281 "We all know how silver seams the rocks, we've seen the stuff from which gold is refined, 2 We're aware of how iron is dug out of the ground and copper is smelted from rock. 3 Miners penetrate the earth's darkness, searching the roots of the mountains for ore, digging away in the suffocating darkness. 4 Far from civilization, far from the traffic, they cut a shaft, and are lowered into it by ropes. 5 Earth's surface is a field for grain, but its depths are a forge 6 Firing sapphires from stones and chiseling gold from rocks. 7 Vultures are blind to its riches, hawks never lay eyes on it. 8 Wild animals are oblivious to it, lions don't know it's there. 9 Miners hammer away at the rock, they uproot the mountains. 10 They tunnel through the rock and find all kinds of beautiful gems. 11 They discover the origins of rivers, and bring earth's secrets to light. 12 "But where, oh where, will they find Wisdom? Where does Insight hide? 13 Mortals don't have a clue, haven't the slightest idea where to look.
14 Earth's depths say, 'It's not here'; ocean deeps echo, 'Never heard of it.' 15 It can't be bought with the finest gold; no amount of silver can get it. 16 Even famous Ophir gold can't buy it, not even diamonds and sapphires. 17 Neither gold nor emeralds are comparable; extravagant jewelry can't touch it. 18 Pearl necklaces and ruby bracelets - why bother? None of this is even a down payment on Wisdom! 19 Pile gold and African diamonds as high as you will, they can't hold a candle to Wisdom.
20 "So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? 21 It can't be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. 22 If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, 'We've only heard rumors of it.' 23 "God alone knows the way to Wisdom, he knows the exact place to find it. 24 He knows where everything is on earth, he sees everything under heaven. 25 After he commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters, 26 Arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning, 27 He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready. 28 Then he addressed the human race: 'Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord - that's Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.'"
291 Job now resumed his response: 2 "Oh, how I long for the good old days, when God took such very good care of me. 3 He always held a lamp before me and I walked through the dark by its light. 4 Oh, how I miss those golden years when God's friendship graced my home, 5 When the Mighty One was still by my side and my children were all around me, 6 When everything was going my way, and nothing seemed too difficult.
7 "When I walked downtown and sat with my friends in the public square, 8 Young and old greeted me with respect; I was honored by everyone in town. 9 When I spoke, everyone listened; 10 they hung on my every word. 11 People who knew me spoke well of me; my reputation went ahead of me. 12 I was known for helping people in trouble and standing up for those who were down on their luck. 13 The dying blessed me, and the bereaved were cheered by my visits. 14 All my dealings with people were good. I was known for being fair to everyone I met. 15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, 16 Father to the needy, and champion of abused aliens. 17 I grabbed street thieves by the scruff of the neck and made them give back what they'd stolen.
18 I thought, 'I'll die peacefully in my own bed, grateful for a long and full life, 19 A life deep-rooted and well-watered, a life limber and dew-fresh, 20 My soul suffused with glory and my body robust until the day I die.' 21 "Men and women listened when I spoke, hung expectantly on my every word. 22 After I spoke, they'd be quiet, taking it all in. 23 They welcomed my counsel like spring rain, drinking it all in. 24 When I smiled at them, they could hardly believe it; their faces lit up, their troubles took wing! 25 I was their leader, establishing the mood and setting the pace by which they lived. Where I led, they followed.
131 The congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers: Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. 2 One day as they were worshiping God - they were also fasting as they waited for guidance - the Holy Spirit spoke: "Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do." 3 So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off.
4 Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus. 5 The first thing they did when they put in at Salamis was preach God's Word in the Jewish meeting places. They had John along to help out as needed. 6 They traveled the length of the island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard 7 who had worked himself into the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily taken in by charlatans. The wizard's name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a corkscrew. 8 But Dr. Know-It-All (that's the wizard's name in plain English) stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. 9 But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the eye, said, 10 "You bag of wind, you parody of a devil - why, you stay up nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. 11 But now you've come up against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind - no sunlight for you for a good long stretch." He was plunged immediately into a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show him the way. 12 When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master.
13 From Paphos, Paul and company put out to sea, sailing on to Perga in Pamphylia. That's where John called it quits and went back to Jerusalem.
14 From Perga the rest of them traveled on to Antioch in Pisidia. 15 After the reading of the Scriptures - God's Law and the Prophets - the president of the meeting asked them, "Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement, perhaps?" 16 Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said, "Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. 17 God took a special interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. 18 He took good care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness 19 and then, having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of Canaan for their very own - 20 a span in all of about four hundred fifty years. 21 But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, 22 God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: 'I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.' 23 "From out of David's descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he promised - 24 but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. 25 As John was finishing up his work, he said, 'Did you think I was the One? No, I'm not the One. But the One you've been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to appear. And I'm about to disappear.'
(Read Acts 13:1-3)
What an assemblage was here! In these names we see that the Lord raises up instruments for his work, from various places and stations in life; and zeal for his glory induces men to give up flattering connexions and prospects to promote his cause. It is by the Spirit of Christ that his ministers are made both able and willing for his service, and taken from other cares that would hinder in it. Christ's ministers are to be employed in Christ's work, and, under the Spirit's guidance, to act for the glory of God the Father. They are separated to take pains, and not to take state. A blessing upon Barnabas and Saul in their present undertaking was sought for, and that they might be filled with the Holy Ghost in their work. Whatever means are used, or rules observed, the Holy Ghost alone can fit ministers for their important work, and call them to it.
(Read Acts 13:4-13)
Satan is in a special manner busy with great men and men in power, to keep them from being religious, for their example will influence many. Saul is here for the first time called Paul, and never after Saul. Saul was his name as he was a Hebrew; Paul was his name as he was a citizen of Rome. Under the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, he gave Elymas his true character, but not in passion. A fulness of deceit and mischief together, make a man indeed a child of the devil. And those who are enemies to the doctrine of Jesus, are enemies to all righteousness; for in it all righteousness is fulfilled. The ways of the Lord Jesus are the only right ways to heaven and happiness. There are many who not only wander from these ways themselves, but set others against these ways. They commonly are so hardened, that they will not cease to do evil. The proconsul was astonished at the force of the doctrine upon his own heart and conscience, and at the power of God by which it was confirmed. The doctrine of Christ astonishes; and the more we know of it, the more reason we shall see to wonder at it. Those who put their hand to the plough and look back, are not fit for the kingdom of God. Those who are not prepared to face opposition, and to endure hardship, are not fitted for the work of the ministry.
(Read Acts 13:14-31)
When we come together to worship God, we must do it, not only by prayer and praise, but by the reading and hearing of the word of God. The bare reading of the Scriptures in public assemblies is not enough; they should be expounded, and the people exhorted out of them. This is helping people in doing that which is necessary to make the word profitable, to apply it to themselves. Every thing is touched upon in this sermon, which might best prevail with Jews to receive and embrace Christ as the promised Messiah. And every view, however short or faint, of the Lord's dealings with his church, reminds us of his mercy and long-suffering, and of man's ingratitude and perverseness. Paul passes from David to the Son of David, and shows that this Jesus is his promised Seed; a Saviour to do that for them, which the judges of old could not do, to save them from their sins, their worst enemies. When the apostles preached Christ as the Saviour, they were so far from concealing his death, that they always preached Christ crucified. Our complete separation from sin, is represented by our being buried with Christ. But he rose again from the dead, and saw no corruption: this was the great truth to be preached.
