More Than a Song

(Proverbs 8:31 KJV)  Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

What is God’s general attitude, expressed through Wisdom personified, toward His creation?  If you have read the creation account recently you have seen how repeatedly God refers to what He has done by saying, “It was good.”  Here we see an attitude of “rejoicing” (7832).  Two times in two verses it mentions “rejoicing” (7832).

As I was comparing the KJV and the NASB I was trying to figure out the relationship between the Hebrew and the English.  A literal, word by word, translation would go something like “laughing, joking and playing in the world of his land.”  It is hard to figure that one but it is clear that God is rejoicing and wants to enjoy the world, and people He has made.

This is just more evidence that God is on our side.  He wants us to have the best.  He loves us.  At the same time He is Holy and Just.  That takes us back to sin, redemption, resurrection and the whole gospel.

So?  If you are having a bad day, remind yourself that God did not intend it that way and is reaching out to help you rejoice with Him.  It is in the Bible.

(Psalms 118:24 KJV)  This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

And you thought it was just a song. 

A Quiet “No” Is Still “No”

(Proverbs 7:11 KJV)  (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

It would seem that there are different ways to be “rebellious” (5637).  This type of rebellion is conveyed in the KJV when it translates this word “stubborn”.  There is another one (4784) that means to be contentious.  You see them both used in Psalms

(Psalms 78:8 KJV)  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn (5637) and rebellious (4784) generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

One is passive rebellion, the other overt.  Both are condemned.

So?  Are you one of those that resists the leading of God quietly or are you a loud protestor.  Neither is obedience.  Neither is the way of righteousness.  Consider the state of our soul. 

Just Nod Your Head and Smile

(Proverbs 6:24 KJV)  To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

The last phrase in the verse talks about the “flattery” (smooth” (2513b) off the “tongue” (3956) NASB) of the “strange woman” (adulteress NASB) (5237).  I am going to assume that none of us are traveling down the road of adultery and look at the figurative uses of these words.  If you do that it could be written as the “slippery language of the unfamiliar.” 

Have you ever had a time when you were not sure what someone was talking about and you just nodded your head and acted like you got it?  Come on, be honest now.  No one else is looking.  Well, at least I have.  Sometimes, when they are discussing the difference between thick and thin crust pizza, it is no big deal.  But if they are talking about diversity, you might want to get in gear because you need to understand what they mean.

So?  Be careful not to agree to things you don’t understand.  There is a lot of new jargon coming down the pike and much of it is the same old paganism in a new robe. 

Old Dogs and New Hearts

(Proverbs 5:12 KJV)  And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say.  I am not so sure of that.  If we could see the past clearly it would surely help us change our choices now.  After all, we are supposed to learn from our mistakes.  I think that too often we do what the psychologists call “rationalization.”  We find all kinds of excuses and explanations for why we were not successful.

The point that could be made from this verse is that as long as we are alive, it is not too late to look back and say, “I was wrong.”  It is called repentance.

This is where the patience of God comes on strong.  His desire is that we come to the point of awareness and honesty.  Sure, I “hated” (8130) “instruction” (4148).  The question is, am I ready now or am I still into playing games?

Remember the words of Peter

(2 Peter 3:9 KJV)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

So?  You can teach an old dog new tricks and you can teach an old sinner, if he has a new heart.  Get in your application if you have been putting it off. 

Time to Volley

(Proverbs 4:15 KJV)  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

In the English language we have a way of speaking that is called the imperative.  In the imperative the subject is often understood, not stated in words.  That is the case in this verse.  We have four direct commands beginning with “avoid” (6544a).  We never have a noun because it is understood to be “you.”  Thus the verse becomes “You avoid,...”

As I read through this chapter this month I saw this repeatedly.  God is speaking in the imperative.  He is giving commands.  He is saying “You....”  He is laying the groundwork for getting to wisdom. 

The ball is tossed into our court.  It is now depending on us to return the serve.

So?  You will never return the serve unless you take a swing.  Obedience and the path to righteous living is based on a learning curve of experience.  Here comes the next one.... 

Candlepower or Octane?

(Proverbs 3:26 KJV)  For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

If you have an NASB you see that the margin tells you “confidence” could also mean “at your side.”  That got me looking at the meaning of the word and it’s root.  It was one of those “What?” moments.  The root for the word means “stupidity” and when you read “fool” or “folly” in Proverbs it is another spin off from that root.  This word itself is translated “loins” or “flank” in the sense of a part of the sacrificial animal.  It seems to be another word that depends on the context. 

If we put our trust in the Lord, make Him that which is at our side, we have confidence and a reason for confidence.  If we place anything else in that spot we have folly.  It is like trying to run your car on wax.  It works well for candles on a cake but doesn’t do much to move a huge chunk of steel.

So?  What do you want to depend on?  Whom do you want at your side when push comes to shove?  At the moment of crisis it may be to late to look for backup.  Prepare now. 

Evil Is as Evil Does

(Proverbs 2:12 KJV)  To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

God’s wisdom and the products of that wisdom will “deliver” (5337) us.  From what?  There are two things that God is protecting us from here.  The first is the “way” (1870) of “evil” (7451b).  This is an internal, personal deliverance.  This is the result of following the right path.  Daily, in fact moment by moment, we make decisions that determine whether we will walk on the way that Isaiah 35:8 calls the Highway of Holiness or whether we will start down the way of evil.

We are given the power to make decisions.  Those decisions have consequences.  You may not see or feel them quickly, but they are there.  It is possible the product of your decisions may not emerge until your children are out making decisions, but they will come.

So?  Keep your feet on the straight and narrow.  If you step off and don’t crash, rejoice, repent and get back on because the protection may be withdrawn if you persist.