Wisdom In the Heart Changes the Expression on the Face - Ecclesiastes 7-8

Ecclesiastes 8:1 (ESV)

Who is like the wise?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

and the hardness of his face is changed.

The Preacher (Solomon) starts chapter 8 out with a question about the wisdom of the sage and the impact of wisdom in our lives.   He first asks, “Who is like the wise?”  That implication is that no one is and that all who know the wise agree.   They are far above others in Solomon’s view.  However, he then goes on to ask, “And who knows the interpretation of a thing?”   These two questions, back-to-back, seem to be at war with each other.   If no one is like the wise, meaning their wisdom is too high for others to obtain, they could not they not know the interpretation of a thing?  Solomon, in this entire section, is writing about the illusiveness of wisdom is to mankind.  They can look wise and know some things and then be immediately struck with profound truth even beyond the wisest of all.  

Solomon then shows us an even more visible impact of that wisdom:  Wisdom in man can change the facial expressions of man.   That is quite profound in itself.    The point he is making is that when wisdom enters the heart and mind it impacts the way a person carries himself and how he is viewed.    His entire facial features can change. Wisdom is something we can both digest and express.  In fact, you can digest it without seeing it expressed in your life.   It can even change the hardness carried on someone’s face.   Since wisdom is Christ (1 Corinthians 2) that is the point Solomon is making.  Taking Christ into the life will result in a lack of hardness on the fact.   Amazing!!  

God Chooses To Dwell With Us - Psalms 131-133

Psalms 132:13-18 (ESV)

For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place:

“This is my resting place forever;

here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

I will abundantly bless her provisions;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.

Her priests I will clothe with salvation,

and her saints will shout for joy.

There I will make a horn to sprout for David;

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

His enemies I will clothe with shame,

but on him his crown will shine.”

In Psalm 132 King David is said to desire a place for God, a resting place.  To be honest, God does not need a resting place built and created by man, even if the man is David.   God did tell David that if he and his sons remain true to God’s word in faithful obedience, God would give them a place to rule forever.  That place is Zion (Jerusalem).   As a result of that promise, David wants to give God the same thing.   Even though we know that God does not dwell in places made with hands: 

Acts 7:48 (ESV)

Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

What we might be seeing here is that as man walks in faithful obedience to God, God is pleased to dwell with man.  God is saying that He will make Zion His home as man faithful, in Zion, walks with Him.  It is less about being a location and rather about being a presence.   God dwells in the hearts of those who live in faith toward Him.   Yes, there was a physical place for David to be king.    He would have that if he and his sons continued to obey.  

God will abide in the hearts of those who obey in faith.   

John 14:23 (ESV)

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

God Provides Where He Assigns - Ezra 1-5

Ezra 3:6-7 (ESV)

From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

When the nation of Israel was in captivity, Cyrus, the King of Persia, allowed them to return to the land.  God put that in his heart:

Ezra 1:1 (ESV)

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

God stirred his heart to do that.    Notice who else God involved and moved in their heart:

1.  The people who returned gave money to the masons and carpenters. 

2. That meant that the masons and carpenters were also stirred in their hearts.   

3. They gave food and drink to the Sidonians and the Tyrians who supplied the material goods for the temple rebuild.  

4. God must have moved the hearts of those who owned the ships that brought cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa.  

5. And finally, they were all able to do this based a grant, again, provided the Cyrus the king.   

When God does a task He makes sure needs are provided.   God made sure they had what they needed.   God moved hearts.   That is what God does when He assigns us a job.   He always provides where He assigns.  

God Makes Us Clean - Deuteronomy 13-15

Deuteronomy 14:11-20 (ESV)

“You may eat all clean birds. But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat. And all winged insects are unclean for you; they shall not be eaten. All clean winged things you may eat.

The nation of Israel was to be a light to the Gentile world.   God gave them some very unique and special revelation about how that might look.  They were to look different and were to set themselves apart in holiness.  For this aspect of their lives, the above dietary laws were part of that requirement.   The very way they ate was to be a testimony about God in front of the world.  God’s point was that there are some things that He makes holy and somethings He does not.  In this case it was animals.   God was teaching that they He makes Israel holy but not the Gentiles.  That was the point. 

That is what made the story of Peter and the Gentile solider Cornelius in Acts 10 so unique.   Prior to Peter telling Cornelius about Jesus, God gave him an object lesson via a vision that portrayed a sheet coming down from heaven.  In the sheet were all the animals mentioned above in this text.   Both the clean and the unclean.  Peter was commanded to eat.  He refused, possibly remembering the above verses.  But this is where God gave him a marvelous revelation: 

Acts 10:14-15 (ESV)

But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

The point Peter needed to learn was that God was challenging how the message of the gospel was being delivered to the world.  Peter and the rest of the Apostles were conveying that the gospel was for Jews, ONLY.   Jesus sent this vision to change the message from Jews only to all those who believe.   He didn’t really change it, however.  That was the message all along (John 3:16).  They (the leaders of the church) had limited the message based upon their past misunderstanding of scripture.  This is the rejoicing of both the above passage and the Acts passage.  God is still in control of who He declares holy.  But it is no longer limited to the Jews. It is also for the Gentiles.   

The Purpose of Trials - 1 Peter 1-3

1 Peter 1:6-9 (ESV)

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

What a glorious passage.  Remember, this letter was written to:

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

The word Dispersion is capitalized in the text because it is referring to an actual historical event.  The Christians in Jerusalem were so persecuted they had to flee.   They did so and landed in a variety of places in the world.  This is the reason for Peter’s letter.  He wants them to be both instructed as to how to act in this time and to be encouraged in their walk with Christ.   The point of the persecution, he tells them, is to genuinely test their faith that it might come forth richer and fuller and blessed.  But not for the purpose of glorifying them in the process (although that will happened) but to glorify Jesus Christ in the end.   Our purpose of trials and suffering is for us to come out as a shinny vessel for Christ and to taste and see Jesus Christ working in us to give us great joy.  When we go through trials and miss this we do dishonor to Christ and fail to be fulfilled by Christ.   

We Submit - God Equips - Acts 13-14

Acts 13:1 (ESV)

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

God uses many people to accomplish His purpose.  He uses ordinary people to do the extraordinary work of teaching the gospel. Saul (Paul) in the above passage will become the most known of all those mentioned.  Thousands were saved but never mentioned by name.   Others, like the above, are called out by name.   Their service to the gospel is mentioned on many occasions.   God does not have to use men to teach the gospel but He chooses to do so.  And although Paul is the one who gets the highlights, there were many in the church at Antioch who could teach and did teach.   In this verse they are called prophets and teachers.   Notice how Luke refers to Barnabas and Saul (Paul):

Acts 14:14 (ESV)

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,

God takes ordinary people and promotes them to higher and higher status.   But that is God’s work, not ours.   We are to step up to speak the gospel.  That is a command.   It is God who moves us into positions of greater influence.   

God Intervenes - Haggai

Haggai 1:1 (ESV)

In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest:

When Judah and Israel were taken captive there were three returns.  In the first return they came back and started to rebuild the Temple.  But they gave up on the work and began to focus on themselves.   God, in response, speaks to Haggai and sends him to speak truth to them.  This is God’s formula.   God sees our distractions in life and then sends someone to speak truth to us.   It will be Haggai’s message that gets them backed focused on the work and the Temple will be rebuilt.    This is why it is important for us to read God’s word each day.  It will refocus us.  It will inspire us to complete the work God gave us to do.   It will teach us how to do the work.  It will remind us as to why we are doing the work.  The nation started to return to their old habits of neglect for God and rebellion against Him.   God intervenes with His spoken word.   That is a rejoicing thought.