May 29

May 29 - Today from Proverbs 29 we look at verse 18
"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law."

The little conjunction 'but' reveals that this is a verse that initially teaches by contrast. If we want to know exactly what type of revelation would be lacking that would cause people to cast off restraint, we simply look to the other side of the semi-colon and discover it is the law - God's Word.
It is believed that the section of Proverbs 25-31 was assembled by the aids of King Hezekiah. The content was primarily directed toward the king or those who dealt with the king. Although all can benefit, this section is particularly helpful to those in any capacity of influence and leadership. This is the framework of this particular verse.
Whether one is the president of the United States or the head of the household, one is accountable to God to uphold and enforce the moral law of God's Word. This is first done by instructing moral behavior, both in word and by example. When I was growing up in the 50s, it seemed that everyone in our culture used the Bible as a measure of moral law - whether they were Christian, agnostic or pagan. People who never set foot in a church could quote numerous passages of the Bible, often not knowing that the quote even came from the Bible. It was social moral law. Some refer to it as 'natural law'. Our school textbooks often contained references to Biblical moral law without stating the reference. It was just kind of knit into our cultural fabric. Then something very subtle began to happen in the 60s. Biblical moral law was being challenged and undermined in our educational systems and by our justice systems. I was now an adolescent, and I was all for casting off moral restraint (that is pretty much a part of being an adolescent). So, when those in authority agreed, it was an incubator for rebellion. I am not sure how the historians view the 60s, but looking back, I view it as the decade of rebellion. Our nation lost something very valuable in that era. Now, here we are 30-40 years later, and we can measure the results. The people of our nation began casting off restraints in the 70s and 80s. Abortion clinics opened up all over the country and our most precious resource, our children, were being given over to wholesale slaughter. Drug abuse went from being thought of in shadowy sub-culture terms to the happening scene. Nightclub studios of the rich and famous glamorized drugs for our children. Popular music became laced with rebellion, sexuality and vulgarity. Primary-aged children learned filthy, soul-corrupting lyrics, which would influence their language and thinking processes into adulthood. Homosexuality was being taught as an acceptable alternate lifestyle in our public schools and school nurses were handing out condoms. Soft and hard-core porno movies were being cranked out of Hollywood and box offices were making more money than ever. Videos and VCRs came onto the scene and people could view the shamefully lustful and sickeningly violent movies any time they wanted in the privacy of their own homes. Computers and Internet expanded into the 90s and pornography became almost unavoidable. . .
Well, I could go on, but I won’t. I am seeing some hopeful changes taking place in our culture. But any ground given to the devil will require a battle to gain it back. I am not sure that we can ever go back as a nation. Biblical moral law has become a polarizing factor these days. But I see more and more signs that the numbers are beginning to grow on the positive side of the issue. It will be accomplished as the church continues to be faithful to their call to be an influence. We are to be salt and light. We are to raise our children in an atmosphere of Biblical moral law. We must be careful to be balanced, and not let our commitments drift into legalism. Our witness is to be clothed in love and salted with grace. We must not promote 'restraint' as a negative, but as a positive. A seat belt is a restraint, but it keeps us from going through the windshield. A guardrail is a restraint, but it keeps us from going over a deadly precipice. A schoolyard fence is a restraint, but it keeps the little ones from wandering into the street or other dangerous areas. The moral law is a restraint to keep us from destroying ourselves.
A very real part of equipping a generation for Christ is to teach and to live by example, Biblical moral law.