Sanctifying the Fall

(Pro 13:11 KJV) Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

I need verses like this to balance the account of the Fall.  Adam was cursed with work.  Because of sin he would be condemned to earn his living by the sweat of his brow.  I liked to use that when people wanted me to dig ditches.  Work was the result of sin.  It worked for me but it doesn’t work for God.

Here we can see that “labor” (3027) is something that produces good things.  It may be hard, but then it is supposed to be.  As the old German proverb was translated by Nike, “No pain, no gain.”  I guess it goes back further than the Germans.

Jesus has sanctified it.  Now work is a virtue, not a punishment.

So?  I doubt if I need to tell you to get a job.  I am retired so I don’t need that advice.  What I do need to hear is that getting out and working in the yard has a value on its own.  I need to be reminded that when I mop the floors it is glorious to do a good job.  I don’t have to like it. 

Low Expectations

(Pro 12:8 KJV) A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

Have you ever shared a bit of wisdom and no one seems impressed?  Then you read this and wonder what is going wrong.  You feel like this verse missed something.  This is an assurance that does not have a timetable.  History is full of great thinkers and statesmen who have proclaimed truth and been ignored or ridiculed.  William Wilberforce battled for 30 years to end slavery in the British Empire and died with only the first step taken.  Eventually he was vindicated. 

To be honest I don’t think the major portion of the population is able to recognize truth even when it bites them on the nose.  A lot of that is because they are not paying attention.  For those who are watching and listening, sin is still their guiding force. 

So?  Keep speaking the truth.  It is likely that no one will jump on board.  That doesn’t change the truth. 

Don’t Settle for Less

(Pro 11:19 KJV) As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

I noticed it again today as I was reading.  “Righteousness” (6666) keeps popping up.  The reason that keeps jumping out at me is that so many people claim that it is impossible to live a righteous life or be a righteous person.  They love to quote,

(Rom 3:10 KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

and use it as a proof text.  It does not stand alone.  If you read a few verse down you come across,

(Psa 14:5 KJV) There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

If you can’t have any righteous how do you have a generation of righteous?

So?  My concern is that people will settle for living in defeat and sin because someone likes to quote an isolated verse.  God has called us to live upright and godly lives.  It does not say perfect, it says righteous.  Go for the gold ring.

Qualities Needing Judgement

(Pro 10:20 KJV) The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Is this a principle or a law?  Is it a hope or an expectation?  Is it a measure or a goal?  It seems that we should be able to tell who the “just” (righteous NASB) {6662} are by the way they talk.  There are certain things we can look for.

We can expect the right content.  Honesty, an adherence to truth is required for righteousness.  While it would be possible to exaggerate for effect as a literary device the distortions that are common in our culture would not be acceptable. 

We can expect the right attitude.  We should have courtesy and kindness.  How we say things is often as important as what we say. 

What about vocabulary?  I tend to be very up-tight in my vocabulary but as I get older I am realizing that everyone was not raised with my restraints.  I have to accept that it is possible to use some four letter words and still be part of the family of God.

None of this means that the answers will always be what we want.  That is not the measure of righteousness. 

So.  The first application is to ourselves.  The second is to people who claim to speak God’s truth.  After that if could become a form of the kind of judgement that is condemned. 

Media Faith

(Pro 9:14 KJV) For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

The similarities between the call of wisdom and folly are striking, and frightening.  Here we are looking at folly.  How are we to tell the difference?  I think it is possible.  You might want to tune in to one of the big names in media Christianity.  Names that come to mind are Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer.  I must point out that I do not personally listen to either of them.  I think I may have been in the same room during an entire Meyer presentation but I don’t think I have heard more than clips and quotes of Osteen.  Another name that comes to mind is Franklin Graham.  Whom would you trust?

You would need to listen to each one.  I am not sure how long you would need to listen to begin to form an opinion.  It might depend on how much you read the word of God on your own.  I get the feeling that it would not take too long to begin to sense some dissonance with Osteen and Meyer.  Again, it would  depend on how much you have read yourself and how well you listen to the Holy Spirit.

So?  Always remember that Satan and his minions do not charge you in a red suit and waving pitchforks.  I believe he is called the Angel of Light.  Never turn off your powers of reason. 

Always Wise

(Pro 8:24 KJV) When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Is wisdom eternal?  Is it an attribute of God or is He so far above wisdom that such a statement is an insult?  It makes me wonder what “brought forth” (2342a) signifies.  It seems to have the idea of twisting and turning.  It implies birth in the course of great struggle.  The older commentators drew parallels to the concept of “only begotten” relating to Jesus.  If that has traction it could infer that wisdom is eternal but had to be squeezed into a form that humans could use.

It makes me wonder if the Pumice Pathetic Paraphrase would translate it “trotted out”.

So?  The point is that the principles laid down in Biblical wisdom are consistent with the nature of God and His creation.  We all benefit from making them a part of our lives. 

Self Games

(Pro 7:8 KJV) Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

I hope you are not filled with sympathy for this young man who seems to be trapped by a loose woman.  Don’t be.  He seems to have a goal and that goal is this babe who is waiting for him.  Notice that he is heading for her neighborhood.  He knows where he is headed and knows who will be waiting for him.  I imagine he felt he could deny it if he met the wrong person but it was all laid out in advance.

So?  How many times have I talked myself into believing that I am being caught by the unexpected?  Sometimes it is true.  On reflection I can look back and see how I could have done better, no, how I should have done better.  It is hard to live without playing games with ourselves.