The Grands Letter (Eccl/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on November 21, 2022 5:43 am (CST)Dear Grands,
Ecclesiastes 5:6-7, “Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.”
Have you ever made a mistake? To ask the question is indeed to answer it: of course you have! So have all of us. Mistakes occur when we are distracted in our speech or in our writing. I made one today! Laugh at me if you will, but it’s the truth. What’s more, what I said was true; it was simply misaddressed. What can be worse than that?
There are intentional wrongs and unintentional wrongs. Saying nothing when you sense the urgency of the Holy Spirit to speak up is certainly wrong. Don’t be afraid. Say what you know the Holy Spirit is leading you to say.
Saying something when the Spirit’s urging is for us to refrain from speaking, however, is also wrong. Some of us are inclined more to speak than others. Still, acting as the Spirit leads is always the correct action to take.
When Joseph’s brothers returned to their father from visiting Joseph (Gen. 43:12), they discovered double the amount of money in their sacks, it was called an “oversight” ((????????? mishgeh), a possible mistake.
Solomon warned against challenging the “messenger of God,” saying such was a mistake (???????? Shegagah) (Eccl. 5:6). We should always take extreme care in exercising such challenges. Far better that we simply ask for a clarification of what was said.
But, if you are waiting for an explanation of my admitted error, it is surely enough that I admit to its commission. I will not embarrass myself further.
The lesson is for each of us that we not rush to judgment on anything! The chances are that we will simply make everything worse.
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America
“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom
