Opinions Often Don’t Matter

Psalm 3:2 (KJV) Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

(Proverbs 14 also read)

We are supposed to be open to counsel.  Wisdom means that we learn to take advice, and that we listen to other people who might be speaking the words that God wants us to hear.  That’s true, but not always true.

Here David hears what I was just saying.  I’m sure that if David were in one of his bad times, it would be easy for him to take these words seriously.  He tells us what everyone is saying.  I would guess that we have been there.  We’ve had people who question our motives and our whole spiritual demeanor.  Our first responsibility is to listen with an open heart.  Keep in mind when I say open heart I don’t mean the word that is used for simple or naïve.  It also means open. Your heart is not open in the sense that it’s so open everything will fall out and anything can come in.  Your heart is to be filled with the things of God and with His word.

Then when someone has something to say, you can filter it through the wisdom that you have stored up because you’ve been spending time with Him.  It may be that you need to hear what they’re saying.  It may be that you need to hear it and ignore it.  Only you know the answer to that.

So? Listen, but listen with the Holy Spirit guiding your heart in mind.  Hear what you need to hear.  Ignore the rest. 

An Earful

Proverbs 13:1 (KJV) A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

In comparing translations, we are reminded of the difference between hearing and listening.  In one sense they are the same but the conflict that comes out is that one produces an awareness and the other is simply a sensitivity to sound.

Think of the times where you have become aware of a sound that has been going on for a while.  Recently our heating system stopped working.  The house was getting colder, but still manageable.  There was nothing to freak out about.  The repairman were coming.  Suddenly I was aware that I was hearing the sound of the fan working.  It intruded in my consciousness, and I started listening, and I realize that the heater was on.  Once my attention was gained, I realized a few minutes later than it is stopped again.

The point is that my ears were capable of hearing.  They were working.  They just weren’t connected to my conscious brain.  Think about this in terms of spiritual truth.  We are surrounded by truth.  It appears in different ways and in different formats, but it is available.  Some people see it, some don’t.  The point that Proverbs is getting to is that it makes a difference in our lives if we’re paying attention or not.

So?  What is God trying to say to you?  Are you listening?  Are you not hearing simply because you don’t like with the message is?  Your choice. 

We Should All Be Pentecostals

Psalm 150:4 (KJV) Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

(Proverbs 12 also read)

I may have touched on this before.  I won’t know until I look a little deeper into what I’ve written, but for now, as I look at this chapter in Psalms, I see a form of worship that I personally am uncomfortable with.  I see what I would consider a wild and crazy Pentecostal experience.  I picked this verse because in the translation I was reading it had tambourines and dancing.  I have seen Pentecostal services that have this as part of their worship.  I tend to stick my nose up at this and make note of how dignified I am.

Maybe I need to get over that.  This chapter illustrates the joy and enthusiasm that worship needs.  I tend to be more of a Presbyterian when it comes to my worship style.  I’m not sure that’s what God wants all the time, if ever.

So?  Feel free.  Feel free to worship.  Feel free to worship with enthusiasm, adoration and energy.  Based on this Psalm God seems to like that. 

Rejecting the Perfect

Proverbs 11:5 (KJV) The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

If it weren’t for serious blindness, I would laugh at people who get all uptight at the word “perfect” (8549).  We see it being used in the KJV on a regular basis.  It even shows up in other translations.  The problem comes because we take a word in the English language, apply modern philosophy and sociology to it, say it is impossible, and reject what God’s word says.

A lot of the modern translations that I have on my software substitute the word “blameless”.  In reality, that’s just kicking the can down the road and refusing to look the issue in the eye.  The point that Solomon is making here, and that the rest of scripture makes, is that there are two basic attitudes towards life.  You have those who desire to live the way God wants him to live, and those who reject that.  The Bible is consistent with the teaching that we are expected to live righteous lives.  You may to find it different ways, but the demand is there.

If the Bible says we are to do it, then there must be a way to do it.  You can then get into conversations about the grace of God and the power of the spirit.  You cannot reject the expectation.

So?  The difference is there.  The expectation is real.  If you aren’t on board already, maybe it’s time to look a little closer. 

Spare Me the Paraphrase

Proverbs 10:2 (KJV) Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

One reason I like the word for word translation philosophy is because it allows the Holy Spirit to stimulate my mind to greater understanding.  I don’t like translators deciding how to interpret God‘s word for me.  I accept the fact that there are times when that may be necessary because of the multiple meanings of a word, but here we have a simple, literal phrase “treasures of wickedness” which the NASB has decided to paraphrase as “ill-gotten gains”.  While it’s true, that that is the meaning it is not what it says.

I like the turn of phrase in the KJV.  It makes me think more than the modern phrase in the NASB.

So?  Opinions may vary.  I’m sure they do.  I still have this belief that God said things the way He did because He wanted them to be said that way.  I don’t think He was confused.

Hidden in Hebrew

Psalm 149:4 (KJV) For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

(Proverbs 9 also read)

What got me looking at this verse?  A little nudge was the NIV translation that substituted “victory” for the more common translation of “salvation” (3444).  There’s a difference between victory and salvation.  One is temporal and the other is eternal.  So I looked up the Hebrew behind the word for “salvation”.  I thought it and it’s transliteration looked familiar and, sure enough it is the Hebrew word for Joshua, or Jesus.  When the angel appeared to Mary and said he will save his people from their sins this was a word play on the name, Jesus.

So here hidden in the Psalms, we see the name of Jesus.  The KJV says that He will “beautify” (6286) the “meek” (6035).  Think of that in terms of the statement of Jesus where He said “blessed are the meek.”

So?  Jesus was named Jesus for a reason.  He was to be a savior.  We see this concept buried even in the book of Psalms.  Something to rejoice about. 

Indicators

Proverbs 8:7 (KJV) For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

How do you know wisdom when it’s right in front of you?  There are several indications in this chapter and this verse has one of them.  This is a personification with wisdom, speaking and wisdom says, “my mouth….”

Notice that one of the elements of wisdom is truth.  That would seem to mean that people who do not tell the truth do not have wisdom.  That is a simple and obvious conclusion.  What may not be clear is that “wickedness” is not tied to wisdom.  And when wisdom speaks wickedness, it becomes an abomination, or not wisdom.

So?  You may not know everything.  Welcome to the human race.  But generally you know when something is true or you will find out soon whether it’s true, and you can know that if someone is pushing something that is not true, then they by definition are wicked.  Be on the side of righteousness.