Yonder in the corner of the garden is a beehive, and the bees are humming all around it in the spring sunshine. The Bible has much to tell us about bees and their honey.
BEES are of two kinds—wild and tame — wasps to sting and working bees to gather honey. The one kind brings poison with their sting, the other food and sweetness by their labor. There are two great powers at work among men, “the power of San” (Acts 26:18), and “the power of Christ” (2 Cor. 12:9). From the one comes sin and death, from the latter, life and glory.
A RIDDLE ABOUT BEES. (Judges 14:3, 14). A swarm of bees in a dead lion’s carcass by the way, provided Samson with his riddle, “Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.” Its gospel answer is, that from the victory of the Lord Jesus over the roaring lion, the devil (1 Pet. 5:8; Heb. 2:14), has come life and sweetness for all who trust in Him.
HONEY AND THE HONEYCOMB. (Psa. 19:10). Sweeter than “honey and the honeycomb” is the Word of God to all who read and receive it in faith. A “land flowing with milk and honey,” tells how rich Canaan was, in providing milk for babes, sweetness and strength to all. So the Word of God when fed on, makes the babes in Christ to grow (1 Pet. 2:2), and gives them strength (1 John 2:14).
A HIVE AND ITS LESSONS. A beehive is a little kingdom of order and labor. It has its queen bee to rule, its workers to gather in the supplies. In the kingdom of “God’s dear Son” (Col. 1:13), this is so also. Each has a place (1 Cor. 12:18, 28), and all have their work to do (Mark 13:34).
J. R.
Memory Verse: “HEARKEN UNTO ME, O YE CHIREN: FOR BLESSED ARE THEY THAT KEEP MY WAYS.” Prov. 8:32.
ML-06/10/1962