Repetition

(Pro 25:24 NAS77) It is better to live in a corner of the roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

I don’t know when I first noticed that this thought was expressed several times in Proverbs.  Once I saw it, I kept seeing it.  I am using the NASB here because the Greek link is more clear.  In my software the “brawling woman” of the KJV is a combination of three words.  Be that as it may, the thing that hit me today was how certain themes get repeated in Proverbs.  I find myself wondering why once is not enough.

Probably for the same reasons that kids need to be continually reminded to pick up their sox.  We are slow and reluctant learners.  The idea expressed here in “contentious” (4066) tends to be more common than it appears if that is the word that stands out.  It is used 20 times in the Old Testament and 17 of them are in Proverbs.  I would say it is a topic that needs to be repeated.

So?  Pay attention and keep in mind that a verse like this is not here just to advise you on marriage but to help you to avoid being the contentious one. 

A Retreat That Charges

(Psa 55:7 KJV)  Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

(Proverbs 24 also read)

Have you ever felt like you need a vacation?  Sometimes it is enough to get a quiet evening at home.  I have had several spots that I felt like I could reconnect.  David is expressing that desire in these verses.  It also seems to imply that he did not get what he wished.

We need to find ways to be renewed without leaving the zip code.  If we concentrate on worship we can find Sunday morning a time of refreshing.  I find that getting up early helps to renew my mind and spirit.  

So?  There are ways to “wander far away” without leaving the house.  It takes focus and a bit of practice but it can be done.  Start by pondering the holiness of God.  Try to comprehend what it means to be eternal.  Look for evidence of the image of God in your life.  Be refreshed. 

Hell No

(Pro 23:14 KJV)  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Some people question whether the Jews of the Old Testament believed in an afterlife.  Some say yes and quote certain scriptures.  Others say no and quote other scriptures.  Some explain the “Sheol” (7585) (hell KJV) as a shadowy place where souls drift around in a kind of limbo.  They claim it is the only choice.  This verse seems to indicate there is an option.

This says that your “soul” (5315) [nephesh] can be “delivered" (rescued NASB) (5337).

So?  It would seem that David believed that we did not have to go to hell.  Sounds like a message of hope. 

Be Careful Where You Tap

(Pro 22:26 KJV)  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

In verses like this I can see why our pastor likes the KJV.  He gets irritated at people clapping in church.  He is an old fashioned “amen” type of guy.  While I am not someone who shouts “Hallelujah” or such I also don’t applaud in worship.  It just seems out of place and so secular.  But that is not really what this is saying.  It is great that the KJV is so literal but for us today we can miss the point totally.  That is double true for this age where your word is no longer your bond.  You require a contract with the proper wording.

The NASB comes closer to the actual meaning with “giving pledges”.  It might be more accurate to say “shake on it”.  It is another way of reminding us not to be too quick with our financial commitments.  Know your limits.  Be a good steward.

So?  Now that we can tap and swipe with out credit cards this might be even more true.  Think twice before you even enter a store that has anything other than necessities. 

Leading the Leaders

(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.

I believe in free will.  I believe it is part of the image of God that we were created with.  I also believe in the sovereignty of God.  In my opinion He is free to force things when He wants to.  This verse points out that He can force kings to do what He wants.  The Bible is full of examples.  We tend to get a bit excited in our system of government thinking it is up to us to reform the government.  We write letters and all the other variations of influencing our leaders, and so we should.  What we forget to do is bath those letters with prayer.

It occurred to me that people in leadership might have less free will than those of us in the trenches.  Imagine what it must be like to take four dogs for a walk in the hill country of Texas.  I used to see it and it was very amusing.  Can you say, “Squirrel”?  Yet God would have no problem.  

So?  Pray for our leaders.  If you are angry at them you can focus on the holiness and justice of God.  If you have the gift of mercy you can focus on that.  God is in charge even when we don’t see it and the powerful refuse to acknowledge it. 

The Weight of Abomination

(Pro 20:10 KJV)  Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

This verse reminds us of the character of God and His concept of justice and fairness.  The specific reference is to shady business practices.  It is not condemning open choices of generosity.  You might be running a produce stand and selling peanuts of $1.00 a pound.  If someone asks for a pound of peanuts you give them a pound of peanuts.  After that, if you say, “Since you are my mother I am going to throw in a few more” then you are good.  If you put your finger under the scale to give a dishonest weight, you are bad.

The justice comes in from God, not the person you cheated.  They may never know.  God will.  The principle applies in all areas of life.  It applies to the produce man, the builder, the judge and any other area of life.

So?  Give fair value.  I know you don’t want a badge saying, “I am an abomination.” 

Pick a Path

(Psa 43:5 KJV)  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

(Proverbs 19 also read)

The Psalms continually show that emotions can drag us down.  David demonstrates it on a regular basis.  Why should we feel that we are any better?  It is how we respond that makes the difference.

It is amazing how much of our response to life is based on our decisions.  We think our emotions are like free agents.  Often we claim there is nothing we can do about depression.  I guess that may be true.  There are causes based on our physical condition, but for most of us, most of the time our emotions are sculpted by our decisions.

So?  We can chose to hope.  We can chose to trust.  We can chose to allow God to help us dig out of the sloth of despair that we have allowed ourselves to sink into.  Many of the “emotions” we think of, such as love, are really decisions.  Choose wisely.