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The Whole Duty of Man

July 21st, 2009 No comments

Eccl 11:9–12:14

The despondent man of Ecclesiastes finally came to an understanding concerning what life was about. He saw what he considered to be prosperous days that were filled with pleasure and then he saw the futility of what he had come to rely upon. This realization left him without hope. He no longer trusted his fellow human beings, he despaired of the future, he languished in the present. But finally he began to see something of sense in it all. The essence of his discover was this: “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” The whole duty of man is to fear and to keep. What do those words mean?

The Hebrew word for fear is yare. It is used in five different ways. It can refer to an emotion, the intellectual anticipation of evil, reverence or awe, righteous behavior, or formal religious worship. When referring to God the emphasis is more often placed on awe rather than terror. When seen together the nuances of meaning seem to form a whole. The person who fears God has an emotional response toward him that involves the strong concern that he might not displease God, the intellectual anticipation that evil could cause him to fall short of his goal, and the reverence and love toward God which naturally lead to righteous behavior and a desire to worship the One he loves. A few times this word is used it actually refers to people who are in the process of worshiping God. For example, “those who fear God” in Psalm 22 is referring to the worshiping congregation.

Shamar means to keep, to guard, to observe or to give heed. The basic idea of the root word is “to exercise great care over.” It is most often used when speaking of obeying the Word of God. So significant is the meaning of the word that it is also used to speak of the sacred occupation of the priests in Numbers 18:7. It cares the idea not only of watchfulness and carefulness but also of maintenance. It refers to personal discipline.

The whole duty of mankind involves Fearing and keeping. The songwriter had it write when he penned the words to “Trust and Obey” for “there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but the Trust and Obey.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods

Categories: News

Counsel for Right Living

July 21st, 2009 No comments

Eccl 7:1-9; 9:7-10

The writer in verse 10 makes an interesting statement. Christians like to emphasize the first clause which states, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might;” but we neglect to consider the last portion. In the last half of the sentence his fatalistic, hopeless philosophy of life becomes evident again as he tells the reader why he should do everything in life with gusto. The four aspects of life, work, device, knowledge and wisdom cease as far as this existence is concerned at death. But what exactly was the writer speaking of when he used these terms? Do they mean what we assume as we read the English words?

The first word we will look at is translated work in the KJV. The root word for maaseh is asa and means to do or make. Quite often, however, asa carries an ethical connotation. In those situations it is more than a matter of doing for the sake of doing. It is a matter of doing because of Gods expectation. At other times the word is used with an emphasis on the concept of the creation of an object. When used in reference to God the word often is speaking of the acts of God within the history of mankind. . . in other words, His immanence, and His interest for humanity. This word is frequently found in the creation account of Genesis. It is broader in scope than bara which speaks of Gods creating acts. Rather it indicates the fashioning of specific objects from what He has already created.

Maaseh takes on special significance when we realize these things. It means deed, acts, business, workmanship, or purpose. It also is used in a general and in an ethical sense. When used in an ethical sense it often takes on a negative connotation. In Ecclesiastes the word is used a number of times. It refers to the events of history, “the works which have been done.” It speaks of mans work, “God now accepteth thy works.” But in an ethical sense it speaks of evil deeds and good deeds or works. Thus we could sum up the meanings to say that it essential means a persons significant contribution to the history of his life.

The word translated device in the KJV is hesheb which literally means ingenious work. Whereas maaseh referred to the physical employment of activity in order to make a significant contribution to a persons history, hesheb refers to the employment of the mind in the activity of thinking. This is not talking about trying to understand something but rather involves the creation of new ideas. At times it may take on the connotation of planning, another time it may refer to making a judgment, a third time to meditation, a fourth to inventive thoughts, or finally to an accounting.

The word for knowledge is daat and is means knowledge that is gained in various ways by the senses. It includes knowledge that is gained through the process of trial and error, technical knowledge, the contemplative perception of a wise person, and moral cogitation.

The word translated wisdom is hakam. “The essential idea of hakam represents a manner of thinking and attitude concerning lifes experiences; including matters of general interest and basic morality. These concerns relate to prudence in secular affairs, skills in the arts, moral sensitivity, and experience in the ways of the Lord.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods

Categories: News