(Proverbs 7:15 KJV) Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
With evil it gets personal. Notice that the adulterous woman is looking for a certain “face' (presence NASB) (6440). The KJV gives the literal meaning here. This woman has a specific face in mind, yours.
When we talk about living in a fallen world, the limitations of the flesh, or original sin we are speaking about a generic evil. We are talking about something as common as carbon dioxide in the air we breathe. It doesn’t take much to make a difference. Here we are talking about designer plans just for you. The devil, his minions and the billions of individuals who serve him on this planet have a goal: You.
So? Why not ruin his day? Why not refuse to fall for the “opportunity” that is given to you? Why not continue to resist temptation and walk the narrow road? It is possible. That is the great news. Of course the other good news is that if you mess up, God is willing to forgive honest repentance. Walk holy.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Does Santa Really Say, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”?
(Proverbs 6:26 KJV) For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.
Poverty is often tied to sexual sin. It isn’t just because of the actions but also because of the attitudes. We see one part of our culture that has resurrected the concept of the “whorish woman” (harlot NASB) (2181). I run into the tunnel vision/hearing of students when I am explaining that the Aztecs had advanced calendars but never invented a hoe. They all start giggling. Later in the year I have a map I pull down that shows the westward movement and the title on the map is “Westward Ho!” They again start laughing. If you are sheltered you don’t know that one of the common words in rap music is “ho” which is a shorted version of whore. These “artists” use it to refer to women.
Because I don’t participate in that culture or listen to what they call music I don’t think of the word that way. I am reminded every time I use it.
The concept in this verse is that the “ho” aspects of life bring us to poverty. I would say it includes not just financial poverty but moral depravity, cultural degeneration, family disintegration and spiritual damnation.
So? What kind of attitudes and values have you grown accustomed to? How many of them are in the process of destroying all hope and value in your life and in the lives around you. Walk in righteousness.
Poverty is often tied to sexual sin. It isn’t just because of the actions but also because of the attitudes. We see one part of our culture that has resurrected the concept of the “whorish woman” (harlot NASB) (2181). I run into the tunnel vision/hearing of students when I am explaining that the Aztecs had advanced calendars but never invented a hoe. They all start giggling. Later in the year I have a map I pull down that shows the westward movement and the title on the map is “Westward Ho!” They again start laughing. If you are sheltered you don’t know that one of the common words in rap music is “ho” which is a shorted version of whore. These “artists” use it to refer to women.
Because I don’t participate in that culture or listen to what they call music I don’t think of the word that way. I am reminded every time I use it.
The concept in this verse is that the “ho” aspects of life bring us to poverty. I would say it includes not just financial poverty but moral depravity, cultural degeneration, family disintegration and spiritual damnation.
So? What kind of attitudes and values have you grown accustomed to? How many of them are in the process of destroying all hope and value in your life and in the lives around you. Walk in righteousness.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Don’t Let Evil Endure
(Proverbs 5:14 KJV) I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.
What is this “evil” (ruin NASB) (7451b) that is being experienced? Notice the two different words in the two translations. This is a Hebrew subtlety that is beyond my skills. It is the same word in spelling and pronunciation, yet in the advanced Hebrew dictionaries it shows them as “7451a” and “7451b”. I am assuming that the difference has to do with either context or tense. Either way it is a bad place to be in.
One of the characteristics of the Bible that lends it credibility to the discerning reader is that it does not gloss over the difficulties of life. We see David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), as one who had failed repeatedly. We see Peter denying his lord and accused of hypocrisy by Paul. Here it points out the danger of drifting into ruin.
The better news is that we are offered forgiveness and restoration when we repent.
So? Are you having a bad day? How about a bad year? God is waiting for you to apply for the solution instead of continuing toward ruin. Ask, knock, seek. You will find.
What is this “evil” (ruin NASB) (7451b) that is being experienced? Notice the two different words in the two translations. This is a Hebrew subtlety that is beyond my skills. It is the same word in spelling and pronunciation, yet in the advanced Hebrew dictionaries it shows them as “7451a” and “7451b”. I am assuming that the difference has to do with either context or tense. Either way it is a bad place to be in.
One of the characteristics of the Bible that lends it credibility to the discerning reader is that it does not gloss over the difficulties of life. We see David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), as one who had failed repeatedly. We see Peter denying his lord and accused of hypocrisy by Paul. Here it points out the danger of drifting into ruin.
The better news is that we are offered forgiveness and restoration when we repent.
So? Are you having a bad day? How about a bad year? God is waiting for you to apply for the solution instead of continuing toward ruin. Ask, knock, seek. You will find.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Bread and Wine
(Proverbs 4:17 KJV) For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
It is interesting that “bread” (3899) is associated with general “wickedness” (7562) whereas “wine” (3196) is associated with “violence” (2555). Different forms of sin produce different forms of destruction. Some is broad brush, some is targeted.
Hypocrisy paints with a broad brush. There is no way of knowing how many people it drags down. Adultery destroys individual lives and then can spread to a family. Lies can be aimed at one or an entire culture. Sloth sucks the life out of a culture because parasites live off the life blood of others.
I was listening to an interview with a politician who was talking about non-violent offenses and victimless crimes. We sometimes make the same types of excuses for our own failures.
So? Don’t fall for it. We are to live righteous lives. We are to be salt and light. Sure we stumble. Definitely we have bad days. Don’t let that be an excuse. Strive for the narrow gate. Your life effects everyone around you.
It is interesting that “bread” (3899) is associated with general “wickedness” (7562) whereas “wine” (3196) is associated with “violence” (2555). Different forms of sin produce different forms of destruction. Some is broad brush, some is targeted.
Hypocrisy paints with a broad brush. There is no way of knowing how many people it drags down. Adultery destroys individual lives and then can spread to a family. Lies can be aimed at one or an entire culture. Sloth sucks the life out of a culture because parasites live off the life blood of others.
I was listening to an interview with a politician who was talking about non-violent offenses and victimless crimes. We sometimes make the same types of excuses for our own failures.
So? Don’t fall for it. We are to live righteous lives. We are to be salt and light. Sure we stumble. Definitely we have bad days. Don’t let that be an excuse. Strive for the narrow gate. Your life effects everyone around you.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Favor of the Month
(Proverbs 3:4 KJV) So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
What is this about finding “favor” (2580) with God? One of the standard lines I hear from some points of view is that we can never be worthy, that we can never measure up, or as one author said, we are “dirty, no-good, rotten sinners.” Yet here it tells us how to do just that.
There is obviously a sense in which we can never be worthy. We can never earn our salvation. Jesus did not die for us because we were such fine fellows. We were lost sinners. But that is in the past. We are now redeemed. We are now to live as those who are worthy. Paul, the apostle of grace uses the phrase “walk worthy.” Here is just one example,
So? Get in gear. You were a dirty, no-good, rotten sinner. Jesus died to change that. You are now a saint. Start living like it.
What is this about finding “favor” (2580) with God? One of the standard lines I hear from some points of view is that we can never be worthy, that we can never measure up, or as one author said, we are “dirty, no-good, rotten sinners.” Yet here it tells us how to do just that.
There is obviously a sense in which we can never be worthy. We can never earn our salvation. Jesus did not die for us because we were such fine fellows. We were lost sinners. But that is in the past. We are now redeemed. We are now to live as those who are worthy. Paul, the apostle of grace uses the phrase “walk worthy.” Here is just one example,
(Colossians 1:10 KJV) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;If he tells us to, it must be possible.
So? Get in gear. You were a dirty, no-good, rotten sinner. Jesus died to change that. You are now a saint. Start living like it.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Froward, March
(Proverbs 2:14 KJV) Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
In looking at the KJV I was again struck by the archaic word “frowardness” (perversity NASB) (8419). It is so easy to confuse with “forward” if you are reading fast or assume it is a misprint. It is actually a contrast to forward. The difference is in the prefix. “Fro” and “for” are like “pro” and “con.” They are opposites. That helps us understand this characteristic of evil.
Frowardness means to be turning back from the direction that God would have us go. We meet people like this. Sometimes we are those people. Here it is implied, not that they have minds of their own, but that they have minds that thrive on being contrary to God. When they see evil going on and it is obviously working to counter righteousness, they rejoice. For example when a judge declares that pornography is covered by the free speech clause in the Bill of Rights, they celebrate and praise the decision even though it is obviously advancing evil.
So? Consider what you support and advance. A current example would be the recent decisions of the Boy Scouts. They may be politically correct and in tune with the times but are they forward or froward?
In looking at the KJV I was again struck by the archaic word “frowardness” (perversity NASB) (8419). It is so easy to confuse with “forward” if you are reading fast or assume it is a misprint. It is actually a contrast to forward. The difference is in the prefix. “Fro” and “for” are like “pro” and “con.” They are opposites. That helps us understand this characteristic of evil.
Frowardness means to be turning back from the direction that God would have us go. We meet people like this. Sometimes we are those people. Here it is implied, not that they have minds of their own, but that they have minds that thrive on being contrary to God. When they see evil going on and it is obviously working to counter righteousness, they rejoice. For example when a judge declares that pornography is covered by the free speech clause in the Bill of Rights, they celebrate and praise the decision even though it is obviously advancing evil.
So? Consider what you support and advance. A current example would be the recent decisions of the Boy Scouts. They may be politically correct and in tune with the times but are they forward or froward?
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Fear Foundations
(Proverbs 1:7 KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Christians are always talking about love but we don’t want to hear about “fear” (3374). In the KJV we see fear 23 times in Proverbs; love, 15. In the NASB it is 18 and 16. When we are talking about wisdom it seems that fear gets more press than love.
I have heard it said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I accept that but God is not trying to catch flies. He is trying to catch sinful human beings who are determined to be their own gods. He is dealing with creatures that don’t pay attention well and are easily sidetracked. He wants to redeem you and me. Sometimes love will do the trick. Sometimes fear is necessary.
Two times Proverbs uses the phrase “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of....” Here it starts us down the path of knowledge. In 9:10 it directs us to wisdom.
So? Don’t be afraid of fear. Yes, God loves us but it is a scary thing to be loved by a holy God. Let your fear be healthy because it is tempered by grace and obedience.
Christians are always talking about love but we don’t want to hear about “fear” (3374). In the KJV we see fear 23 times in Proverbs; love, 15. In the NASB it is 18 and 16. When we are talking about wisdom it seems that fear gets more press than love.
I have heard it said you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I accept that but God is not trying to catch flies. He is trying to catch sinful human beings who are determined to be their own gods. He is dealing with creatures that don’t pay attention well and are easily sidetracked. He wants to redeem you and me. Sometimes love will do the trick. Sometimes fear is necessary.
Two times Proverbs uses the phrase “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of....” Here it starts us down the path of knowledge. In 9:10 it directs us to wisdom.
So? Don’t be afraid of fear. Yes, God loves us but it is a scary thing to be loved by a holy God. Let your fear be healthy because it is tempered by grace and obedience.
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