Straw And Wheat

by Caldwell, H. | Category: For Young Believers | Nov 1957

"Of making many books there is no end" (Ecclesiastes 12.12).

Thus wrote the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem, in a day long past. How much more so today is this true as we contemplate the well-stocked shelves of the many libraries in our midst, catering for the literary needs of all readers ! In addition there are the many thousands of booksellers seeking to supply the needs and demands of an insatiable public.

Without doubt, the Holy Scriptures themselves should take priority over all other reading matter, however excellent the latter may be. What a place of exaltation the word of God occupies! "For Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name," said the psalmist (Psalm 138.2). The word of the LORD to Jeremiah was, "He that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not My word like as fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23.28, 29).

Jeremiah lived in a day of false prophets, and many false voices were raised in opposition to the true word coming from God Himself. The word of the LORD is likened to precious wheat from which the staff of life, bread, is made, without which man cannot live. The words of men are likened to straw, which is only good for the burning, or the feeding or bedding of animals.

Peter says, concerning the new birth, "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth" (1 Peter 1.23), and in chapter 2.1, 2, he exhorts thus: "Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation."

The Lord Jesus replied thus to the tempter, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4.4), words already written in Deuteronomy, showing plainly that man is absolutely dependent upon God for the spiritual sustenance found in His word. Happy is the man of whom it can be said, as it was of Timothy, "From a babe thou hast known the Sacred Writings, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3. 15).

Jeremiah could say, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy words were unto me a joy and the rejoicing of mine heart" (Jeremiah 15.16). Something of the blessedness of this was enjoyed by the Psalmist, who said, "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart" (Psalm 119.111). The testimony of David to the judgements of the LORD was, "More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psalm 19.10).

Alas! a time came when, following the example of the mixed multitude, God's people, the Israelites, fell a-lusting after the fleshpots of Egypt, and they despised the good food God had given them, calling it " this vile bread."

And are there not many today answering to those against whom Paul warned Timothy, saying, "The time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts : and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables " ? In contrast to this we read in Isaiah 66.2, "But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word." The writer to the Hebrews lamented, "When by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food" (Hebrews 5.12). There was manifest among them a lack of spiritual growth, a failure in seeking to attain to "the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4.18, 14).

Some may say that the reading of novels and the perusal of the pernicious doctrines of religious cults have no harmful effects. They may confidently affirm that they are so strong spiritually that they are immune from any evil effect. This is far from the truth and the practice reveals an inward weakness, for "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?" (Proverbs 6.27, 28).

Wheat needs much beating out before its goodness can be assimilated. Happy is he who can truly say, "I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil " (Psalm 119.162). No other book can claim the excellencies, power and virtues of the word of God. In it is God's dynamite, the Gospel which has the unlimited power of God behind it (Romans 1.16). It enlightens the eyes of the heart and acts upon our lives as a cleanser when heed is taken thereto.

Thy word is light, its beaming rays

Do cleanse and sanctify our ways,

Conforming us to Thy blest Son,

The undefiled, the spotless One."

It can penetrate the very depths of our being which are inaccessible to all other words. Satan knows its power and when quoted to him it made him fly (Matthew 4.4, 7, 10, 11). It is eternal. It must come to pass (Jeremiah 1.12).

Let us then remember that to feed on the word of God is to feed on Christ, for He is the Eternal Word who "became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1.14), the One in whom God has spoken (Hebrews 1.2). "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2.9). What an abundant feeding pasture for those who are His! What a wonderful heritage we have in the written Word of God, the only book upon this earth that contains unadulterated truth from cover to cover

"THY WORD IS TRUTH" (John 17. 17).

And as we scan each sacred page,

May lowly thoughts our mind engage;

Thoughts of Thy love, Thy gift, Thy Son,

Who died for us by sin undone."

"And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing that when ye received from us the word of the message, even the word of God, ye accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe"'

(1 Thessalonians 2.13).

Caldwell, H. | Nov 1957
For Young Believers