Bible Talk

Wisdom is the principal thing,.... Or principal, one; the principal of persons and things; the principal of persons, angels or men: Christ is superior to angels, having a more excellent name and nature than they; he is the God, the Creator, and head of them, and is above them in the human nature; he is superior to men, to the greatest of men, he is King of kings and Lord of lords, and to the best of men the saints. Are they kings? he is their King: are they priests? he is the great High Priest: are any of them prophets, teachers, shepherds? he is the great Prophet in Israel; a Teacher, that never any taught or spoke like him; the chief Shepherd and Bishop of souls: is the church a family? he is the Master of it: is it a body? he is the Head: is it a building? he is the Foundation and Corner Stone; yea, the chief Master Builder. He is the beginning and chief of all God's ways, and the chief in them; in election, in the council of peace, and covenant of grace; in redemption and salvation, in grace and glory; he is all in all. Or the words may be rendered, "Wisdom is the beginning" (q); so Christ is called, Colossians 1:18; a phrase expressive of his eternity, and of his being the first cause and author of all things, both in the old and new creation. Or thus, that which is "the beginning of wisdom get" (r), &c. which is the fear of the Lord; see Proverbs 1:7;

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground, &c.—"Immediately" the seed in such a case "springs up"—all the quicker from the shallowness of the soil—"because it has no depth of earth." But the sun, beating on it, as quickly scorches and withers it up, "because it has no root" (Mr 4:6), and "lacks moisture" (Lu 8:6). The great truth here taught is that hearts superficially impressed are apt to receive the truth with readiness, and even with joy (Lu 8:13); but the heat of tribulation or persecution because of the word, or the trials which their new profession brings upon them quickly dries up their relish for the truth, and withers all the hasty promise of fruit which they showed. Such disappointing issues of a faithful and awakening ministry—alas, how frequent are they!

Ecclesiasticus 42:7

[7]Deliver all things in number and weight; and put all in writing that thou givest out, or receivest in.

l's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The sower soweth the word. Though our Lord thought fit to give the above gentle rebuke to his disciples for their dulness; yet he condescends to favour them with an interpretation of the above parable, which here begins: by this it appears, that the seed in the parable, before delivered, and which fell on different sorts of ground, is the word of God, which was preached to hearers of different dispositions: the word is the word of life and truth; the word of peace and reconciliation; the word of faith and righteousness; the word of salvation; the word which publishes and declares all these to be in and by Jesus Christ.

fruits meet for repentance

are the same as "works meet for repentance", ( Acts 26:20 ) and as a tree is known by its fruit, so repentance is known by good works; these are the fruits and effects of repentance, and which are proofs with men of the sincerity of it. Those which follow upon evangelical repentance are such as are mentioned in ( 2 Corinthians 7:11 ) . Now let it be observed, that John insisted upon repentance, and a good conversation, attesting the truth of it as necessary prerequisites to the ordinance of baptism; and so Peter first urged repentance; and then proposed baptism, ( Acts 2:38 ) from whence one should think it may be rationally and strongly concluded, that none but truly repenting sinners, and such who have given proofs that they are so, are to be admitted to this ordinance.

Mark 4:19

And the cares of this world,.... The perplexing and distressing cares of it to get as much of it as they can, for themselves and families, fill their minds, and possess their souls even when and while they are hearing the word: and the deceitfulness of riches; or riches which are deceitful, especially when trusted in, and being obtained, they do not give the satisfaction they promise: and the lusts of other things entering in: carnal desires after other objects, which are pleasing to the sensual mind, entering into their hearts, and gaining, the ascendant there: choke the word, and it, becometh unfruitful; these being more attended to than the word is, that is quite lost, and becomes useless, and unprofitable.

Ezekiel 36:24-32

Reader! pray read over again and again those sweet promises; Are they not like the Chapter of the grapes of Eshcol? And oh! how truly blessed to the souls that have partaken of them in the Lord Jesus! Every word is full of grace, and rich with mercy. First, the Lord will gather his redeemed to himself. This begins the promise. Are they scattered far and near? Then will he gather them from all lands. And where will he bring them? Into their own land. And if the Reader would see how the Lord will do it! let him turn to one scripture to see how. Eph_1:10. And to another scripture to discover the cause why. Jer_32:40. Well; but when they are brought, what will the Lord do for them; and what will he do to them! These sweet verses declare. Are they polluted? They shall be washed from all their filthiness, in the blood of Jesus; Have they hard hearts? The Lord will soften them. Are they ignorant? The Lord will put his spirit in them. Are they impoverished and poor? The Lord will greatly multiply them. And what shall be the blessed effects of this bounty? They shall remember themselves, and loath themselves for all the evil they have committed, Sweet consideration! Nothing short of a spirit of grace in the soul can induce a self-loathing, for sin in our nature. And on what account is it that the Lord doth all these things to Israel? Because they are Israel his people, his redeemed, his chosen, His own sake, his glorious name’s sake, is the sole cause, and his own glory. No merit, no sorrow, no repentance; nothing in them moving the Lord to it. No not even their misery: for his love, and the glory of his name, preceded even their being. Precious salvation of a precious precious Saviour!

Matthew 5:31

[31]It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

2 Samuel 11:1-13

GIVING REIN TO SELF-INDULGENCE

This was not an isolated sin. For some time, backsliding had been eating out David’s heart. The cankerworm takes its toll before the noble tree crashes to the ground. See Psa_51:8. Joab and his brave soldiers were in the thick of a great conflict. Rabbah was being besieged and had not fallen. It was a time when kings went out to battle, but David tarried at home. It was a fatal lethargy. If the king had been in his place, this sin would never have besmirched his character.

A look, as in Eve’s case, opened the door to the devil. “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.” However great our attainments and however high our standing, we are all liable to attack and failure; but when we abide in Christ, no weapon that hell can forge can hurt us. When we have sinned, our only safety is in instant confession. This David delayed for a year and till forced to it. He was more eager to evade the consequences than to deal with his transgression. Sober David was far worse, here, than drunken Uriah. The singular self-restraint of the soldier threw the sin of the king into terrible and disgraceful prominence.

Antiquities of the Jews Book 5 Chapter 2 #7  After this, the Israelites grew effeminate as to fighting any more against their enemies, but applied themselves to the cultivation of the land, which producing them great plenty and riches, they neglected the regular disposition of their settlement, and indulged themselves in luxury and pleasures; nor were they any longer careful to hear the laws that belonged to their political government: whereupon God was provoked to anger, and put them in mind, first, how, contrary to his directions, they had spared the Canaanites; and, after that, how those Canaanites, as opportunity served, used them very barbarously. But the Israelites, though they were in heaviness at these admonitions from God, yet were they still very unwilling to go to war; and since they got large tributes from the Canaanites, and were indisposed for taking pains by their luxury, they suffered their aristocracy to be corrupted also, and did not ordain themselves a senate, nor any other such magistrates as their laws had formerly required, but they were very much given to cultivating their fields, in order to get wealth; which great indolence of theirs brought a terrible sedition upon them, and they proceeded so far as to fight one against another, from the following occasion: -