The Real Greatness of The Man

In What Way Was Samson One of The Weakest Men Who Ever Lived?

 

Amid the widespread apostasy the faithful worshipers of God continued to plead with Him for the deliverance of Israel. Though there was apparently no response, though year after year the power of the oppressor continued to rest more heavily upon the land, God's providence was preparing help for them. Even in the early years of the Philistine oppression a child was born through whom God designed to humble the power of these mighty foes.

On the border of the hill country overlooking the Philistine plain was the little town of Zorah. Here dwelt the family of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, one of the few households that amid the general defection had remained true to Jehovah. To the childless wife of Manoah "the Angel of Jehovah" appeared with the message that she should have a son, through whom God would begin to deliver Israel. In view of this the Angel gave her instruction concerning her own habits, and also for the treatment of her child: "Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing." And the same prohibition was to be imposed, from the first, upon the child, with the addition that his hair should not be cut; for he was to be consecrated to God as a Nazarite from his birth.

The woman sought her husband, and, after describing the Angel, she repeated His message. Then, fearful that they should make some mistake in the important work committed to them, the husband prayed, "Let the Man of God which Thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."

When the Angel again appeared, Manoah's anxious inquiry was, "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" The previous instruction was repeated—"Of all that I [p. 561] said unto the woman let her beware. She may not eat of anything that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe."

God had an important work for the promised child of Manoah to do, and it was to secure for him the qualifications necessary for this work that the habits of both the mother and the child were to be carefully regulated. "Neither let her drink wine or strong drink," was the Angel's instruction for the wife of Manoah, "nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe." The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself be controlled by principle and must practice temperance and self-denial, if she would seek the welfare of her child. Unwise advisers will urge upon the mother the necessity of gratifying every wish and impulse, but such teaching is false and mischievous. The mother is by the command of God Himself placed under the most solemn obligation to exercise self-control.

And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parents transmit their own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their children. As the result of parental intemperance children often lack physical strength and mental and moral power. Liquor drinkers and tobacco users may, and do, transmit their insatiable craving, their inflamed blood and irritable nerves, to their children. The licentious often bequeath their unholy desires, and even loathsome diseases, as a legacy to their offspring. And as the children have less power to resist temptation than had the parents, the tendency is for each generation to fall lower and lower. To a great degree parents are responsible not only for the violent passions and perverted appetites of their children but for the infirmities of the thousands born deaf, blind, diseased, or idiotic.

The inquiry of every father and mother should be, "What shall we do unto the child that shall be born unto us?" The effect of prenatal influences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents, and twice repeated in the most explicit and solemn manner, shows how this matter is looked upon by our Creator.

And it was not enough that the promised child should receive a good legacy from the parents. This must be followed by careful [p. 562] training and the formation of right habits. God directed that the future judge and deliverer of Israel should be trained to strict temperance from infancy. He was to be a Nazarite from his birth, thus being placed under a perpetual prohibition against the use of wine or strong drink. The lessons of temperance, self-denial, and self-control are to be taught to children even from babyhood.

The angel's prohibition included "every unclean thing." The distinction between articles of food as clean and unclean was not a merely ceremonial and arbitrary regulation, but was based upon sanitary principles. To the observance of this distinction may be traced, in a great degree, the marvelous vitality which for thousands of years has distinguished the Jewish people. The principles of temperance must be carried further than the mere use of spirituous liquors. The use of stimulating and indigestible food is often equally injurious to health, and in many cases sows the seeds of drunkenness. True temperance teaches us to dispense entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is healthful. There are few who realize as they should how much their habits of diet have to do with their health, their character, their usefulness in this world, and their eternal destiny. The appetite should ever be in subjection to the moral and intellectual powers. The body should be servant to the mind, and not the mind to the body.

The divine promise to Manoah was in due time fulfilled in the birth of a son, to whom the name of Samson was given. As the boy grew up it became evident that he possessed extraordinary physical strength. This was not, however, as Samson and his parents well knew, dependent upon his well-knit sinews, but upon his condition as a Nazarite, of which his unshorn hair was a symbol. Had Samson obeyed the divine commands as faithfully as his parents had done, his would have been a nobler and happier destiny. But association with idolaters corrupted him. The town of Zorah being near the country of the Philistines, Samson came to mingle with them on friendly terms. Thus in his youth intimacies sprang up, the influence of which darkened his whole life. A young woman dwelling in the Philistine town of Timnath engaged Samson's affections, and he determined to make her his wife. To his God-fearing parents, who endeavored to dissuade him from his purpose, his only answer was, "She pleaseth me well." The parents at last yielded to his wishes, and the marriage took place. [p. 563]

Just as he was entering upon manhood, the time when he must execute his divine mission—the time above all others when he should have been true to God—Samson connected himself with the enemies of Israel. He did not ask whether he could better glorify God when united with the object of his choice, or whether he was placing himself in a position where he could not fulfill the purpose to be accomplished by his life. To all who seek first to honor Him, God has promised wisdom; but there is no promise to those who are bent upon self-pleasing.

How many are pursuing the same course as did Samson! How often marriages are formed between the godly and the ungodly, because inclination governs in the selection of husband or wife! The parties do not ask counsel of God, nor have His glory in view. Christianity ought to have a controlling influence upon the marriage relation, but it is too often the case that the motives which lead to this union are not in keeping with Christian principles. Satan is constantly seeking to strengthen his power over the people of God by inducing them to enter into alliance with his subjects; and in order to accomplish this he endeavors to arouse unsanctified passions in the heart. But the Lord has in His word plainly instructed His people not to unite themselves with those who have not His love abiding in them. "What concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" 2 Corinthians 6:15, 16.

At his marriage feast Samson was brought into familiar association with those who hated the God of Israel. Whoever voluntarily enters into such relations will feel it necessary to conform, to some degree, to the habits and customs of his companions. The time thus spent is worse than wasted. Thoughts are entertained and words are spoken that tend to break down the strongholds of principle and to weaken the citadel of the soul.

The wife, to obtain whom Samson had transgressed the command of God, proved treacherous to her husband before the close of the marriage feast. Incensed at her perfidy, Samson forsook her for the time, and went alone to his home at Zorah. When, afterward relenting, he returned for his bride, he found her the wife of another. His revenge, in the wasting of all the fields and vineyards of the Philistines, provoked them to murder her, although their threats had driven her to the deceit with [p. 564] which the trouble began. Samson had already given evidence of his marvelous strength by slaying, singlehanded, a young lion, and by killing thirty of the men of Askelon. Now, moved to anger by the barbarous murder of his wife, he attacked the Philistines and smote them "with a great slaughter." Then, wishing a safe retreat from his enemies, he withdrew to "the rock Etam," in the tribe of Judah.

To this place he was pursued by a strong force, and the inhabitants of Judah, in great alarm, basely agreed to deliver him to his enemies. Accordingly three thousand men of Judah went up to him. But even at such odds they would not have dared approach him had they not felt assured that he would not harm his own countrymen. Samson consented to be bound and delivered to the Philistines, but first exacted from the men of Judah a promise not to attack him themselves, and thus compel him to destroy them. He permitted them to bind him with two new ropes, and he was led into the camp of his enemies amid demonstrations of great joy. But while their shouts were waking the echoes of the hills, "the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon him." He burst asunder the strong new cords as if they had been flax burned in the fire. Then seizing the first weapon at hand, which, though only the jawbone of an ass, was rendered more effective than sword or spear, he smote the Philistines until they fled in terror, leaving a thousand men dead upon the field.

Had the Israelites been ready to unite with Samson and follow up the victory, they might at this time have freed themselves from the power of their oppressors. But they had become dispirited and cowardly. They had neglected the work which God commanded them to perform, in dispossessing the heathen, and had united with them in their degrading practices, tolerating their cruelty, and, so long as it was not directed against themselves, even countenancing their injustice. When themselves brought under the power of the oppressor, they tamely submitted to the degradation which they might have escaped, had they only obeyed God. Even when the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, they would, not infrequently, desert him and unite with their enemies.

After his victory the Israelites made Samson judge, and he ruled Israel for twenty years. But one wrong step prepares the [p. 565] way for another. Samson had transgressed the command of God by taking a wife from the Philistines, and again he ventured among them—now his deadly enemies—in the indulgence of unlawful passion. Trusting to his great strength, which had inspired the Philistines with such terror, he went boldly to Gaza, to visit a harlot of that place. The inhabitants of the city learned of his presence, and they were eager for revenge. Their enemy was shut safely within the walls of the most strongly fortified of all their cities; they felt sure of their prey, and only waited till the morning to complete their triumph. At midnight Samson was aroused. The accusing voice of conscience filled him with remorse, as he remembered that he had broken his vow as a Nazarite. But notwithstanding his sin, God's mercy had not forsaken him. His prodigious strength again served to deliver him. Going to the city gate, he wrenched it from its place and carried it, with its posts and bars, to the top of a hill on the way to Hebron.

But even this narrow escape did not stay his evil course. He did not again venture among the Philistines, but he continued to seek those sensuous pleasures that were luring him to ruin. "He loved a woman in the valley of Sorek," not far from his own birthplace. Her name was Delilah, "the consumer." The vale of Sorek was celebrated for its vineyards; these also had a temptation for the wavering Nazarite, who had already indulged in the use of wine, thus breaking another tie that bound him to purity and to God. The Philistines kept a vigilant watch over the movements of their enemy, and when he degraded himself by this new attachment, they determined, through Delilah, to accomplish his ruin.

A deputation consisting of one leading man from each of the Philistine provinces was sent to the vale of Sorek. They dared not attempt to seize him while in possession of his great strength, but it was their purpose to learn, if possible, the secret of his power. They therefore bribed Delilah to discover and reveal it.

As the betrayer plied Samson with her questions, he deceived her by declaring that the weakness of other men would come upon him if certain processes were tried. When she put the matter to the test, the cheat was discovered. Then she accused him of falsehood, saying, "How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these [p. 566] three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth." Three times Samson had the clearest evidence that the Philistines had leagued with his charmer to destroy him; but when her purpose failed, she treated the matter as a jest, and he blindly banished fear.

Day by day Delilah urged him, until "his soul was vexed unto death;" yet a subtle power kept him by her side. Overcome at last, Samson made known the secret: "There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." A messenger was immediately dispatched to the lords of the Philistines, urging them to come to her without delay. While the warrior slept, the heavy masses of his hair were severed from his head. Then, as she had done three times before, she called, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson!" Suddenly awaking, he thought to exert his strength as before and destroy them; but his powerless arms refused to do his bidding, and he knew that "Jehovah was departed from him." When he had been shaven, Delilah began to annoy him and cause him pain, thus making a trial of his strength; for the Philistines dared not approach him till fully convinced that his power was gone. Then they seized him and, having put out both his eyes, they took him to Gaza. Here he was bound with fetters in their prison house and confined to hard labor.

What a change to him who had been the judge and champion of Israel!—now weak, blind, imprisoned, degraded to the most menial service! Little by little he had violated the conditions of his sacred calling. God had borne long with him; but when he had so yielded himself to the power of sin as to betray his secret, the Lord departed from him. There was no virtue in his long hair merely, but it was a token of his loyalty to God; and when the symbol was sacrificed in the indulgence of passion, the blessings of which it was a token were also forfeited.

In suffering and humiliation, a sport for the Philistines, Samson learned more of his own weakness than he had ever known before; and his afflictions led him to repentance. As his hair grew, his power gradually returned; but his enemies, regarding him as a fettered and helpless prisoner, felt no apprehensions.

The Philistines ascribed their victory to their gods; and, [p. 567] exulting, they defied the God of Israel. A feast was appointed in honor of Dagon, the fish god, "the protector of the sea." From town and country throughout the Philistine plain the people and their lords assembled. Throngs of worshipers filled the vast temple and crowded the galleries about the roof. It was a scene of festivity and rejoicing. There was the pomp of the sacrificial service, followed by music and feasting. Then, as the crowning trophy of Dagon's power, Samson was brought in. Shouts of exultation greeted his appearance. People and rulers mocked his misery and adored the god who had overthrown "the destroyer of their country." After a time, as if weary, Samson asked permission to rest against the two central pillars which supported the temple roof. Then he silently uttered the prayer, "O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines." With these words he encircled the pillars with his mighty arms; and crying, "Let me die with the Philistines!" he bowed himself, and the roof fell, destroying at one crash all that vast multitude. "So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life."

The idol and its worshipers, priest and peasant, warrior and noble, were buried together beneath the ruins of Dagon's temple. And among them was the giant form of him whom God had chosen to be the deliverer of His people. Tidings of the terrible overthrow were carried to the land of Israel, and Samson's kinsmen came down from their hills, and, unopposed, rescued the body of the fallen hero. And they "brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father."

God's promise that through Samson He would "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines" was fulfilled; but how dark and terrible the record of that life which might have been a praise to God and a glory to the nation! Had Samson been true to his divine calling, the purpose of God could have been accomplished in his honor and exaltation. But he yielded to temptation and proved untrue to his trust, and his mission was fulfilled in defeat, bondage, and death.

Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness, he was one of the weakest of men. Many mistake strong passions for a strong character, [p. 568] but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness of the man is measured by the power of the feelings that he controls, not by those that control him.

God's providential care had been over Samson, that he might be prepared to accomplish the work which he was called to do. At the very outset of life he was surrounded with favorable conditions for physical strength, intellectual vigor, and moral purity. But under the influence of wicked associates he let go that hold upon God which is man's only safeguard, and he was swept away by the tide of evil. Those who in the way of duty are brought into trial may be sure that God will preserve them; but if men willfully place themselves under the power of temptation, they will fall, sooner or later.

The very ones whom God purposes to use as His instruments for a special work, Satan employs his utmost power to lead astray. He attacks us at our weak points, working through defects in the character to gain control of the whole man; and he knows that if these defects are cherished, he will succeed. But none need be overcome. Man is not left alone to conquer the power of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand and will be given to every soul who really desires it. Angels of God, that ascend and descend the ladder which Jacob saw in vision, will help every soul who will, to climb even to the highest heaven.  

From The Story of Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 54

by Ellen G. White

What is a Black Hole?

Black Holes are the Remnants of Very Massive Stars 
Black holes may be among the strangest – and most commonly misunderstood – objects in our universe. The remnants of the most massive stars, they sit at the limit of our understanding of physics. They can contain several times the mass of our sun in a space no larger than a city. With gravity so intense that not even light can escape their surfaces, black holes can teach us about the absolute extremes in the cosmos and the very structure of space itself.
Conceptually, black holes aren’t all that complicated. They are nothing more than extremely dense cores of once-massive stars. Most stars, like our sun, end their lives peacefully by gently blowing their outer layers into space. But stars exceeding about eight times the mass of the sun take another, more dramatic, path.
These stars die when they can no longer fuse atomic nuclei in their core. It’s not that they run out of fuel, per se. Rather, once the star has a core of iron, fusing together atoms to make new elements actually costs the star energy. Lacking an energy source, the star can’t hold itself up against the relentless struggle with gravity. The outer layers of the star come crashing down.
As several octillion tons of gas come hurdling down, the star’s core undergoes a drastic change and becomes resilient to further compression. The infalling gas hits the now-hardened core and rebounds. The rapid gas compression sets off one last wave of uncontrolled nuclear fusion. The star, now wildly out of balance, explodes. The resulting supernova can outshine an entire galaxy and can be seen from across the universe.
In the supernova’s wake, the core remains. This dense soup of subatomic particles has a couple of options at this point. For a star with less mass than 20 suns, the core holds together as a neutron star. But for the real stellar heavyweights, the core transforms into a truly exotic object. A black hole is born.
Stars thrive in a precarious balance. Gravity wants to pull the star together, internal pressure wants to tear it apart. The most drastic changes happen when one of these forces gets the upper hand. Above a core mass of a few suns, there is no known source of pressure that can balance gravity. The stellar remnant collapses upon itself.
Squeezing all that mass into a smaller and smaller volume makes the gravity at the dead star’s surface skyrocket. Ratcheting up the gravity makes it increasingly difficult for anything to escape. Get the gravity high enough – about 30 thousand times what we feel here on Earth – and some truly bizarre side effects pop up.
Throw a ball up into the air, and eventually it stops, turns around, and comes back to your hand. Throw the ball harder, it goes higher – but still falls back down. Throw the ball hard enough and the ball can escape Earth’s gravity. That point-of-no-return is called the “escape velocity”. It’s different for every planet, star, and comet. Earth’s escape velocity is about 40,000 km/hr. For the sun, it’s over 2 million km/hr!. On a very small asteroid, jumping too high might accidentally launch you into orbit.
On a black hole, however, the escape velocity is greater than the speed of light!
Since nothing can go that fast, then nothing – not even light itself – can get up enough speed to escape a black hole’s surface. No type of radiation—radio waves, UV, infrared – can emanate from a black hole. No information at all can ever leave. The universe has drawn a curtain around whatever remains of these stellar behemoths and so we can’t directly study them. All we can do is conjecture.
The black hole itself is defined by a volume of space delineated by an “event horizon”. The event horizon invisibly marks off the boundary where the escape velocity is exactly equal to the speed of light. Outside of the horizon, your spaceship has at least a theoretical chance of making it home. Crossing that line sets you on a one-way journey to whatever sits inside.
What sits within the event horizon is a complete mystery. Is there still an object sitting in the center, some shadow of a once brilliant stellar core? Or does nothing stop the gravity from crushing the nuclei to a single point, possibly even puncturing the fabric of space-time? Our lack of understanding of such extreme environments and the veil of ignorance that cloaks these creatures gives the imagination room to run wild. Visions of tunnels to other dimensions, parallel universes, and even distant times are rampant. But the only honest answer to the question “what lies beyond the event horizon?” is a simple “we don’t know!”
The bottom line is that black holes are the burying grounds of extremely massive stars. Following a supernova explosion, the massive core is left behind. Lacking a suitable balancing force, gravity pulls the core together to a point where the escape velocity exceeds the speed of light. From this point on, no light – and no information of any kind – can radiate into space. All that remains is a perfectly black void where once a mighty star stood.

Your Brain on Sugar

Wait! Before you eat that ice cream …..

Did you know that binging on soda and sweets – for as little as six weeks – might do damage to your memory?
A new study suggests that a diet high in fructose – that is, sugars commonly derived from sugar cane, beets and corn – can slows your brain, hampering your memory and learning. Fortunately, this same study also suggests that eating foods that contain nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids – like walnuts, salmon, flax seeds and sardines – can counteract these negative effects.
The study, headed by neuroscientist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla at the University of California Los Angeles, focused on high-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid that’s six times sweeter than cane sugar. It’s used in many processed foods, including soft drinks, condiments, apple sauce and baby food. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes more than 40 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup every year.
The study monitored two groups of rats. Each were fed regular food and trained on a maze twice daily for five days. They were then switched to a diet high in fructose for six weeks.
One group also received omega-3 fatty acids, which protect against damage to synapses — the chemical connections between brain cells that enable memory and learning.
After six weeks on their experimental diet, the rats were tested on the mazes again.
Of the two groups, the rats that received fructose without a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids were slower at completing the maze, and their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats’ ability to think clearly and recall the maze route.

So what does this mean for us humans? In short, what you eat might have a big impact on how your brain functions.

Tumeric Stops Rift Valley Fever

Turmeric Spices Up Virus Recently Discovered

The popular spice turmeric packs more than just flavor — it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses, Mason researchers recently discovered.

Curcumin, found in turmeric, stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from multiplying in infected cells, says Aarthi Narayanan, lead investigator on a new study and a research assistant professor in Mason’s National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.

Mosquito-borne Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) is an acute, fever- causing virus that affects domestic animals such as cattle, sheep and goats, as well as humans. Results of the study were publishedthis month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

“Growing up in India, I was given turmeric all the time,” says Narayanan, who has spent the past 18 months working on the project. “Every time my son has a throat infection, I give (turmeric) to him.”

There’s more work to do before curcumin-based pharmaceuticals become commonplace, Narayanan emphasizes. She plans to test 10 different versions of curcumin to determine which one works the best. She also intends to apply the research to other viruses, including HIV.

Narayanan has long wanted to explore the infection-fighting properties of turmeric, in particular its key component, curcumin. “It is often not taken seriously because it’s a spice,” she says.

But science is transforming the spice from folk medicine to one that could help a patient’s body fight off a virus because it can prevent the virus from taking over healthy cells. These “broad-spectrum inhibitors” work by defeating a wide array of viruses.

“Curcumin is, by its very nature, broad spectrum,” Narayanan says.

“However, in the published article, we provide evidence that curcumin may interfere with how the virus manipulates the human cell to stop the cell from responding to the infection.”

Kylene Kehn-Hall, a co-investigator on the study, adds, “We are very excited about this work, as curcumin not only dramatically inhibits RVFV replication in cell culture but also demonstrates efficacy against RVFV in a mouse model.”

Narayanan and her colleagues study the connection between a virus and how it impacts the host — human or animal. Symptoms clue in the researcher about the body’s inner workings. Rift Valley Fever and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis kick off with flu-like symptoms.

Symptoms can make it challenging for someone to recover. The body usually starts with an exaggerated inflammatory response because it doesn’t know where to start to rid itself of the virus, she says.

“Many times, the body goes above and beyond what is necessary,” Narayanan says. “And that’s not good because it’s going to influence a bunch of cells around the infection, which haven’t seen the bug. That’s one way by which disease spreads through your body. And so it is very important to control the host because a lot of times the way the host responds contributes to the disease.”

Controlling the symptoms means more than simply making the patients feels better. “You’re giving the antiviral a chance to work. Now an antiviral can go in and stop the bug. You’re no longer trying to keep the host alive and battling the bug at the same time.”

Once Narayanan knows how the body responds to a virus, it’s time to go after the bug itself.

She’s applying this know- how to a family of viruses called Bunyaviruses, which feature Rift Valley fever, and such alphaviruses as Venezuelan equine encephalitis and retroviruses, which notably include HIV.

She delves into uncovering why and how each virus affects the patient. “Why are some cell types more susceptible to one type of infection than another?”

HIV goes after the immune system. Bunyaviruses will infect a wide range of cells but do maximum damage to the liver.

“What is it about the liver that makes it a sitting duck compared to something like the brain?” Narayanan asks.

Ultimately, curcumin could be part of drug therapies that help defeat these viruses, Narayanan says.

“I know this works. I know it works because I have seen it happen in real life,” Narayanan says. “I eat it every day. I make it a point of adding it to vegetables I cook. Every single day.”

Other Mason researchers involved in the study are Charles Bailey, Ravi Das, Irene Guendel, Lindsay Hall, Fatah Kashanchi, Svetlana Senina and Rachel Van Duyne. Several researchers from other institutions also collaborated.

Recycled Plastic Island

100,000 Recycled Plastic Bottles Spiral Island

Yes, it is real – it not only floats but also has beaches and can be moved as well as docked around the world. Almost like a pirate ship story of old, the tale of this remarkable artificial island that floats on 100,000 recycled plastic bottles is long, strange and does involve tales of adventure and danger. The second of its kind, the newest iteration of Spiral Island is an amazing work in progress.

The first Spiral Island sat upon 250,000 plastic bottles, bundled together in bags and used as the floating base for the bamboo and plywood supporting the entire sand-surfaced area above – over fifty feet in diameter. Remarkably, the original island had a multistory home with a solar oven, self-composting toilet, multiple beaches as well as a variety of lush plants and trees.

Not deterred by the destruction of the original island in a terrible hurricane, Sowa built a second one starting just a few years ago – it was completed last year. Nearly the same size it likewise has beaches, a house but also has a solar-powered waterfall and ponds within the island.

Far from an eccentric individual’s attempt to escape from the world, Spiral Island is a remarkably welcoming place – many people came together to help recreate it when the first one was destroyed. Camera and news crews have also been invited onto the island as it is (naturally) something of an international sensation.

Man-Made, Free-Floating Luxury Beach House

One man’s trash is another man’s mobile treasure island.?Spiral Island may be the most strange and successful hand-made paradise the world has ever seen. For those not familiar: the first iteration of this portable (engine-powered) island was constructed fifteen years ago but was destroyed by a hurricane. The current model also floats atop millions of recycled plastic bottles like its predecessor, created from the ground (or rather: water) up by one man and a rotating crew of die-hard followers, fans and friends. And to this day, the whole island is growing – and the people and structures that dwell upon it are still evolving in eccentric and exciting ways.

Arguably more amazing than the mere fact of a free-floating private luxury island is the fact that it continues to change over time, forever a work in progress. Second stories have been added, remodeled and replaced throughout the years – featuring a lofted bedroom at one time, a two-person swing set under a solar panel at another (supplemented later with a massage table).

Aside from upcycling trashed plastic to form its very foundation (bottle-filled used tires float the whole island like a huge boat – an upgrade from mesh bags full of bottles), other sustainable moves include growing food on the island itself: there is a “protected garden with beach grapes, tulipans, an edible fruit cactus and an elephants foot palm.” Many of the on-island building materials are locally harvested, donated or discarded and reused by its nomadic inhabitants.

The aesthetic hovers somewhere between campsite and beach front resort, with calculated corral-and-concrete edges (to provide a feeling of safety along the borders) and live palm trees, mixed benches and sandy paths winding throughout. Tropical and rustic ‘island-associated’ themes can be found throughout the architecture and interiors as well. The island welcomes visitors, as well as donations to help keep it afloat (literally and otherwise).

That is not to say that living on this virtual paradise comes problem-free. For one thing, another natural disaster could still threaten its existence – and flexible governments may not remain so forever (though for now the island travels with relative freedom from one place to the next). Moreover, fresh water, security and other issues are always under consideration – after all, there are precedents for outsiders (pirates or privateers) ?invading and taking over micronations by force. Still, the island grows and shifts with the tides, ever more ready for the next source of trouble – and usually floating one step ahead.

Private Yacht as Tropical Island Paradise

So you already have your own private tropical island and giant-sized personal luxury yacht … how do you take things to the next level? Why, you combine the two into a portable slice of floating paradise, of course!

Somewhere between crazy and kitsch, this monster of the sea features its own miniature volcano, flowing waterfall, mountain stream, and valley pool flanked by a series of small bamboo huts and shelter-providing palm trees, all set upon (and concealing) a cruise-ship-style deck.

For adults looking for a little more reality on their oceanic voyage, an extendable deck can be deployed belowdecks via a fold-down hatch in the hull; this opening revealing stairs leading to shelters, seating and other detachable smaller sea-faring vessels for short off-ship excursions.

“This view shows the guest cabanas nestled around the pool and highlights the two deck owners’ suites carved out of the front of the volcano and looking out across the bow. The interior features an owners suite located inside the volcano and spread over two decks. The living room balcony affords views out over the front of the yacht from behind the waterfall. Located behind the bedroom is the owners private spa.”

But YI Designs is not quite done yet – they propose to build the ultra-rich vessels they have yet to dream of, if they have the wealth to afford them. Concepts include a remake of the streets of Monaco, a Chinese sailing ship and a kind of abstracted Taj Mahal on the water.

Insane? Perhaps, but if there is a market, who knows – these may actually be constructed some day. “‘The Streets of Monaco’ is our first design proposal. The theme is based around the Mediterranean principality with the primary focus being the famous grand prix circuit.”

“The idea was to recreate the circuit as a fully functional kart track able to accommodate three karts side by side to allow for plenty of overtaking. The Monaco story extends beyond this exterior architecture and into the interior spaces giving a seamless transition as guests move between the various areas of the yacht.”

A Ship In A Dark Fog

How Does a Ship Ever Find its Way in the Dark Fog?

I looked out my bedroom window and I could barely see across our small garden. Looking out the window I started to think. I thought . . .How does a ship trying to get to port ever find its way in the dark fog? Well the answer is simple. The ship's captain even if he has never gone to his designated final port of entry finds his or her way to port with a few simple tools; a map and a compass. None of us knew exactly how to get to our final destination when we start, but we are given the tools to navigate our way to our final port. The only difference between a ships captain and us is that the ship's captain knows he will get to port as soon as he sets of on his journey while we, on the other hand, sometimes don't carry this same level of faith going into our life. We hope that the tools that have been given to us will get us to our final destination, but we don't know as a matter of fact that we will get there. I understand why there is a difference in mindset, so let me expound on it. If the ship's captain had never seen the sea before he started his voyage or met any captains that had successfully gotten to port he would be left with the same hope we hold. He wouldn't know for sure that would get to port, he would have to trust in his tools and have faith that he would get to port. After successfully arriving at his destination for the first time, the ship's captain, would then have full faith in his tools and his ship and their ability to get him to wherever in the world he was called to go. But in that first voyage he would be riddled with fear and trepidation at every turn in his journey. Little storms or detours that would normally be of no consequence would be magnified his mind as an almost insurmountable obstacles. When little obstacle come our way we tend to magnify them

Families Personal Duties

General Duties of Personal Conduct

 

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” 

Paul often starts a thought, then digresses, then returns to his orig-inal thought. The therefore of verse 15 is resumptive; it returns to the thought of a worthy walk emphasized in verse 8. This is the seventh time that Paul has referred to the walk of the Ephesian believers. Ephesians 2:2 speaks of their pre-salvation walk and 2:10, 17; 5:2, 8, 15 speaks of their post-salvation walk.

The verb be is literally see to it. This implies they may have become forgetful of the imperative of Christian conduct. The adverb careful (akribwß = akribos) means to pay close attention to detail. How is a word that requires careful choice. We should be alert, precise, and discriminatory in the way we walk. Who is the wise man and who is the unwise man? Verse 17 pro-vides the answer—the wise man knows the will of God; the unwise man does not. The wise man is truth oriented; the unwise man is ignorance oriented.

Verse 16 points to a specific area of walking wisely—the judi-cious use of one’s time. The word time (kairoß = kairos) refers to an epoch, or critical moment, and thus opportunity. Making the most is literally buying up. We are to make the most of every opportunity like a good merchant or businessman does. We must remember that time is a daily treasure that attracts many robbers. The words the days are evil tell why careful attention to one’s walk is so important. One watches each step very carefully when walking a path covered with ice, whereas a straight and level path would not require such care. In days when the path we must walk is full of the debris of sin, we must tread with care and diligence. 
Persistence With Regard to God’s Will 5:17 

“So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” 

The word foolish (afrwn = aphron) is stronger than unwise in verse 15. It refers to stupid and totally senseless action. The word understand (sunihmi = suniami) means to give the mind to something with a view to getting hold of it. Our idiom “get it together” expresses the meaning of the verb quite well. 
Control With Regard to God’s Spirit 5:18-20 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiri-tual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” 

DISSIPATION FORBIDDEN 5:18A 

The grammatical structure of these five verses is very important. They open with two contrasting com-mands, the second of which (be filled) is explained by five participles.

The opening command is a quotation of the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 23:31. The climate of Greece caused the ground to produce the fruit of the vine prolifically. Drinking of wine was not only a social custom but was closely linked to the heathen festivals. If historical accounts are accurate, Alexander the Great hastened his death by the use of alcohol.

The danger of drunkenness lies not so much in drinking itself, but in what it produces. Paul calls it dissipation (aswtia = asotia), used in classical Greek for the squandering of both money and physical appetites. The adverbial form is found in Luke 15:13 and describes the activity of the prodigal son as loose living. 

FILLING COMMANDED 5:18B 

One might expect that Paul’s prohi-bition of drunkenness would be followed by an exhortation to abstinence. But this is not the case; the exhortation is instead to be filled with the Spirit. Christians are to know a “Christian drunken-ness,” that is, the filling of the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit provides a genuine exhilaration that others seek from alco-hol.

While the prohibition concerning drunkenness stands by itself, it also clarifies what is meant by being filled with the Holy Spirit. One who is drunk is controlled by something other than himself— namely, alcohol. The same idea is involved in filling: One is con-trolled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Filling is not a matter of quantity but of control, a concept that can be established by noting its uses in the book of Acts. The contrast between the two commands is between wrong animation and right animation. The words with wine stand in contrast to with the Spirit. Both verbs are present tense, indicating habitual action. Paul is not speaking of a charismatic experience; he is commanding an ongoing condition.

The Greek text does not tell us whether Paul is referring to the human spirit or the Holy Spirit. It is not unusual for Paul to speak of the human spirit as the instrument of the Holy Spirit. The same ambiguity is found in Ephesians 2:22, 3:5, and 6:18. Is Paul telling us where to be filled or with whom to be filled? When one consid-ers the numerous references to the filling of the Spirit, it seems best to capitalize the noun Spirit making it a reference to the person of the Holy Spirit.

The significance of the verb be filled (plhrow = plaroo) is critical for a sound doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The imperative mood makes it clear that filling is expected of all believers, and the pre-sent tense forbids a once-for-all experience, specifying instead a continuous replenishment—“keep on being filled.” The passive voice means this is not a manufactured experience but a gracious gift of God available to all. 

RESULTS ASSURED 5:19-21 

The Control of the Holy Spirit is Manifested by Speaking—Five par-ticiples follow with each describing the results of the filling of the Holy Spirit. In each of the expressions, the control of the Holy Spirit is manifested in some type of praise.

It is interesting that both here and on the day of Pentecost the thing affected by the Holy Spirit was the tongue. This is not to imply that the speaking referred to here has anything to do with tongues, but it was the organ of speech that was touched in each context. This harmonizes nicely with James words, “If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” The word speaking (lalew = laleo) is not con-fined to words spoken in normal conversation but incorporates all kinds of utterances, such as those that are lyrics of a song. Its gen-eral meaning is using the voice, in whatever manner. Under the relaxing influence of wine, the tongue is loosened; likewise, under the control of the Holy Spirit the tongue is loosened to offer praise to Him to Whom it is due. The speech is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the vine.

The words speaking to one another probably correspond with the words of Colossians 3:16, teaching and admonishing one another. Psalms suggests the Davidic psalter; hymns center on praise and worship, whereas spiritual songs refer to meaningful lyrics in a broader sense. A hymn is distinguished from a song in that hymns focus on the character or work of God. Hymns are not the expres-sion of how we feel about God; they are statements recognizing and exalting His person. A song may speak of how we love Him; a hymn speaks of how He loves us. The participle making melody (yallw = psallo) originally referred to plucking the strings of a lyre. In our usage it means to sing to the accompaniment of a harp or similar instrument. It is the word from which psalm is devel-oped.

The words to the Lord show that these songs of praise do not need to be heard by men. They may thus be private and personal or public and corporate. The issue is to whom, not before whom. Jerome makes an interesting comment on this verse. He says, “Let young men hear this: let those hear it who have the office of singing in the church, that they sing not with their voice, but with their heart, to the Lord; not like tragedians physically preparing their throat and mouth, that they may sing after the fashion of the theatre in the church. He that has but an ill
voice, if he has good works, is a sweet singer before God.” 

The Control of the Spirit is Manifested by Giving Thanks 5:20—How can one give thanks for all things when all things include unpleas-ant things? It is easy to thank God for the pleasant things of life, but it is another matter to thank Him in the midst of suffering. And yet, when men are controlled by the Spirit, this is not only possible but normal. The Spirit controlled believer knows “Behind a frown-ing providence, He hides a smiling face.” So many are His bless-ings brought by adversity that the Spirit controlled believer is not prone to hang his harp on the willows but rather strikes up a con-cert of praise. Remember those Spirit motivated apostles who, while in prison with their feet in stocks, were heard at midnight praying and singing hymns of praise to God? This counsel to give thanks in all things could well be understood to be the advice of those who expect perfection if we did not have the living example of Paul who practiced it himself. 

The Control of the Spirit is Manifested by Being Subject 5:21—Paul now introduces a concept that permeates the entire household of husband and wife, parents and children, slaves and masters— mutual deference, dependence, and service—in short, submission. Success in the home comes only when our own insistence on personal rights is surrendered for those of others. Submission to one another is placed on the highest footing: mutual submission of all to the headship of Christ.

The word submit (upotassw = hupotasso) is found about twenty-three times in Paul’s writings. In each case it denotes sub-ordination to those who are worthy of respect because of personal virtue or position held. Without submission, anarchy prevails, whether in the family, the church, or the state. And why does the Christian render such submission? The answer is easy: out of respect (fear) of Christ. 
Specific Duties of Personal Conduct 5:22-6:9

The Duties of Husband and Wife 5:22-33

AS PERTAINS TO THE WIFE 5:22-24 

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the hus-band is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” 

The Responsibility of Submission 5:22—these words about the submission of the wife to her husband must be viewed from the correct perspective. Christianity elevated the wife; it did not relegate her to a place of subservience.When a woman became a believer, her status was raised from the comparative servitude she once knew as a citizen of the Greek-Roman world to the new freedom of Christianity. Pagan civilization put women behind the plow—Christianity has always freed women.

The relationship of the Christian husband and wife, children and the parents, the slave and the master, Christian and govern-ment, and Christian to Christian is always triangular. The triangle involves the two human entities and God. Motivation and direc-tion always come from God. It is the inclusion of God that makes Christianity unique and distinguishes it from the moral standards of the gentile world. Codes of domestic behavior are found in Colossians 3:18-4:1, I Timothy 3:4, 12, 5:14, 6:1-2, Titus 2:1-10, I Peter 2:13-3:7. We could represent this graphically as follows.

 

The words be subject are in italics, meaning there is no counterpart to them in the Greek text. Literally, we have “Wives, to your husbands ” It is correct to insert the words be subject because of their appearance in verse 21. Verse 21 spoke of the subjection to be found among all Christians, and now Paul focuses on a particular aspect of that submission to be found in marriage.

The words to your own husbands show that Paul is emphasizing to whom submission should be given. The verse is speaking of a woman’s responsibility to her husband. Paul is not implying that women are inferior to men nor that all women should be subject to all men.

What do the words as to the Lord mean? They do not mean that a woman should give her husband the same deference she gives to the Lord. They do mean submission to one’s husband is the duty owed to the Lord. 

 

The Basis of Submission 5:23-24—The word as shows the hus-band-wife relationship is based on an analogy. Christ is to the church what the husband is to the wife. I Corinthians 11:3 reveals God’s hierarchy. God is over Christ and Christ is over man and man is over woman. It is important to remember that hierarchy does not mean superiority of nature or character. The point is this: God has order in everything He does. Believers should have the highest view of marriage. It is the earthly illustration of the rela-tionship that exists between Christ and His church. Marriage is defined in the most sublime terms. It it compared to the marriage of the Lamb to His bride!

The word subject (upotassw = hupotasso) was a military term meaning to line up in order. The issue is orderliness, not superiority. Two ideas are stressed in the analogy. Christ is head and savior of the church (direction and deliverance); so the husband is head and savior of the woman (direction and deliverance). The word savior is never used in the New Testament of any other than Christ or God. The responsibility of the husband, however, is analogous to that of Deity, though certainly to a much lesser degree. 
AS PERTAINS TO THE HUSBAND 5:25-31 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,because we are members of His body. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.” 

As the duty of the wife is submission, so the duty of the husband is love that answers to the love of Christ exhibited in the giving of Himself for us. If Paul places the duty of the wife on such a high level, the obligations of the husband are no lower. There are five major aspects of this love. 

His Love is to be Realistic 5:25a—Verse 25 leads us into the con-cept of reciprocal relationship; each owes something to the other. In the Greek-Roman society it was recognized that wives had duties to their husbands, but it was not recognized that husbands had duties to their wives. In assigning responsibility to the hus-band, Christianity was introducing a revolutionary approach to marriage. The single word submit summarized the duty of the wife; one single word summarizes the duty of the husband, love.

The husband’s love is rooted in his response to the love of Christ for us. No husband who is a stranger to the cross of Christ can truly love his wife. He has no motivation higher than her own merits, and the union of the two is only mundane; it is devoid of the highest divine blessing. Christ reminded the disciples of His love repeatedly as seen in John 13:34, 15:9, 12. Christ loved the church, not because it was lovable, but in order to make it such. So the husband is to love his wife with the same noble purpose. 

His Love is to be Sacrificial 5:25b—It is extremely important to understand that the primary thrust of this passage pertains to Christ and His church. Understanding of the husband-wife relationship is born of a knowledge of Christ and the church. The doc-trine of the church is the foundation upon which the Christian view of marriage is based. The primary reference of the pronoun her is the church; the secondary reference of her is to the Christian wife.

The analogy of the husband’s love for the wife is strengthened in that the word church is feminine gender. These words of Paul show us that Christian doctrine is the foundation of Christian con-duct. Were it not for the church, the wife would have no pattern to follow in obeying the command to submit in verse 22. In a day so oriented to Christian counseling and psychology, one should bear in mind an important fact: Biblical teaching concerning marriage is not psychologically based; it is doctrinally based! It is a sad commentary that a believer with a marriage problem will often consult a psychologist before a Bible teacher. Psychology, even Christian, can assault the sufficiency of the word of God. 

His Love is to be Purposeful 5:26-27—In these two verses Paul digresses from the subject of marriage in order to dwell on the pur-pose of Christ for the church. This is doubtless triggered by the word church in verse 25. Christ’s purpose for the church is stated three times in these verses (see the word that in English or the Greek ina clause.)

His Love is to be Unreserved 5:28-30—The word so signals Paul’s return to his analogy between Christ and the church and the hus-band and the wife. Christ does not love the church as though it were His body; He loves the church because it is His body. The husband’s love is derived from the oneness of marriage. The one-ness is so strong that to love her is to love himself.This stands in strong contrast to the way a wife was treated in a pagan society wherein she was regarded as a piece of property only. The words no one ever hated his own flesh mean it is as unnatural not to love one’s own wife as it is to hate oneself. The word nour-ishes means to supply nutriment (food), and cherishes means to supply warmth. When Paul speaks of husbands loving their wives as their own bodies, does he mean as they love their own bodies or does he mean as being their own bodies? The latter seems better because the church is truly the body of Christ.

To speak of a man loving his wife as his own body is a signifi-cant concept. Altruism is the unselfish concern for others and is the opposite of egoism. From a biblical standpoint, however, a husband’s love for his wife is not altruism for she is to be regarded as an extension of himself. Since this is the case, a man who does not love his wife does as much damage to himself as he does to her.

The statement no one ever hated his own flesh is the death knell of ascetic practice. Severe treatment of the body is condemned by the New Testament as unnatural and has no place in Christianity (Colossians 2:23). Christians are never called upon to walk upon a bed of nails as a means of gaining control of one’s life. Paul’s self-discipline of I Corinthians 9:27 falls into an entirely different category.

Paul bases his appeal to the husband on the same principle as his appeal to the wife. Wives are to obey their husbands as the church obeys Christ. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. In each case, a relationship to the Lord is assumed. Without this, the exhortations are without meaning.

His Love is to be Exclusive 5:31—This is the most foundational statement found anywhere in Scripture concerning God’s plan for marriage. Adam regarded Eve as “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.” The marriage tie takes precedence over every other rela-tionship and for this reason is to be regarded as inviolable. The verb shall cleave (proskollaw = proskollao) literally means to be glued to but is used figuratively in the New Testament to mean to be faithfully devoted to. Polygamy, divorce, and adultery have no place in New Testament Christianity. Marriage is not the extension of an old home but the establishment of a new one with its own separate and independent existence.

Jesus quotes this verse from Genesis 2:24 in Mark 10:7-9. He uses it to teach that marriage is a lifelong union. He does so by adding to the words from Genesis His own interpretation of its meaning saying, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” The permanency of marriage parallels the perma-nency of the believer’s relationship to Christ. Lifelong marriage teaches the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. Need we argue that there is no divorce of the believer from the body of Christ?

AS PERTAINS TO THE MYSTERY 5:32-33

“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³²Nevertheless let each individual among you also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see to it that she respect her husband.”

The word great does not point to intensity but to magnitude. It has been paraphrased “it is of far-reaching importance” and “has many implications.” It is a mystery in the sense of being wonderful truth hidden in Christ and not revealed until Christ came to die for, sanctify, and glorify His bride, the church. Verse 33 summarizes the whole matter. Paul’s readers may not understand all that is involved in the mystery, but the essential truth Paul is trying to convey is found in this verse.

The Duties of Children and Parents 6:1-4

THE CHILDREN 6:1-3 

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise). ³that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.” 

Commanded 6:1-2—First, the children are addressed directly.  These words are not a message to be delivered by parents to the children; the noun children assumes they were present and listening when this letter was read. Paul does not speak about the children but to the children. This assumes the children were interested in hearing what Paul was saying. Paul offered the children the same thing, in the same form, that he offered their parents—the word of God. Nehemiah 8:1-3 makes the criteria for listening to God’s word ability to understand, not age. It is important to note that Paul lifts the common relationships in life to celestial heights. Christ and the church is the heavenly relationship that becomes the pattern for the husband-wife relationship, and now it becomes the pattern for the child-parent relationship.

Second, the children are addressed doctrinally. The words this is right assume the children have been taught moral absolutes. They were aware their conduct could please or displease God (Colossians 3:20). It is important to remember in our day that our children will not learn moral absolutes from school, television, or any other part of their environment except home. Third, the children are addressed scripturally. The words are taken from Exodus 20:12. The word honor covers more than obedi-ence; it refers to the respect given to those who are placed over us by God.

The word obey (upakouw = hupakouo) is literally to listen from under. It incorporates obedience and more—taking advice. Isaac’s willingness to be sacrificed is a model for this kind of submission (Genesis 22). Parents includes both husband and wife, but verse 4 turns to Fathers. Once the headship of the husband is understood, the reason for this arrangement is clear. He does not act in place of the wife, but she is represented by him as the family head.

What do the words in the Lord mean? Paul has a Christian home in view as he writes these words. A Christian home knows no conflict of loyalties among any of its members. There is no family problem that is beyond cure when each member is submissive to the Lordship of Christ.

One thing cannot be said too often or too forcefully. Christian parents should teach their children never to marry an unbeliever. There are two compelling reasons for this. First, if one does not marry a believer, one does not have a Christian home. Second, we are taught that as Christians God is our heavenly Father. A young lady should remember that the man she marries will be her chil-dren’s image of God. To marry an unbeliever robs one’s unborn children of a Christian mother or father.

In what sense does verse 2 contain the first commandment with promise? Paul probably has more in mind than chronological sequence when he speaks of first commandment with promise. The idea of priority is prominent. Disobedience in children is a symp-tom of a disintegrated society (Romans 1:30, II Timothy 3:2). Paul’s teaching in these two verses is based on spiritual relationship, moral perception, and scriptural teaching. 

Promised 6:3—In what way does obedience to parents con-tribute to long life on earth? Is it not possible that heeding parents good advice will prevent one from engaging in some of the excess-es that shorten life? For example, what parent has not discouraged using drugs, tobacco, or alcohol, all known to be life shortening? 

THE FATHERS 6:4 

“And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” 

Here is another revolutionary concept concerning the family. In the Greek-Roman world, the father’s authority was held to be absolute; but here we are taught that the feelings of the children are to be considered. Colossians 3:21 warns of the results of unrea-sonable demands—the child loses heart. If children must obey, then parents must deserve that obedience. Psalm 127:3 tells us children are a heritage of the Lord. Training them, therefore, should be done out of a sense of responsibility to the Lord. 

On the Negative Side of Things 6:4a—Provoke…to anger is one word in Greek (parorgizw = parorgizo) and means to provoke by being overexacting. 

On the Positive Side of Things 6:4b—The word bring them up (ektrefw = ektrepho) means to nourish the body. In a wider sense it refers to providing total education. Parents may not be the direct instrument of their children’s total education, but they are fully responsible for it. As a practical matter, three rules must be remembered in parenting.

The word instruction (nouqesia = nouthesia) is literally to place in one’s mind. In usage it refers to correction by word of mouth. Reproof is implied, but so is encouragement.

• Let a Child Know What is Expected.

• Let a Child Know Why this is Expected.

• Let a Child Know the Consequences of Disobedience, and Always Follow Through!

The Duties of Slaves and Masters 6:5-9

THE SLAVE 6:5-8 

“Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. ⁷With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.” 

That which is learned in childhood prepares us for success or failure in adult life. The requirement for the servant is the same as for the child. Those who successfully meet the requirements of childhood also meet the requirements of later life.

What is the biblical perspective on the social conditions of the Roman Empire, particularly with regard to the subject of slavery? The word of God does not state its approval of slavery, nor does is suggest, or even imply, the revolt of slaves. The New Testament clearly teaches servants to be good workers and continue in sub-mission to their masters

Why does the New Testament do this? Being a slave was no dis-advantage in living for the Lord, and living for the Lord is all that counts. If the believer’s life honors Him in every respect, then all is well. How does the New Testament teach this? It shows that a master can be served as unto the Lord. God’s word did not free the slaves who were believers; it rather gave them new motives for being good slaves.

One’s job on earth, whatever it may be, is related to the tempo-ral order of things, but how it is performed has eternal impact. Servants had masters according to the flesh, which shows how truly limited their slavery really was. The quality of their work and ulti-mate reward comes, not from their masters, but from the Lord (6:8). The fear and trembling refers to the deep desire to be a good ser-vant. There is nothing wrong with anxiety to do a job well. The effort must be sincere and not performed by way of eyeservice. This is a single Greek word (ofqalmodoulia = ophthalmodoulia) that conveys several ideas. First, it denotes the performance of a job only when the master is looking. Second, it may also refer to doing a job in order to gain the master’s attention. Either of these two ideas shows we are serving man, not God, and are unacceptable motives for service. Notice that Paul teaches that doing our job well is identical to doing the will of God. Final and full compensation comes, not from the master, but from the Lord. Eternal reward is unrelated to earthly compensation, but the quality of work put forth on earth has direct bearing on that eternal reward. The earthly employer of the believer is only the agent through which the Lord Himself is served. Full-time Christian service is for everyone, and to regard a job as secular is sinful. The service of a believer as a check-out clerk in a grocery store is as holy and God-honoring as the missionary to a foreign land. 

THE MASTER 6:9 

“And, masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” 

The early church did not have many people of great promi-nence nor many slave owners (I Corinthians 1:26-29). However, there were some, and it is noteworthy that Paul did not exhort them to release their slaves. They were rather instructed in right treatment of them. Paul wrote a personal letter to Philemon at Colossae about receiving back Onesimus, his fugitive slave.

The master is to practice what has often been called “the golden rule”—“do the same things to them (as you would have done to yourself).” They are to give orders as ones who are themselves under a master. The slave and the master are equal on one major point: both diligently seek to do the will of God. Cruelty was the watchword of many masters, and the slaves had no legal recourse. Christian masters should stand in complete contrast by treating their slaves kindly and fairly. Anything incon-sistent with their heavenly Father should be rejected. Both slave and master must know that there is no partiality with God. The word (proswpolhmyia = prosopolampsia) is literally to receive face or looking upon the face of someone to determine how they are to be treated. Both slaves and masters are precious to the Lord and their treatment of one another should reflect this.