Dec 8 – Today from Proverb 8 we look at verse 32
"Now then my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep to my ways."
This is the personification of wisdom speaking. When reading this verse, the Beatitudes that Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount immediately came to mind (Matthew 5:3-10). The Beatitudes were offered as keys to the kingdom of God. Proverbs were offered as keys to wisdom. Both offer the promise of blessedness to those who keep to their ways. God’s Word is seamless, and there is a very clear correlation to wisdom and kingdom living. Wisdom is understanding life the way God purposed it. In the Beatitudes, Jesus is calling the people of Israel back to the purity of God’s purposes. Volumes of inspired and inspirational material have been written on the Beatitudes. Wisdom claims them.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit . . ."
Wisdom is in keeping with a humble spirit, deeming the needs of others as a priority.
"Blessed are those who mourn . . ."
Wisdom learns more about life at a funeral service than at a festive party.
"Blessed are the meek . . ."
Wisdom surrenders all power and influence to the control of God.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . ."
Wisdom seeks to keep learning about God and His ways.
"Blessed are the merciful . . ."
Wisdom does not judge in keeping his fellow man in debt through unforgiveness.
"Blessed are the pure in heart . . ."
Wisdom seeks to purge from its heart that which dishonors God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers . . ."
Wisdom seeks to live at peace with all as far as it depends on its ability.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness . . ."
Wisdom is willing to endure anything for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.
Blessed are they who pursue Wisdom, and keep to her ways.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December 7
Dec 7 – Today from Proverbs 7 we look at verses 14 and 15
"I have fellowship offerings at home; today I have fulfilled my vows. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you."
Verses 6 through 23 of this chapter tells the sad tale of a simple young man who was ensnared by a wayward wife (adulteress). The story reveals that from the adulteress’ point of view, in spite of her seductive words, he was really just a random victim. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But part of her clever seduction was to stroke his ego a bit by telling him that she specifically came out that evening just to find him. This was a half-truth. When she said, "I looked for you and have found you," she was saying "I looked for a victim and found you." His simplicity and his ego would never allow him to hear it that way, and that was just the way she wanted it.
Before stating that she was out looking for him, she provided the reason why. She makes a reference to a cultural norm that would readily be recognized by the students of the Teacher – the fellowship offerings.
When a devout Hebrew brought their peace offering to the temple, the greatest part of the flesh was given back to the offerer to be taken home and feasted upon with friends. It was to all be eaten that same day with none left over until the morning (Lev. 7:15). This kind of meat was a rare and enjoyable treat. In the culture of the day the adulteress was, in essence, saying to the young man, "I have plenty of excellent provisions at home, and it’s too much for me to enjoy by myself. I am by law to eat it in fellowship with someone, so you immediately came to mind. So, I came looking for you and now I have found you. Oh, lucky me. Oh, lucky you!" She goes on to share that her husband isn’t there to share because he left on a long business trip, leaving her all alone. Being the simple young man that he was, he fell for it, and paid the price.
The Teacher uses this illustration to teach his students what to beware of in the art of seduction. This particular portion reveals a couple of important lessons:
1. The seducer uses convincing practical elements, (in this case, even that of a traditional ceremonial religious practice) to hide any threat the offer holds.
2. The seducer couples that with an appeal to the ego – making the victim feel special and privileged to be in such a position as to even consider the offer before him.
It’s the one-two punch of a seducer, only the pain comes much later. Verse 21 defines these seductive tactics as persuasive words and smooth talk. They can be very deadly to one who does not walk in the ways of wisdom. Life is replete with seducers, and the simple are their greatest victims.
"I have fellowship offerings at home; today I have fulfilled my vows. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you."
Verses 6 through 23 of this chapter tells the sad tale of a simple young man who was ensnared by a wayward wife (adulteress). The story reveals that from the adulteress’ point of view, in spite of her seductive words, he was really just a random victim. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But part of her clever seduction was to stroke his ego a bit by telling him that she specifically came out that evening just to find him. This was a half-truth. When she said, "I looked for you and have found you," she was saying "I looked for a victim and found you." His simplicity and his ego would never allow him to hear it that way, and that was just the way she wanted it.
Before stating that she was out looking for him, she provided the reason why. She makes a reference to a cultural norm that would readily be recognized by the students of the Teacher – the fellowship offerings.
When a devout Hebrew brought their peace offering to the temple, the greatest part of the flesh was given back to the offerer to be taken home and feasted upon with friends. It was to all be eaten that same day with none left over until the morning (Lev. 7:15). This kind of meat was a rare and enjoyable treat. In the culture of the day the adulteress was, in essence, saying to the young man, "I have plenty of excellent provisions at home, and it’s too much for me to enjoy by myself. I am by law to eat it in fellowship with someone, so you immediately came to mind. So, I came looking for you and now I have found you. Oh, lucky me. Oh, lucky you!" She goes on to share that her husband isn’t there to share because he left on a long business trip, leaving her all alone. Being the simple young man that he was, he fell for it, and paid the price.
The Teacher uses this illustration to teach his students what to beware of in the art of seduction. This particular portion reveals a couple of important lessons:
1. The seducer uses convincing practical elements, (in this case, even that of a traditional ceremonial religious practice) to hide any threat the offer holds.
2. The seducer couples that with an appeal to the ego – making the victim feel special and privileged to be in such a position as to even consider the offer before him.
It’s the one-two punch of a seducer, only the pain comes much later. Verse 21 defines these seductive tactics as persuasive words and smooth talk. They can be very deadly to one who does not walk in the ways of wisdom. Life is replete with seducers, and the simple are their greatest victims.
Friday, December 5, 2008
December 6
Dec 6 - Today from Proverbs 6 we look at verses 16-19
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
One day (Matthew 15), as Jesus was walking amongst the people, teaching and healing their sick, some Pharisees and teachers of the law came from Jerusalem to straighten Him out on a few things. They could not help but acknowledge Jesus as a Rabbi and great teacher, but His disciples were not chosen from the best schools or of pedigree families. They were fishermen, commoners, and one was even a former tax collector. If Jesus was to be a Rabbi in Israel, He must properly train and discipline His own disciples. For starters, they did not ceremonially wash before they ate. What kind of example was that to the people?
I am convinced that had they come to Jesus in private with an open mind, Jesus would have addressed them much differently. But their intention was to belittle this respected Rabbi in the eyes of the people. Because they chose a public venue to challenge Him, Jesus gave them a public reprimand. He revealed their hypocrisy in just one example. Then He revealed their hearts with just one scripture as He quoted from Isaiah; "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." These learned leaders of Jerusalem were experts on the letter of the law, but had no concept of the spirit of the law. "It's not what physically goes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean," Jesus continued. "It's what spiritually comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean." It was a great opportunity for the Pharisees and teachers of the law to humble themselves and examine their own hearts. But the text reveals that they were not convicted in even the smallest way. They were offended!
His disciples, on the other hand, wanted further clarification. That's the heart of a true disciple. "Teach me Lord. I want to know you and better understand your ways." Jesus complied, and made it very clear; "The things which come out of the mouth come from the heart. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean.'" These have nothing to do with 'rules taught by men'. They have everything to do with God's order and His moral law. His moral law is meant to serve to protect human dignity and the value of every human life. The spirit of the moral law honors the fact that God has made every man in His image, and that God alone is the Supreme Judge. The Pharisees let tradition become law and lost sight of the fact that love is the perfect fulfillment of the law. If these learned leaders of Jerusalem can become self-deceived, you can be sure that we can too.
"A man who stirs up dissension among brothers." The Pharisees would be appalled to think that they were in service of the devil. Yet, in their attempt to discredit Jesus and turn the people away from Him, that is exactly what they were. That's pretty obvious to us now, here in the twenty-first century, because we know Jesus is the Messiah. Yet there is not an institution today in our modern culture that is more plagued with dissension than is the institution of the church. It appears that here are too many self-appointed leaders feeling they need to uphold traditions to the death, and yet have little or no concept of the spirit of the law. In their self-righteous, self-appointed zeal they make their case, build a following, and use whatever leverage they can acquire to right whatever situations motivate them. Soon the body is divided and the war is on. These great campaigners would never consider attacking Jesus as did the Pharisees, but they have no qualms about dividing and tearing apart Jesus' body. God hates it. One needs not to be a leader to be guilty. Any who enter in and follow dissenters share in the guilt. Dissenters have no power without followers.
God has set authority in His church for the purpose of unity. God's Word gives those who disagree with the authority proper venues of approach. Covert dissension is not one of those approaches. If the church will honor God's Word as the authority for church structure and discipline, there will be very little harmful dissension in the church. One thing is sure, stirring dissension among the brothers is odious to God because of all of the pain, discouragement and bitterness it produces amongst those for whom He loves and died. Once again, this is not an exercise for us to look for what God might hate in others. We are to look for corruption in our own hearts. Let us look into our hearts today and see if we are contributing to, or have been party to dissension in His body. When Jesus reveals any corrupt condition of our heart we can do one of two things: We can become offended, or we can humble ourselves and confess and repent. He leaves us with the choice, and He will respond accordingly.
"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."
One day (Matthew 15), as Jesus was walking amongst the people, teaching and healing their sick, some Pharisees and teachers of the law came from Jerusalem to straighten Him out on a few things. They could not help but acknowledge Jesus as a Rabbi and great teacher, but His disciples were not chosen from the best schools or of pedigree families. They were fishermen, commoners, and one was even a former tax collector. If Jesus was to be a Rabbi in Israel, He must properly train and discipline His own disciples. For starters, they did not ceremonially wash before they ate. What kind of example was that to the people?
I am convinced that had they come to Jesus in private with an open mind, Jesus would have addressed them much differently. But their intention was to belittle this respected Rabbi in the eyes of the people. Because they chose a public venue to challenge Him, Jesus gave them a public reprimand. He revealed their hypocrisy in just one example. Then He revealed their hearts with just one scripture as He quoted from Isaiah; "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." These learned leaders of Jerusalem were experts on the letter of the law, but had no concept of the spirit of the law. "It's not what physically goes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean," Jesus continued. "It's what spiritually comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean." It was a great opportunity for the Pharisees and teachers of the law to humble themselves and examine their own hearts. But the text reveals that they were not convicted in even the smallest way. They were offended!
His disciples, on the other hand, wanted further clarification. That's the heart of a true disciple. "Teach me Lord. I want to know you and better understand your ways." Jesus complied, and made it very clear; "The things which come out of the mouth come from the heart. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean.'" These have nothing to do with 'rules taught by men'. They have everything to do with God's order and His moral law. His moral law is meant to serve to protect human dignity and the value of every human life. The spirit of the moral law honors the fact that God has made every man in His image, and that God alone is the Supreme Judge. The Pharisees let tradition become law and lost sight of the fact that love is the perfect fulfillment of the law. If these learned leaders of Jerusalem can become self-deceived, you can be sure that we can too.
"A man who stirs up dissension among brothers." The Pharisees would be appalled to think that they were in service of the devil. Yet, in their attempt to discredit Jesus and turn the people away from Him, that is exactly what they were. That's pretty obvious to us now, here in the twenty-first century, because we know Jesus is the Messiah. Yet there is not an institution today in our modern culture that is more plagued with dissension than is the institution of the church. It appears that here are too many self-appointed leaders feeling they need to uphold traditions to the death, and yet have little or no concept of the spirit of the law. In their self-righteous, self-appointed zeal they make their case, build a following, and use whatever leverage they can acquire to right whatever situations motivate them. Soon the body is divided and the war is on. These great campaigners would never consider attacking Jesus as did the Pharisees, but they have no qualms about dividing and tearing apart Jesus' body. God hates it. One needs not to be a leader to be guilty. Any who enter in and follow dissenters share in the guilt. Dissenters have no power without followers.
God has set authority in His church for the purpose of unity. God's Word gives those who disagree with the authority proper venues of approach. Covert dissension is not one of those approaches. If the church will honor God's Word as the authority for church structure and discipline, there will be very little harmful dissension in the church. One thing is sure, stirring dissension among the brothers is odious to God because of all of the pain, discouragement and bitterness it produces amongst those for whom He loves and died. Once again, this is not an exercise for us to look for what God might hate in others. We are to look for corruption in our own hearts. Let us look into our hearts today and see if we are contributing to, or have been party to dissension in His body. When Jesus reveals any corrupt condition of our heart we can do one of two things: We can become offended, or we can humble ourselves and confess and repent. He leaves us with the choice, and He will respond accordingly.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
December 5
Dec 5 – Today from Proverbs 5 we look at verse 16
"Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?"
This question immediately follows an admonishment to the student to drink water only from his own personal resources, "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well." (verse 15). Water was (and is), a primary basic staple of life in the Mid Eastern culture, and was crucially important to family life. So important was the family water supply to their health and security, that it was actually a crime to steal water from another person's well. Thus a man was not to dip into another’s well simply to satisfy his own desire. In doing so, he threatened the well-being of another’s family. Here the water is a metaphor for intimate relations, and the admonishment is to refrain from having intimate relations with the wives of others. Where verse fifteen warns against drinking from another’s well, today’s verse warns about liberally distributing your own water around town. It’s the same call to fidelity from a different perspective. Now the student is called to place the same value on his own household. If his water supply is critical to the health and security of his own family, why would he go about distributing it as if it were of little or no value to his loved ones? Why would he threaten the well-being of his own household?
"It’s my water, am I not free to do with it as I please?" No. You have committed your water supply to the care of only one household through a sacred covenant. It is in fact, no longer yours to do with as you please. If your values do not dictate it, your covenant commitment certainly does. When a couple marries, God reveals that the two have become one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and that their bodies no longer belong to themselves alone but to one another (1 Cor. 7:4).
Although this verse applies specifically to a married person, it does not let the single person off the hook. This is not all the Bible has to say about sexual relations, it is but one discourse of many. It is meant to teach the student about the values of fidelity in the marriage covenant, life the way God purposed it. To allow the cravings of the flesh to dictate one’s actions will bear certain consequence. It not only brings harm to one’s self, but to many others – most of whom are innocent victims. These victims may bear emotional scars for years to come, and often they are children.
"Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?"
This question immediately follows an admonishment to the student to drink water only from his own personal resources, "Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well." (verse 15). Water was (and is), a primary basic staple of life in the Mid Eastern culture, and was crucially important to family life. So important was the family water supply to their health and security, that it was actually a crime to steal water from another person's well. Thus a man was not to dip into another’s well simply to satisfy his own desire. In doing so, he threatened the well-being of another’s family. Here the water is a metaphor for intimate relations, and the admonishment is to refrain from having intimate relations with the wives of others. Where verse fifteen warns against drinking from another’s well, today’s verse warns about liberally distributing your own water around town. It’s the same call to fidelity from a different perspective. Now the student is called to place the same value on his own household. If his water supply is critical to the health and security of his own family, why would he go about distributing it as if it were of little or no value to his loved ones? Why would he threaten the well-being of his own household?
"It’s my water, am I not free to do with it as I please?" No. You have committed your water supply to the care of only one household through a sacred covenant. It is in fact, no longer yours to do with as you please. If your values do not dictate it, your covenant commitment certainly does. When a couple marries, God reveals that the two have become one flesh (Genesis 2:24), and that their bodies no longer belong to themselves alone but to one another (1 Cor. 7:4).
Although this verse applies specifically to a married person, it does not let the single person off the hook. This is not all the Bible has to say about sexual relations, it is but one discourse of many. It is meant to teach the student about the values of fidelity in the marriage covenant, life the way God purposed it. To allow the cravings of the flesh to dictate one’s actions will bear certain consequence. It not only brings harm to one’s self, but to many others – most of whom are innocent victims. These victims may bear emotional scars for years to come, and often they are children.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
December 4
Dec 4 - Today from Proverbs 4 we look at verse 8
"Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you."
The subject of this verse, of course, is wisdom (personified). Wisdom is understanding life the way God meant it to be. Chapter four is a father's lengthy and descriptive plea for his children to seek and pursue the path of wisdom early in life. In verse 18 he tells them it is like 'the first gleam of dawn'. Keep moving on that path, and it will get continually brighter in clarity and understanding.
The two thoughts in today's verse are somewhat of a play on words. In the first, the Hebrew word for 'esteem' here literally means to 'mound up'. In the positive sense, it suggests a picture of a path or a highway, where the earth is mounded up above common ground level in order to provide the traveler with a relatively smooth and passable way through what would otherwise be difficult terrain. The Hebrew word for 'exalt' here literally means to 'raise up'. Thus the play on words; we must do the work of mounding up wisdom if we want to benefit from wisdom in raising us up through the rugged and difficult terrain of life. We mound up wisdom by seeking it out, and then applying that which we find. We cannot walk the mounded path of others. We can receive wisdom from others as we mound up our own path, but each person is responsible for their own path.
The second thought does not have to do with height, but rather with weight. The Hebrew word for 'honor' here means to 'make weighty'. We use the concept in our modern vernacular when we say things like, "His word carries a lot of weight around here." That usually means that he is a person of honor. We address Judges as "your Honor" because of the weight their words carry. The Hebrew word for 'embrace' here means to 'enfold'. Think of the picture of an envelope enfolding a letter. The greater the content of the letter, the more weight the final sealed envelope will be. The envelope itself does not increase in weight, it is the contents of the letter which determines the final weight. Thus the play on words; if we will enfold wisdom into our lives, wisdom will increase our honor. We cannot stuff the wisdom of others into our envelope. We can receive wisdom from others and make it our own through application - only then does it become weighty in our own lives.
Wisdom is a great asset to any person. I pray that as parents and grandparents, we too will have the same passion to direct our offspring to seek and to love wisdom, that they may find a stable path through the difficulties of life, and to do so honorably.
"Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you."
The subject of this verse, of course, is wisdom (personified). Wisdom is understanding life the way God meant it to be. Chapter four is a father's lengthy and descriptive plea for his children to seek and pursue the path of wisdom early in life. In verse 18 he tells them it is like 'the first gleam of dawn'. Keep moving on that path, and it will get continually brighter in clarity and understanding.
The two thoughts in today's verse are somewhat of a play on words. In the first, the Hebrew word for 'esteem' here literally means to 'mound up'. In the positive sense, it suggests a picture of a path or a highway, where the earth is mounded up above common ground level in order to provide the traveler with a relatively smooth and passable way through what would otherwise be difficult terrain. The Hebrew word for 'exalt' here literally means to 'raise up'. Thus the play on words; we must do the work of mounding up wisdom if we want to benefit from wisdom in raising us up through the rugged and difficult terrain of life. We mound up wisdom by seeking it out, and then applying that which we find. We cannot walk the mounded path of others. We can receive wisdom from others as we mound up our own path, but each person is responsible for their own path.
The second thought does not have to do with height, but rather with weight. The Hebrew word for 'honor' here means to 'make weighty'. We use the concept in our modern vernacular when we say things like, "His word carries a lot of weight around here." That usually means that he is a person of honor. We address Judges as "your Honor" because of the weight their words carry. The Hebrew word for 'embrace' here means to 'enfold'. Think of the picture of an envelope enfolding a letter. The greater the content of the letter, the more weight the final sealed envelope will be. The envelope itself does not increase in weight, it is the contents of the letter which determines the final weight. Thus the play on words; if we will enfold wisdom into our lives, wisdom will increase our honor. We cannot stuff the wisdom of others into our envelope. We can receive wisdom from others and make it our own through application - only then does it become weighty in our own lives.
Wisdom is a great asset to any person. I pray that as parents and grandparents, we too will have the same passion to direct our offspring to seek and to love wisdom, that they may find a stable path through the difficulties of life, and to do so honorably.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
December 3
Dec 3- Today from Proverbs 3 we look at verse 13
"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding."
Wisdom is a treasure that must be sought after. God gives it freely, but only to the diligent seeker. James 1:5 promises, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." Who does God give generously to? The diligent seeker. James 1:6 & 7 goes on to teach that the petitioner must not be double-minded in his pursuit of wisdom, for the double-minded will not receive what God promises. That bears looking into. Just what does it mean to be double-minded?
Earlier in today's chapter of Proverbs is one of the most familiar verses in the Bible; verse 5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." One who claims to be trusting in the Lord's promises while placing that promise in the context of one's own understanding is a double-minded person. God's promises are to be placed in the context of the totality of His Word. It is not genuine faith until we have heard from God as to how we are to approach or pursue any matter. We receive His promise only by following His instruction in appropriating the promise - not merely by claiming it "in Jesus' Name". "In Jesus' Name" means in His character. For example, one believer cannot sue another "in Jesus Name" because that is totally out of the character of Christ. In staying within context with God's Word, we can prove this from 1 Corinthians chapter six. One cannot refuse to pay taxes "in Jesus' Name". In staying within context with God's Word, we can prove this from Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. These letters were written to believers who were being persecuted by the pagan authorities to whom they paid their taxes. These are just a couple of illustrations of a solid concept: We cannot claim God's promises when we try to achieve them in our own understanding. This is double-mindedness, and in doing so we will not receive what God has to offer in the situation. Not 'can not', but 'will not' - in such situations our will is already settled by our own understanding, there is no further pursuit of God's will.
In order to find wisdom, we must let go of our own way and seek God's way. We seek it in His Word, we seek it from mature believers reputed for their wisdom, and we seek it in the character of Jesus Christ. A few years ago believers all over this land were wearing WWJD (What would Jesus do?), bracelets. It was a public display of a thoughtful slogan, but it didn't seem to affect the character of the church all that much. But, that is a very good way to pursue wisdom. If you want to know what Jesus would do, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Galatians 5:22, 23. There you will find the true character of Christ. If you ask God anything while displaying that character, you will be in a position to receive it because you won't be asking for the wrong thing. Wisdom is solidly based in love. Love puts the best interest of other first. If you ask God to curse your enemy, He will not answer that prayer. If you ask God to bless your enemy, you have His full attention - but does He have yours? Are you now willing to be a blessing? Wisdom will show you how.
"Blessed is the man that finds wisdom." The church simply must learn that we are blessed of God in order that we might be a blessing. Wisdom is discovering life the way God meant it to be. Our wisdom is meant to facilitate our service to others. . . not to stay a rung or two above them on the 'ladder of life'.
"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding."
Wisdom is a treasure that must be sought after. God gives it freely, but only to the diligent seeker. James 1:5 promises, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." Who does God give generously to? The diligent seeker. James 1:6 & 7 goes on to teach that the petitioner must not be double-minded in his pursuit of wisdom, for the double-minded will not receive what God promises. That bears looking into. Just what does it mean to be double-minded?
Earlier in today's chapter of Proverbs is one of the most familiar verses in the Bible; verse 5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." One who claims to be trusting in the Lord's promises while placing that promise in the context of one's own understanding is a double-minded person. God's promises are to be placed in the context of the totality of His Word. It is not genuine faith until we have heard from God as to how we are to approach or pursue any matter. We receive His promise only by following His instruction in appropriating the promise - not merely by claiming it "in Jesus' Name". "In Jesus' Name" means in His character. For example, one believer cannot sue another "in Jesus Name" because that is totally out of the character of Christ. In staying within context with God's Word, we can prove this from 1 Corinthians chapter six. One cannot refuse to pay taxes "in Jesus' Name". In staying within context with God's Word, we can prove this from Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. These letters were written to believers who were being persecuted by the pagan authorities to whom they paid their taxes. These are just a couple of illustrations of a solid concept: We cannot claim God's promises when we try to achieve them in our own understanding. This is double-mindedness, and in doing so we will not receive what God has to offer in the situation. Not 'can not', but 'will not' - in such situations our will is already settled by our own understanding, there is no further pursuit of God's will.
In order to find wisdom, we must let go of our own way and seek God's way. We seek it in His Word, we seek it from mature believers reputed for their wisdom, and we seek it in the character of Jesus Christ. A few years ago believers all over this land were wearing WWJD (What would Jesus do?), bracelets. It was a public display of a thoughtful slogan, but it didn't seem to affect the character of the church all that much. But, that is a very good way to pursue wisdom. If you want to know what Jesus would do, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Galatians 5:22, 23. There you will find the true character of Christ. If you ask God anything while displaying that character, you will be in a position to receive it because you won't be asking for the wrong thing. Wisdom is solidly based in love. Love puts the best interest of other first. If you ask God to curse your enemy, He will not answer that prayer. If you ask God to bless your enemy, you have His full attention - but does He have yours? Are you now willing to be a blessing? Wisdom will show you how.
"Blessed is the man that finds wisdom." The church simply must learn that we are blessed of God in order that we might be a blessing. Wisdom is discovering life the way God meant it to be. Our wisdom is meant to facilitate our service to others. . . not to stay a rung or two above them on the 'ladder of life'.
Monday, December 1, 2008
December 2
Dec 2 – Today from Proverbs 2 we look at verse 15
"Whose (the wicked – verse 12) paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways."
Crooked paths. Why would this be such a disdainful picture for the student? What exactly are the ‘straight paths’ that the wicked leave (verse 13)? Let’s first consider the obvious – particularly for the culture in which this was written. In the culture of that day, the overwhelming majority of transportation was by foot. People moved from place to place by walking paths. The straight path got you to your destination faster. The crooked path required more time and more energy. The straight path allowed you to see much farther ahead. The crooked path blocked your view at the very next turn. The straight path allowed little opportunity for ne’er-do-wells to lie in wait to ambush you. The crooked path provided many opportunities for them to hide and lie in wait. It is obvious that the wicked – those with malicious intent – would want travelers to choose the crooked paths. It much better suited their purposes than did the straight.
The only other place we find this Hebrew word for ‘crooked’ in the Bible is in Isaiah 59:8. Here we get a little better insight into the preferred path of the wicked. "The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace." Isaiah is speaking for God against Israel – particularly against their leaders. God provided a straight path for the nation when He gave them a strong moral code through His law. This code protected the rights of all and was encapsulated in the Great Commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." This provides all of the benefits of the straight path. The leaders turned them into crooked paths by corrupting justice for their own self-serving purposes. If you were to read the rest of this chapter, God goes into detail as to how they had distorted His ways. This is, in fact, the literal translation for the word ‘crooked’ in both verses – distorted. The wicked do not obliterate the path. This would deprive them the opportunity to lie in wait for their victims. Rather, they distort the path, providing clever twists and turns in it whereby they can hide and attack the unsuspecting traveler who wanders onto it. It is a great analogy, and one that bears sober contemplation.
How then does one avoid wandering onto this path? By pursuing wisdom. This is exactly what verse twelve says at the beginning of the discourse we are looking at today, "Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men." In the following chapter we read two very familiar verses, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5 &6). The wicked would love for us to lean on our own understanding. It will draw us onto their crooked paths every time. Wisdom is trusting in the Lord even beyond our understanding. This is the way of the straight path.
"Whose (the wicked – verse 12) paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways."
Crooked paths. Why would this be such a disdainful picture for the student? What exactly are the ‘straight paths’ that the wicked leave (verse 13)? Let’s first consider the obvious – particularly for the culture in which this was written. In the culture of that day, the overwhelming majority of transportation was by foot. People moved from place to place by walking paths. The straight path got you to your destination faster. The crooked path required more time and more energy. The straight path allowed you to see much farther ahead. The crooked path blocked your view at the very next turn. The straight path allowed little opportunity for ne’er-do-wells to lie in wait to ambush you. The crooked path provided many opportunities for them to hide and lie in wait. It is obvious that the wicked – those with malicious intent – would want travelers to choose the crooked paths. It much better suited their purposes than did the straight.
The only other place we find this Hebrew word for ‘crooked’ in the Bible is in Isaiah 59:8. Here we get a little better insight into the preferred path of the wicked. "The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace." Isaiah is speaking for God against Israel – particularly against their leaders. God provided a straight path for the nation when He gave them a strong moral code through His law. This code protected the rights of all and was encapsulated in the Great Commandment, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." This provides all of the benefits of the straight path. The leaders turned them into crooked paths by corrupting justice for their own self-serving purposes. If you were to read the rest of this chapter, God goes into detail as to how they had distorted His ways. This is, in fact, the literal translation for the word ‘crooked’ in both verses – distorted. The wicked do not obliterate the path. This would deprive them the opportunity to lie in wait for their victims. Rather, they distort the path, providing clever twists and turns in it whereby they can hide and attack the unsuspecting traveler who wanders onto it. It is a great analogy, and one that bears sober contemplation.
How then does one avoid wandering onto this path? By pursuing wisdom. This is exactly what verse twelve says at the beginning of the discourse we are looking at today, "Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men." In the following chapter we read two very familiar verses, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5 &6). The wicked would love for us to lean on our own understanding. It will draw us onto their crooked paths every time. Wisdom is trusting in the Lord even beyond our understanding. This is the way of the straight path.
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