Mrs. Horseleach and Her Girls

 “Although leeches are often rated high on the gross-out scale, they've recently become famous for their medicinal uses…” That’s a quote, not from the year 1725, but from By Jacob Freiman, M.D. in a 2018 piece in U.S. News and World Report. It’s called hirudotherapy, named after the medicinal leech. When I was a boy, there were two dangers, according to TV shows, that I expected were looming everywhere: quicksand and leeches. But they aren’t as dangerous as I thought they were, unless you are in the Amazon. Not too long ago, a leech proved the settled science wrong by existing, becaulse it was long considered extinct. This leech was around 17 inches long, and you can see it a the Smithsonian. They named it Grandma Moses. Leeches are good at their job, albeit a rather gruesome one and perhaps because they are sort of gross and nightmarish, they are a useful metaphor. Agur thought so, in Proverbs 30:15 where he wrote, “The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give.” 

https://alchetron.com/Haementeria-ghilianii

 Mrs. Horseleach (no relation to Grandma Moses) had two daughters and they were just like their mother — never satisfied. Go near the water, and they are ready to latch on and drain their host dry. Though I don’t speak leech, if you listen closely, you can hear them crying, “GIVE! GIVE!” I’m not sure how useful leeches are in medicine, but they are very useful as metaphor. The covetous, like the leech, are never satisfied and always asking for more. If I’m not mistaken, some of the ancient relatives of Mrs. Horseleach are alive today and working as politicians. Of course, the only reason they have jobs is because they promise to give other covetous people free stuff. We have covetous leaders because we are a covetous people. 

 The awful thing about covetousness is the very thing you desire so much never satisfies and always leaves you thirsting for more. John D. Rockefeller, when asked how much money is enough, spoke for all of Adam’s children by saying, “just a little bit more.” You don’t have to be rich to love money, just just have to desire to have more and more. But it doesn’t satisfy. You could covet food, drink, pleasure, possessions, a perfect body type, but it won’t satisfy. Most of the time, it’s not the desired thing that’s the problem because you can covet after good things. Paul tells us the heart of the matter in Colossians 3:5, covetousness is idolatry. The idolater is looking for satisfaction in some person or some thing. Like a leech, hungry for blood, that insatiable desire will never go away, even when they get what they covet because they’ll need to have more of it. Flee covetousness Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. Fight the good fight. Look for and desire eternal life. And to borrow a line from the Horsleech gals — give, give, me Jesus (1 Timothy 6:11-12; Philippians 3:8).

The Reason for the Season

2020 has been a particularly hard time for a lot of people. But there is a reason for the season. 1 Peter 1:6, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." A season is a temporary point in time that's anchored by a event or characteristic. The season of winter is characterized by short days, cold, snow, while baseball seasons has less to do with the weather, but balls and strikes. When the characteristic is over, so is the season. It's temporary. Peter looks at pitiful, sad, state of God's people who were enduring heavy trials and temptations and reminds them, their struggle is a season. It's just a little while longer. That's a comfort, but that's not the only comfort, or even the main thing here. Many trials will follow us our whole life, and come to an end when we leave this world. The main comfort here is our trials are temporary but also necessary. There is a reason for the season of suffering.

I believe in the absolute sovereignty of God. The Lord declared, from before the world was created, the end of all things and ordained it to come to pass. God's plan will stand. God will do what He pleases and all He pleases. The Lord not only declares it, but will bring it to pass (Isaiah 46:9-11). Even the bad times? Yes, even the bad times. It's an odd theology to have a God who only does the things we want Him to do and would never do anything that we would object to. Peter understood the Lord often does things we don't understand or that we would rather not see happen. We must submit to His will and have faith if we "need be" go through a hard season. Why do bad things happen to God's people? Because they are necessary. The temporary season is needed, and designed in the plan of our Heavenly Father. Do we doubt Him?

How could bad times be needful or necessary? For God's people, Peter says in verse seven, "the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." God sends us hard seasons to try our faith. Hardships put our faith to the test for our benefit, to strengthen our faith in Jesus. The trial has more value to you than pure gold in light of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Trials for the Christian should bring us to Christ, and focus our hearts on him, who, though we haven't seen with our eyes, love in our hearts. Even so, come Lord Jesus.


Now would be a good time to stop murmuring and remember there is a reason for this season, and for God's children, it will work out for our good (Romans 8:28). 

Church is Essential

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, "…thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus is the rock (not Peter) and the church is built upon the Saviour of Men, not Simon Barjona. The ever-living Christ, is the head of the church, and is united to and with his church (Colossians 2:19) to nourish, strengthen, and "increase with the increase of God." The church is also built upon the doctrine of Jesus – the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the revealed truth of Heaven.

Such an organization may seem like a social club, or a charity organization, but it is the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). The place where the Almighty is worshipped and glorified (Ephesians 3:21), and the place where God meets with His people (Matthew 18:20 in a special way. It is where the Lord Jesus walks among His own (Revelation 2:1). It the place that Jesus loves, so much so, husbands are to look to Christ's love for His church as the supreme example of how to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25). The organization He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

The church is essential for the members. It's where we are strengthened by God's Spirit and provoked unto love and good works, and exhorting one another to persevere in the faith (Hebrews 10:24-25). It is the only place on earth where you can take the Lord's Supper, that Jesus Himself commanded to keep to remember his death till He returns. It's where penitent believers can follow the Lord Jesus in the waters of Baptism. It is the organization the King of Kings has commissioned and authorized to make disciples, teach the doctrine, and baptize believers.

The church is not essential? Tell that to the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. Tell the one with "eyes as a flame of fire" and the one whose "voice as is the sound of many waters" whose "countenance was as the sun" His church is not essential. Stand before the one whom John fell at his feet as dead and let He that liveth and was dead, and now is alive for evermore that His assembly, His house, His worship is not essential (Revelation 1:11-20).

If Wal-Mart is essential, and if Lowe's and Home Depot are essential, then the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is essential. If the members of Congress can assemble during the lockdown for the "Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act" (H.R.3589) or such vital and essential work as S.4762 – "a bill to designate the airport traffic control tower located at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, NC, as the "Senator Kay Hagan Airport Traffic Control Tower", then I'll assemble to worship the Son of God. 

But is it safe? Probably not. Is it safe for your soul to forsake the Lord's assembly? Definitely not.

Words of a Mother

 Words of a mother

King Lemul’s mom was a wise woman (Proverbs 31:1-9). We don’t know who she was (or her son for that matter) but her words of wisdom live on. The Hebrew word translated prophesy in verse one is “a burden” and when it refers to a prophetic word, it’s a burden of the heart (cf. Nahum 1:1; Habakkuk 1:1; Zechariah 9:1; Malachi 1:1). Her burden was the instruction she had for her son. A burden that could only be lifted  by getting it out of her head and into Lemul’s. The Lord burdened her heart and it would have crushed her unless she spoke. She was a wise woman because she told her son what he needed to hear. I’m sure his mother told him a great many things. She probably told about how to behave in public, how to dress, and how to wash his face.  But she also had important conversations with her son.  She was wise because she taught her son truth.

She reminded Lemul what she endured to bring him in the world, carrying him in her womb those many months. The morning sickness, the sleepless nights, the labor pains. He was the son of her vows, the son she longed for, prayed for. The son God had given her and she didn’t take that lightly. This wasn’t merely guilt manipulation, but a reminder of her authority and love for her son. 

Proverbs 31:1-9 are the words his mother told him and when the king took power, his mind returned to those the lessons of his youth. Mothers have a lot of power. That’s why the government wants your kids in their control as early as possible. Proverbs 22:6  is a warning and a promise. There is a right way and and wrong way to train up a child, and most of the time, that training will stick, for good or ill. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  Lemul had a mother that shaped her son’s mind in truth and when he was old, he didn’t forget. She prepared him for his future personal life and future employment as king. “It’s not for kings” to drink. That’s not how kings act. The dying and sick may relieve his pain, the downcast can relieve his mind, but the king has no such luxury. It may be acceptable the way for others, but not for you. She encourages him to do right. He needs to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves and stand up for the powerless.

Christian mother, you have a most important job. Train your child to walk with Christ. In 18 years, there are 936 Lord’s Days. That’s a lot, but not an unlimited quantity, will you bring your kids to church? Will you tell them about Jesus? Will you teach them how to live, like Lemul’s mom did?

A Lazy Hunter

Proverbs 12:27, "The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious."

I don't believe in luck. But, if I did, I would have nothing but bad when it comes to hunting. Since it I know God is ordains my steps, it can't be luck that makes me a bad hunter, so that excuse is out the window. I'm not a bad fisherman though. As a preacher, I think that's fine to continue the tradition of the Apostles in doctrine and catching fish. I don't think they caught trout though, but let's not split hairs. But our verse is about hunting and I was beating around the bush to say that if you didn't get a deer this year, the proverb doesn't mean you are lazy. Israel didn't have a DNR back in Solomon's day. And, for people of this time, hunting was not a hobby, but one legitimate and necessary year-round way to put food on the table.

Genesis 27 is the chapter where Jacob steals Esau's blessing in his dirty trick of pretending to be Esau, since Isaac was old, and blind, and could tell them apart. But, one rather trivial and unimportant overlooked detail, is the fact that Isaac told Esau he'd like some venison, "Sure thing Dad," and off he went. And in a relatively short time later, he was back with game killed, cleaned, and cooked. Esau was a cunning hunter, no doubt (Genesis 25:27).

Nimrod, the founder of Babylon, was a mighty hunter and famous for his skills (Genesis 10:9). Prior to Genesis 9:3, everyone was a vegetarian. It wasn't until after the flood that God gave Noah permission to kill and eat meat. I think prior to the flood the vegetation and climate was different, and likely much of the plant life that sustained the pre-flood people couldn't survive in the post-flood world. Maybe Nimrod was the great dinosaur slayer? Who knows. But he was really good at the relatively new occupation. And yes, hunting was a job. Which is the point of the proverb. The slothful man is not going to cook what he didn't go and kill. He's going to have to roll out of bed and go out into the weather and out into the field and be uncomfortable. He's going to have to clean and haul his game back home. He's going to have to do something with the meat and the carcass after. He's not going to enjoy the work of his hands if his hands never do any work. The diligent man is going to enjoy what he has because he worked for it.

In God's universe, the best way to have "good luck" is diligence in your work. But, I don’t believe in luck. The lazy man does though. It's bad luck that keeps him from succeeding. Someone is always out to get him. It's always someone else's fault there is no deer steak for supper.