Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy 6:8
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
The apostle gives an account of the method God took to keep him humble, and to prevent his being lifted up above measure, on account of the visions and revelations he had. We are not told what this thorn in the flesh was, whether some great trouble, or some great temptation. But God often brings this good out of evil, that the reproaches of our enemies help to hide pride from us. If God loves us, he will keep us from being exalted above measure; and spiritual burdens are ordered to cure spiritual pride. This thorn in the flesh is said to be a messenger of Satan which he sent for evil; but God designed it, and overruled it for good. Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we should give ourselves to prayer. If an answer be not given to the first prayer, nor to the second, we are to continue praying. Troubles are sent to teach us to pray; and are continued, to teach us to continue instant in prayer. Though God accepts the prayer of faith, yet he does not always give what is asked for: as he sometimes grants in wrath, so he sometimes denies in love. When God does not take away our troubles and temptations, yet, if he gives grace enough for us, we have no reason to complain. Grace signifies the good-will of God towards us, and that is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort in all afflictions and distresses. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Thus his grace is manifested and magnified. When we are weak in ourselves, then we are strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; when we feel that we are weak in ourselves, then we go to Christ, receive strength from him, and enjoy most the supplies of Divine strength and grace. ~Matthew Henry Concise commentary |
Back now to the commentaries on tonight's verse.
Having food and raiment, let
us be therewith content - Αρκεσθησομεθα· Let
us consider this a competency. And it is evident
that the apostle considers this a competency, and by
these words explains what he said 1Timothy 6:6.
The word ακεπασματα, which we translate raiment,
signifies covering in general; and here means house
or lodging, as well as clothing. ~Adam
Clarke
Let us be therewith content
- there is very good reason why the saints should be
content; since more than these things cannot be
enjoyed; and these they have with a blessing, and as
a fruit and token of the love of God to them; these
were all that Jacob desired, Agur petitioned for,
and Christ directs his disciples daily to pray for;
and which to have, is to have enough, a proper
sufficiency and competency: the words may be
rendered, "we shall be content with them"; which the
apostle could say for himself, Timothy, and others,
who had been content, even when they wanted these
things. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions
read, "we are content"; and the Syriac version,
"food and raiment are sufficient for us"; and so the
apostle sets himself, and others, as examples of
contentment to be imitated and followed.
~John Gill
Let us go now to the Treasury of Scriptural
Knowledge
Genesis 28:12-22 ...notice the vow that
Jacob vows
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the
earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and
behold the angels of God ascending and descending on
it.
13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I
am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God
of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will
I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth,
and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the south: and in
thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the
earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee
in all places whither thou goest, and will bring
thee again into this land; for I will not leave
thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to
thee of.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said,
Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! this is none other but the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took
the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set
it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of
it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but
the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be
with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and
will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in
peace; then shall the LORD be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar,
shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt
give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
Notice the commentary on verses 20-22:
Jacob made a solemn vow on this
occasion. In this observe, 1. Jacob's faith. He trusts that God will be with him, and will keep him; he depends upon it. 2. Jacob's moderation in his desires. He asks not for soft clothing and dainty meat. If God give us much, we are bound to be thankful, and to use it for him; if he gives us but little, we are bound to be content, and cheerfully to enjoy him in it. 3. Jacob's piety, and his regard to God, appear in what he desired, that God would be with him, and keep him. We need desire no more to make us easy and happy. Also his resolution is, to cleave to the Lord, as his God in covenant. When we receive more than common mercy from God, we should abound in gratitude to him. The tenth is a fit proportion to be devoted to God, and employed for him; though it may be more or less, as God prospers us, 1 Corinthians 16:2. Let us then remember our Bethels, how we stand engaged by solemn vows to yield ourselves to the Lord, to take him for our God, and to devote all we have and are to his glory! ~Matthew Henry Concise commentary Quoted verse: 1 Corinthians 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. |
Genesis 48:13-15
13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right
hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his
left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought
them near unto him.
14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid
it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his
left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands
wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.
15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom
my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which
fed me all my life long unto this day,
Deuteronomy 2:7
...Israel in the
wilderness.
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the
works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through
this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD
thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked
nothing.
Deuteronomy 8:1-4
1 All the commandments which I command thee this day
shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and
multiply, and go in and possess the land which the
LORD sware unto your fathers.
2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD
thy God led thee these forty years in the
wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to
know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest
keep his commandments, or no.
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger,
and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not,
neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
the LORD doth man live.
4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did
thy foot swell, these forty years.
Proverbs 27:23-27
23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,
and look well to thy herds.
24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown
endure to every generation?
25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth
itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.
26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are
the price of the field.
27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy
food, for the food of thy household, and for the
maintenance for thy maidens.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26
24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he
should eat and drink, and that he should make his
soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that
it was from the hand of God.
25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto,
more than I?
26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight
wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he
giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he
may give to him that is good before God. This also
is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:25-33
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much
better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit
unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the
lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the
field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into
the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of
little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we
eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall
we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added
unto you.
Hebrews 13:5-6
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and
be content with such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper,
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
And be content with such
things as ye have - or with present things;
with present riches, or with present poverty; with
present losses and crosses; with present reproaches
and afflictions; and contentment with these things
shows itself by thankfulness for every mercy, and by
submission to the will and providence of God in
every state of life: and there are many things which
may move and engage unto it; as the consideration of
the state and condition men are in, when they come
into the world, and will be when they go out of it;
the will of God, and the disposition of his
providence according to it, which is unalterable; a
sense of: their own unworthiness; a view of interest
in God and Christ; and an eye to the recompense of
reward; as well as the many promises of God to
support and supply his: and among the rest, what
follows,
for he hath said, I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee - which is a
promise made to Joshua, and belongs to all
believers, Joshua 1:5 which may regard things
temporal, as that God will not leave his people in
the hands of their enemies, nor forsake them in
distress, nor withhold any good thing from them
needful for them, but will supply them with the
necessaries of life, with which they should be
content: and this passage is very pertinently cited
for this purpose, and could be easily understood in
this sense by the Hebrews; for the Jews explain such
places as speak of God's not forsaking men, of the
sustenance of them, as Psalm 37:25 and observe that
the word עזיבה, "forsaking", is never used but with
respect to פרנסה, "sustenance" (u); though the words
may also relate to things spiritual, as that God
will not leave them to themselves, to their own
corruptions, which would overpower them; nor to
their own strength, which is but weakness; nor to
their own wisdom, which is folly; nor to Satan, and
his temptations, who is an over match for them; nor
to the world, the frowns and flatteries of it, by
which they might be drawn aside; nor will he leave
them destitute of his presence; for though he
sometimes hides his face, and withdraws himself, yet
not wholly, nor finally; nor will he forsake the
work of his own hands, in them, but will perform it
until the day of Christ; he will not leave or
forsake them, so as that they shall perish; he will
not forsake them in life, nor at death, nor at
judgment. ~John Gill
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