“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.” (Da 4:27 AV)
Daniel was called upon once again to interpret a dream for Nebby. Nebby dreamt of a great tree that was cut
down leaving only a stump. After seven
years, the stump grew again into a mighty tree.
The interpretation is that God was about to humble Nebby. Nebby would be inflicted with a psychological
affliction wherein he thought and acted like an animal grazing in the open
fields. This torment would continue for
seven years until Nebby humbled himself before the God of heaven. Daniel’s advice here is very bold. To tell a world dictator that he as a sin
issue is very bold. However, Nebby is about
to go crazy. So what could Nebby really
do? The advice is good advice for
everyone. Our sin is horrible and robs us
of the blessings of God. To overcome sin
is very simple. One must break off sin
by righteousness. Sin cannot be seen
apart from righteousness. They are not mutually
exclusive. They are polar
opposites. One must replace the
other. There is no neutral position
between the two.
I grew up in apple country. The
western half of N.Y. state is replete with apple orchards. It is not uncommon to see more apple orchards
than cornfields. During my childhood,
one of our school field trips was to a cider factory. We were treated to a tour of the orchard and
witnessed the process of peeling, crushing, and squeezing out the cider. Nothing like fresh cider! From time to time, as one is driving around,
an orchard would be seen with nothing but stumps. These stumps were about four to six inches in
diameter. All cut to about six to twelve
inches from the ground. Fields of
them. Seemed very odd. However, once discovering the purpose for such
a sight, it made complete sense. The
farmer would grow crab apple trees. As
the crab apple tree got to a certain size, he would cut it down and leave the
stump. Then, he would graft in a variety
of trees that would produce far more edible fruit. Being familiar with crab apple trees, I know
they grow like weeds. They are extremely
hardy. Hence the grafting in of more
delicate trees. The root system of the
crab apple withstands attacks by insects and disease. However, the fruit is extremely sour and only
attractive to wildlife. The evil crab apple
tree had to be broken off by the good tree of the Macintosh. If not completely broken off and replaced by
a better tree, the crab apple would return.
The only way to defeat the crab apple is to break it off and replace it
with something far better.
The same is true with our sin.
It isn’t enough to just quit. Sin
must be broken off by doing the opposite.
If we want to overcome an evil disposition, then being kind is the only
way to do it. If we want to overcome
sins of the flesh, then using our time and resources to feed the spirit is the
only way. If we want to overcome sins of
the heart, cutting off evil desire and feeling by seeking that which pleases
God is the only way to have success.
Think of chopping down that crab apple.
Write ]righteousness’ on the handle.
Note that every blow of righteousness causes the sin of the crab apple
to grow weaker. Eventually, it will fall
and a permanent state of righteousness will take its place.
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