I spent last week at NGM (Neighborhood Gospel Missions) Camp and God blessed me SO much. More than I could have ever anticipated. Our speaker for the week was Missionary Derrick Morlan, and let me tell you, this man is fantastic! He always had the perfect message and preached in a way that everyone in the room, (pre-teen, teenager, young adult, senior) was touched by his sermon. He and his wife are missionaries in Oxford, England, so please be praying for them and their ministry. Anyway, the last night of camp he gave a message on Ecclesiastes 10:1-10 with the focus on verse 8. This sermon really spoke to me, so I would like to recount it for you and maybe you will get something from it too. =)
Ecclesiastes 10:1-10 ~ 1 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. 2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. 4 If the spirit of the ruler rise us against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct.
These verses were written by Solomon later in his life, and he uses them to reflect on the poor choices that he made.
Verse 8 - He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpant shall bite him.
This verse tells us that we reap what we sow. A couple things to remember: We always reap more than we sow (think planting one kernel of corn and harvesting 100s), and we always reap later than we sow (we usually pay the consequences for our choices much later in life). We will either learn this principle now or later in life when we ware facing the consequences.
Verse 8 talks of two different sins. 1) Digging a pit. This speaks of someone who goes out of their way to invest time and money into wrong things. 2) Breaking a hedge. This speaks of someone who tears down what is right and good, what God has placed in our lives. The digging of pits starts with the breaking of hedges. People have to break down the good walls before they can begin digging into evil.
We all have some degree of a problem with authority. Those who have bigger issues with authority often blame it on having a strong personality. But really, any problem with authority we have is because of our rotten, stinking sin nature. God is the ultimate authority and all resentment towards that stems from Satan. God put lines in our lives to protect us and our freedoms. But, as dirty, rotten sinners, we just have to push boundaries and cross lines. Most people who cross the hedge never come back. Ask any person who is addicted to anything: cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, etc. It's so Easy to take that first cigarette, but once you're hooked it's nearly impossible to stop. Nearly impossible to get back to the right side of the hedge. Satan will do his best to make sure that everything on the other side of the hedge looks better than what you have now. But this verse tells us that if you cross the hedge, you WILL get bitten. We, as humans and as sinners, are constantly asking what's wrong with this and what's wrong with that, but we never ask what's right. I know that personally I'm guilty of that. We've been conditioned to stay away from things that are "wrong," but not many of us have been raised to be drawn to the things that are "right." Deep down, we know what things are right and wrong. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living in us and a God-given conscience to tell us what is right and wrong.
So, God places hedges in our lives for a reason, and He puts people in our lives to give us wisdom along the way.
3 things:
1) The building of the hedge. God, Himself, not any man, has built the hedges. If we are willing to stay in the hedge, and close to God, He will bless us for it. Consider Job.
Job 1:9-10 ~ 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, ans said, 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job chose to stay in the hedge God made for him, and because of that, God blessed him richly. And because Job endured Satan's torture, he was richly blessed again.
Look at the lives that are ruined and you will see that somewhere in the past a hedge was broken. It all starts with the breaking of one hedge, the crossing of one line. Remember that landmarks are placed along your way to protect you and guide you.
2) The breaking of the hedge. How is a hedge broken?
Verse 9 - Whosoever removeth stones shall be hurt therewith, and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
Hedges are torn down one stone (one piece) at a time. God told us to abstain from all appearances of evil. He didn't tell us to walk as closely to the line as we want to. He didn't tell us that it's okay to peek over the hedge every once in a while. He told us to stay away from even the appearance of evil. He wants us to stay away from these things to protect us. God knows that broken hedges only lead to broken hearts. We cannot be right with God and be wrong with the authority God has put in our lives. We will always be under authority, so now is the time that we need to understand why. It is, and will always be, to protect us. We don't need to cross lines and break hedges to see how things are on the other side. Hedges shouldn't be broken because they are there for a reason.
3) The biting of the serpent. The verse says that ANYONE who crosses the hedge WILL be bitten. This isn't a threat; it is a promise.
Revelation 20:2 - And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
Satan is the serpent who is waiting for you on the other side of the hedge, and if you are bitten, you will have scars for the rest of your life. God is not trying to take something good from you by placing hedges in your life. God is trying to protect you from the terrible things of this world.
He knows, and has told us, exactly what is on the other side of those hedges. So why do we constantly pick at them? Why do we try to walk as closely to the lines as we can without falling off? That's not how God intended for us to live. Ask God to teach you how to stay away form the hedges. If we stay close to Him, it will become easier to live within the lines of love that He has drawn for us.
God bless,
Taylor
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