’s more famous than either!

There has never been a chart-topper with older lyrics than this song.  Yet, of all Scripture, why have these words from Ecclesiastes 3 endured so well and found such universal appeal?

“1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Well just listen and you will hear the wistful melancholy which was surely inspiring Solomon 3 millennia ago…

Here is a song to sigh for!  There is a sorrowful beauty – a kind of tragic loveliness to life under the sun.  It presents itself as a protest song.  The six added words from Seeger are these:

A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

But this is anything but a protest song.  Both Solomon and Seeger have given up any protest against the natural order.  This is a blanket acceptance of all the turning seasons of life.  Instead of railing against death, the song essentially asks us to give up and simply smell the flowers.  We will discover that indeed they flourisheth – even if only for a time.

Solomon resigns himself to the circle of life (which is ultimately a circle of death) but at least he realises that God “hath made every thing beautiful in his time.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:12)

And so why wouldn’t the world sing along with Solomon?  Here is the ultimate philosophy for those bound within the turning seasons.  Embrace it all – love and hate, peace and war, birth and death.  Acknowledge its inevitability.  Enjoy what you can.  Accept it as your lot.  And sing.

But there are other songs to sing.  Isaiah envisages a world transformed by the Messiah.  (Read Isaiah 35 here).  Isaiah’s is the true protest song.  He protests even against the final enemy, death.  He dares to hope that, through the victory of the Messiah, the natural order itself will be overturned and the captives set free.  Through Christ, the Messiah, the wilderness blossoms. The blind see. The deaf hear. The lame leap. The whole natural world is turned right-side-up.

When we merely exist for life “under the sun” we may sing beautiful laments.  But only fleetingly.  Here, though, is the song of one with eyes fixed on the Messiah:

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 35:10)

There is nothing new under the sun

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–  “History repeats itself.”

–  “What goes around comes around.”

–  “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Anyone who lives long enough will observe a relentless circularity to life.  That was certainly Solomon’s experience.  And it bred in him a desperate world-weariness.

Here’s how he began his spiritual journal:

“4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. 11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.”  (Ecclesiastes 1:4-11)

Solomon’s father saw the heavens declaring the glory of God. For David it was a daily proclamation of the Light of the world conquering darkness.  With his eyes opened by the law of the LORD (Psalm 19:7-14), he saw sunrise and sunset as a sermon.  It proclaims the Bridegroom Champion taking us from estrangement and into the presence of God. (Psalm 19:4-6, see here).  Therefore, with Scripture in hand, the world can be seen to be heading somewhere.  It is not a closed circle but an arrow pointing to glory.

Yet when Solomon looks at those same patterns he sees futile repetition.  He seems blind to the daily proclamation of gospel events.  Instead it’s a meaningless cycle.

This is because Solomon is speaking of the world “under the sun.”  Solomon’s perspective is purely the horizontal.  He is viewing life as though the here and now are all that count.

In the 17th century, Descartes climbed into a stove and embarked on a philosophical method of doubt.  Solomon does something similar in the spiritual realm.  He shuts himself off from divine revelation.  He’s not viewing things through the lens of “the law of the LORD.”  Instead he determines to work only with the raw materials he can see, hear, taste and touch.  And when you close yourself off from divine in-breaking “there is nothing new under the sun.”

But another son of David stood on the earth.  He stood within that cycle of birth and death which imprisons us all.  Yet Jesus did something utterly new.  He didn’t rot.  And He didn’t simply come back from the dead, like Lazarus.  He went through death and out the other side into immortal life.  He broke through the cycle and opened it out to resurrection life.  That is utterly new.  And He offers this new life to all.

Life under the sun can only be a relentless burden.  But allow the Word to crash down from on high.  And allow it to speak of One who came to set captives free.  Because of His resurrection He says:

Behold, I make all things new.  (Revelation 21:5)

Previously on the King's English…

If you’re new to the King’s English, welcome!  I just thought I’d draw your attention to a few things to help you into the blog.

First of all, I’ve written a little evangelistic booklet which distills the blog into 12 short chapters.  We go from Genesis to Revelation on a whistle-stop bible tour with Jesus at the centre.  It’s a book to enjoy and pass on to a friend.

Find out more here.

Read online here.

Secondly, I’ve blogged 126 phrases from the KJB so far.  Here are some highlights if you’d like to catch up:

In the beginning

Eve

East of Eden

Covenant

Burning bush

Passover

Face to face

God bless

David and Goliath

Miserable comforters

You will notice that Jesus is very much front-and-centre of these expositions.  I “show my working” and discuss Christ in the Old Testament issues much more on my personal blog.  But here I try to keep it devotional.  Enjoy.  And subscribe here.