Under the heading “history” there are six columns in this book. Let me give you a quick smattering – “History is but the unrolled scroll of prophecy” – James A. Garfield (20th President of the United States). Someone else added,“the historian is a prophet looking backwards.” President Garfield may be the source of this quote as well: “History is constantly repeating itself, making only such changes of programme as the growth of nations and centuries requires.” And this is his as well: “The world’s history is a divine poem of which the history of every nation is a canto and every man a word. Its strains have been pealing along down the centuries, and though there have been mingled the discords of warring cannon and dying men, yet to the Christian philosopher and historian … there has been a divine melody running through the song which speaks of hope and halcyon days to come.” These pricked my attention, and I did a little research on President Garfield. Not only was he the second sitting president to be assassinated, but he had also been a preacher in a “Christian Church,” and a teacher of classical literature. His history is undoubtedly worthy of a little more investigation and study.
Now we come to the sort of quotes that I was first looking for. The often quoted Goethe (Gu-ta) once said, “SINS write history: goodness is silent.” Gibbon, the author of the “Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire” wrote, “History is, indeed, little more than the register of the CRIMES, FOLLIES, and MISFORTUNES of mankind.” And Voltaire wrote, “History is little else than a picture of HUMAN CRIMES and MISFORTUNES.” A fella named George Santayana is created with saying first: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This of course, has been repeated by hundreds of prominent people since.
Keeping these last few thoughts in mind, we come back to the eternal word of God. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” We can, and should, learn from history – from the histories of Adam, Noah and Abraham, to the histories of Hitler, Stalin and Churchill. But those statements by Goethe (Gu-ta) and Gibbon are basically true – human histories are primarily the record of evil – wars, murders (like that of Garfield), famines and major disasters. On the other hand, what we find in the scriptures – the holy scriptures – much, much more than that. They are holy, just and good, and they are supremely important and beneficial as well. For every hour that we spend in the study of secular history, we should spend ten hours in the study of the Word of God. The first would not be wasted time, but the latter would be time better spent.
This morning I would like to begin with verse 4 and then start again in verse 1. Let’s think about the Principle, then the practice of that principle, concluding with its ultimate Paragon.
“For whatseover things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” The agnostic and the atheistic Voltaire might have spoken the very same words that Paul did. Edward Gibbon, the Protestant, former Catholic, and former Protestant, a deist might have written this. It is a very true, general principle. But Paul was not thinking about the histories, fictions or any of the writings of men. Even though he used the word “scriptures” which means little more than “writings” in Greek, he never intended it to mean anything less than the written Word of God. 51 times “graphe” is used in the Bible and not once does it mean anything else but the writings of Jehovah.
That is how the Lord Jesus used the word. “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” This is how Matthew, Mark, Luke and John used the word. “These things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.” This is how Peter used the word in the Book of Acts, and in his epistles. “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.” And this is how Paul used the word throughout his epistles including Romans. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Why should the scriptures be such a wonderful fountain of “learning?” Literally, a fountain of “doctrine”? Because it is a history which has not been written by corrupted and sinful men or with ulterior motives. The Bible is the Word of God, given to holy men of God by the direction of the Holy Spirit. The very words of the Bible are inspired by God, and are therefore exactly what we need. And the Bible is not just the record of the sins of man, but sometimes a record of the lives of God’s redeemed and righteous souls. David, Abraham, Daniel and Paul are not sports heros to be adulated, but saints of God to be emulated. And these four are just a smattering of the worthy men and women whose lives have been recorded for us.
These people and events are recorded for our learning, our patience, our comfort and our hope. Some of their sins are recounted, reminding us that we too are sinners. And yet, we see the grace of God as well. Some people’s trials are recorded in order to give us hope that the Lord will deliver even us. We have prophecies, teaching us that all things will be made right some day soon. Through the scriptures we are even able to see the Lord Himself, out from the cleft of the rock.
The principle contained in this verse is that God’s Word is “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.” The “entrance of (God’s) words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” The Word of God was “written, that (we) might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing he might have life through his name.” “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Sometimes that is the kind of lesson which we need to learn from that which was written aforetime.
There are a thousand lessons that the scriptures have to teach us. But Paul uttered these words in regard to just one.
We begin by pointing out that there is not a person in this room who doesn’t have various infirmities. Infirmities refer to weaknesses. A typical example might be a weakness in health, but it extends to many other kinds of things. An infirmity might be a difficulty in reading or understanding a logical argument. An infirmity could be a particular area of temptation. To have a propensity to a particular sin, like lying, pride, greed or jealousy is not sin in itself. When that temptation is indulged the situation changes. An infirmity could be related to a person’s upbringing – his idolatrous parents and past. An infirmity might be a part of his character, such as a likelihood to become gloomy or volatile. We all have our share of infirmities. But as we mature, physically, emotionally and especially spiritually, these weaknesses become more and more under control. When someone does not or cannot control his infirmities, he proves himself to be immature. Of course, Paul is thinking of the infirmities related to some people’s religious practices and religious foibles. He is talking about those people with unbiblical dietary prejudices and regulations concerning days.
He is telling us that one of the lessons of the scriptures is to bear with and to carry the weaknesses of others. One of the lessons of the Word of the God is to put the needs of others before our own desires. Do you see the word “ought” in verse 1? “We then that are strong OUGHT to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” The way that it is worded seems to suggest that our bearing of these infirmities is optional. It isn’t. This is a common Biblical word which refers to a debt. Romans 13:8 – “OWE no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Luke 7:41 – “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one OWED five hundred pence, and the other fifty.” Just as Paul said “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise” – Just as we are debtors to the unbelievers, because we have received the gospel, and they haven’t, we are debtors to our weaker brethren, because God has carried us in our infirmities. Obviously, an infirmity is not the same thing as a sin. As I’ve been saying all along, eating or not eating meat is neither sin nor not sin. One way or another it is only an error arising from a misunderstanding. Bearing the infirmities of the brethren is one thing, but bearing the sins of others, takes us into a different situation entirely.
Paul, considering himself to be among the stronger saints, says that we are debtors to carry those infirmities. Even though the load might be heavy, we are not to please ourselves in this. How closely related is this to what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 16:24? – “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” We are to carry this sometimes unpleasant load, for the weaker brother’s good to edification. It is our responsibility to strengthen him with the intention to bring him up and through these things. The word “edification” refers to “building him up.”
Paul says, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,” with the intention to strengthening his argument in regard to these problems, but the scriptures of which he is thinking were actually more specific than that.
This scriptural reference was taken from one of the great Messianic Psalms. Psalm 69 is quoted and referenced on several occasions in the New Testament. David was slandered and attacked as the servant of the Lord, and as any Christian could very well be. But as the Holy Spirit directed David to write, he was clearly speaking about his Saviour. Every word of slander and every utterance of blasphemy against God the Father, fell upon the Son. In fact, it was not unintentional – there is a sense in which the Saviour picked up and carried those attacks. The Father hath committed all judgment unto the Son, and so all sin is against the Son as well. And even the reproaches which the wicked direct toward any of the saints are heard and felt by Christ. He said as much to Paul at the time of his conversion – “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?” Truly He is our shield and defender. The sins of the wicked in one way or another have all fallen upon the Son of God.
Christ Jesus pleased not Himself. Then Whom did He please? He came to do the will of His Father. He said to His disciples while at Jacob’s well – “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” In John 5 He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
In the midst of one of the most blessed statements the Lord ever gave He said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
There are men and women around the world today, who have had their sins forgiven. They have been regenerated by the grace and power of God; they are new creatures in Christ. Some of those God-blessed people are in this room this morning. And the reason that these things are so, is because Christ pleased not Himself, in the sense that He came to fulfill the will of His Father. And our reproaches, our infirmities under the curse, and even our sins were laid upon him. “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
There is a sense in which every sin ever committed has been felt by the infinitely holy God – including God the Son. But then there is another sense, in which Christ Jesus actually took up the sins of those He determined to save. He carried them on His back and in His heart to the cross, and He died under their weight. He pleased not Himself, but gave up His life for the ransom of those wretched sinners.
This is the ultimate example of bearing the infirmities of others. And we learn this lesson from the pages of the scriptures. If Christ can do these things for us, we ought to do the same, on a lesser degree, for others. That is Paul’s lesson to the saint.
Are you one of those saints? Have you experienced the Lord’s blessed salvation? If not, then you must repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.