The Beginnings of Sorrows
The Preacher's Monthly
Mark 13:8
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places…


I. THE VALUE OF THESE FACTS IN RELATION TO THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE LORD. He is the prophet of the church. He was a revealer of secrets. His word was verified to the letter. The church lives in evil times on the word of her unseen Lord.

II. THERE IS ALSO A SUGGESTION OF THE CONNECTION OF SORROWS AND SINS. Jerusalem's fate is a series of such sorrows. They arise out of religious unfaithfulness and moral deterioration. Nations are doomed by their own acts.

III. If we do not and will not learn the Divine uses of adversity, then the things we regret, and which are most painful to us, WILL ONLY PROVE TO BE THE BEGINNINGS OF SORROWS. If lesser Divine chastisements do not raise us to higher moods of being, there must be held in reserve some hotter fire of discipline. We should immediately yield to the disciplines of God.

(The Preacher's Monthly.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

WEB: For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines and troubles. These things are the beginning of birth pains.




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