“Delayed Punishment.”
Vanity of the sinner. 

“For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.”

Death comes to all the wicked and the righteous. As we look threw Ecclesiastes we see that this date of our demise is not known to any man.

For man, no matter weather he be rich or poor, bond or free, will not delay his death by any means.(There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit;) For only God can control death and life. (neither hath he power in the day of death:)

There is no man that can stop his death,(neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.) for he has no control of it, nor can he say to the Lord, I have been good, so let me not die.(and there is no discharge in that war;)

Can death then be delayed?

Yes but only for the righteous as stated in Deuteronomy 4:40.

“Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.”

But for the wicked there is no place in this blessing. For they do not keep the commandments of the Lord and neither do they believe in Him.

“All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.”

Mans life comes and goes, his legacy will endure but for a short time, and then he will be forgotten. I have seen this many times, in just my short life time. Mans glory is fleeting and short lived. One day the world loves him and the next the world finds someone else to adore.

“But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”

Where is mans glory when he enters into the grave? Where is mans power, his riches, and his prominence, when the worms consume the carcase?

Does the grave say to man, “I remember you. I remember your power, your glory and your prominence upon the earth. What shall you ask me to do?

Shall I make your death easier, better, shall I make the grave not cold, not so dark, or your stay shortened?

“And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done: this is also vanity.”

The wicked are consumed by themselves, their fall from grace is of their own doing, and there is none to aid them. The Lord has called, and the wicked would not answer, the Lord has ask to save them, but they refused His salvation. Will the sentence against the evil worker be executed speedily? Will the Lords last call for them bring down deserved punishment?

No, for a man has a time to live, and a time to die.

His time must be exhausted and then his punishment shall come and will not delay.

“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:”

The wicked may be a bond servant to the righteous and the righteous may be bond servant to the wicked, but the Lord knows who belongs to Him.

The righteous and the wicked work together, inhabit the same space, breath the same air, eat the same food, and drink the same water.

The wicked and the righteous share in the same coming of the dawn, and the falling of the night. The sun shines on both, the rain causes both to become wet, and the drought effects both, the stars of the heavens know not which is which, and shine as the Lord commands, but after, this is where the separation comes.

“There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.”

From the wicked comes, all evil done under the sun.

Rape, murder, theft, incest, and doctrines of devils.

Not knowing righteousness, nor the Lord.

Men seek their own and another mans possessions and power.

They seek only to satisfy themselves without regard to the hurt done to others and no regard to their delayed punishment.

You say; ”I've done none of these things, why then should I believe in God? Will He, if He exist, punish me also?”

Without Christ, He will punish, at His time of choosing.

For without faith it is impossible to please God. You must remember that all unrighteousness is punishable.

A liar is punished as a murderer, for there is not respect of person with the Lord.

All unrighteousness is sin, all unbelievers in Christ are included in unrighteousness.

“Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)

Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.”

Repentance is the only way to avoid this Delayed Punishment. Ars.

Webster,TSK. Ecc 8:7- 17

The Fire and The Shadow.

Many people are walking threw this life not finding pleasure nor an open door of compassion. Many are looking for something that will take away the pain of living. We all, at one time or another have been in this state, but we have found a release from this life of misery and pain, we have found a direction and an open door.

The Fire;

Trouble; affliction.

To set on fire, to kindle; to inflame; to excite violent action.

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”

This baptism spoken of in Matthew 3;11, is denoting a baptism of the spirit that is able to endure hardships and tribulation. Jesus warned us that we would be hated and tried, that being a follower would not be an easy task but that His yoke is easy and His burdens light.

The burdens of mankind, without Christ are heavy, this is where we see many people walking threw this life not finding pleasure, nor an open door of compassion. This is a miserable way to live.

We all, at one time or another have been in this state, but we have found a release from this life of misery and pain, we have found a direction and an open door.

The burdens that Christ spoke of was the burdens of carrying the Gospel, living what we testify to and walk as we ask others to walk.

Barnes states of these verses; The Rivers;(High Waters.) This is a general promise, and means that whenever and wherever they should pass through water or fire, he would protect them.

“When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt.”

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

The Fire; This is expressive of calamity and danger in general like passing through fire.

Gods protection falls upon those that believe in Him and believe upon His Son Jesus. Without protection from the fires and floods, men have no recourse but to endure the best that they can. This is where many will enter into depression and even co-mitt suicide. This world brings many burdens upon mankind, job loss, family disputes, debt, even pressure from government, bosses and every wind and doctrine that others place on them.

“As the Lord states of the unbeliever; Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

The Shadow.

Shadow; To overspread with obscurity. terrible darkness, trouble or death. (Speaking of Sin.)

Sin is an Inseparable companion to all men at one time or another. Even those who are rich are still a companion and slave to sin ans Satan. Without the Lord, all men live in a shadow, and all men live in the shadow of death, for it will come to all mankind.

Those of us who have accepted Christ as our savior, have learned, threw Him and the words of the Lord, to walk threw these shadows and even the fires of life. They are nothing but shadows, lies and ghosts of deception.

The Lord states of these shadows;

“For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.”

“There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”

“Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?”

“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned(To despise; to consider and treat as mean and despicable; to scorn.)

the counsel of the most High:

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.”

Mankind, even with all his troubles, still rebel against the Lord and His truth. They are prying the gates of Hell open for themselves, so they may enter. They have blinded themselves so they cannot see, and hardened their hearts so they cannot be saved. Their labour is heavy and their pleasures are an abomination. They kill each other with words and guns, not regarding life.

They despise the righteous and hate the believers.

Ars

Webster,TSK

Mat 3:11 Isa 43.Isa 43:2 Rom 9:18 Rom 9:15 Psa 107:8-12 Job 34:22 Job 38:17 Isa 22:5

The Upper Lower Middle Class.

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

Charge; To lay on, give or communicate, as an order, command or earnest request; to enjoin; to exhort.

An order, injunction, mandate, command.

^{We have seen in this last 100 years that the rich get richer and the poor suffer. The rich have taken to heart their ability to get gain from any source without regard to the hurt they deliver to the poor in this life.}

^{The Bible is clear on the state of the rich man, and their entrance into Heaven. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, “Verily(Of a Truth.) I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly(Scarcely; barely; almost not.) enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”}

^{“the eye of a needle.” Being loaded down with earthly wealth disreguarding the will of God, small gate where a camel had to be unloaded to pass, or a rope trying to be threaded threw the needles eye.}

^{We, as believers, have been given charge to, communicate, mandate, and or command, the rich not to trust in their uncertain riches but to put aside all reliance on their wealth, and seek out the provisioning from God.}

^{The Bible states that becoming rich in this life is not the intent of God, nor is it Godliness. For those that teach that it is godliness, we are to withdraw from them. The message of salvation is to save those that are lost and not to make them rich, this is a misunderstanding by many.}

^“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

^{Living a life in the truth of righteousness(godliness) is greater than all riches upon this earth, but with this we also must be content with that which the Lord has delivered unto us, as it states, godliness with contentment.}

^{This is where the rich have been snared, they are never content with what they have . They always desire more and more, not considering the Lord nor His commandments.}

^{For as it is written;}

^“For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

^{Are these my words or my opinion? No. These are the words of God, who knows the heart of all men.}

^“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Can the rich be saved? Yes. But they must rely upon the Lord, and think more of the one that allowed them to prosper than they think of their prosperity. To refuse is to seal their fate.

^{“ Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and [men] will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. Man [that is] in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts [that] perish.”}

Exodus 23:8; Deut 16:19; Prov 15:16; ^{Mark 4:18; Luke 8:14;Prov 15:16; Heb 13:5;Job 1:21; Job 27:19; Ps 49:17, 49:20; Prov 27:26; Ps 55:22; Matt 6:25; 1Pet 5:7;Prov 11:28; Matt 13:22; Jas 5:1; 1st Timothy 1-10 Prov 11:28; Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24;}