I very much love Benjamin Franklin’s proverbs, so I thought I’d share one of those times I disagree with the sage.

“Fear not Death; for the sooner we die, the longer shall we be immortal.” – Benjamin Franklin from Poor Richard’s Almanack

Not so: we cannot reduce the time spent in eternity by one second by spending ten million more years on earth. Hence, I would rather spend ten million more years on earth, enduring the evil, patiently waiting for heaven, for it is only on earth that we lay up treasure in heaven. God himself lived as a mortal man on earth to lay up the treasures in heaven to give us. Indeed, it is our very desire for the good life in heaven that is why we should desire a good life in earth: the more we desire the one, the more we desire the other. If God so grants the blessing to me, I would live till he returns, and never miss a year doing good in this evil world by simply waiting in death for the resurrection.

It is only in heaven that we can enjoy the true treasure,
But only on earth can we lay up true treasure in heaven.

I’m sure Franklin understood that time spent on earth does not reduce time in heaven: his proverb is part in jest, and my wording as well. I disagree specifically with the inplication that “the sooner we die the better”, which is akin to saying it were better to never be born. This life has a great purpose: that purpose is heaven. The purpose of this temporal life is eternity, thus this temporal life is of eternal value.

I once read in a book by Chaim Potok something along these lines: comparing a lifetime to eternity, it is only the blink of an eye: but I realised that the significance of it was not in the duration of the blink, but in the eye that blinks.

Obviously, I agree with Benjamin on “fear not death”. 🙂 Though perhaps for a different reason.
It is Yahweh that gives the blessing of life, and it is only him we should fear, and tremble lest we displease him.

2023/05/06 #SabbathPosts

As if to emphasise the contrast with idolatry, and to show the true purpose of human art, the faith of Abraham worships towards the space between two statues.

“Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.” Ps 80

The purpose of our creations is to glorify our Creator. If we, his creations, are so foolish as to refuse worship to our Creator, it is the same foolishness to turn and worship our own creations. If instead we rightly worship our Creator, we worship him with our creations.

2023/04/22 #SabbathPosts

Earlier this week I posted a quiz: what do Moses, David, and Ezekiel have in common? Something that they alone share.

If you like you can try to think of it; if not, here’s what it was:

They were the prophets to whom God gave the designs of his Temples: to Moses the design of the Tabernacle, to David the design of the Temple which Solomon built, and to Ezekiel the design of the Temple of his coming kingdom.

It’s an interesting group which one doesn’t ordinarily think of together, but apparently God saw a connection between these men. Perhaps the connection was their very dissimilarity, as the root, stem, and flower of a plant are dissimilar, and are in a way connected by their dissimilarity.

2023/04/15 #SabbathPosts

The Surreal is in a sense the culmination of fantasy. Where fiction can express what history cannot, by imaginary events, fantasy can express what fiction cannot, by imaginary creatures, imaginary abilities, imaginary worlds.

In the same way, the Surreal can express what simpler fantasy cannot, by an experience entirely on imaginary grounds: every part of the Surreal may come from the invention of imagination.

Continue reading →

The more I read Scripture, the more it seems to me that there is no room for the cold-blooded, the phlegmatic, and the stoic. The command to “rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” is abundantly demonstrated by all of God’s people throughout time. They ran, they leaped, they prostrated, they wailed, they clapped, they stamped, they danced, they embraced, they struck, they kissed, they spat, they truly followed: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might” (Ec 9).

It was all under control, but it is false to confuse control with not doing something.

Feelings are like fire: they must be used with control. To use fire or feeling without control is to court disaster. It is foolish both to use it without control, and to not use it. It is a twofold necessity: it must be used – with control.

“And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.” Ex 27

2023/03/25 #SabbathPosts

As I grow older, I am grateful that I am able to feel more deeply about things that have happened in history.

I find I am moved to grieve at the account of Michal, Saul’s daughter: she loved David, the mighty man of God, and he risked his life twofold to have her, and she saved his life from her own father.

But, with David in exile, and her helpless in Saul’s hands, she David’s wife was adulterously given to another man, to Phalti. This soft, loathsome creature had her to himself and lavished her with his corrupt affections for years upon years, and wept after her when she was returned to her true husband, to slink back like the serpent that he was at the rebuke of David’s servants.

But to the breaking of the heart, it appears that Phalti’s protracted control over her, his insidious tender seductions, had poisoned the girl’s heart; whether to compare David’s honest love with his saccharine attentions and flatteries; or to be bitter with David that he was not able to release her sooner; or by his sickening example always before her Phalti taught her to despise passionate men regardless of their good or evil, as it was David’s exultant passion which she wickedly despised. That her beautiful love should come to sour disdain, and a barren womb, is one of the most desolate sorrows ever recorded.

One can only hope that, like Hagar, in her grief and loss, she turned again to Yahweh, and to meek and devoted love for her lord David.

2023/03/18 #SabbathPosts

{From a discussion about what makes a perfect wife.}

Every virtue is a benefit in every case – in order to give a useful answer, I’ll focus on what I believe is most specifically beneficial to being a wife.

The most general virtue that applies specifically to a wife, I believe Scripture has already answered: the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit; as the question most specifically would be asking what makes a woman attractive to obtain and treasure by a godly husband, this is given to describe what makes a woman beautiful and precious, whom God marks as “of great price” for a man to have. If you have this spirit, God is the one advertising you. 😉

Here’s the passage from 1Peter 3 for context:

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

To clarify, a meek and quiet spirit doesn’t mean quiet in physical volume and the presence of one’s personality: one wife may be unobtrusive as a church mouse, and quietly neglect and passively ignore any duty to her husband; another wife may quickmarch to a bashing drum, shrieking “SIR YES SIR!”, and by doing so demonstrate a truly meek and quiet spirit.

2023/03/11 #SabbathPosts

{Here’s a Quora post I made a while back. :)}

Q: “Do you think that when animals are shown using human language to communicate in the Bible, some type of supernatural puppetry is taking place?”

When the serpent speaks in the garden, the Bible says it was Satan. The idea that Satan possessed a snake is extrabiblical, if not contradictory to Scripture. Satan is an angel, who is referred to both as a man, and as a serpent. There is possibly a connection to why God allowed animals to be eaten after the flood, and to the angels intermarrying with the descendants of Adam before the flood; it seems there was a connection between heaven and earth that was severed at that time, which may have had to do with angels having a connection with animals, in fact being both human and animal at once.

Balaam’s donkey was given the ability to speak, and Scripture says it spoke. If it was being used as a puppet then neither of these things would have really been true, so no, no puppetry taking place according to Scripture.

In visions animals talk, as well as other things, like horns. As well as spirits these things often represent human beings or nations (e.g. Alexander the great as a one-horned goat).

However, one point which is probably closest to supernatural puppetry I think would be the dove at Christ’s baptism. Rather than a vision, the Spirit appeared in a “bodily form” the Scripture says. It was still symbolic of course, showing the relationship that existed between the Father and Son, but it was an actual animal involved.

Another case of God making animals do things would be the kine that drew the cart with the ark from the land of the Philistines, though it was more like they were simply being driven by angels than being puppets. Similar would be when God brought animals to Adam to be named, and brought animals to Noah to be saved. It was more directed than when God blew locusts into and back out of Egypt with wind. There were more directed plagues, like hornets and lions. There were the she-bears that punished the children who mocked Elisha, the lion who killed the man who refused to smite the prophet at God’s command, and the lion that killed “the prophet from Judah” but then stood without eating him or killing his ass. There were the lions who did no harm to Daniel, then furiously devoured the men and their families who had accused him. There are those kinds of things.

2023/03/04 #SabbathPosts

Should we read the “Old Testament”? Should we follow the law and the prophets?

What is the law and the prophets?

“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7)

So, in other words, the golden rule is the “Old Testament”. If it isn’t important to keep and follow the law and the prophets, then it isn’t important to love your neighbour.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (Ja 2)

“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am Yahweh.” (Le 19)

“Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Ro 13)

The Geneva translators attached a note to this verse:

“For the whole Law commandeth nothing else, but that we love God and our neighbor. But seeing Paul speaketh here of the duties we owe one to another, we must restrain this word, Law to the second Table.”

Not so; they propose adding to what God has written instead of either confessing or changing their lack of understanding what he has written.

What is the first commandment of the Ten? “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” What is the last? “Thou shalt not covet.” What does Paul say of covetousness in Col 3? It is idolatry.

As Christ said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these by brethren, ye have done it unto me.” This is what he meant when he said “Love thy neighbour” is “like unto” the command “Love Yahweh”: as man is made in the likeness of God, so the second of the Two great commandments is like the first: to keep the one, you must keep the other, and keeping the other is to keep the one. Thus indeed, as God said, every commandment is comprehended in the second of the Two great commandments, including the greatest command.

“This is the law and the prophets.”

As a note, the uncircumcised were never generally commanded to become circumcised, and are in this age commanded not to enter the covenant of circumcision:

“Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.” (1Cor 7)

2023/02/25 #SabbathPosts

{Edited from a conversation about writing “perfect characters”.}

I believe there are truly noble people and characters. Also I believe there are perfect people, though obviously they’re rare (and not “without sin” – I’ll explain).

Some take the doctrine that “all have sinned” and “there is none that doeth good and sinneth not” to be a kind of mandatory cynicism, that they must believe everyone does small evil acts or underlying evil acts and they just aren’t seen or are all considered equal in God’s eyes. They also often categorise an exorbitant amount of faults and flaws and things (like not getting up quick enough in the morning) as moral sins to further bolster this idea, and often fall into thinking anything that is less good than another thing is therefore bad, which is of course unreasonable.

The Bible also says “they also do no iniquity” and “he that is born of God sinneth not” and “in whom is no guile”. And it tells us that unborn children have done nothing, either good or evil, yet also that we are conceived in sin. Obviously these aren’t contradictory, but rather talking about two different things.

I think it is clear that “all have sinned” and the doctrine that none are “without sin” are referring to the sinfulness of the heart; the best people understand that they are their own worst enemy when trying to do right. If they were without sin, they would have no difficulty, no struggle, no enticement of their own lust, and outward temptation would not be able to allure them at all, like Christ.

Our sinfulness is proven whenever people leave themselves without check, and of course there is the fact that you don’t have to teach children to do wrong. The sinfulness of our hearts is our fault (after all, if it wasn’t, then neither would any action be that arises from it), but those who do not indulge their sinful hearts (such as little children, who haven’t really done anything at all), are those who are the righteous, who “sin not”, and “do no iniquity”, and these are those whose sinfulness is washed away by the blood of the Lamb.

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” – Pr 28

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” – Mt 18

Righteous people often commit small sins at times (sins “not unto death” as John puts it), and that also isn’t what it is talking about when it says a righteous man sinneth not. Those who break the least commandments still will enter the kingdom of heaven, though they receive less honour.

If “there is none righteous” isn’t talking about our sinful tendencies, which we must (and can) fight against and control, then we have a problem: when it expounds on this doctrine it goes on to say:

“there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Ro 3

If this is not describing what we tend to, then everyone is specifically an unbeliever (thus unsaved), murderer, liar, and curser (weird that that isn’t a word 🤔); and obviously it has nothing to do with the false idea that small sins are equal to great sins in God’s eyes (which idea is to accuse God of injustice, and to give license for the heathen to mock his wrath).

I would say that the most perfect person was Moses, who was the counterpart of Jesus: “a prophet like unto me”, who was “faithful in all his house”, so that him and Christ are pictured as a house and its builder. Moses was so perfect that speaking a single sentence unadvisedly, “Must we fetch you water out of this rock?” was punished with great wrath. Others would be Noah, Daniel, Job, Samuel, Elijah, and John the baptist. Joseph is one that I often think of first.

In fiction the first one that comes to mind would be G. A. Henty’s protagonists, which are basically meant to picture what he would consider to be the best conduct in their various situations. I disagree with Henty on certain moral points (a major one would be that he sees transvestism as a joke), and his characters are rather plain, but on the whole it is good to read about his good example characters.

The first character who comes to mind that is a truly noble character, who is also interesting and endearing, would be Sam Gamgee.

(The main fault I dislike in bad film adaptation is corrupting good characters; if one sees the character as real – which is the point – then it is slander. End side note.)

Other such characters would be Puddleglum, Sybil (in Charles Williams’ The Greater Trumps), Scrooge (after his reformation), the Master Monstruwacan (in William Hope Hodgson’s The Night Land), and Beowulf.

2023/02/18 #SabbathPosts