Useless

(Pro 26:7 KJV)  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

When I read about a lame man, I tend to think of someone who is hobbling along with a cane or a walker or something like that.  They are able to get around, but it doesn’t go very well at all.  Now when I read the NASB, it tells me that the actual word for lame means hanging down, which is much more serious.  It means legs that are utterly useless.  That brings me to how Moffett translates this verse which I like,

    “Like the limbs of a lame man,
    so maxims limp on the lips of a fool;”

This tells us that wisdom is not only weakened in the hands of a fool, but is made totally useless.

So?  Don’t waste your time trying to pass on deep truths to people who are total fools.  Of course we have to be careful whom we consider fools because Jesus warned us about just casually calling people that, but at the same time Proverbs makes it very clear that some people are total fools. 

612 to Go

(Deu 16:21 KJV)  Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

You may have heard of the 613 laws that we are supposed to keep if we want to follow the law.  The number is a creation of the rabbis.  We can go into that some other time.  One of those laws is listed here.

This law says something to the effect that you are not to plant a tree in the courtyard of the temple.  Two of the lists I have state it slightly different.

    Not to plant trees near the altar.
    Not to plant a tree in the Temple courtyard

Unfortunately, that’s not what the verse actually says, either in the King James, or the New American Standard.  It is certainly not what the Hebrew says.  The word used for “grove” in the KJV is given literally in the NASB, “Asherah” (842).  It is the proper name of a deity of the area.  They are not supposed to build idols of this deity around the altar.  This is not a different law.  This is simply an application of the commandment to not make idols.

The 613 Commandment people seem to have developed their list from the Septuagint.  This is  common problem with the Rabbis and Talmud.

So?  Just because something has been passed down from centuries in the past does not make it accurate.  Keep thinking and doing your homework. 

The Way of the Law

(Psa 103:7 KJV)  He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

(Proverbs 24 also read)

I have commented from time to time on the lack of concern about the law in the book of Psalms.  In fact, David seems to praise the law and lift it up as a wonderful thing.  Here he gives us an interesting interpretation.  In referring to the giving of the law, he says that God was simply sharing with us His “ways” (1870).

That is an interesting way of looking at the law.  It is not a rigid cage to hold us in and make our lives difficult.  It is God showing us how He expects life to be lived.  It is an owners manual, telling us the technical details of how to maintain our piece of equipment.

So?  Why not follow the manual?  It gives us all the specifications that we really need.

BYOB

(Pro 23:21 KJV)  For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Today the word that stood out to me, was “drowsiness”.  It stood out, not because of the word itself, but because of the word that Moffatt substituted for it.  He calls it reveling.  Now the word drowsy is a much better translation of the Hebrew.  One of the problems we have is this is the only place it is used in the Bible.  The word is used so that makes it hard to understand.  When he uses reveling instead of drowsy, he is taking a bit of liberty.  He is interpreting.

I like his interpretation as a rabbit trail to follow in trying to understand the dangers of alcohol.  I don’t drink myself, but I am amazed at how expensive it is when you go out to eat and they actually have a list of alcoholic beverages available.  I remember going to one nice restaurant and they had this little kiosk on the desk on the table and it was listing individual whiskeys at about $25 a glass.  How can anybody afford that kind of thing.  Anyhow, I see how drinking can drive you into poverty.  Poverty means that you’re dressed in rags.  What struck me about this was a testimony.  I heard one time of a Korean gentleman who said that when he became a Christian in Korea, his disposable income went up 75% because when he became a Christian, he quit drinking and gambling and doing other kinds of activities that tend to suck out all of his financial support.

So?  Sometimes it’s the application of the truth that brings home why we should be living holy lives.  No, you don’t go to hell for having one drink.  No, alcoholic beverages are not automatically condemned in scripture.  But, it’s clear that there is a real danger of damaging your life and your family by the wrong priorities. 

Know the Difference

(Pro 22:3 KJV)  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

As I was reading Moffatt’s translation this morning, I came across this verse, and it made me stop and think.  He starts off,

    “a cautious man sees danger and takes cover.”

That is basically the same statement, but I thought it was interesting that he use the word cover instead of hiding.  If you ever look into how to keep yourself safe out on the streets or in life, you will notice that there is a difference between cover and concealment.  Cover is going someplace where there is an obstacle between you and danger, it keeps you safe.  Concealment is simply a matter of covering up so that you can’t be seen.  It may keep you safe, it may not, it all depends on whether the person creating the problem sees you or not.

The King James has the idea of making yourself invisible.  Moffett has the idea of removing yourself from the danger and keeping yourself safe.

So?  You decide.  Do you just want to hide, or do you want safety.  When you come to Jesus, you’re not hiding, you’re finding safety.  He covers.

Does It Matter?

(Pro 21:1 KJV)  The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

As I read this this morning, I found myself wondering if it made any difference whether the king was devout, or whether he was rebellious.  For some reason, I thought it would make a big difference.  In reality, God has the power to direct minds and influence decisions if He chooses to.  The question is, “Will He choose to?”

The Providence of God is always a mystery.  Sometimes He chooses to act in very obvious and powerful ways.  Other times He might decide to work quietly and behind the scenes.  I think He tends to go with the quiet more than the obvious.

So?  When you look at the political situation, and you wonder if there’s anyone in authority with moral integrity, keep in mind that God can prevail if He chooses to.  Our part in this is to lift people up in prayer and to be in contact with God Himself, so that we make sure we’re on the right side.  He is still on the throne. 

Immunity

(Psa 112:7 KJV)  He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

(Proverbs 20 also read)

Sometimes I think it’s a good thing that I don’t have a daily newspaper I can trust nor a source of news that I consult regularly on the Internet.  The reason I don’t is because there are so few places where you can trust what you hear or what you read.  Sometimes I think we avoid reading it because everything is bad news or as this verse says “evil tidings.  We don’t like what we hear.  It seems so negative.

That’s not healthy.  We need to keep gathering information, reading, listening, and thinking.  And we need to do it in the spirit of trust and faith in the Lord God Almighty.  As someone said, “He’s got this”.  We need to remember that we need to live in anticipation because of that.

So?  Live in boldness.  Live in confidence.  The news may be bad, but God is in the business of taking sinners and turning them into righteous believers.  You can do the same with the daily news.