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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Commandments sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. The theme uses a figure of speech, hyperbole, to emphasise the importance of the Commandments or Word of God in the life of the believer. A hyperbole is an intentional exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally; thus, although honey is sweet, the commandments of God are sweeter than honey. Although gold is precious, the commandment of God is more precious than gold. Psalm 19:7-14 praises God’s written word, describing it as perfect, sure, right, pure, and clean, bringing life, wisdom, joy, and enlightenment. The passage emphasizes that God’s instruction is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey, provides a warning against presumptuous sins, and ends with a prayer for the words of the mouth and meditations of the heart to be acceptable to God, who is the servant’s strength and redeemer. 

Beloved in the Lord, the declaration that “Commandments sweeter than honey and more precious than gold” can only come from a person who has benefited from the immeasurable value of obeying the commandments of God. In Psalm 19:10, the Psalmist declares that the Commandments of the Lord are “precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. (Psalms 19:10). Gold signifies wealth, while honey signifies abundance and pleasure. Every human being’s natural inclination is to be wealthy and live in abundance and pleasure. The desire to have wealth and to live in abundance with endless pleasure is what drives many people to work day and night or continuously pursue all forms of academic and professional certificates. Again, the same desire to be wealthy and live in a state of abundance and pleasure makes others engage in criminal enterprises and immoral acts. The fact is that whether we own wealth or we live in a state of abundance and pleasure through whatever means, we shall leave them behind, or they will become meaningless to us. Wealth and a life of abundance and pleasure are ephemeral or temporary. They do not have eternal value. No wonder King Solomon, who was fabulously wealthy and lived in the state of abundance and pleasure, confessed, “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What do people gain from all their labours at which they toil under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3) In Ecclesiastes 2:18-19) Again Solomon said, I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish? Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19)

Dear friend in the Lord, the only gain we have in all the gold and honey we have toiled for is that we only own and enjoy them during our short life or limited time on earth. Wealth, abundance and pleasure do not have eternal value. It is for this reason the Psalmist said the Commandments of God “…are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey… By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:10-11) In other words, the Psalmist is averting our minds to the fact that the Word or Commandments of God have both existential and eternal value. Jesus again reminded us of the eternal value of the Word of God over wealth, abundance and pleasure when He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35)

Beloved in the Lord, I encourage you to work hard to make wealth and live in a state of abundance and pleasure, but remember, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Mark 8:36-37) Certainly, our gold (Wealth) and honey (abundance and pleasure) cannot give us eternal life. They only have God’s blessings on earth. “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-25) In addition to the Psalmist’s declaration that the Commandment of God is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey, Jesus also admonished us to “…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) We can only seek His kingdom and his righteousness when we accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour and live a life of obedience to the Word or Commandments of God. When we make the Word of God the centre of our lives, then we can always pray with the Psalmist, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14). Beloved in the Lord, the Psalmist did not say “May these wealth of hands and this abundance and pleasure of my handwork be pleasing in your sight” Haggai 2:8, already remind us that ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty (Haggai 2:8) Again, God said to Moses concerning the Israelites who were enslaved in Egypt, “I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). In other words, gold and honey are for God but what is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey is obeying God’s commandments. The Psalmist, said, by the Commandments of God, “….your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:11). We have great assurance of prosperity and security in obeying God’s Word when Joshua said to the Israelites, “…be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:8-9)

In summary, we have discovered that gold (wealth) is precious and honey (abundance and pleasure) is sweet, but the Commands of God (life) are more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. Again, we have discovered that wealth, abundance and pleasure are good, but they do not have eternal value. Even as we work hard to create wealth, abundance and pleasure, let us remain obedient and devoted to the Commandments of God, for they have eternal benefit. Shalom.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit grant us the strength to make wealth that gives abundance and pleasure, but more importantly, enable us to live a life of obedience to the Word of God that leads to eternal life.