DEAD FLIES IN A PERFUMER'S OINTMENT

How is that possible? What is the business of 'dead flies' in a perfume? How did the flies ever get into the perfumery? What happened to the perfume? Interestingly, the flies which got into the perfume bottle could not thrive there and died. Well, that sounds alright. The case did not stop there! The perfume started emanating foul odour, and got thrown away!! So says, the 'Wise Teacher' who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes, in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible.

'Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a foul odour; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.' (Ecc 10:1) .

As I was pondering over this Scripture portion, I was reminded by the Lord, a whole set of the kings of Judah, His chosen people, who were honored for their wisdom and godliness, yet fell short of a glorious reign due the 'dead flies' that entered their lives. These 'flies / folly' should not have entered at all. Having entered, they were not chased away but allowed to stay. On letting them continue their existence, they died being unable to withstand the 'perfume'. They however 'stayed inside dead'.  It started the 'stink' and outweighed the pleasant odour of the 'perfume'. 

Let me illustrate by taking the case of the 'godly' king Asa. He led a life pleasing to the God of Israel. He walked in the footsteps of his forefather, king David, seeking the LORD and obeying His statutes and commands. He did mighty things in the name of the LORD. In spite of it, he slipped in entertaining the 'dead flies' in his life. His history  recorded in the Second Book of Chronicles ends in an unhappy note.

 Asa king of Judah, the great grandson of king Solomon:          II Chro ch. 14-16

v.2 starts the record of king Asa's reign as " Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God."  The end of his reign is stated as " ...even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians." II Chro 16:12

A wonderful king who reigned Judah for a period of 41 years, established his kingdom and restored the worship of Yahweh, ended on a low note. What took place during the long years?Again and again the Chronicler writes that ' the LORD gave him rest, the land was peaceful and no one was at war with him during the early years of his reign.' In spite of it all, Asa allowed some dead flies to remain and contaminate the sweet perfume of his life. The dead flies made foul the aroma around him.


Asa first of all cleansed his land of the foreign altars, removed the high places of idol worship, cut down the idol poles and even deposed his grandmother from the position of queen mother, since she erected an Asherah pole which Asa destroyed!! Such was his commitment to the worship of the God of Israel. The Scripture says ' the LORD his God.' Asa commanded Judah and other tribes of Israel who joined him, to seek the LORD and to obey his laws and commands. He built up and fortified the cities of Judah, since the land 'was at peace.' He could direct his energy constructively since he sought the LORD, who gave him rest and was with him to help him succeed in all that he did.

 " They built and prospered." ch.14:7.

When suddenly the Cushites came in large number to battle against him, Asa simply called on the LORD and defeated the enemy with a small army which he had at that time. Asa had the wonderful revelation that we all claim today, that

" There is no one like the LORD to help the powerless against the mighty." ch. 14:11. The LORD 'struck down the enemy' and Judah carried a large amount of the plunder. " there was much booty in the villages." ch. 14: 14.

A mighty victory over powerful enemy, with the LORD's help and favour!!

Asa repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple. ch.15:8.

 He assembled all Judah and other tribes who willingly joined his spiritual reform and sacrificed to the LORD in a very big way. All the people entered into a covenant to seek the LORD with all their heart and soul. They renewed their vows to obey his laws.

 " They took an oath with a loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced since they sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side." II Chro 15:10-15. "Asa brought into the temple of God the silver and gold articles that he and his father had dedicated." ch.15:18 " There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign." ch. 15:19.

Alas, the downward trend set in during the 36th year of his reign!!  Baasha, king of Israel prepared for war against Asa. He got so terrified that he forgot his mighty victory against a more powerful enemy in the past and succumbed to the threat of this small enemy! Asa took the silver and gold from the treasury of the LORD's temple and sent them to Ben-Hadad the king of Aram! Aram was friendly with Israel earlier, but now went against them and made 'a treaty with Judah.' Baasha ran away when he heard of such a treaty.

Hanani, the prophet came to Asa and issued the LORD's decree. " Because you relied on the king of Aram, and not the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand....... you have done a foolish thing and from now on you will be at war." ch.16:7-9. 

Here we have the famous scripture that is often quoted, verse 9, " For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."  

Asa had been afflicted later with a disease in his foot. It was severe. Even in this severity, he sought help only from physicians and not the LORD his God. He died soon and was buried in the tomb at the City of David. What was the dead fly? The fear of man, relying on others for help, forgetting the favour of God in the past and continuing to live that way, in spite of God's warning.  How sad!! How sad!!

May we take this caution served by the life of a 'godly' king and never substitute our Lord, with other people/things of the world.

" Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD." "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always reen. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer 17:5,7-9.

Let us remember the above scripture at all times!!   

The psalmist recalls in Psalm 106, the famous one among the 'historic psalms', over and over again that their forefathers sinned against the LORD in the desert journey after being redeemed from the Egyptian bondage.

" They did not remember your many kindnesses ." "But soon they forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel." " They forgot the God who saved them."Psa 106: 7,13, 21.

Lord Jesus was rebuking his disciples saying, " You of little faith.......do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves...." Matt 16:8,9. 

Soon after he fed the large multitude with few loaves of bread and few fishes, twice once in Galilee and another time in Judea, they were doubtingly questioning his words. Probably that's why Jesus instructed his disciples to "remember his death on the cross" by partaking in the breaking of the bread/ eucharist, as often as they gathered in his name as his church. The New Testament church faithfully follows this practice till now! Unless we do this physically, we may too forget what our Lord did for our salvation by offering himself as the 'perfect sacrifice' for our sins on the cross!!

As the body of Christ, we shall 'remember' what the Lord has done for us, doing for us and will do for us, and live lives that are sweet smelling to the Almighty God the Father, Jesus the Son and our counsellor the Holy Spirit now and always!! We shall not allow 'dead flies' to spoil the aroma of Christ within us. Amen!!