(Proverbs 31:21 KJV) She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
I live in an area that seems to have a similar climate to Israel and it has never occurred to me to be “afraid” (3372a) of “snow” (7950). I guess it could cause a problem but only if I go looking for it. As I write the mountains above me are covered with snow and I saw some hail in the past month but unless I get lost or deliberately drive into the mountains, it is no problem.
Which brings up the question of how much trouble we could avoid if we simply took the time to think and plan. You can’t avoid taxes, true, but you can keep your receipts and accurate records. You may not be able to avoid the flu bug but you can reduce the chances of illness by keeping your hands clean. Most of the people I know in crisis are there because they have made a series of bad decisions, usually a very long series. The time to start acting with wisdom is now. The place to begin is with the fear of the Lord.
So? You can’t avoid it all. Sometimes, no matter what you do, you can’t avoid disaster. You can make it hard for the bad times to bring you down. You can also trust in the Lord and know no fear.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Food Chain
(Proverbs 30:14 KJV) There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
We have the predators in our culture and we have the victims. This points out that there are those who seek out the weak and disadvantaged and target them. In other verses it talks about being concerned for the poor and seeing that justice is done. Yesterday the idea of rights ,or fair judgement, was referenced. There are two reminders for us.
First, there are evil people out there. It is a dangerous world and jackals are looking for the weak members of our community to drag down. They may do it through legal means or through threats of violence but it is still destructive.
Second, we as Christians are to be champions of the weak and helpless. Some of that is taken care of as we work together in our churches. Some is by being salt. Some is by political action. Any way you want to frost the cake we are to make a difference for the weak.
So? Live it and apply it. Make it a natural part of your day.
We have the predators in our culture and we have the victims. This points out that there are those who seek out the weak and disadvantaged and target them. In other verses it talks about being concerned for the poor and seeing that justice is done. Yesterday the idea of rights ,or fair judgement, was referenced. There are two reminders for us.
First, there are evil people out there. It is a dangerous world and jackals are looking for the weak members of our community to drag down. They may do it through legal means or through threats of violence but it is still destructive.
Second, we as Christians are to be champions of the weak and helpless. Some of that is taken care of as we work together in our churches. Some is by being salt. Some is by political action. Any way you want to frost the cake we are to make a difference for the weak.
So? Live it and apply it. Make it a natural part of your day.
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Rights Cause
(Proverbs 29:7 KJV) The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
The KJV talks about the “cause” (1779) of the poor. The NASB uses the word “rights” (1779). The KJV does not use the word “rights”. That is probably because it was translated in a time of Divine Right of Kings and common people did not really have any rights. When modern people think of rights they think of something that they have coming to them. In the Bible all we have coming to us is hellfire and brimstone. Grace has no room for rights.
We need to get a Biblical grasp of rights. We live in a day when everyone talks about their rights. In the Bible it means justice. That means, as Proverbs repeatedly says, that when you pay for a pound of wheat you have the right to a pound of wheat. It does not mean that you have freedom of speech and definitely not freedom of religion. By implication it would mean a fair trial but not by a jury of our peers.
So? As followers of Jesus we have duty, we do not have privilege. We do not have rights we have the responsibility to treat people justly according to the law of God.
The KJV talks about the “cause” (1779) of the poor. The NASB uses the word “rights” (1779). The KJV does not use the word “rights”. That is probably because it was translated in a time of Divine Right of Kings and common people did not really have any rights. When modern people think of rights they think of something that they have coming to them. In the Bible all we have coming to us is hellfire and brimstone. Grace has no room for rights.
We need to get a Biblical grasp of rights. We live in a day when everyone talks about their rights. In the Bible it means justice. That means, as Proverbs repeatedly says, that when you pay for a pound of wheat you have the right to a pound of wheat. It does not mean that you have freedom of speech and definitely not freedom of religion. By implication it would mean a fair trial but not by a jury of our peers.
So? As followers of Jesus we have duty, we do not have privilege. We do not have rights we have the responsibility to treat people justly according to the law of God.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Guilty as Charged
(Proverbs 28:24 KJV) Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
Some people say that America has never been a Christian country. If you require a population that is 100% converted and walking in righteousness, then no, we haven’t been. If you mean a country that has been based on Biblical ethics and justice, then yes, we have. The sad thing is that is changing. People have committed adultery since the dawn of time. People still commit adultery. The difference today is that people are starting to say, “No big deal.” We have come up with this nonsense of “victimless crimes”. Politicians have always been on the take but now there is no shame involved.
We are surrounded by a culture that denies their actions are sin because they do not believe there is sin or sinners. That is bad enough but this thinking is permeating the church. The word evil is not used in this verse but it appears several times in this chapter. This kind of thinking is evil.
So? I don’t expect to be prefect. I don’t expect you to be flawless. What I believe God expects is for us to be willing to call a sin, sin. Confession is part of repentance. It is necessary for the application of grace.
Some people say that America has never been a Christian country. If you require a population that is 100% converted and walking in righteousness, then no, we haven’t been. If you mean a country that has been based on Biblical ethics and justice, then yes, we have. The sad thing is that is changing. People have committed adultery since the dawn of time. People still commit adultery. The difference today is that people are starting to say, “No big deal.” We have come up with this nonsense of “victimless crimes”. Politicians have always been on the take but now there is no shame involved.
We are surrounded by a culture that denies their actions are sin because they do not believe there is sin or sinners. That is bad enough but this thinking is permeating the church. The word evil is not used in this verse but it appears several times in this chapter. This kind of thinking is evil.
So? I don’t expect to be prefect. I don’t expect you to be flawless. What I believe God expects is for us to be willing to call a sin, sin. Confession is part of repentance. It is necessary for the application of grace.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Cutting Remarks
(Proverbs 27:6 KJV) Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Some “wounds” (6482) make us stronger. Maybe we need to expand the meaning of wound. When the nurse pokes you with the needle she is wounding you but the purpose is a medication to heal or protect. When the surgeon puts the scalpel to your skill he is going to wound you but the purpose is to get to the problem that cannot be seen.
If we are “faithful” (539) there are times when we will need to be spiritual nurses or surgeons. We need to make sure our attitudes are right. I am not sure I would want to get a shot from a nurse who was gleeful for the opportunity. I would not want the doctor to have that look in his eye that tells me he thinks this is fun. They would also explain what they are doing and why. Maybe we should take that as guidance.
So? There are times when we will need to speak with painful candor. If done properly it will definitely hurt us more than it hurts them.
Some “wounds” (6482) make us stronger. Maybe we need to expand the meaning of wound. When the nurse pokes you with the needle she is wounding you but the purpose is a medication to heal or protect. When the surgeon puts the scalpel to your skill he is going to wound you but the purpose is to get to the problem that cannot be seen.
If we are “faithful” (539) there are times when we will need to be spiritual nurses or surgeons. We need to make sure our attitudes are right. I am not sure I would want to get a shot from a nurse who was gleeful for the opportunity. I would not want the doctor to have that look in his eye that tells me he thinks this is fun. They would also explain what they are doing and why. Maybe we should take that as guidance.
So? There are times when we will need to speak with painful candor. If done properly it will definitely hurt us more than it hurts them.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Diamonds in the Rough
(Proverbs 26:4 KJV) Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
We are looking at the bonding and application of several qualities. We are looking at an attitude of love with a background of knowledge and wisdom, measured by discernment and applied with power. None of these words are used here. All are implied. Without them you are whistling in the dark without lips.
We must not respond to individuals or social expectations in the same terms of the secular pagans. They run the newspapers, TV stations, educational system and most offices of government. They have rejected the standards of God. They think they are smarter that people who accept the God of the Bible. It may be true. They may be smarter. What they are not is wiser.
So? We are the ugly ducklings. We are the quarter you occasionally find that is old enough to have silver in it. We are the frog waiting to be kissed. We are children of God in a perverse generation, or we should be.
We are looking at the bonding and application of several qualities. We are looking at an attitude of love with a background of knowledge and wisdom, measured by discernment and applied with power. None of these words are used here. All are implied. Without them you are whistling in the dark without lips.
We must not respond to individuals or social expectations in the same terms of the secular pagans. They run the newspapers, TV stations, educational system and most offices of government. They have rejected the standards of God. They think they are smarter that people who accept the God of the Bible. It may be true. They may be smarter. What they are not is wiser.
So? We are the ugly ducklings. We are the quarter you occasionally find that is old enough to have silver in it. We are the frog waiting to be kissed. We are children of God in a perverse generation, or we should be.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Demanding Tense
(Proverbs 25:4 KJV) Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.
If this were in the Greek I would want to know if the verb was in the present or aorist tense. Is this an ongoing process or a one time action? Is this the process of sanctification or the act of being sanctified? Interesting linguistic questions but I don’t know Hebrew well enough to give an opinion. Actually I could give an opinion but it would be a “guess”-inion.
What is clear is that this is declaratory. It is a command, not a request. It is a demand, not an option. “Dross” (5509) is pollution. It must be removed. Culturally this is a call on the church to be prophetic and call out evil. Personally it is a statement that we are to be growing in grace and purging our lives from anything that keeps us from being what God wants us to be.
So? The script is written. The stage is set. Repentance, humility and change are in the lines. Will you read them as an entertaining play or live them as reality?
If this were in the Greek I would want to know if the verb was in the present or aorist tense. Is this an ongoing process or a one time action? Is this the process of sanctification or the act of being sanctified? Interesting linguistic questions but I don’t know Hebrew well enough to give an opinion. Actually I could give an opinion but it would be a “guess”-inion.
What is clear is that this is declaratory. It is a command, not a request. It is a demand, not an option. “Dross” (5509) is pollution. It must be removed. Culturally this is a call on the church to be prophetic and call out evil. Personally it is a statement that we are to be growing in grace and purging our lives from anything that keeps us from being what God wants us to be.
So? The script is written. The stage is set. Repentance, humility and change are in the lines. Will you read them as an entertaining play or live them as reality?
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