Rock Soup

(Pro 30:26 KJV) The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

Have you ever been in a position where you are desperate for an illustration of something?  You find yourself trying to explain something to a child and you say, “It is just like...” and your mind goes blank because you can’t think what it is like.  Perhaps you are trying to explain what made you run inside after dark.  Maybe you are a preacher looking for an application or with a point you want to make.

So the statement would be, “Wise like an animal that sleeps on the rocks.”  I am not sure what that means.  Maybe it speaks to you today when it has never even crossed your consciousness before.  Let me stretch.  Everything in your life can be put to good use.  It may be rocks.  Rocks make good insulation.  Rocks deflect gunfire.  Rocks last a long time.  

So?  What are the rocks of your life?  What have you been overlooking that can be used in a helpful way.  I am guessing it will be different for everyone.  Think of how the Japanese made eating raw fish a positive experience.  Consider the people that tell you popcorn is good without salt.  To each his own. 

Poor Thinking

(Pro 29:7 KJV) The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

We have a lot of people claiming to be concerned about the poor in our country and in the world as a whole.  We see it everywhere.  Since we are in tax season we might consider the graduated income tax as an indication of that concern.  In reality, most of the big talkers don’t give a fig for poor people.  Many just want the publicity.  That is why I am totally unimpressed by celebrities who show up at soup kitchens on Thanksgiving to dish out turkey and stuffing.  Where were they when the shelter ran out of bread in August?  

Then you have the ones who are truly evil, the “wicked” (7563) of our verse.  They don’t have a clue because they don’t want to know.  They have access and authority but can’t admit what does not serve their purpose.  

So?  God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and the written word to give us the basic information for making judgments and decisions.  We ignore either to our peril.

Keep Your Head Down

(Pro 28:15 KJV)  As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Political leaders come in many flavors.  They run the entire scale using any measures you want.  You can measure them on competence, intelligence, morality or food preference.  Almost all of the measures will effect us some ways.  Even food.  Remember how President Bush said unkind things about broccoli?  He made life difficult for many parents and vindicated others.  

The issue here is the “wicked” (7563) “ruler” (4910).  Lay aside your protest that we don’t have rulers and look at the idea of wicked.  Some people in authority are evil.  There is no question about that basic fact.  They may be mildly evil.  They may be constrained in their evil.  The evil is still there.  One of the basic ways for the powerless to deal with evil tyrants is to stay out of their way.  I am not an authority on lions or bears but I think if you hear them roar or see them charging it is a little late to do much.

So?  Unless it is required to take a stand, keep your head down.  We live in difficult times for us but we are still in good shape historically.  How it works out is a theological issue.

Again

(Pro 27:25 KJV) The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

As I read this today Ecclesiastes came to mind.  More specifically the song by the Byrds based on Ecclesiastes came to mind.  Get it going in your head, “For every thing, turn, turn, turn...”  In this verse you have the transition of hay making and gathering the new herbs that are growing.  Us city folks might talk about buying our winter coats during the spring sales while we are being forced to mow out lawns again.

Life goes on.  The Bible deals in linear history, not the circle of life found in Buddhism and The Lion King.  At the same time the Bible concedes that the seasons run in a continuous cycle.  It is more like a wheel of a car that is designed to get somewhere rather than a Ferris Wheel that gives you a few spins and dumps you.

So?  Let spring remind you of the potentials of Providence and the blessings waiting to happen.

Face Value

(Pro 26:25 KJV) When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

In our area we are looking at the election of local officials.  We have city counsels and school boards up for grabs.  I am relatively sure that the people who pay the money to put up posters are serious about being elected.  I am relatively sure that they are working hard to say the right things and convince people they should be chosen.  I would guess that there are a lot of similarities in the claims of the candidates while they may have totally opposed views in reality.

This is a warning.  In some times past you had little to go on besides the current statements and any intuition you might have.  Today we have access to the internet which at least gives us a chance to look into the stands taken in the past.

This is a warning.  We should be engaging our minds and memories about people.  Politicians we may have never heard from before, but in the church and communities we have people we know and should have had experience with.

So?  Never take the current sound bites as being authentic.  Depending on where you hear them and who is speaking, you might find certain sources helpful by assuming they are speaking the opposite of truth.  If you don’t have any discernment then find someone who does and listen to them even if it makes you uncomfortable.

Rubies or Corners

(Pro 25:24 KJV)  It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.

Proverbs does not speak about wives as if they were a monolithic presence.  You have both extremes.  In Proverbs 31 you have the description of the wife that is above rubies.  Here you have the wife that drives you to a corner of your own roof.  Picture how hard that would be with our modern roof-lines.  In between you have Sarah nagging Abraham.  

One of the disciplines in understanding scripture and applying it, is to use it as intended with your situation.  If you have the wife of Proverbs 31, rejoice.  If you have the wife of Proverbs 25, hide.  Don’t expect every situation in life to be perfect.  Another thought might be that we should spend more time appreciating what we have.

So?  Rejoice in all the blessings of life.  Endure the sand in your shoe if you can’t remove it.  God give us grace for both.

Jesus on the Slopes

(Pro 24:13 KJV) My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

Would Jesus have gone skiing if He had first come in the 21st century?  Would He have eaten sushi?  How about attending a baseball game?  In the days of the Roman Empire the pleasures available to the masses were very few.  The vast majority of the human race worked themselves into the ground with few breaks.  Honey was within their reach.  It was allowed.  We have much more leisure and many more choices.  How much should be use them?

I am not sure that Jesus would have gone skiing, not because skiing is wrong, but because there were so many other things that were more important.  He did take time out to go to dinner with the sinners so maybe He would have found time for sushi.

So?  Don’t be afraid to enjoy the good things of life but don’t let them dominate your schedule.  You were born to glorify God not own season tickets.