For What Have You Left Your First Love?
(See Notes on Ecclesiastes Chapters 1 & 2 Below).
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars, and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Nevertheless, I have this against you, that “you have left your first love.”[1]
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Chapter 2 B. The
Message to Ephesus: The Church That Is Orthodox (Doctrinally Correct) but
Without Love, 2:1–7 |
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4. The Complaint: they had left their
first Love—Love for Christ and for the people (v.4).[2]
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1. The
recipients a. The messenger of
the church b. The Ephesian
churchhDS1 2. The
speaker: Jesus |
Unto the angel of the church of
Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his
right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; |
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3. The
commendation a. For works &
labor b. For
steadfastness c. For not tolerating
evil people d. For testing &
rejecting false apostles |
2 I
know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear
them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars: |
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e. For persevering &
not growing weary |
3 And
hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast
not fainted. |
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4. The
complaint: They had left their first Love—Love for Christ &
for the people |
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat
against thee, because thou hast left thy first Love. |
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5. The
counsel: Remember & repent—return to your first works &
former service 6. The
warning a. Your church, the
lampstand, will be removed |
5 Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of
his place, except thou repent. |
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b. Your doctrinal
purity is not enough |
6 But
this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also
hate. |
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7. The
promise: To the overcomers a. The tree of life
b. Paradise |
7 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God.[3]
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“Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). The censure of Ephesus was for leaving their first Love. In order to maintain their faithfulness and fidelity to the Lord, God’s people need to guard their Love for the Lord. Ephesus had failed to do this, and as a result, the church declined and eventually suffered Divine punishment by becoming a castaway. “First Love is … honeymoon love. It is the one thing our Lord wants more than anything else … A wife or husband, for example, may remain faithful and may give evidence of assiduity in matters pertaining to each other, and yet there may be a decline in first Love… sacrifice, even to the point of poverty and martyrdom, if it have not love, shall profit nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3) … Love is the first essential in Christian character, and when it commences to decline, the soul begins to drift” (Strauss).[4]
4 (2:4) Church—Love—Backsliding: there is the complaint. The church had lost its first Love. This probably means two things.
1. The
church and its believers had lost their feelings for Christ. The
Greek says, “your love the first [love].” Believers had left their first Love.
Christ was no longer first in their
lives. They were putting themselves and their own affairs first, and they were
putting the church first—the programs, services, ministries, and fellowship of
the church. They had become more attached to the church than they were to
Christ.
⇒ They
had lost their feelings of warmth and tenderness for Christ.
⇒ They
had lost their sensitivity to Christ, their fervor, spark, and unction.
⇒ They
were not fellowshipping and communing nor praying and sharing with Christ—not
like they did when they were first converted.
⇒ They
were not walking in consciousness and awareness of Christ’s presence, enjoying
and rejoicing in Him throughout the day.
Simply
stated, they were not having personal fellowship with Christ, walking and
sharing with Him like they once did. They were not as attached to Christ as
they had been. They were more attached to other things and other involvements
of life. They loved their church, they had the right beliefs, and they were
even ready to fight for the truth of Christ. But they did not love Christ, not
in a personal and intimate way, not to the degree that they walked and shared
with Him, fellowshipped and communed with Him all throughout the day, not in
the sense that they took blocks of time and got alone with Him and prayed and
shared with Him.
Thought 1.
Picture a young man who falls in Love with a young lady. He wants to spend time
with her and share with her. He wants to become attached to her and make her
first in his life. This should always be our desire with Christ.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the
love of many shall wax cold” (Mt. 24:12).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a
man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him” (Jn.
14:23).
“For the Father, himself loveth you,
because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God” (Jn. 16:27).
“Grace be with all them that love our
Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Ep. 6:24).
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in
whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory” (1 Pe. 1:8).
“Nevertheless, I have somewhat against
thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Re.
2:4).
“Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and
will sup with him, and he with me” (Re. 3:20).
“Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown” (Je. 2:2).
2. The
church had lost its Love for people. The church saw a rupture take
place in its fellowship and in its Love for one another. When the church was
first founded, a deep love existed among the members (see Ac. 20:17–38). The church had a loving heart and a
helping hand—a readiness to labor together even through persecution. But
something happened. What? There is no explanation. So, all the negative things
that rupture a fellowship or erase Love are applicable: criticism, grumbling,
jealousy, and a selfish mind.
“A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another” (Jn. 13:34–35).
“This is my commandment, That ye love
one another, as I have loved you” (Jn. 15:12).
“Let love be without dissimulation
[hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Ro. 12:9).
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there
be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment” (1 Co. 1:10).
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas
there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and
walk as men?” (1 Co. 3:3).
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Pe. 1:22).[5]
“Yet I hold this against
you: You have forsaken your first love.” 2:4 NIV
Despite the commendations, Christ had something against this church—they had forsaken their first Love. This “first love” probably refers to the maxim “Love
the Lord your God … and your neighbor as yourself” (see Acts 20:35; Ephesians 1:15).
The Ephesians, though commended for their zeal in protecting the faith, had
fallen into caring more about orthodoxy than Love.
Every
church should have pure faith and root out heresy. But these good efforts
should spring from their Love for Jesus Christ and for other believers. Both
Jesus and John stressed Love for one another as an authentic proof of the gospel
(John 13:34; 1
John 3:18–19). In the battle to maintain sound teaching and moral and
doctrinal purity, it is possible to lose a charitable spirit. Yet we need both.
Prolonged conflict can weaken or destroy patience and affection. In defending
the faith, believers must guard against any structure or rigidity that weakens Love.
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FIRST LOVE |
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Christ
told the Ephesian believers that they had forsaken their first Love (2:4). Just as when a man and woman fall in Love,
so also new believers rejoice at their newfound forgiveness. But when we lose
sight of the seriousness of sin, we begin to lose the thrill of our
forgiveness (see 2 Peter 1:9). In the
first steps of your Christian life, you may have had enthusiasm without
knowledge. Do you now have knowledge without enthusiasm? Both are necessary
if we are to keep our Love for God intense and untarnished (see Hebrews 10:32, 35).
[6]
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Revelation 2:4 “I Have This Grave Thing Against Thee, That Thou Didst Leave Thy First Love, (Me).”
Another thought concerning and or relating to backsliding pursuits and what the world appears to offer is what King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes chapters 1 & 2. However, you will see that Solomon realized that in the end, the pursuit of God and a relationship with Him is the only thing in this life of lasting eternal value.
Everything
Is Meaningless
These
are the words of the Teacher,* King David’s son, who ruled in
Jerusalem.
“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come, and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises, and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually, it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.
The
Teacher Speaks: The Futility of Wisdom
I, the Teacher, was the king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by Wisdom everything being done under heaven. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. I observed everything going on under the sun, and really, it is all meaningless—like chasing the wind. What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered. I said to myself, “Look, I am wiser than any of the kings who ruled in Jerusalem before me. I have greater Wisdom and knowledge than any of them.” So I set out to learn everything from Wisdom to madness and folly. But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind. The greater my Wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow.
The
Futility of Pleasure
I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking Wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees. I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. I bought slaves, both men, and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men, and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my Wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
The
Wise and the Foolish
So I decided to compare Wisdom with foolishness and madness (for who can do this better than I, the king?*). I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness. For the wise can see where they are going, but fools walk in the dark.” Yet I saw that the wise and the foolish share the same fate. Both will die. So I said to myself, “Since I will end up the same as the fool, what’s the value of all my Wisdom? This is all so meaningless!” For the wise and the foolish both die. The wise will not be remembered any longer than the fool. In the days to come, both will be forgotten. So I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
The
Futility of Work
I came to hate all my hard work here on earth, for I must leave to others everything I have earned. And who can tell whether my successors will be wise or foolish? Yet they will control everything I have gained by my skill and hard work under the sun. How meaningless! So I gave up in despair, questioning the value of all my hard work in this world. Some people work wisely with knowledge and skill, then must leave the fruit of their efforts to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This, too, is meaningless, a great tragedy. So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night, their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. For who can eat or enjoy anything apart from him?* God gives Wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. [8]
Concluding
Thoughts about the Teacher
“Everything
is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” Keep this in mind:
The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew.
He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The
Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly.*
The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their
collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd*
drives the sheep. But, my child,* let me give you some further advice:
Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s
the whole story.
Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. [9]
Solomon had a purpose for writing skeptically and pessimistically. Near the end of his life, looking back on everything he had done, he saw that most of it seemed meaningless. A common belief was that good people prospered and the wicked suffered, but that hadn’t proven true in Solomon’s experience. Solomon wrote this book after he had tried everything and achieved much, only to find that nothing apart from God made him happy. He wanted his readers to avoid these same senseless pursuits. If we try to find meaning in our accomplishments rather than in God, we will never be satisfied, and everything we pursue will become meaningless.[10]
Many people feel restless and dissatisfied. They wonder: (1) If I am in God’s will, why am I so tired and unfulfilled? (2) What is the meaning of life? (3) When I look back on it all, will I be happy with my accomplishments? (4) Why do I feel burned out, disillusioned, dry? (5) What is to become of me? Solomon tests our faith, challenging us to find true and lasting meaning in God alone. As you take a hard look at your life, as Solomon did his, you will see how important serving God is over all other options. Perhaps God is asking you to rethink your purpose and direction in life, just as Solomon did in Ecclesiastes.[11]
Solomon highlights two kinds of Wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes: (1) human knowledge, reasoning, or philosophy, and (2) the Wisdom that comes from God. In these verses, Solomon is talking about human knowledge. When human knowledge ignores God, it only highlights our problems because it can’t provide answers without God’s eternal perspective and solution.[12]
Solomon conducted his search for life’s meaning as an experiment. He first tried pursuing pleasure. He undertook great projects, bought slaves and herds and flocks, amassed wealth, acquired singers, added many concubines to his harem, and became the greatest person in Jerusalem. But none of these gave him satisfaction: “But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere” (2:11). Some of the pleasures Solomon sought were wrong, and some were worthy, but even the worthy pursuits were futile when he pursued them as an end in themselves. We must look beyond our activities to the reasons we do them and the purpose they fulfill. Is your goal in life to search for meaning or to pursue God, who gives meaning?[13]
Solomon summarized his many attempts at finding life’s meaning as “chasing the wind.” We feel the wind as it passes, but we can’t catch hold of it or keep it. In all our accomplishments, even the big ones, our good feelings are only temporary. Security and self-worth are found, not in these accomplishments but far beyond them in the Love of God. Think about what you consider worthwhile—where you place your time, energy, and money. Will you one day look back and decide that you, too, were “chasing the wind”?[14]
As king, Solomon had everything a person could want, but here he says that he “came to hate life.” What happened? His marvelous accomplishments left him sour because he pursued them as a means to personal satisfaction. Personal satisfaction, by itself, is empty because we are alone in the enjoyment we receive. What is your attitude about what you do? If your goals are to satisfy only yourself, you will find yourself empty, seeking one thing after another, as Solomon did. If your goal is to serve God and others, then you will experience a full life, one that won’t leave you sour.[15]
Solomon continued to show that hard work bears no lasting fruit for those who work solely to earn money and gain possessions. Not only will everything be left behind at death, but it may be left to those who have done nothing to earn it. In addition, it may not be well cared for, and all that was gained may be lost. In fact, Solomon’s son, who inherited his throne, immediately made a foolish decision which split the kingdom—see 1 Kings 12. Hard work done with proper motives (caring for your family, serving God) is not wrong. We must work to survive, and, more importantly, we are responsible for the physical and spiritual well-being of those under our care. But the fruit of hard work done to glorify only ourselves will be passed on to those who may later lose or spoil it all. Such toil often leads to grief, while serving God leads to everlasting joy. Do you know the real reason you are working so hard?[16]
In his conclusion, Solomon presents his antidotes for the two main ailments presented in this book. Those who lack purpose and direction in life should fear God and obey his commands. Those who think life is unfair should remember that God will review every person’s life to determine how he or she has responded to him, and he will bring every deed into judgment. Have you committed your life to God? Does your life measure up to his standards?
The book of Ecclesiastes cannot be interpreted correctly without reading these final verses. No matter what the mysteries and apparent contradictions of life are, we must work toward the single purpose of knowing God.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon shows us that we should enjoy life, but this does not exempt us from obeying God’s commands. We should search for purpose and meaning in life, but they cannot be found in human endeavors. We should acknowledge the evil, foolishness, and injustice in life yet maintain a positive attitude and strong faith in God.
All people will have to stand before God and be judged for what they have done in this life. We will not be able to use the inequities of life as an excuse for failing to live properly. We need to: (1) recognize that human effort apart from God is futile, (2) put God first—now, (3) receive everything good as a gift from God, and (4) realize that God will judge every person’s life, whether good or evil. How strange that people spend their lives striving for the joy that God gives freely.[17]
Revelation 2:4 “You Have Left Your First Love;” For What Have You Left Your First Love?
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries
Worldwide.
DS Deeper Study
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible
Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
NIV Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
[7] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. 1909. Revelation.
The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
* 1:1 Hebrew Qoheleth; this term is rendered “the Teacher” throughout this book.
* 2:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is
uncertain.
* 2:25 As in Greek and Syriac versions;
Hebrew reads apart from me?
[8] Ecclesiastes 1:1-2:26 Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New
Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
* 12:10 Or sought to write what was upright and true.
* 12:11 Or one shepherd.
* 12:12 Hebrew my son.
[9] Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New
Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[10] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[11] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[12] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[13] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[14] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[15] Life Application Bible
Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[16] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
[17] Life Application
Bible Notes. 2007. Tyndale.
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