The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Ecclesiastes 10:10,
"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success."
Solomon's proverb here points to the reality in this life under the sun, that accomplishing a task increases in difficulty when the tools required are not prepared, not adequate, insufficient. Additional strength and skill will be required. It is an obvious point and I suspect we all can relate to this all to well.
What this verse brings to my mind this morning, for whatever reason, is the atonement Jesus Christ made for our sins, redeeming us that we might have a place at the table of God's family. Did he have a sharp axe? Did he have to struggle because of some unforeseen lack so that additional strength, additional skill was required?
I have two thoughts about this. The first is that I am convinced the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us cost him dearly. He suffered the humility that only God could at assuming the role of man, a member of his own creation. In that role he died a miserable death, suffering horrifically. Compounding the physical, emotional and mental anguish that attended his sacrifice was the fact that he took on himself every rotten, stinking and filthy sin ever committed by every human being who ever existed or will exist. That which he abhors, that which is contrary to his own character and nature, that which he despises, he took on himself that we might have an opportunity to escape the wrath of God for sin. From this perspective, I believe Jesus Christ spared no effort in his desire to redeem us to make for himself a people.
The second thought I have is that our sinless Savior was fully equipped perfectly for the task he took on. Peter tells us, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:19. This ax had no need of sharpening. He was fully prepared, fully equipped, fully adequate in every way to secure our atonement for any and all sin for all time. What he wrought was perfection, as the writer of Hebrews says, "by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." Hebrews 10:14.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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