Divine Providence (Part 5)

By Bob Myhan

It was by providence that the reign and dynasty of Ahab king of Israel came to a gruesome end. When preparing for a battle, Ahab asked Micaiah the prophet if he would survive. The man of God rightly told him that he would not. So, Ahab disguised himself before proceeding to the battlefield (1 Kings 22:17). But this effort to defeat the prophecy failed.

"Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, ‘Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.’ The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot” (1 Kings 22:34-35).

The next king in the dynasty was Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, who died from injuries suffered in an accidental fall. He had no sons, therefore his brother, Joram, reigned in his stead. After a twelve-year reign, while Joram was recovering from wounds inflicted in a battle with Syria , Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat was anointed to rule Israel in his stead. Jehu then killed both Joram and Ahaziah king of Judah . Thus, the dynasty of Ahab came to a grisly end.

Another example of divine providence in civil government is the defeat of Babylon by the coalition government of the Medes and Persians.

Belshazzar, king of Babylon , was drinking wine from the holy vessels, which had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem , when “the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.” (Dan. 5:1-5) The king’s wise men “could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation,” which troubled the king very much (5:8-9). But the queen advised,

"O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father--your father the king--made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation."

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah ? I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." (5:10-16)

After reminding Belshazzar of the lesson learned the hard way by his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel interpreted the handwriting.

“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

"And this is the inscription that was written:  

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

“This is the interpretation of each word. Mene: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;  

“Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;

“Peres: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (5:22-31)

There is no suggestion that God directly caused the fall of Babylon . But He desired it, knew it was about to happen and even warned Belshazzar via the handwriting on the wall and the interpretation thereof. &

Of Making Many Books and Much Study

Joe R. Price

Solomon said the words of a wise person are like goads, prodding us to action. Like “well-driven nails”, they stabilize us when fixed in our minds. Such words come from God, the “one Shepherd” to whom even Solomon, in all his wisdom and glory, yielded (Eccl 12:10-11). We do well to heed the “words of truth” – given by “one Shepherd” (Prov 2:6; Jer. 23:1-4). Yet, as we are “admonished” by the wise words of the Preacher, he reminds us that “of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh” (Eccl 12:12).

Balance – that is what Solomon observed in life and urged throughout Ecclesiastes (1:1-11; 3:1-8; 7:16-18). As for writing books and studying them – there is no end. The wise counsel that we glean from teachers can indeed prompt us to action and stick with us, guiding our path throughout life. Ironically, increasing one’s knowledge brings an increase of sorrow: “For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow” (Eccl 1:18). Solomon is commenting from a “this life” perspective (“all that is done under the sun”, 1:14). The more we learn about life on earth the more we come face to face with its frailty and futility (“vanity of vanities”); the more we ought to long for heaven (2 Cor. 4:16-18).

Solomon is not saying do not study. Nor is he advising men not to write books of instruction and guidance. Indeed, we must study to hear, to know and to obey God’s word (Eph 3:3-4; 5:17; 2 Tim 2:15). Even the Preacher, who set out to teach the people knowledge, wrote many proverbs worthy of our study (Eccl 12:9).

So, what is Solomon teaching us here? For one, that righteous living demands steadiness. Don’t burn yourself out. Do not be distracted by tomorrow: “sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt 6:34). For another, Solomon is concluding with what he has said throughout Ecclesiastes: man cannot know all the whys and wherefores of life under the sun (Eccl 5:18-20; 7:13-14; 8:16-17; 9:11-12). God’s “words of truth” goad us to worthy conduct and secure our lives of faith as we “fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man’s all” (Eccl 12:10-13). So then, let us study God’s word in order to live an obedient life as long as we are “under the sun” (2 Tim 2:15). &