Confessions of a Church: A Dull Axe
The Psalm writer wrote: Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received. This is the word of God. It is eternally true and applicable for all of life.
Ecclesiastes 10:1-10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
I watched an old MMA fight the other day between a man named Bob Sapp, and another named Antônio Nogueira. Bob Sapp is a former NFL football player, 6 ft something, well over 350 lbs. His style could be categorized as that of a bruiser, a brawler. His sheer size, strength, and athleticism made it difficult for many of his opponents to find an advantage against him. Nogueira was primarily a practitioner of BJJ. Also over 6 ft tall, probably weighing 120lbs less than his opponent Bob Sapp, Nogueira was a tactician, highly skilled in his art. It looked like a match between David and Goliath.
From the outset of the fight it was apparent what Sapp's game plan was: to pound Nogueira into submission by using brute force. Over and over during the course of the fight Mr. Sapp repeatedly assaulted Nogueira with a barrage of haymakers, using his inhuman strength to wrestle the physically inferior man to the ground. This went on for several minutes, with Nogueira seemingly unable to do anything to counteract the pounding he was taking, or for him to go on the offense in any way.
Then it all became very clear: Mr. Nogueira was executing his strategy perfectly. While Sapp was expending vast amounts of energy in his attempts to deliver a knockout blow, Nogueira was biding his time. After what seemed like a lopsided match, Nogueira absorbed all the reckless, one dimensional violence his opponent could muster up, then with minimal effort of his own, caught Bob Sapp in a technique called the Kimura, a shoulder lock, and submitted his opponent.
What is the point?
If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
How often do we flail away at some problem, some obstacle, some besetting sin, like a Bob Sapp?
Your child has been disobedient for weeks on end. They backtalk. They shirk their responsibilities. They show themselves to be lazy, and not manage their time well. You've told your wife to get a handle on it. One day, you're mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, or playing minesweeper on your phone, and are interrupted by the sound of children fighting. "I have had enough!" is your response, so you recklessly issue a flurry of corrections in a shotgun blast fashion, nailing your kids in every conceivable way. "That'll teach them", you say, not realizing that they will just take their next fight out of earshot, because unlike you and your solutions, they are strategic about their sinning.
You watch as our Nation goes up in flames, politicians engage in a power grab, your workplace becomes an increasingly oppressive place to work, and you respond by railing all over the internet, boisterously voicing your opinion at work, grumbling against this decree, and that statute. You have no real strategy, except to vent your frustrations across every medium possible, in the process making yourself out to be a very visible target for the Eye of Big Government.
Maybe you are cage stage in regards to some theological position, and your wife has not been so enlightened. Day after day, week after week you assault her position, her conscience, with all the precision of a 3 year old playing "whack a mole" at Chuck E. Cheese. "How can you not see this?" you ask. What she hears is "How can you be so dumb?"
For you, perhaps your issue is some sin which has it's hooks in you. In an attempt to root it out, you box the air without aim. With a flurry of activity, outwardly cleaning the cup, you assault the indwelt sin with all the vigor of Bob Sapp pounding Nogueira's face, in your own strength, not realizing that you are falling right into the trap.
Have you ever split wood before? The times I have split wood in the past, I typically used a tool called a maul, which is slightly different than a traditional axe. Designed to split wood rather than to chop down a tree, it is more akin to a sledgehammer, with an axe head on one side. Having a dull blade sometimes results in the maul bouncing off of it's intended target, or not cleanly passing all the way through the wood to be split. The duller the blade, the more force that is required to split the wood. The more force needing to be applied, results in more energy being used, and an increased chance of an injury to yourself.
In a like manner, when confronting an obstacle, whether it be sin, out of control magistrates, a spouse with a differing theological position, or a disobedient child, wisdom is a necessary ingredient to any approach you take.
Rather than going at the problem with a dull axe which winds up battering and bouncing off of it's intended target in a flurry of activity, approach the issue with a precise, thought out, well planned strategy which is grounded in the truth of God's Word. It isn't enough to know what the truth is, then use the truth in a reckless way. One must know the truth, and how to apply it in it's proper context and timing. That is wisdom, and it greatly improves your chances for success.
Wisdom does not come naturally, but as a result of the new birth, as one is transformed in the renewing of their mind. Just as a world class fighter must know and practice correct, effective techniques, repetitiously building upon a solid foundation, the disciple of Christ cannot expect to be able to effectively apply God's Word without a solid foundation, with a fear of the Lord as the starting point of all their spiritual endeavors.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
— Proverbs 9:10
A fear of the Lord comes with a proper understanding of who God is, and who we are in relation to Him, which is only possible for one who has been born of the Spirit. The natural man has no fear of God before his eyes.
God is; He is self sustaining; He needs nothing from His creation.
God is Holy, Holy, Holy; He is set apart, with thoughts and ways which are too lofty for us to grasp.
God is perfect, sinless, completely righteous; He is pure, unstained, undefiled.
God is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent: He is all powerful, knows everything, and is everywhere at the same time.
God hates sin; God hates workers of iniquity.
By comparison, we are merely worms.
This stark contrast ought to foster a fear of the Lord in one who has been born again, yet sometimes life, the cares of the world, and sin, blind us and we become like a dull axe.
"I read God's word all the time, and love it, I just don't understand how to apply it to my situation".
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
— James 1:5-6
Faith is a key ingredient in obtaining wisdom.
"I'm a new Christian."
Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
— 1 Peter 2:2-3
New Christians ought to have a diet rich in the milk of God's Word. I have observed many a young man slide down every deep theological rabbit hole they can find, yet have little understanding of the basics of the Christian faith.
"I've been a Christian for a long time, I have a lifetime of wisdom. What can anyone teach me that I don't already know?"
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
— 1 Corinthians 10:12
Brothers and sisters, the difference between wisdom and folly, is the difference between having knowledge coupled with an understanding of it's application, exercised in faith: versus, blindly making war with partial knowledge void of an understanding of how it applies to your context, absent a fear of the Lord and faith in Jesus Christ.
Let us repent of our pride, which cometh before the fall. At this time, if you are able, please kneel as we pray.
Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
We come before You this morning in need of Your Wisdom from on high.
Father, far to often we toil and labor in our own strength, believing that our creaturely wisdom will suffice to carry us through the day of adversity.
How foolish we become when we exchange your truth for lies.
Father, please forgive us for not fearing You as we ought, for thinking that You are like us.
Forgive us for not remembering that Your ways, and Your thoughts, are much higher than ours.
Forgive us for not trusting in You with all our hearts, leaning instead upon our own understanding.
Help us Father to be like Your Apostle Paul, who did not aimlessly box at the air, but always hit the intended target.
Help us to make war against sin, confront worldly obstacles, discipline our children, and lovingly correct error, with Your Wisdom as our guide.
It's in Jesus's name we pray, Amen.
Please stand and listen to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to his church:
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
To all those who thus repent and seek Jesus Christ for their salvation, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lift up your hearts!
(From the 09/28/2021 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.)