(Proverbs 14:22 KJV) Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
At what point do we recognize that we “err” (gone astray NASB) (8562)? I think it is an important question. Think of people in the Bible who went astray. You would have quite a list if you listed all of David’s failings. Peter was known for getting carried away down the wrong path. I John 1:9 is written based on the assumption that people will get off track.
How do we respond? The righteous will see their sin and repent. The evil will continue down the path. Notice that the straying comes because the person is evil.
So? Did you mess up already today? Is it because you are choosing to be evil or because you got off the track you want to be on. Repent or keep sliding. Different people will make different choices.
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Monday, August 13, 2018
Wise Walking
(Proverbs 13:20 KJV) He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Life is full of choices. It can really be important whom you travel with. I enjoy playing golf once in awhile. I am over the “gotta play” passion. I am not really very good. If you know what it means, if I ever break 100 I have a shouting spell. I enjoy playing on courses I have never been to before but they have a problem. What looks like a simple, direct path from tee to hole is often anything but. In cases like that it helps to have someone playing with you with certain qualities.
It helps to have someone who has played the course enough to know it. I had one guy who would constantly tell me things like, “Try to stay to the left. If you hit it right it will roll down a long hill.” It also helps to know if there is some water just over a rise and hidden in a low spot. Knowing where to hit the ball doesn’t make me any more accurate but at least gives me a chance to try.
It helps to have someone who has better eyes. One of the most common questions I ask is, “Did you see where my ball went?” The problem is that the ball went farther than I could track. It could be hazy conditions. It could be I wasn’t looking. Often there are others who can help out.
What you don’t want is the guy who wants to tell you how to change your grip and stance when it is obvious he isn’t doing so well himself.
So? As far as possible, choose whom you walk with.
Life is full of choices. It can really be important whom you travel with. I enjoy playing golf once in awhile. I am over the “gotta play” passion. I am not really very good. If you know what it means, if I ever break 100 I have a shouting spell. I enjoy playing on courses I have never been to before but they have a problem. What looks like a simple, direct path from tee to hole is often anything but. In cases like that it helps to have someone playing with you with certain qualities.
It helps to have someone who has played the course enough to know it. I had one guy who would constantly tell me things like, “Try to stay to the left. If you hit it right it will roll down a long hill.” It also helps to know if there is some water just over a rise and hidden in a low spot. Knowing where to hit the ball doesn’t make me any more accurate but at least gives me a chance to try.
It helps to have someone who has better eyes. One of the most common questions I ask is, “Did you see where my ball went?” The problem is that the ball went farther than I could track. It could be hazy conditions. It could be I wasn’t looking. Often there are others who can help out.
What you don’t want is the guy who wants to tell you how to change your grip and stance when it is obvious he isn’t doing so well himself.
So? As far as possible, choose whom you walk with.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Coup de Gras
(Proverbs 12:18 KJV) There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
In this spot the NASB does a better job on the Hebrew. The KJV leaves out the concept of “rashly” (981). While the term can refer to making solemn statements it has the idea of doing it without thought, even flippantly. I have a vision of some of the spiritual discussions I have had with people where I deliver the coup de gras only to find that they don’t think it was so profound. It was, they just didn’t get it. I am not referring to the times I was totally wrong. The problem was not my facts but my attitude.
So? It doesn’t do any good to be right if no one will listen.
In this spot the NASB does a better job on the Hebrew. The KJV leaves out the concept of “rashly” (981). While the term can refer to making solemn statements it has the idea of doing it without thought, even flippantly. I have a vision of some of the spiritual discussions I have had with people where I deliver the coup de gras only to find that they don’t think it was so profound. It was, they just didn’t get it. I am not referring to the times I was totally wrong. The problem was not my facts but my attitude.
So? It doesn’t do any good to be right if no one will listen.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Servant Class
(Proverbs 11:29 KJV) He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.
The second part of this verse does not necessarily have to do with the first although I can see how one relates to the other. A fool would mess with his own house. We have the phrase, “foul your own nest”. I don’t know if you have ever seen pictures portraying the work space of a computer geek who has empty pizza boxes piled by the chair. I have actually seen that in real life. It is disgustingly awesome.
The “foolish” (191) have certain qualities. Proverbs keeps bringing them out. They have personalities that make them useful only on tasks that do not really matter. It says they will be “servants” (5650) but it does not say that they will be useful servants. They will be the kind of housekeepers that might be trusted to change the toilet paper but will need to be checked to see if they get it rolling the right way.
So? Some people are not worthy of being in responsible positions. That should never be said of followers of Jesus.
The second part of this verse does not necessarily have to do with the first although I can see how one relates to the other. A fool would mess with his own house. We have the phrase, “foul your own nest”. I don’t know if you have ever seen pictures portraying the work space of a computer geek who has empty pizza boxes piled by the chair. I have actually seen that in real life. It is disgustingly awesome.
The “foolish” (191) have certain qualities. Proverbs keeps bringing them out. They have personalities that make them useful only on tasks that do not really matter. It says they will be “servants” (5650) but it does not say that they will be useful servants. They will be the kind of housekeepers that might be trusted to change the toilet paper but will need to be checked to see if they get it rolling the right way.
So? Some people are not worthy of being in responsible positions. That should never be said of followers of Jesus.
Friday, August 10, 2018
Soul or Not
(Proverbs 10:3 KJV) The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.
This is a verse that is easier to deal with if you consult different translations and look at some of the study tools available. The NASB seems to be saying that God will never stand by and let one of His children get hungry. That is literally nonsense. We all experience hunger. It is how we know it is time to eat. So we need to look a little deeper.
Different translations give us a clue. Notice that the KJV says “soul” (5315) of the “righteous” (6662). That brings the meaning into reach. Also notice the marginal notes in the NASB. There is says it is literally the “soul of the righteous”. If that is what it means then why didn’t they translate it that way? Sometimes I see why a friend of mine is so fed up with the NASB.
Another item of interest is that the verb in the first phrase seems to be an interpretation, not in the Hebrew. It has the Lord and the righteous but what is the action?
So? I think the figurative, spiritual understanding is best. God will not allow our soul to dry up and wither. He will be with us and hold us up through any trial. I can live with that.
This is a verse that is easier to deal with if you consult different translations and look at some of the study tools available. The NASB seems to be saying that God will never stand by and let one of His children get hungry. That is literally nonsense. We all experience hunger. It is how we know it is time to eat. So we need to look a little deeper.
Different translations give us a clue. Notice that the KJV says “soul” (5315) of the “righteous” (6662). That brings the meaning into reach. Also notice the marginal notes in the NASB. There is says it is literally the “soul of the righteous”. If that is what it means then why didn’t they translate it that way? Sometimes I see why a friend of mine is so fed up with the NASB.
Another item of interest is that the verb in the first phrase seems to be an interpretation, not in the Hebrew. It has the Lord and the righteous but what is the action?
So? I think the figurative, spiritual understanding is best. God will not allow our soul to dry up and wither. He will be with us and hold us up through any trial. I can live with that.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Choice Ignorance
(Proverbs 9:16 KJV) Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,
It has been a long time since I have seriously used my Bible commentaries. It isn’t that they don’t have good things to say, they do. It isn’t even that they contain heresy, unless you are a die hard Arminian who thinks Calvinists are heretics. I don’t think that. They may be confused but they are not heretics. The reason is that in most cases the commentaries are not sharing great insight into the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek but instead are sharing their own opinions.
Notice in this verse that the appeal of deceit works best for the one who “wanteth" (lacks NASB) (2638) “understanding” (3820). This type of appeal works best on people who are ignorant. What we often overlook is that ignorance is usually a choice. It is not the same as stupid. You can’t help it if you are stupid. You can be responsible if you just don’t know or have not taken the time to learn.
So? Sometimes ignorance is no big deal. I don’t know who the latest rap star is, nor do I care. I do know however that the fruit of the Spirit is more important than the date of the rapture. One is available, one is God’s business.
It has been a long time since I have seriously used my Bible commentaries. It isn’t that they don’t have good things to say, they do. It isn’t even that they contain heresy, unless you are a die hard Arminian who thinks Calvinists are heretics. I don’t think that. They may be confused but they are not heretics. The reason is that in most cases the commentaries are not sharing great insight into the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek but instead are sharing their own opinions.
Notice in this verse that the appeal of deceit works best for the one who “wanteth" (lacks NASB) (2638) “understanding” (3820). This type of appeal works best on people who are ignorant. What we often overlook is that ignorance is usually a choice. It is not the same as stupid. You can’t help it if you are stupid. You can be responsible if you just don’t know or have not taken the time to learn.
So? Sometimes ignorance is no big deal. I don’t know who the latest rap star is, nor do I care. I do know however that the fruit of the Spirit is more important than the date of the rapture. One is available, one is God’s business.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Utter Utter Truth
(Proverbs 8:7 KJV) For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
Proverbs spends a fair amount of time talking about evil with all of its attributes and variations. It also spends time on the character of righteousness. On that list is “truth” (571). We are to “utter” (1897) truth. In English we have at least two different meanings depending on whether it is used as a verb or an adjective. Both are helpful if we are talking about living upright lives.
Here it is used as a verb. It is interesting to me the scope of meaning in the word. Of course it means to speak or say. In addition it carries the baggage of moan, groan and muse. It is even translated “mutter”. I don’t know if you mutter but I do. Even that must be truth.
It would help to look at the adjective also. It is not the meaning here but in English “utter” as an adjective means total and absolute. To you could say that the believer is to speak total truth at all times.
So? Just as we need to be aware that there is evil around us we need to acknowledge that God expects us to be different. Our standard is truth. We are surrounded by a culture that is making all kinds of excuses for lies and deceit. We are not part of that.
Proverbs spends a fair amount of time talking about evil with all of its attributes and variations. It also spends time on the character of righteousness. On that list is “truth” (571). We are to “utter” (1897) truth. In English we have at least two different meanings depending on whether it is used as a verb or an adjective. Both are helpful if we are talking about living upright lives.
Here it is used as a verb. It is interesting to me the scope of meaning in the word. Of course it means to speak or say. In addition it carries the baggage of moan, groan and muse. It is even translated “mutter”. I don’t know if you mutter but I do. Even that must be truth.
It would help to look at the adjective also. It is not the meaning here but in English “utter” as an adjective means total and absolute. To you could say that the believer is to speak total truth at all times.
So? Just as we need to be aware that there is evil around us we need to acknowledge that God expects us to be different. Our standard is truth. We are surrounded by a culture that is making all kinds of excuses for lies and deceit. We are not part of that.
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