Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Putting Hand to the Plow and Looking Back
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Ecclesiastes 7:5-14
Solomon's fifth piece of wisdom in this chapter is that we must not let pride get the better of us by allowing ourselves to reject correction from a person we know has experience in a difficulty we are going through (Ecclesiastes 7:5-6). If we fail to humble ourselves in such a case, we will likely later regret passing off the correction as nothing more than arrogant interference. That can be a major misjudgment, as Proverbs 11:2 bluntly reminds us, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” A sixth piece of Solomonic sagacity appears in Ecclesiastes 7:8, where he reminds us not to let impatience defeat us. When a trial is resolved, we will be glad we stuck with it. Impatience is a restlessness of mind that can easily become anxiety-ridden. It rises when we want to put an irksome and perhaps dangerous task behind us. Peace departs and the quality of our involvement in the situation dwindles. We so easily become frustrated and angry when things seem stacked against us. Some trials must be endured for long periods, often the case in relationship problems. Thus, Proverbs 11:12 cautions, “He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his peace.” A seventh nugget of sound advice: Do not look back, bemoaning one's commitment to God's way of life (Ecclesiastes 7:9-10). Solomon directly states that is not wisdom. Wisdom is to keep plowing forward as one's best defense. Jesus says in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” He adds in Mark 4:17 that some called ones have no root in themselves and so endure only for a while, and when tribulation and persecution arise they stumble. We must continue forward, though it is difficult at times, because it will pay off handsomely in the end. A final item of wisdom appears in Ecclesiastes 7:13-14: We should never allow ourselves to lose sight of God. Paul promises in I Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” God—the same God who gives us days of prosperity—remains with us during adversity. In adversity, even though it appears dark and perhaps never-ending, He calls on us to use our faith.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Fourteen): A Summary
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Luke 9:57-62
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) renders verse 62, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's Kingdom." Plowing in Jesus' day was done, not with a tractor, but behind an animal, something we have little or no experience doing. Few of us have spent any time walking behind a plow—and a garden tiller does not count as a plow! What was it like trying to keep an animal-pulled plow upright and true? YouTube offers many videos of just this thing: people trying to hold a plow straight and keep a team moving forward. It does not look easy. If the plowman took his eyes off what he was doing, the plow would fall over. So, once a farmer became proficient enough to hold the plow up and had the animals trained to move ahead, he would have to keep his eyes fixed on the end of the row to plow a straight line. Back in the day, Farmer John would send his son or his hired hand out to plow a field. He would come by later to check on him and perhaps find the furrows crooked. The plowman had started plowing but perhaps kept looking back. He was not committed to the task at hand or was not focused on the goal. Hebrews 10:39 (CEV) reads, "We are not like those people who turn back and get destroyed. We will keep on having faith until we are saved." Are God's requirements too exacting and difficult for us? Are we committed to the way forward, or are we spending time looking back?
Mike Ford
How Expensive Is Your Religion? (Part One)
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Luke 14:26-27
When embarking on a quest, we must first "count the cost," as these verses are often labeled. In verse 28, Christ speaks of a building project, and before he starts, the intelligent builder sits down and figures out what it will cost. Does he have enough to finish it? He also uses the illustration of a king going to war. He must first look at his resources and ask if his 10,000 men can conquer the enemy with 20,000. About these verses, commentator Matthew Henry points out that "we must consider the expenses of our religion." Expensive means "involving a high price or sacrifice." Is our calling worth our jobs, our families, our lives? Have we truly counted the cost? Have we ever wanted something and then decided it would take too much effort to acquire it? Ultimately, we decided it was not worth it; it was just too expensive! Maybe we desired something and were willing to move heaven and earth to get it. We would work long hours, perhaps take on another job, study, skip meals, lose sleep—we would do whatever it took. Where does the Kingdom of God fit? Is it "not worth the effort," or does it merit the sacrifices? Now, we cannot "earn" our salvation. Remember, however, that Christ says in Luke 9:62, "Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn't worth a thing to God's Kingdom." Once we start down this road to the Kingdom, we must keep moving forward and not look back. We are all aware that salvation is a gift and not earned by any works, but we should also know that God requires our complete obedience and cooperation to receive this gift (see John 14:15; I Corinthians 7:19; Matthew 19:17; I John 2:4; 3:4; 5:2-3; etc.). In Matthew 10:34-39, Christ warns His disciples that persecution will come and that they will have to make hard choices: Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. In some cases, to answer God's call will involve leaving family and friends behind, perhaps symbolically, perhaps literally.
Mike Ford
How Expensive Is Your Religion? (Part One)
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