The Devil and Daniel Webster

Jabez Stone, after years of bad luck, expressed his dismay with casual words: "It's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!." With that said Mr. Scratch, the devil himself, made a deal with Stone. He was to prosper for seven years, then belong to Scratch. After the seven years were over, Stone asked for three more years. Scratch said, "no." With that said, Stone wanted out of the deal, and hired the attorney, Daniel Webster, to represent him. It turned out that it was Daniel Webster who the Devil wanted.!

Webster defended Stone so eloquently, that even the demon jury was convinced. Jabez Stone was released from his contract with the Devil.

Let's look at the symbolism. Of course, in the original, this tale was about patriotism and morality. However, it is the way of Satan!  There are two laws in the world: (1) The Law of God, and (2) the law of sin.

Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

The Law of God was from the beginning. It consisted of one Law: "Love and honor God". It was expressed to Adam with the command,  "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it" (Genesis 2:17).  This Law was enumerated with The First Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3), and with the first sin there came deception: "the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods (Genesis 3:5).

Thus, breaking the Law of God is elevating oneself to godhood, implying that the sinner knows better than God. That false knowledge is irreverent and unloving. The original Law and the everlasting Law - written on stone (coincidental to Jabez Stone) are essentially the same. The Law of God is willingness for our desires to harmonize with God's will. It's not the keeping of the Law which is paramount but the willingness to attempt it. That's love and reverence for God!

What then is "the law of sin"? It is unwillingness to do the Law of God. By being unwilling to obey our Creator, it is unloving and irreverent.  Essentially, we believe we are our own gods! Realistically, we are mere slaves to sin, and Satan becomes our god. 

Thus, the law of sin is as old as angel-kind because Satan created the law of sin before Adam ever did the Devil's will. Since, Lucifer rebelled, the law of sin is rebellion. Like Lucifer, we too want to be gods.

The law of God was established for the well-being of our spirit. The law of sin exists for the pleasure of the flesh. "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:25). As we attempt to obey God, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). Our spirit wants peace but our flesh wants pleasure. Now on with the story of Webster and the Devil.

Jabez Stone's life was chaotic. Everything went wrong with him. Not understanding the importance of words, and the evil of the tongue, in vain he called up the Devil. Since words mean things, Stone conjured up Mr. Scratch. We should never speak casually because our words are a reflection of the heart. It never occurred to Stone to call on God. He did, however, call on the Devil. Likely, Stone never thought of the Devil being real, and neither do many others! Surely, Mr. Stone even failed to take God seriously, or he would have simply prayed. The Devil took Stone's challenge seriously even though it was said frivolously. That's why speaking with vanity (without substance) is so distasteful to God and pleasurable to Satan!

Stones' tongue merely spoke what he was thinking. The tongue is merely the spokesman for the mind. The tongue would not say things unless the mind is in agreement. Stone sub-consciously distrusted God by not praying, and by default, his trust was in the Devil. If not with God, one is against him (Matthew 12:30).

Now for us: We may not say it aloud but each time we are tempted, a decision is made: whether to do God's will or our own will. God's will is the Law of God. Our own will is the law of sin. The temptation and promised outcome is peace if with God, or worldly pleasure if for Satan. For Stone, he sought peace but the Devil only gave him pleasure!

Satan uses God's gifts to entice but never follows through. Stone wanted that his life be less chaotic and sought that. Satan cannot provide peace. That can only come from God. God can also provide pleasure but the Devil offers illicit pleasure.  Pleasure under the Law of God is hope - looking to the reward of eternal life, and serving the One who can provide that. On the other hand, worldly pleasure seems to satisfy the flesh but distresses the soul.

Actually, Stone enjoyed the pleasure but lost his hope, and wanted out of the deal. Stone represents mankind. We desire to serve two masters but the Law of God says we must only serve One (Exodus 20:3). With sin, we believe we are serving ourselves but we are really serving Satan. He has merely convinced us that we are more important than God, and foolish humans buy into that façade!

Since God is gracious, he provides a way out. Daniel Webster is symbolically Jesus Christ. He is our mediator and attorney in the Court of God.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Unlike Webster, who faced a jury of demons, our eternal fate is in the hands of God alone. There is evidence that he considers. Like Webster, Jesus can be eloquent and always just. If we are guilty, Jesus acknowledges our guilt. Whatever,  "the  books" says is evidence. 

Revelation 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

The desires of our hearts are in the first book.   When Stone said,  "It's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!," the willingness to sell his soul to the Devil was written down in a book as were all his sins before that. Sins are evidence that one deserves eternal death:

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For those who blaspheme against the Lord such as Stone seemed to, if his name was ever in the Book of Life, it no longer is:

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

We don't know that Stone's name was in the Book of Life but presumably it was because Webster was able to end his deal with the Devil.  Because of God's mercy, he doesn't hold a sin against us but looks at whether the heart is circumcised our not (Romans 2:29). Webster plead for Stone's eternal life. Jesus pleads for ours! The first place he looks is in The Book of Life. That is where those who are "born-again" have their names written down as willingly good citizens of the Kingdom of God! Since God is not a dictator, it's our willingness to be God's citizens that is favored. Obedience to the Law is how we show the Ruler that we love him (John 14:15).

Stone must have returned to the light for his casual comment was nullified. He had not blasphemed because he sought reprieve. He was disgusted with himself for becoming a slave to the Devil and sought redemption. When us sinners do that, God is gracious!

As a sinner, Stone never blamed the Devil. He just made the law of sin. Stone willingly obeyed Satan's law. The Devil cannot be blamed for our sin because sinners freely choose that law. Quit blaming the Devil for our own bad decisions. Stone didn't do that! He knew that he sinned, and sought to become the person he was before the deal. His heart was circumcised and tears were his baptism! We must do that as well. He was meek. He couldn't save himself, and came to realize that. He then called on the attorney Daniel Webster.  When we finally see the light that we can't save ourselves but Jesus can, we are new persons. When Stone turned to Webster, his heart was contrite, he saw the light, and was made a new person as his deal with the Devil was nullified.

Jesus does that for us! Our place is to want to break the deal with the Devil. Like Stone who trusted Webster, we must trust Jesus because God's will is that none should perish (John 3:16).

Oh, yes. I about forgot. It was Webster who the Devil really wanted!  It's not you who he even cares about. He wants to have power over Jesus. He tries to minimize Jesus through us.