“The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing’ (Eccl 1:8).
Man is marked by a feverish search for satisfaction. Sightseeing, symphony, music, screen spectacles, and the beauty of nature are all great in themselves. But they do not satisfy. The soul of man yearns for something deeper than all these, something that really satisfies his deepest longings after beauty and perfection of sights and sounds. But where, oh where, is such satisfaction to be found?
Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived and, as such, was a keen observer. What was his conclusion in this matter? All was vanity and vexation of spirit. “I gat me men singers and women singers. . and musical instruments of all sorts…” At the end, however, he sighs, “All was vanity and vexation of spirit” (2:8,11).
But bring this up to our day and the Christian life. Isn’t it true that as we gather each Lord’s day around the emblems of the Lord’s death, that we see sights and hear sounds that do satisfy our longing souls? We have spiritual senses of which the world knows nothing. We see the events of Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha, and we hear the cries of the multitude, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.” We watch as they crown Him with thorns, spit in His face, and scourge Him. It is all so real to us. This is made possible by the Holy Spirit working on our spiritual senses.
And do we go away satisfied? Yes, we do! While we will be doing it again in another week, yet we experience a sense of deep fulfillment with satisfaction of the deepest yearnings of our souls.
Of course, all this is only true of us, even as believers,as we keep ourselves in the love of God and come to this supper with our sins confessed. What a foretaste of heaven to listen and participate in the praises of the saints as we sing the lovely worship hymns! It is absolutely thrilling! Soul satisfaction is found at last, and will go on and on into eternity!
Myriads of saints, all with perfect voices, will sing in absolute harmony to the praise of the lamb for sinners slain. Oh, the beauties of heaven! But more than all else, the infinite beauty of Him whose “visage was marred more than any man.
