"God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to
the man who pleases Him, while to the sinner is given the trouble of
gathering and amassing wealth only to hand it over to someone else
who pleases God. This too is emptiness and chasing the wind."
(Eccles 2:26 NEB).
"And I myself have seen all the
hard work and all the proficiency in work, that it means
the rivalry of one toward another; this also is vanity and a
striving after the wind. The stupid one is folding his hands and is eating his
own flesh." (Eccles 4:4,5).
VANITY:
The futility, unreality, and emptiness of worldly wealth, political distinction,
mere human achievement. Works of devotion to an idol is worship of a human
instead of God, or working to create an image of oneself to have one's vanity
gratified by others. Such works are by a demonic spirit of uncleanness. To
assist in the creation and/or maintenance of the riches of this world on behalf
of the Godless is also vanity.
EXAMPLE:
All nations are at enmity with God and with each other because of their lawless
works. War is the outcome of such selfish ambition and rivalry. (See Gal 5:19-21 NEB).
Working directly or indirectly for the political "wild beast",
entrusting it with one's support, is admiring and worshipping it. This is
idolatry. (Rev 13:4,8). Those worshipping the "wild beast" or the
sectarian "false prophet" are not written down in the
"scroll of life". (Rev 19:20).
LABOUR:
Mental
and
physical
exertion.
Inactivity with reference to Godless labour assists in one's
sanctification before God. Physically or mentally exerting oneself to make
manifest the Will of God, while opposing "every lofty thing raised up
against the knowledge of God", is the ultimate beneficial labour. (2 Cor
10:4,5). An example of Godless labour that on the surface may appear
deceptively innocent is that of delivering mail. Such employment often includes
deliveries of mail to and from political parties and their members, sectarian
leaders and their congregations, to and from apostates, homosexuals, adulterers,
prostitutes, extortionists, fraudsters, thieves, and all celebrators of
Christmas and other pagan festivals: (i.e.) A postman (mailman). |
"I considered all toil and all achievement
and saw that it comes from rivalry between man and man.
This too is emptiness and chasing the wind. The fool
folds his
arms and
wastes
away. Better one hand full and peace of mind,
than both fists full and toil that is chasing the wind. Here again, I saw
emptiness under the sun: a lonely man without a friend, without son or brother,
toiling endlessly yet never satisfied with his wealth
'For whom', he asks, 'am I toiling and denying myself the good things of life?'
This too is emptiness, a sorry business."
(Eccles 4:4-8 NEB).
"For the Holy Spirit and we ourselves have
favoured adding no further burden to you, except these necessary things, to
keep yourselves free from things sacrificed to
idols and from blood and from
things strangled and from fornication. If you carefully keep yourselves from
these things, you will prosper. Good health to you!"
(Acts 15:28,29).
"If a brother or a sister is in a naked state
and lacking the food sufficient for the day, yet a certain one of you says to
them: "Go in peace, keep warm and well fed," but you do not give them the
necessities for their body, of what benefit is it? Thus, too, faith,
if it does not have works, is dead in itself."
(James 2:15-17).
"Let us pursue the things that make for peace
and build up the common life. Do not ruin the work of God
for the sake of food. Everything is pure in itself, but anything is bad for the
man who by his eating causes another to fall."
(Rom 14:19,20 NEB).
"And the wild beast was caught, and along
with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he
misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who
render worship to its image. While still alive, they both were hurled
into the fiery lake that burns with sulphur."
(Rev 19:20).
"Look! I am coming quickly, and the reward I give is with me, to render to each one as his work is."
(Rev 22:12).
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