Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | May 1966

Solomon uses the word "better" more than any other writer in the Old Testament. It is found twenty times in Proverbs and twenty-four times in Ecclesiastes. Likewise, we find "better" more frequently used in the Hebrews than in any other New Testament book. Solomon begins in praising wisdom with the words:

"For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,

And the gain thereof than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies:

And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.

Length of days is in her right hand;

In her left hand are riches and honour.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness,

And all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:

And happy is every one that retaineth her" (Proverbs 3.14-18).

Wisdom is within the reach of us all. For, "If any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him" (James 1.5). James follows on, saying, "But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting." It is well that we should go in for this exchange of wisdom, for the exchange and the gain thereof are better than that of silver and gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies, and there is nothing that can be compared to her. She has length of days in her right hand, and in her left riches and honour. The believer has these in both hands. He has plenty of days in front, for even death, which is shunned and hated by the man of this world, opens the door to the believer to a life infinitely more extensive than he had ever known on earth, and in that life he has plenty of days to enjoy his riches and honour. That is the lack with men of this world, though they amass fortunes and have great honours conferred upon them, they have but a few days afterwards to enjoy these. The believer in Christ is different. His life and riches and honour are in another country, that is, a heavenly.

Solomon also said, "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith" (15.17).

Here he shows that the heart is more important than the stomach. When the heart finds a true object of affection the mind has a continual feast, and this is better than having a full stomach with mental bitterness.

Then he says, "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice" (16.8).

Again, "Better it is to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud" (16.19).

And again, "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (16.32).

In each of these statements, Solomon deals with the mental effects of doing what is right, rather than having great unjust revenues, dividing spoil with the proud, and being mighty and taking a city. One can quickly grasp that he is dealing with peace of mind rather than being great in material things.

He says, "Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith, than an house full of feasting with strife" (17.1). Here again, it is the mind and peace therein that he exalts rather than having the stomach well filled and strife therewith.

We have by no means exhausted what Solomon has said is "better".

We pass over many other things that Solomon says are better as to moral values, and turn to the "better" things of the epistle to the Hebrews, in which there are thirteen uses of the word "better". These are on a higher plane than those with which Solomon deals, especially in the book of Ecclesiastes, where he deals with things under the sun. The first use of "better" in Hebrews is in Chapter 1.34. "When He had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become by so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they." When He rose from the dead and ascended on high to the throne of God, He became so much better than the angels because He inherited a more excellent name than theirs, which is the name of Son. This name was His before He came to earth; indeed, it was eternally His name, for it tells of His eternal relationship to the Father. This was proclaimed by David in Psalm 2.7,

"Thou art My Son;

This day have I begotten Thee."

Paul, when he wrote to the Hebrews warning them against apostasy (Hehrews 3.12; 6.6), said that he was persuaded better things of them, and things that accompany salvation (6.9). Believers in Christ cannot apostatize from salvation, that is salvation from hell, for they are standing on the Rock which is Christ, but they can fall away from the things that accompany salvation, and it is of this falling away that Paul warns the Hebrews.

In Hebrews 7.7, it says that "without any dispute the less is blessed of the better". "The less" is Abraham, and "the better" is Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High, who 'was made like unto the Son of God and abideth a priest continually.

In Hebrews 7.19 we read of the "bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God". This Hope is Christ the High Priest in God's presence for the people of God. It is the same hope as in Hebrews 3.6, "But Christ as a Son, over His (God's) house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end." This hope is also referred to in Hebrews 6.18-20: "That by two immutable things (the promise and the oath), in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us; which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil; whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a High Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." This has been called the going-in hope. That of Titus 2.13 is the coming-out hope.

The Lord is not only our Hope; He is also the Surety of a better Covenant, the New Covenant (Hebrews 7.22). A surety is a sponsor who solemnly promises for another. Thus the Lord as High Priest is responsible to God to see that what is promised in the New Covenant is duly carried through. He is also the Mediator of a better Covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. The contrast drawn here is between the New and the Old Covenants-

The heavenly things have been cleansed with better sacrifices than the sin offerings which cleansed the sanctuary and its vessels on the day of atonement (9.23).

We have in heaven a better possession and an abiding one (10.34).

There is also a better country, that is a heavenly (11.16). Martyrs sought a better resurrection (11.35), and some better thing is provided for us of this dispensation (11.40). Christ's sprinkled blood speaks better than the blood of Abel's sacrifice (12.24). Thus the glory of better things flashes

forth from the Hebrews.

J. Miller | May 1966
Jottings