Truth Magazine

By Irven Lee

Toward the end of our Lord’s time in the flesh He told of “a man who was traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey” (Matt. 25:14,15). You know the rest of the story. “After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” (v. 19).

The distribution was according to the ability of each. The responsibility was according to this same ability. The one who was given the five talents was able to take proper care of the larger sum and was expected to earn more for his master. The money he used to invest belonged to his Lord and not to himself. His special ability was by the grace of God. He had nothing of which he could boast. “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7) “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:19,20). These facts are enough to cause us all to think soberly, and those with the five talents should do some very good thinking. There will be a day of judgment.

It may be embarrassing at times to be the one of very limited ability, but there are certain safeguards and compensations that come with this limitation. That which keeps us humble is good for us. “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility” (Prov. 15:33). “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better is it to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud” (Prov. 16:18,19). A very great amount of good that is done in this world is done by the less able who have the humility that comes before honor. Neither the Lord nor His saints give high rating to those who have a serious measure of “the pride of life” (vainglory) (1 John 2:16).

The man with the wonderful intellect and a powerful body may be a bit like the miser. The miser may sit and count his money. The man who could be the five talent man may enjoy the thoughts of his greatness. He may constantly hurt those he scorns because of their lesser strength and lower intelligence quotient. He will not help those who think he is a bully or an egotist. Did you ever hear a man confess being an egotist? The strong men who would take time to lend a hand to the cripple is truly strong. The intellectual man who can patiently aid the retarded is the wise man. He who would scorn either is sick.

Count your blessings and give thanks, and do not forget to pray that you not under estimate your responsibility. This unbelieving and confused world is in great need of five talent men with their feet on the ground and who have tender hearts. Great men appreciate goodness. A good elder is a lover of good men or of good things (Tit. 1:8). Such men know how to look up to others (Phil. 2: 1 -11). The man who can only look down on others is to be pitied. He needs help.

The Christ was in the beginning with God. He had more insight than Einstein and more physical strength than Samson, but He lived as the meek and lowly Nazarene. He took a special interest in the poor and outcasts. He demonstrated His power over nature that He might demonstrate His divinity to strengthen their faith, but not for boasting or to embarrass the humble. He spoke the language of the common people. The lamb is used to identify His nature even though He is now the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). Our Savior taught humility by precept and by example. He appreciated the open hearts of the lowly more by far than He did the scholarship and pride of the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 13:15,16).

None is condemned for lack of ability even in the matter of giving (Mark 12:41-44; 2 Cor. 8:12). The emphasis in the Scriptures is upon such fruits as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22). Those who are to be on the right hand of the great Shepherd are those who do the Father’s will (Matt. 4:21; 25:31-46).

So much of the world’s work is done by the average men. The giants box, play ball, lift weights, and reach the end of life at a younger age than the average men who do the world’s work. It is wonderful to see the strong and intelligent demonstrate that they are truly five talent men by earning five more talents. They will hear the Master say: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21). Let those with special ability learn to realize their responsibility and let them walk humbly with their God.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 8, p. 229
April 19, 1984

By Raymond E. Harris

It seems mankind’s, God-given power of logic and reason have often been misused. The misuse of God’s goodness has always led to mischief and misery. The misuse of the wonderful gift of speech is manifest in lying, cursing and gossip. The misuse of sex is manifest in fornication, adultery and incest. The misuse of logic and reason is self-deception, disobedience and sin.

In 1 Kings 12, we have a classic example of Israel reasoning themselves into disobedience. Jeroboam appeared on the political scene as a moderate and compassionate leader who cared more for the people than did Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Hence, ten of the twelve tribes chose to follow Jeroboam.

He immediately realized he could never hold his new followers if they continued to return to Jerusalem to worship. Therefore, he who appeared to be a good and compassionate leader, turned into a terrible deceiver of the people. He convinced them that the journey back to Jerusalem was much too far and inconvenient. So, he set up places for them to worship at Bethel in the South and at Dan in the North. He built altars, appointed an unlawful priesthood and invented special feast days. The Bible says all this Jeroboam “devised of his own heart.”

It is sad but true that we see the same kinds of self-deception all around us today. Self-righteous man has never been satisfied to worship God according to His divine directives. Cain, the Israelites, and modern man have all stumbled over God’s worship commandments. Hence, today we see the masses engaged in countless religious practices which are unauthorized by God. Using so-called “holy” water, incense burning, sprinkling, counting beads, quarterly communion and salvation by faith only, are but a few of the pseudo-religious acts and doctrines men have deceived themselves into accepting.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 7, p. 212
April 5, 1984

By Mike Willis

While Jesus was teaching regarding God’s concern for our welfare (the very hairs of our head are numbered, Lk. 12:67), a man came to him saying, “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me” (12:13). Jesus refused the role of judge or divider of inheritances and then warned, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (12:15).

Being overly concerned about material things was a danger in Jesus’ day and is still a danger today. The Christian living in America in the twentieth century who is not alert to the threat of materialism to his soul is not aware of the devices of the devil. We have lived in a prosperous time; we have accumulated many possessions. The warning which God gave through Moses is relevant today: “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the, Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God …. lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein: and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God . . .” (Deut. 8:10-14).

Jesus warned about the danger of “covetousness.” The word pleonexia means “striving for material possessions” or “greedy desire for more.” He gave the following parable to illustrate the danger:

The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Lk. 12:16-21).

“There are not many places in the Bible where God calls people fools, so the fact that He singles out a preoccupation with things as folly is striking. In the Old Testament the man who says there is no God, that is, the atheist, is called a fool (Psa. 14: 1; 53: 1). So if that rich materialist is called a fool, it puts him right up there in the company of the God-deniers. In fact, there is an obvious connection, for regardless of his intellectual opinions, the man who operates like the fool of Christ’s parable is a practical atheist after all” (James Montgomery Boice, The Parable of Jesus, pp. 104-105).

Lessons From The Parable

There are several lessons which we can learn from this parable which have application to us.

1. The Sin of Misusing Wealth. Some apparently have the idea that being rich is sinful and being poor is virtuous. That is not taught in the Bible. As a matter of fact, some of the Lord’s most faithful servants were rich, such as Abraham and Job. The Lord gives man the power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18). “Both riches and honor come of thee . . .” (1 Chron. 29:12). Being wealthy is not a sin.

Like any other gift from God, wealth is to be used in His service. Through wealth, one can lay up treasures in heaven (Lk. 12:33; 1 Tim. 6:17-19). He does this by helping the needy, supporting the gospel, providing for his family, and other things. Most of us never think of additional wealth being a tool for doing additional good for others (cf. Eph. 4:28). Like the rich man, we think only of what things we can do for ourselves when our wealth increases. We think, “I can buy a bigger house, a new car, new furniture, new clothes, put it in a savings account, etc.” This parable was designed as a warning to the man who is laying up “treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (12:21). This conduct will only lead to eternal damnation.

Wealth has a tendency to entangle us. “Wealth tends to trap us into self-absorption, materialism, and insensitivity to others – just as sin entraps us” (Boice, op. cit., p. 105). It had done this for the rich man. When his wealth increased, he thought only of himself. In his sixty-one recorded words, eleven referred to himself (“I” and “my”). He was wrapped up in himself. He reminds us of what William Barclay related: “It was said of a self-centered young lady, ‘Edith lived in a little world, bounded on the north, south, east and west by ‘Edith'” (The Gospel of Luke, p. 168).

Augustine observed that when the rich man’s goods increased, he thought only of himself and not of how he might help others. Instead of tearing down his barns and building larger barns he should have helped others. He wrote, “Thou hast barns – the bosoms of the needy, the houses of widows, the mouths of orphans and of infants” (William Taylor, Parables Of Our Savior, p. 268).

Hence, this rich man ignored the fact that his wealth was a stewardship from God. He failed to consider that he must give account of how he used his wealth in God’s service.

2. He Thought Possessions Would Bring Pleasure. This rich man made the mistake which many rich and many who desire to be rich make. They think that things will make them happy. The richest man in the world, King Solomon, testified that riches do not bring happiness (Eccl. 2:3-11). Our limited experiences with the things which money can buy have confirmed this. “The Romans had a proverb which said that money was like sea-water; the more a man drank the thirstier he became” (Barclay, op. cit., p. 168).

How many times have you thought, “If I could just buy . . ., I would be happy”? I remember thinking, “If I could just buy this new car, I would be happy.” Finally, I bought my new car. And I was happy – for about six months. After that, I had 42 months to keep paying on a car which no longer made me happy. There is always something else, just outside our financial reach, which we think will make us happy. The nature of such things is that they only provide temporary satisfaction (Eccl. 1:8).

Some poet wrote,

We squander out health in search of wealth,

We toil, we sweat, we save.

Then we squander our wealth in search of health

And only find the grave.

3. He Forgot That He Must Leave His Possessions To Others. James Montgomery Boice made the following observation regarding the kind of reasoning which the Lord used with the rich fool:

I said as I began the parables of wisdom and folly that our Lord characteristically appealed to self-interest. I think, however, that of all such appeals there is none that presents the issue on such a low level as does this parable. Think of it. It is the story of a dying man, a man leaving this world to spend an eternity in bell without God. In such circumstances Jesus could well have argued, “Consider what you have gained in terms of what you are losing. Compare your present pleasures with your future deprivation and suffering.” He could have said, “Weigh the value of your soul over against your possessions.” But that is not what He said. He knew the man had no regard for such things. He did not value his soul. So the Lord comes down to the level on which he is operating and talks about his possessions only. His argument is, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself? The one thing that might possibly get through to such a man was the thought of someone else enjoying what he had spent his life to gain. Think of that, if nothing else will move you. The Spanish have a grim proverb: “there are no pockets in a shroud” (op. cit., pp. 107-108).

Some of us need to give thought to Jesus’ question, “Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” We have worked hard and saved. Death is just around the comer for more of us than we realize. What will become of our possessions? Some leave all of thei ‘ r possessions to some relative who has absolutely no love for the Lord. He will use what they have worked hard to earn in carousing, riotous living, and other forms of ungodliness. Even if it is not used to support immoral conduct, their wealth still will not be used for carrying on the Lord’s work.

Some need to give thought to some things to which they can leave their possessions which will exalt the Lord’s will i Some could leave a sizable estate to support gospel preaching. Some could leave money to erect a church building. Some could leave money to publish religious tracts, books, and literature. Some could provide an education in a good, wholesome environment for some child who needs that environment to resist sin’s temptation. Surely we should give thought to what we are going to do with our inheritances. We are stewards of this world’s goods.

4. He Forgot That Death Might Be Near. The rich man thought, “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry” (12:19). The Lord said, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” (12:20). Needless to say, it was “this night” and not “many years.” Many of us are thinking “many years” while the Lord might be thinking “this night.” The day of preparation will soon be over for each of us. What then? Each of us needs to make preparation for eternity. Do not postpone obedience to the Lord for we have no guarantee that we will have a tomorrow.

Conclusion

Each of us can profit from Jesus, parable. The danger in reading such a parable is that we make application of it to someone else instead of to oneself. After all, how many of us have torn down our barns to build larger barns lately? I would like to paraphrase the parable to make the parable more compatible with twentieth century living.

The labor union of a certain company went on strike for higher wages. After several weeks of bargaining, the company agreed to give all of its employees a $1.00 per hour wage increase, more medical benefits, more vacation time and paid absences, and a larger retirement package. In addition to this, the company offered matching funds in stock purchases and profit sharing. Discussion was given to a four-day work week and twenty-five-years-and-out retirement program.

A certain employee who was a member of the labor union went home to his wife and announced his newly acquired wage package. Together they considered this new wage package and said, “What shall we do? We have no more room in this house for new furniture and a second car.” They thought within themselves, saying, “This we will do. We will sell our present dwelling for a nice profit and buy a larger house. There will we place all of our new furniture, new drapes, new television set with video recorder, and two car garage with automatic garage door opener in which we can park our new cars. And we will say to our souls, ‘Souls, you have nice place with nice furnishings in which to live for many years. Take thine case. Eat steak, potatoes, and salad. Drink Pepsi and Diet Coke. Be merry.”‘

But God said unto him, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall this new house be? Who will watch your new television set with remote control and use your new video recorder? Who will drive your new cars and park them in your two-car garage with garage door opener? Who will eat your steak, potatoes, and salad? Who will drink your Pepsi and Diet Coke?

“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 8, pp. 226, 246-247
April 19, 1984

By Bill Cavender

“And when Eau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beerl the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: and they were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah …. And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Beth: If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Beth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother’s brother …. So Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddanarem, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take 2 wife of the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddanamm: and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; and Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mabalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaloth, to be his wife” (Genesis 26:34-35; 27:46; 28:1-9).

I suppose parents who are sincere Christians have six basic desires regarding their children: (1) that they be healthy, both mentally and physically; (2) that they grow up to obey Jesus Christ, to be true to God and the church all their lives; (3) that they marry loyal and true children of God, Christians; (4) that they engage in an honorable occupation for their livelihood; (5) that they be a blessing to themselves, their families, the church and the world all their lives; (6) that they be prepared to die, to face Jesus in the Judgment Day successfully, and to inherit God’s wonderful promise of eternal life in heaven. I know that these matters are what my own wife and I have thought of, hoped for, taught, and prayed most about regarding our children from the days of their births until the days they left home to go out into the world to be on their own. And our daily hopes and prayers for them and their families are still regarding these same matters.

Nothing is more heart-rending, spirit-breaking, discouraging and hurtful to godly parents than to see their children grow up to be disobedient to God, to turn their backs on Christ, to marry unwisely and unscripturally, to engage in dishonorable occupations, to be a curse and a hindrance to the world and to the church, and then to lose their souls for all eternity in the devil’s hell (Matt. 25:41). Tragic, indeed, are the tears, toils and trials of parents who tried, yet still lose a child or children to the devil and to sin. Marrying unwisely, marrying someone who is not of the faith, marrying someone who has no scriptural right to marry, marrying someone who is not compatible with the ideals, faith, works, life and hopes of a child of God is one of the common mistakes made, especially of the young, which leads to the loss of spiritual interests and values, and finally to the loss of the soul forever and ever (Matt. 25:46).

We can learn some good lessons regarding the marriages of Esau. He had godly parents (although they evidently made some mistakes in showing partiality to their children, being willing to deceive one another as Rebecca did Isaac), was circumcised the eighth day, was reared under religious influences (belief in God, worship and sacrifices), yet despised his birthright and blessing, was a profane man, and married very wrongly and unwisely. We see:

(1) He married Hittite women, heathens of Canaan who were generally immoral in conduct and worshipers of idols and demons. His own character and spiritual stature were demonstrated by the type of women he desired and married. Birds of a feather flock together. They did then and they do now. A man is still judged by the company he keeps, including women he dates and marries (and vice versa, women are judged by the company they keep, date and marry). Evil companions still corrupt good morals (1 Cor. 15:33).

(2) He did not consider his parents. Most young people do not. They do as Esau did. They do not realize their own families will be constantly intermingled and involved with those whom they marry. Esau’s wives were ” a grief of mind” (“bitterness of spirit”) to Isaac and Rebekah: “a standing grief, not only because of their heathen descent, but also because of their uncongenial tempers. They brought only trouble into the family” (Jacobus). These ungodly women would not change, and Isaac and Rebekah could not. Esau married out of the faith. Grief and sorrow, not happiness, resulted.

(3) Isaac and Rebekah hoped to avoid in Jacob the marriage mistakes Esau had made. Probably about age 57 to 77, they sent him away from home, away from heathen Canaan, away from heathen women if possible, to be among their kinsmen who were believers in God. Chances of successful, happy marriages are greatly increased the more Christians associate with other true believers. In homes, churches, communities and schools, our young people need to be with other Christians. Money spent by wise and discerning parents to keep their children in an environment and association of true believers is some of the best money we can spend. Faith, godliness, godly companions and marriages to true believers are worth more money than any of us will ever have and are eternal values, not reckoned nor counted in silver and gold, dollars and cents.

(4) Jacob obeyed his parents – Children should do that for it is God’s will (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:1-3). They will be blessed if they do. Even someone as old as Jacob was when he left home is wise to listen to the counsel of loving, experienced, aged parents. Jacob’s wives were believers. Although the tragic, terrible practice and custom of polygamy prevailed, still Jacob was not plagued with wives who were heathens. His marriages were better than Esau’s.

(5) Esau married a third wife. She was of Ishmael’s family, Isaac’s half-brother. Why Esau did this is not clear. Whether it was to please his parents after he had so displeased and hurt them the other times, or whether he belatedly sought to ingratiate himself with his parents, or whether he was sincerely trying to do better and right, cannot be determined for sure. But the harm was done. He could not turn back. He could not undo the past. Bad marriages last forever: if not in fact, they do in influence. They are generally disastrous to life, happiness, good and salvation. Do not ruin now and forever the only life God gives you by entering into a unwise, unscriptural marriage.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 9, pp. 225, 248
April 19, 1984