illustrating, "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are with out water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, with out fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots." The word "spots" here really means sunken or hid den, unchartered rocks and shoals. Some time ago I read about a ship pilot on the St. Lawrence sea way who had worked for many years in that area. At his retirement reporters interrogated him asking, "After so long a time on the sea way, you must know now where all the dangerous rocks are." With a smile the seasoned sailor re sponded confidently, "No, sir! Al though I have been at it for more than 30 years I cannot tell where the dangerous rocks are. The only thing I do know is where the deep water is. I just try to keep my ships in those channels." When we con sider all of the things that would threaten our Christian faith today, we cannot begin to know or to un derstand what each of them means. But we can have complete con fidence launching out into the depths of God's goodness, mercy and grace. These apostates are spots and severe blights on the testimony of God's Word. They are unchartered rocks which Satan would seek to use to bring us to defeat. What a contrast such apos tate rocks are compared to the Lord Jesus Christ who is truly the Rock of our salvation. There are those who have fallen away from the faith who are also described as "clouds without wa ter." Reflecting on God's guidance for Israel during the wilderness march, we are recalling the cloud Page 44
that followed them by day, as well as the pillar of fire by night. God, I believe, gave that cloud not just simply for means as guidance, as miraculous as that is in itself. The Lord also knew that they needed the covering to provide shade in the midst of the hot and depress ing way. "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain" (Proverbs 25:14). The other thing we learn here is that they are like "trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots." What a picture of complete devas tation. It is time for the fruit to be harvested but there is nothing there. Besides that, the tree is dead. Worthlessness is written over the scene. But compare that to the lush vegetation which typifies the one who is really following God's will and way. The Psalmist says> "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water... his leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he do- eth shall prosper." Jesus warned of the danger of being trees that are twice dead. The illustration continues in verse 13 as these apostates are described as being, "Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is re served the blackness of darkness for ever." Now these teachers may be very gifted; they may have very polished abilities; they may have tremendous power. And yet, apart from God's truth, they are simply raging waves of the sea. Isaiah ob served, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest. There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked." The other illustration concerns
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