You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
15 Shall
the axe [garzen] boast [pa'ar] itself
against him that heweth [chatsab] therewith? or
shall the saw [massowr] magnify [gadal] itself against him that shaketh [nuwph] it? as if the rod [shebet]
should shake [nuwph] itself against them that lift
it up, [ruwm] or as if the staff [matteh] should lift up [ruwm]
itself, as if it were no wood. [`ets] KJV-Interlinear
15 Is the
axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself
over the one who wields it? That would be like a club wielding those who lift
it, Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood. NASB
The axe, the saw, the rod, the staff are all tools used by a person who uses these tools for his purpose.
The axe is wielded by the axe-man, not the other way around.
The saw is moved back and forth by the saw-man not the other way around.
The rod is lifted by the person holding it, the rod does not lift the person up and move the person.
The staff is handled by the person who is not wood, and not the other way around. The staff does not handle the person.
To presume these things in reverse, would make all things natural, un-natural. It would make things that are inanimate as thinking creatures that handle the person rather than tools for a persons use.
And so Assyria in its arrogance, and anyone for that matter, who makes God out to be the object of their use, or themselves the instrument of their own bidding, is reversing the natural order or things and of life.
God is the author and finisher of life. God defined and designed the divine plan that we call the divine decrees, and in those decrees He creates and takes life in accordance with His will. He made provision for history and individuals in accordance with His will. God, namely Jesus Christ, controls history, not man.
Man may have his own designs on life and history, but God has seen it all, and has made provisions such that evil will not reign over the world.
God placed people into history, who would see things, discover things, invent things, innovate things, and so forth.
God brought together people and circumstances that would preserve and perpetuate history.
God designed history to serve truth, with a destiny of freedom and liberty and eternal life and more.
Man views history from an evil perspective, from the short term satisfaction of personal or lustful pleasures and physical wants and needs.
Assyria did not see their role in history as a tool of God to correct the spiritual back sliding of Israel, but as an agenda of their own design for wealth and power and lusts of every sort.
That is how most folks view their life. Everyone wants more, now, and they plan their life from weekend to weekend, from job to job, from working years to retirement years, with every thought looking at their life in this world only. Sometimes there is an afterthought of heaven and such, but mostly people think little of heaven or God except for their own personal view of themselves and how their righteousness and sincerity are sufficient.
Or as with the Assyrians, people think only of their gains, or revenge, or hate, or getting ahead at the expense of others, or they are consumed with their self-image, self-pity, self-denial, and so forth. That leaves us with the full range of human attitude and philosophy or beliefs that mostly have nothing to do with God or reality.
God is the craftsman, we are the tools.
The craftsman uses you in accordance with His choosing and liking. You as a tool do not use Him or choose your own use.
God created history in order to allow people from all successive generations, to learn of Christ, to learn of doctrine, to advance in their spiritual life, such that they will have a wonderful life forever with Him.
Satan has tried to upset this plan by destroying everything. Most people do the same with their indifference or hate or complaining or lusts, etc.
You can look in the mirror and ask yourself, 'What have I done, what am I doing, to promote Gods plan for myself and/or for others?' Or, 'Am I just too full of myself and thinking only of myself?' 'I am a tool, therefore what is my use?'
And the answers are as many as there are people.
Some innovate things that help others. Some pay money that helps others. Some create business or jobs. Some create entertainment. Some change diapers and training. Some build. Some do other things. Most do a number of things that are a part of their life.
But all must and should study Gods word, Bible doctrine, in order to receive their own training and understanding and comprehension of what exactly their life is meant to be.
For without the foundation of doctrine in the soul, which comes only from a consistent daily study, then there is nothing with which to understand or orient to life.
Without trials and errors in life, there is no understanding of the pitfalls of life, no empathy, no humility.
Without the application of truth to ones daily life, there is no production, no use, no value in ones own essence.
You are an incomplete person until you learn doctrine, until you use doctrine, until you grow up in your spiritual life. And that includes learning and knowing your place in life as God has designed for you, not as you have designed for yourself.
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