Proverbs 10:1:
A wise son maketh a glad father:
But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
Solomon is one of David’s several sons. King’s children learn to be strong and assertive; they have to learn to lead the people of God. Because of that heavy responsibility, so they also have to be all the more careful with the manner of their lifestyles. One of God’s requirements for the Kings of Israel was that they write the whole Torah during their lifetime. This was a way for them to remember the Laws and Instructions of their God.
David had several wives and even concubines. Each of these women most likely desired for their sons to succeed to the great King David on his throne. Solomon saw first thing the aching of these mothers when their sons foiled these chances by just yielding to their unruly appetites and inclinations. Solomon on the other hand, who seemed to have been more the scholar type, was a recipient, like Isaac of Abraham, of his father’s joy and approbation. He experienced being the cause of his father’s gladness in the midst of what we could consider to be the confusion of a very dysfunctional family.
Solomon was given a very big charge from his father. This charge was to become the greatest accomplishment of his life. The wisdom he received from God was for the accomplishment of this heavy and important task: the building of the Temple. Solomon was faithful to carry out his father’s wishes and this must have made his father glad.
Taking this Proverb ‘home’, I’d like to submit that we should ask ourselves how our heavenly Father looks at us. The image of this Father is that of one who has planted a vineyard. He has a farm, a field, which he worked hard to earn. There is no greater pleasure for as father than to see his sons walk in his footsteps, to see them carry on the work he started. By the same token, there is no greater joy for a woman than to see her husband rejoice in the children she has borne him.
Let us now decide to make our Father glad. Let us now decide to carry on His legacy in the world, the building of His Spiritual Temple: His Church, His Congregation, His Kingdom on earth. Let now rejoice our heavenly Father’s heart by assuring Him of our dedication to keep the ‘farm’ and the ‘vineyard’ going. May our mother’s rejoice and magnify the Lord knowing that God, the father of us all, is pleased with the children they have borne.
'Be strong, be strong and be strengthened!'
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
PERSPECTIVE
Proverbs 7: The properties of the evil woman
Proverbs 8 and 9:The properties of the wise ‘woman
We look here at the construction of the Book of Proverbs. Chapters 1-7 tell us of the evil woman typified ‘whorish’. It tells us through and through that staying faithful in the study and obedience of the Torah (the 5 first books written by Moses: Genesis through to Deuteronomy) is our one and only hope against her lures. Chapters 8 and 9 now introduce the good woman typified ‘ wisdom’. The rest of the book continues into the properties of the good ‘Woman’, to climax at the end with the very famous Proverbs 31.
I could take chapters 7-9 apart line by line but I think that too much of that has been done with the Bible at the cost of a loss of the perspective of the text. We get so close to the trees that we loose the map of the forest. For this one, I want to show you the forest.
As I’ve said before, Hebrew poetic literature rhymes by concepts; two sentences developing a full idea by expressing opposites. This is accomplished here also at the level of the whole book of Proverbs, contrasting the bad woman with the good woman. Here is what to do with it:
One day, a bushman in Africa found a page of the Gospel by a train track. He felt that this was important so he walked 2 days to the nearest village where he could find a missionary to read for him what was written on that page. It was the segment from the book of John about Jesus being the bread of life. The bushman’s reaction upon hearing the apostolic words was, ‘the person who wrote these words seems to know me; it must have made me’. Upon this the missionary introduced the bushman to his Savior.
The Bible is about us. It is not necessarily about us being presented with choices. Proverbs is not about being exposed to the bad and to the good woman; it is about us being either. It gives the properties of both so we can reflect; so we can look in a mirror, make comparisons and adjust. Do I look and act more like this one or like this one? The whole Bible is designed to make us reflect so we can see where we go wrong. The Torah is the embodiment of Jesus himself. It reveals to us the fullness of His properties and character The prophets of both Old and New Testament, and even Jesus Himself all refer us to the Torah to reflect on for our source of conduct.
A goldsmith was asked one, when do you know when the gold in your caldron is pure? He said, As long as there are impurities in the gold, the heat makes them come up to the top and they sizzle at the surface. When the impurities are gone, the gold stops sizzling and is quiet. When I can see my face in the quiet gold, I know the gold is pure.
In the very same way, when Jesus can see his reflection in us, when He can see the Torah in us, whe have been purified.
Proverbs 8 and 9:The properties of the wise ‘woman
We look here at the construction of the Book of Proverbs. Chapters 1-7 tell us of the evil woman typified ‘whorish’. It tells us through and through that staying faithful in the study and obedience of the Torah (the 5 first books written by Moses: Genesis through to Deuteronomy) is our one and only hope against her lures. Chapters 8 and 9 now introduce the good woman typified ‘ wisdom’. The rest of the book continues into the properties of the good ‘Woman’, to climax at the end with the very famous Proverbs 31.
I could take chapters 7-9 apart line by line but I think that too much of that has been done with the Bible at the cost of a loss of the perspective of the text. We get so close to the trees that we loose the map of the forest. For this one, I want to show you the forest.
As I’ve said before, Hebrew poetic literature rhymes by concepts; two sentences developing a full idea by expressing opposites. This is accomplished here also at the level of the whole book of Proverbs, contrasting the bad woman with the good woman. Here is what to do with it:
One day, a bushman in Africa found a page of the Gospel by a train track. He felt that this was important so he walked 2 days to the nearest village where he could find a missionary to read for him what was written on that page. It was the segment from the book of John about Jesus being the bread of life. The bushman’s reaction upon hearing the apostolic words was, ‘the person who wrote these words seems to know me; it must have made me’. Upon this the missionary introduced the bushman to his Savior.
The Bible is about us. It is not necessarily about us being presented with choices. Proverbs is not about being exposed to the bad and to the good woman; it is about us being either. It gives the properties of both so we can reflect; so we can look in a mirror, make comparisons and adjust. Do I look and act more like this one or like this one? The whole Bible is designed to make us reflect so we can see where we go wrong. The Torah is the embodiment of Jesus himself. It reveals to us the fullness of His properties and character The prophets of both Old and New Testament, and even Jesus Himself all refer us to the Torah to reflect on for our source of conduct.
A goldsmith was asked one, when do you know when the gold in your caldron is pure? He said, As long as there are impurities in the gold, the heat makes them come up to the top and they sizzle at the surface. When the impurities are gone, the gold stops sizzling and is quiet. When I can see my face in the quiet gold, I know the gold is pure.
In the very same way, when Jesus can see his reflection in us, when He can see the Torah in us, whe have been purified.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STORY
Proverbs 6:23-35 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
We find here a returning theme: a warning against adultery. Why is it repeated? This theme is not solely about loose women. It concerns a woman who though married, seeks pleasure by giving herself to other men. We also find in this section good advice to help men against being enticed by such women. The wise king tells us that living in close relation and obedience to the Word of God is man’s protection against the lures of the ‘whorish’ one. Within this section, we also read the unforgiving results of adultery.
As we read these passages, we need not fail to look at their messianic value. The Old Testament refers to the people of God as God’s wife. In the New Testament, Paul’s definition of marriage purity to the Church in Philippi ends with a qualification that he actually talking about our relationship with our Lord and Messiah.
The Church, the wife of the Messiah is, and has always been unfaithful. Throughout the generations, she has decked herself in order to please others. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was really an early representation of the Messiah, the Image of God. Eve represented the Church who easily transferred her loyalties from obedience to her husband’s command to another who could provide her with more fleshly pleasures. This story is repeated over and over again throughout the generations.
Let there be no mistake though. The Church reaps the consequences of her adulterous deeds and for those who believes in pre-trib rapture, I say that you will be surprised. The Great Tribulation is the time of washing and purification of the Church getting ready to meet her betrothed Messiah for the final wedding ceremony and banquet.
The other point we see in our text is that even though the Church receives her due punishment, the man with whom she lays does not escape. The devil who has defiled the church and wooed her loyalties away from her true Lord and master will be the forever victim of the unforgiving wrath of a jealous husband.
Let this be a comfort to us. In the Book of Hoseah, we find the story of the Bride of God in the life of Gomer, Hoseah’s wife. She marries Hoseah and plays the harlot against him. Later, when he finds her in marketplace, abused and sold to the highest bidder, he buys her again. He pays a new dowry for her and brings he home back to him. So does the Messiah. His wife Israel played the harlot against Him, but He came and even though He had already married her at Mt Horeb, he came to buy her again, this time, in dying for her sins. These stories my friend serve as a ensample Paul says for us upon whom the end of the world has come. We have the assurance that our husband Jesus, while letting us reap the full results of our adulterous ways, will come and not only rescue us from our foolishness, but also rightly punished the one who took advantage of us.
We find here a returning theme: a warning against adultery. Why is it repeated? This theme is not solely about loose women. It concerns a woman who though married, seeks pleasure by giving herself to other men. We also find in this section good advice to help men against being enticed by such women. The wise king tells us that living in close relation and obedience to the Word of God is man’s protection against the lures of the ‘whorish’ one. Within this section, we also read the unforgiving results of adultery.
As we read these passages, we need not fail to look at their messianic value. The Old Testament refers to the people of God as God’s wife. In the New Testament, Paul’s definition of marriage purity to the Church in Philippi ends with a qualification that he actually talking about our relationship with our Lord and Messiah.
The Church, the wife of the Messiah is, and has always been unfaithful. Throughout the generations, she has decked herself in order to please others. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was really an early representation of the Messiah, the Image of God. Eve represented the Church who easily transferred her loyalties from obedience to her husband’s command to another who could provide her with more fleshly pleasures. This story is repeated over and over again throughout the generations.
Let there be no mistake though. The Church reaps the consequences of her adulterous deeds and for those who believes in pre-trib rapture, I say that you will be surprised. The Great Tribulation is the time of washing and purification of the Church getting ready to meet her betrothed Messiah for the final wedding ceremony and banquet.
The other point we see in our text is that even though the Church receives her due punishment, the man with whom she lays does not escape. The devil who has defiled the church and wooed her loyalties away from her true Lord and master will be the forever victim of the unforgiving wrath of a jealous husband.
Let this be a comfort to us. In the Book of Hoseah, we find the story of the Bride of God in the life of Gomer, Hoseah’s wife. She marries Hoseah and plays the harlot against him. Later, when he finds her in marketplace, abused and sold to the highest bidder, he buys her again. He pays a new dowry for her and brings he home back to him. So does the Messiah. His wife Israel played the harlot against Him, but He came and even though He had already married her at Mt Horeb, he came to buy her again, this time, in dying for her sins. These stories my friend serve as a ensample Paul says for us upon whom the end of the world has come. We have the assurance that our husband Jesus, while letting us reap the full results of our adulterous ways, will come and not only rescue us from our foolishness, but also rightly punished the one who took advantage of us.
Monday, January 07, 2008
DISUNITY EXPOSED
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
He that soweth discord among brethren: We need not to forget the poetical construction of the book of proverbs. The rhyming of Hebrew poetry is formed by a regular repetition of concepts viewed from different angles yet confirming each other. This concept of creating variance between people comes in as a refrain to the end of verse fourteen of this same chapter. It almost seems that this whole litany, this whole list informing us of God’s dislikes is to bring us to the climax of that refrain. This proverb also continues with an example of discord between through between brothers. It warns us of the dangers of adultery.
Whereas adultery is a very common way of bringing disunity, it is not the only one. A famous missionary, whose name escapes me at present said that the biggest issues that divide a missionary or a Church revolve around the handling of children and of money. I guess these are the closest things to our heart. Taking the issue to a higher level, we also see the Church, the body of Christ, divided into many doctrinal factions. I do not feel that it is necessarily abnormal as these sometimes represent the growth pains of maturation of the Church. What is sad is when we amplify what separates us instead of what unites us.
This issue also deserves to be taken to the ultimate level of everything written in this Holy Book we call the Bible: the messianic level. Ultimately, everything is about the Messiah. Jesus Himself said that when we accept Him in our lives, it would provoke divisions within the very core of our social structure. But is He the one who created this division? The Messiah’s role is to bring restoration to our world, which means to bring things back to the way they were and ought to be. If bringing back things the way they should be provokes variance between people, Jesus must not be the one at the source of thsi variance. Rather, this division was created by those who are responsible for taking us away from the original plan of God, and no matter whom or what he used, the devil is ultimately responsible for this state of affairs.
Going full circle in this exposition, we also can see that the ultimate person responsible for brotherly divisions at all circles of life is the devil. Why should we indulge him with the pleasure of succeeding in his evil plan?
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
He that soweth discord among brethren: We need not to forget the poetical construction of the book of proverbs. The rhyming of Hebrew poetry is formed by a regular repetition of concepts viewed from different angles yet confirming each other. This concept of creating variance between people comes in as a refrain to the end of verse fourteen of this same chapter. It almost seems that this whole litany, this whole list informing us of God’s dislikes is to bring us to the climax of that refrain. This proverb also continues with an example of discord between through between brothers. It warns us of the dangers of adultery.
Whereas adultery is a very common way of bringing disunity, it is not the only one. A famous missionary, whose name escapes me at present said that the biggest issues that divide a missionary or a Church revolve around the handling of children and of money. I guess these are the closest things to our heart. Taking the issue to a higher level, we also see the Church, the body of Christ, divided into many doctrinal factions. I do not feel that it is necessarily abnormal as these sometimes represent the growth pains of maturation of the Church. What is sad is when we amplify what separates us instead of what unites us.
This issue also deserves to be taken to the ultimate level of everything written in this Holy Book we call the Bible: the messianic level. Ultimately, everything is about the Messiah. Jesus Himself said that when we accept Him in our lives, it would provoke divisions within the very core of our social structure. But is He the one who created this division? The Messiah’s role is to bring restoration to our world, which means to bring things back to the way they were and ought to be. If bringing back things the way they should be provokes variance between people, Jesus must not be the one at the source of thsi variance. Rather, this division was created by those who are responsible for taking us away from the original plan of God, and no matter whom or what he used, the devil is ultimately responsible for this state of affairs.
Going full circle in this exposition, we also can see that the ultimate person responsible for brotherly divisions at all circles of life is the devil. Why should we indulge him with the pleasure of succeeding in his evil plan?
Friday, January 04, 2008
OUR LIFE: THE TRUE WITNESS OF GOD'S DOING
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A false witness that speaketh lies: This element of God’s disdain can be found in the Ten Commandments. Through Moses, one of God’s instructions at Mt. Horeb was to not bear false witness, or not to lie.
In other places in this Book of Proverbs, our author and others reiterate the fate of the liar: rejection from God, and/or death. Lying is no small matter. I do not kill my children for lying but I tell them that each time they do, some of their trust capital in the bank of my heart dies. That is the consequential reward of the liar; he is not believed even when he tells the truth. Truth is pure. It is not cream color or off-white. If it is ‘off’, it is a lie.
The Bible always required at least two witnesses for every statement of truth. God Himself stays with that plan in His contractual Word to us. There were two witnesses at the transfiguration, and for every important events, there have always been at least two witnesses if not more. Even at Mt Horeb, Moses went up with Joshua, Caleb and the seventy elders whom the text tells us ate with God. At the end of our time, the book of Revelation tells us that there will be two witnesses in Jerusalem.
When bigoted religious leaders wanted to convict Jesus and even Steven in the Bible, the Bible tells us that they hired ‘lewed fellows of the baser sorts’ as false witnesses. To lie is to give a false or distorted account of a true event. This is the crowd we associate with when we lie; the ‘lewd fellows of the baser sort’ crowd.
We do not have to utter words in order to lie. God counts on us, those who proclaim to be His children, to be witnesses to the rest of the world of what it is to be a Child of the Most-High El-Shaddai. When we publicly claim that title, we bind ourselves to represent Him. If we don’t, or if we agree in our lives to ungodly standards, we make false witnesses of ourselves. In a way, if we are truly born-again the family of God, our lives should naturally demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit of God. When we don’t, while still claiming spiritual rebirth, we lie on two accounts: our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, and in misrepresenting ourselves to others.
Let us think about this today. Are our lives accurate witnesses of what we proclaim to be?
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A false witness that speaketh lies: This element of God’s disdain can be found in the Ten Commandments. Through Moses, one of God’s instructions at Mt. Horeb was to not bear false witness, or not to lie.
In other places in this Book of Proverbs, our author and others reiterate the fate of the liar: rejection from God, and/or death. Lying is no small matter. I do not kill my children for lying but I tell them that each time they do, some of their trust capital in the bank of my heart dies. That is the consequential reward of the liar; he is not believed even when he tells the truth. Truth is pure. It is not cream color or off-white. If it is ‘off’, it is a lie.
The Bible always required at least two witnesses for every statement of truth. God Himself stays with that plan in His contractual Word to us. There were two witnesses at the transfiguration, and for every important events, there have always been at least two witnesses if not more. Even at Mt Horeb, Moses went up with Joshua, Caleb and the seventy elders whom the text tells us ate with God. At the end of our time, the book of Revelation tells us that there will be two witnesses in Jerusalem.
When bigoted religious leaders wanted to convict Jesus and even Steven in the Bible, the Bible tells us that they hired ‘lewed fellows of the baser sorts’ as false witnesses. To lie is to give a false or distorted account of a true event. This is the crowd we associate with when we lie; the ‘lewd fellows of the baser sort’ crowd.
We do not have to utter words in order to lie. God counts on us, those who proclaim to be His children, to be witnesses to the rest of the world of what it is to be a Child of the Most-High El-Shaddai. When we publicly claim that title, we bind ourselves to represent Him. If we don’t, or if we agree in our lives to ungodly standards, we make false witnesses of ourselves. In a way, if we are truly born-again the family of God, our lives should naturally demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit of God. When we don’t, while still claiming spiritual rebirth, we lie on two accounts: our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, and in misrepresenting ourselves to others.
Let us think about this today. Are our lives accurate witnesses of what we proclaim to be?
Thursday, January 03, 2008
SPEEDING PAST CONVICTION
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Feet that be swift in running to mischief: As the father of our author says, we are born in sin. It is therefore easier, even more natural for us to conceive to do evil than to do good. Even after we are regenerated, while in this pre-millennial period, we only get an ‘earnest’ of our salvation, the fullness of it we will be granted as Jesus returns to rule the earth.
The question therefore can be asked, why should we get punished for just being what God created us? It is a legitimate question. The idea though is that now that we have been regenerated we have no more excuses. We can pray and be delivered from our sinful nature. Even one like our author who is an Old Testament person is without excuse, because he has received the knowledge of the oracles of the Torah (Torah means: instruction) of God therefore, since done in knowledge, he cannot claim ignorance and the evil is done willfully.
This same author advises us in another part of Proverbs to acknowledge of all of our actions. When we willfully plan to do evil, we do not usually acknowledge God to ask him permission. We don’t want to let him know so act like the child who quickly goes to do something he knows would be disapproved without checking with his parents so he can claim ignorance. Will God ‘buy’ our claim?
It is the willfulness sinning which is abhorrent to God. In the shedding of the blood of innocent Jesus-Christ, some knew what they were doing and some didn’t. The populace crying for crucifixion followed a mob driven hype, but the priest, scribes and Pharisees knew who Jesus was. The Roman soldiers who drove the nail in Jesus’ hands and feet followed orders, but Pilate knew he executed an innocent man. They executed Him quickly. They didn’t want to wait passed the Passover festival. They didn’t want conviction to set in their hearts. In so doing, they were swift to run to mischief, but in their case, they also executed the will of God, which also exposed their perfidy.
Feet that be swift in running to mischief: As the father of our author says, we are born in sin. It is therefore easier, even more natural for us to conceive to do evil than to do good. Even after we are regenerated, while in this pre-millennial period, we only get an ‘earnest’ of our salvation, the fullness of it we will be granted as Jesus returns to rule the earth.
The question therefore can be asked, why should we get punished for just being what God created us? It is a legitimate question. The idea though is that now that we have been regenerated we have no more excuses. We can pray and be delivered from our sinful nature. Even one like our author who is an Old Testament person is without excuse, because he has received the knowledge of the oracles of the Torah (Torah means: instruction) of God therefore, since done in knowledge, he cannot claim ignorance and the evil is done willfully.
This same author advises us in another part of Proverbs to acknowledge of all of our actions. When we willfully plan to do evil, we do not usually acknowledge God to ask him permission. We don’t want to let him know so act like the child who quickly goes to do something he knows would be disapproved without checking with his parents so he can claim ignorance. Will God ‘buy’ our claim?
It is the willfulness sinning which is abhorrent to God. In the shedding of the blood of innocent Jesus-Christ, some knew what they were doing and some didn’t. The populace crying for crucifixion followed a mob driven hype, but the priest, scribes and Pharisees knew who Jesus was. The Roman soldiers who drove the nail in Jesus’ hands and feet followed orders, but Pilate knew he executed an innocent man. They executed Him quickly. They didn’t want to wait passed the Passover festival. They didn’t want conviction to set in their hearts. In so doing, they were swift to run to mischief, but in their case, they also executed the will of God, which also exposed their perfidy.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
THE ULTIMATE PRIDE OF MAN
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
NOTE: Wicked: From the root word: wick; meaning: twisted as we twist the wick to set it in a wax candle.
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations: Three thousand years ago, King David, the author’s father of today’s text rhetorically questioned, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Psalms 2.
From the Tower of Babel unto today, futile man has not changed. In his pride, he has to attempt to thwart God’s purposes. He tries to justify himself by passing laws allowing behaviors that God has forbidden. He plunges into the esoteric to find the keys to hidden wisdom. He tries to understand prophecy thinking to change the course of history. Every generation forgets the sovereignty of God; each generation has to learn to see God for itself.
Let there be no mistake here. We may sit and devise wicked imaginations of all sorts and kind, but this text brings us to the ultimate, to the epitome of wicked imaginations: the rejecting of God’s laws and subsequently, the killing of the Messiah. Since Cain’s rejected sacrifice man has tried to establish his own rule and ways. Since the beginning of time governments have rejected God’s control through His appointed Messiah. Their only way is to reject His statute, and when He finally comes to pay a visit, to kill Him.
Here is King David’s answer to the question; can I say it better?
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
NOTE: Wicked: From the root word: wick; meaning: twisted as we twist the wick to set it in a wax candle.
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations: Three thousand years ago, King David, the author’s father of today’s text rhetorically questioned, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Psalms 2.
From the Tower of Babel unto today, futile man has not changed. In his pride, he has to attempt to thwart God’s purposes. He tries to justify himself by passing laws allowing behaviors that God has forbidden. He plunges into the esoteric to find the keys to hidden wisdom. He tries to understand prophecy thinking to change the course of history. Every generation forgets the sovereignty of God; each generation has to learn to see God for itself.
Let there be no mistake here. We may sit and devise wicked imaginations of all sorts and kind, but this text brings us to the ultimate, to the epitome of wicked imaginations: the rejecting of God’s laws and subsequently, the killing of the Messiah. Since Cain’s rejected sacrifice man has tried to establish his own rule and ways. Since the beginning of time governments have rejected God’s control through His appointed Messiah. Their only way is to reject His statute, and when He finally comes to pay a visit, to kill Him.
Here is King David’s answer to the question; can I say it better?
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
THE SANCTITY OF DEATH
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
Hands that shed innocent blood: From the beginning of creation Satan hates mankind. Satan hates mankind because mankind is made in the image of God and Satan hates God. His main weapon to get rid of mankind has always been the same: murder; and not just murder, but murder of the righteous ones whose character is shaped according to the image of God. Satan started his dirty work right with the murder of righteous Abel. All the elements of modern-day murder and shedding of innocent blood are found in this Genesis story.
When commenting on the commandment against murder, Jesus pointed us to one of the main reasons for murder: anger; anger in our hearts. Anger in our heart also stems from, self-righteousness, pride, jealousy, grudges, and a basic unwillingness to be defrauded in times of injustice. Our verse today implies that God hates these things.
In the Old Testament, killings, even of whole nations were done under the command of God. These were for the sole purpose of eradicating sin and idolatry, not out of vengeance, hatred, or personal interest. Another option for law-breakers was excommunication from the congregation. Whole cities were dedicated for the protection of people who were accused of involuntary murder.
How devil-like is one who can thoughtlessly think he can justifiably kill another human being made according to the image of God. The God who gives life to the righteous ones made according to His character is also the only One who can take it away. And who are we to truly know who is righteous and who is not? At times of church apostasy, God has even called its persecutors His ‘servants’ doing His will. We speak of the sanctity of life, but we may need to also address the sanctity of death.
The devil is responsible for the killing of all righteous people throughout history. He started with righteous Abel, and his illustrious career culminated with the killing of the Righteous Jesus-Christ. If that was not enough, Satan added insult to injury by killing righteous people all throughout modern-day history, but oh, oh, how it is going to lash back on him. As soon as the resurrected Jesus, who came first as the lamb of God, the Suffering servant to voluntary give His life for His people on the altar of sacrifice returns as the Lion of Judah, the earthly king ordained by God to rule humanity in justice, honor and beauty, Satan will meet His final everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
Hands that shed innocent blood: From the beginning of creation Satan hates mankind. Satan hates mankind because mankind is made in the image of God and Satan hates God. His main weapon to get rid of mankind has always been the same: murder; and not just murder, but murder of the righteous ones whose character is shaped according to the image of God. Satan started his dirty work right with the murder of righteous Abel. All the elements of modern-day murder and shedding of innocent blood are found in this Genesis story.
When commenting on the commandment against murder, Jesus pointed us to one of the main reasons for murder: anger; anger in our hearts. Anger in our heart also stems from, self-righteousness, pride, jealousy, grudges, and a basic unwillingness to be defrauded in times of injustice. Our verse today implies that God hates these things.
In the Old Testament, killings, even of whole nations were done under the command of God. These were for the sole purpose of eradicating sin and idolatry, not out of vengeance, hatred, or personal interest. Another option for law-breakers was excommunication from the congregation. Whole cities were dedicated for the protection of people who were accused of involuntary murder.
How devil-like is one who can thoughtlessly think he can justifiably kill another human being made according to the image of God. The God who gives life to the righteous ones made according to His character is also the only One who can take it away. And who are we to truly know who is righteous and who is not? At times of church apostasy, God has even called its persecutors His ‘servants’ doing His will. We speak of the sanctity of life, but we may need to also address the sanctity of death.
The devil is responsible for the killing of all righteous people throughout history. He started with righteous Abel, and his illustrious career culminated with the killing of the Righteous Jesus-Christ. If that was not enough, Satan added insult to injury by killing righteous people all throughout modern-day history, but oh, oh, how it is going to lash back on him. As soon as the resurrected Jesus, who came first as the lamb of God, the Suffering servant to voluntary give His life for His people on the altar of sacrifice returns as the Lion of Judah, the earthly king ordained by God to rule humanity in justice, honor and beauty, Satan will meet His final everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.
Monday, December 31, 2007
WHO’S THE FOOL?
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A lying tongue:: that is the second of the hateful things; a tongue speaking falsehood, knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others; to hurt the character of a neighbor, or to flatter a friend, is a most detestable evil; it ought to be so to men, it must be so to God, who is a God of truth: nor is there anything in which a man more resembles the devil, who is the father of lies; Courtesy of John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible
Yet, do we even need a tongue to lie? When Judah, Jacob’s son, presented Joseph’s bloody to his father, he only said, ‘discern these’. He did not say a thing about what happened to his brother Joseph. Jacob drew his own conclusions.
Do we not also lie by pretending to appear to be something we are not? Do we not do so constantly in our social relationships? Do we not dress, act and wear make up in a manner projecting what we wish we were and not what we actually are? Do we not do so because secretly we feel uncomfortable we what God made us, and wish we were more something, or even someone else?
There is such a freedom in the truth. We do have to, like Judah and his brothers, carry the burden of a lie for decades in dread of the moment when God will demand accounts. We can be just who and what we are and do not have to play the game of appearances. Moses himself admitted to God his own feeling of inadequacy. God acknowledged it and gave him Aaron his brother to speak for him to pharaoh.
The worse of it is that, either we are in a crowd that plays the same game and everybody knows that everybody knows and goes along with it because they like it, or that we are with people who can see right through us and we make fools of ourselves. The truth of the matter is that we can fool some of the people all the time; or we can fool all the people some times; but we can never fool all the people all the time; and we can certainly never fool God.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A lying tongue:: that is the second of the hateful things; a tongue speaking falsehood, knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others; to hurt the character of a neighbor, or to flatter a friend, is a most detestable evil; it ought to be so to men, it must be so to God, who is a God of truth: nor is there anything in which a man more resembles the devil, who is the father of lies; Courtesy of John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible
Yet, do we even need a tongue to lie? When Judah, Jacob’s son, presented Joseph’s bloody to his father, he only said, ‘discern these’. He did not say a thing about what happened to his brother Joseph. Jacob drew his own conclusions.
Do we not also lie by pretending to appear to be something we are not? Do we not do so constantly in our social relationships? Do we not dress, act and wear make up in a manner projecting what we wish we were and not what we actually are? Do we not do so because secretly we feel uncomfortable we what God made us, and wish we were more something, or even someone else?
There is such a freedom in the truth. We do have to, like Judah and his brothers, carry the burden of a lie for decades in dread of the moment when God will demand accounts. We can be just who and what we are and do not have to play the game of appearances. Moses himself admitted to God his own feeling of inadequacy. God acknowledged it and gave him Aaron his brother to speak for him to pharaoh.
The worse of it is that, either we are in a crowd that plays the same game and everybody knows that everybody knows and goes along with it because they like it, or that we are with people who can see right through us and we make fools of ourselves. The truth of the matter is that we can fool some of the people all the time; or we can fool all the people some times; but we can never fool all the people all the time; and we can certainly never fool God.
Friday, December 28, 2007
THE CHIEF SIN
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A proud look: Pride: the first and chief of all sins. Josephus, the first century historian tells us that Satan fell because of pride. After creating Adam, God put all things under his command. The angels were to come to honor and dedicate their service to Adam. Satan, who at this time held a prominent position in heaven. He also knew that this man Adam was the representation of Jesus, God’s own Son’s rulership on earth and therefore refused to be put in his service, under His authority. As a result, Satan defected and became the chief angel of hell. He became the epitome of he who’d rather be his own boss in hell, rather than live under God’s command in heaven.
As foolish as this seems, our world suffers because of the same proud attitude, on both a corporate and an individual level. We have God’s written word. In it we find the simple basic rules and laws that can help us live our lives in peace and prosperity. In spite of it all, because of our pride and unwillingness to go under the command of our Creator, with each generation, we insist on reinventing the wheel. We are determined to write our own laws. This megalomaniac false sense of freedom has become an idol to us, and we see its results in our sick history.
We cannot do anything about Satan’s choices, but it seems that we can do something about ours. May God help us.
The wise king now lists the things that God hates. Today we are appalled by random murder, sexual perversions and generally ungodly lifestyles. Most of us are not guilty of these things, but what we find on this list is a litany of attitudes that we tolerate in our lives whether at home, in the work place or in Church. Let us now elaborate on each of them.
A proud look: Pride: the first and chief of all sins. Josephus, the first century historian tells us that Satan fell because of pride. After creating Adam, God put all things under his command. The angels were to come to honor and dedicate their service to Adam. Satan, who at this time held a prominent position in heaven. He also knew that this man Adam was the representation of Jesus, God’s own Son’s rulership on earth and therefore refused to be put in his service, under His authority. As a result, Satan defected and became the chief angel of hell. He became the epitome of he who’d rather be his own boss in hell, rather than live under God’s command in heaven.
As foolish as this seems, our world suffers because of the same proud attitude, on both a corporate and an individual level. We have God’s written word. In it we find the simple basic rules and laws that can help us live our lives in peace and prosperity. In spite of it all, because of our pride and unwillingness to go under the command of our Creator, with each generation, we insist on reinventing the wheel. We are determined to write our own laws. This megalomaniac false sense of freedom has become an idol to us, and we see its results in our sick history.
We cannot do anything about Satan’s choices, but it seems that we can do something about ours. May God help us.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
BODY LANGUAGE
Proverbs 6:12-14 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. (13) He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; (14) Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
The Bible, especially in the book of Proverbs, reveals much about human psychology. It provides us with the keys that help us understand human behavior.
In our culturally Greek influenced culture, we tend to believe that the moral elements of our being are what constitute our belief system. If we think the right way, know the right things and have the proper opinion about things, that what matters. We cannot be expected to be perfect in the physical, so we feel that as long as we believe the right thing, we’re OK. On the contrary though, the Hebrew-style belief that emanates from the Bible, even in the first century messianic Jews of the book of Acts, is that faith without works is dead, or, that what you believe is actually portrayed by your lifestyle and your actions. The author of our text today was a Hebrew, and he knew the truth of the latter.
When people feel challenged about the welfare of their soul, they automatically go into a hiding mode. Using all the right words, they first make mention of their ‘righteous’ belief system, and/or justify themselves in the light of their good deeds. But there is much more hidden than revealed behind these barrages of words, behind this smokescreen of appearances.
According to God, it is neither our philosophy nor our occasional good deeds that stand as the true picture of our lives. It is our overall lifestyle formed by the sum of the condition of our heart. If our heart is right, it is reflected in our everyday natural and uncalculated actions. That is why in this text, a ‘naughty’ person is defined by its ‘ody’language. It works both ways. A righteous person is also defined by it ‘body’ language.
The Bible, especially in the book of Proverbs, reveals much about human psychology. It provides us with the keys that help us understand human behavior.
In our culturally Greek influenced culture, we tend to believe that the moral elements of our being are what constitute our belief system. If we think the right way, know the right things and have the proper opinion about things, that what matters. We cannot be expected to be perfect in the physical, so we feel that as long as we believe the right thing, we’re OK. On the contrary though, the Hebrew-style belief that emanates from the Bible, even in the first century messianic Jews of the book of Acts, is that faith without works is dead, or, that what you believe is actually portrayed by your lifestyle and your actions. The author of our text today was a Hebrew, and he knew the truth of the latter.
When people feel challenged about the welfare of their soul, they automatically go into a hiding mode. Using all the right words, they first make mention of their ‘righteous’ belief system, and/or justify themselves in the light of their good deeds. But there is much more hidden than revealed behind these barrages of words, behind this smokescreen of appearances.
According to God, it is neither our philosophy nor our occasional good deeds that stand as the true picture of our lives. It is our overall lifestyle formed by the sum of the condition of our heart. If our heart is right, it is reflected in our everyday natural and uncalculated actions. That is why in this text, a ‘naughty’ person is defined by its ‘ody’language. It works both ways. A righteous person is also defined by it ‘body’ language.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
INVESTMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Proverbs 6:9-11 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? (10) Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: (11) So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
The king continues with his financial advice. He teaches us according to the same parameters as the apostle Paul: He that shall not work shall not eat.
Today’s smartness is defined by the ability to have a considerable amount of money while putting out the least possible effort. This purpose is accomplished through practicing usury, gambling, the lottery and shady business deals. Yet the biblical facts are that God ordained for us to work for our sustenance; it was one of His early commandments to us after we were driven out of the Garden of Eden, advice which Paul reiterated. In the Old Testament, even charity was on loan, except for what was given through the Temple.
How indeed like the principles of earth are the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Master also taught us that the Kingdom of Heaven also grows. It provides dividends equal, even greater than our investments. The unprepared foolish virgins did not receive their desired reward, and even what he had was taken away from the unfaithful servant. But what is it that we invest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Would it be gold, silver, precious stones, knowledge or good works? Nay, my friend; the investment currency of the Kingdom of Heaven is: ourselves.
The king continues with his financial advice. He teaches us according to the same parameters as the apostle Paul: He that shall not work shall not eat.
Today’s smartness is defined by the ability to have a considerable amount of money while putting out the least possible effort. This purpose is accomplished through practicing usury, gambling, the lottery and shady business deals. Yet the biblical facts are that God ordained for us to work for our sustenance; it was one of His early commandments to us after we were driven out of the Garden of Eden, advice which Paul reiterated. In the Old Testament, even charity was on loan, except for what was given through the Temple.
How indeed like the principles of earth are the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Master also taught us that the Kingdom of Heaven also grows. It provides dividends equal, even greater than our investments. The unprepared foolish virgins did not receive their desired reward, and even what he had was taken away from the unfaithful servant. But what is it that we invest in the Kingdom of Heaven? Would it be gold, silver, precious stones, knowledge or good works? Nay, my friend; the investment currency of the Kingdom of Heaven is: ourselves.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
FINANCIAL FREEDOM
Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: (7) Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, (8) Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
This could be considered the first talk on ‘financial freedom’. The beginning of this chapter warns us about financial deals with the ungodly, especially of contracting debts. Our text today gives us the solution: work.
There is something to working hard; it seems to help provide for the bills. There is also something to saving in the time of plenty; it seems to save us from catastrophe. We do not need to look very far nor be very educated to know that. In the book of Genesis, Joseph, the son on of Jacob saves a whole civilization from an annihilating famine because of his foresight of putting aside twenty per cent of Egyptian crops during the seven years of plenty. But is this all this text teaches us?
Towards the end of the book of Matthew, Jesus answers a question to his disciples about the timing of His return. In His two chapter long monologue, Jesus challenges his disciples to be wise and faithful. First he compares His disciples to ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom. Five are prudent and five are foolish. The prudent ones had enough oil to last till the Bridegroom arrived, but the foolish did not. At that crucial time, at that moment they had waited for all their lives, they were not ready; they did not have enough oil; they could not enter the nuptial chamber with the Bridegroom. They tried to go to the store, but the Sabbath had started and they were closed.
In that same chapter, Jesus qualifies the parable of the virgins with another parable: the one of the talents. In the parable, a traveling businessman entrusts his assets to three servants. At his return, he praises and rewards those servants who brought increase to the assets and severely reprimands the one who ‘buried’ it in the ground.
These stories could be solely interpreted at their face value, but when we read the Word of God, we need to also research the spiritual value. Like, Joseph, we need to continue receiving the oil of the Spirit in our heart, cause no matter how dark life can be, one day we will be lifted out of this earthly dungeon and be crowned to our glorious destiny. After having faithfully invested our talents in the earth, we will use them to serve the whole world. Will we be ready when He comes?
This could be considered the first talk on ‘financial freedom’. The beginning of this chapter warns us about financial deals with the ungodly, especially of contracting debts. Our text today gives us the solution: work.
There is something to working hard; it seems to help provide for the bills. There is also something to saving in the time of plenty; it seems to save us from catastrophe. We do not need to look very far nor be very educated to know that. In the book of Genesis, Joseph, the son on of Jacob saves a whole civilization from an annihilating famine because of his foresight of putting aside twenty per cent of Egyptian crops during the seven years of plenty. But is this all this text teaches us?
Towards the end of the book of Matthew, Jesus answers a question to his disciples about the timing of His return. In His two chapter long monologue, Jesus challenges his disciples to be wise and faithful. First he compares His disciples to ten virgins waiting for the Bridegroom. Five are prudent and five are foolish. The prudent ones had enough oil to last till the Bridegroom arrived, but the foolish did not. At that crucial time, at that moment they had waited for all their lives, they were not ready; they did not have enough oil; they could not enter the nuptial chamber with the Bridegroom. They tried to go to the store, but the Sabbath had started and they were closed.
In that same chapter, Jesus qualifies the parable of the virgins with another parable: the one of the talents. In the parable, a traveling businessman entrusts his assets to three servants. At his return, he praises and rewards those servants who brought increase to the assets and severely reprimands the one who ‘buried’ it in the ground.
These stories could be solely interpreted at their face value, but when we read the Word of God, we need to also research the spiritual value. Like, Joseph, we need to continue receiving the oil of the Spirit in our heart, cause no matter how dark life can be, one day we will be lifted out of this earthly dungeon and be crowned to our glorious destiny. After having faithfully invested our talents in the earth, we will use them to serve the whole world. Will we be ready when He comes?
Monday, December 17, 2007
DEAL WITH THE GODLY
Proverbs 6:1-5 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, (2) Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. (3) Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. (4) Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. (5) Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
In the ancient Nuzi society, in the days of the patriarchs, a covenant, an agreement, or a treaty between two people was considered the same as the marriage bound between a man and a woman. They endorsed each other’s name, as well as each other’s assets and liabilities. They even entered each other’s former treaties and warred aginast each other’s enemies. It was a bound only breakable by death, but their children entered it by choice at the age of responsibility.
A Jew was meant to live a life of holiness, to be set-apart from the world. Therefore he couldn’t marry a stranger neither enter a covenant with non-Jews. Borrowing money from a stranger put him in a position where he could end up being owned by that stranger, which would profane him. Moses instructed that if a Jew went bankrupt, his relatives were to help him. They were to lend him money, employ him or even buy his assets to be returned to him on the day of jubilee. For Jew to therefore ‘strike hands’ in a binding treaty with a ‘stranger was forbidden. It would pollute him.
Sounds archaic? Do we forget that Paul, a Jew, taught the same thing? In fact, there are no moral or spiritual difference between biblical Judaism and biblical Christianity. The latter is the fruit of the former, and a fruit embodies the properties of the tree that produced it.
Paul also teaches us to live a holy, or a ‘set-apart’ life. He teaches us to not even go to non-believers courts to settle private arguments, and instructs the church to care for its own poor. If such was done today, our people would not have to ‘strike hand’ with ungodly powers and governments to get the help they need.
When we make a promise, when we make a deal, we are bound by the words we have agreed to. If we break the contract, if we don’t make the agreed payments, if we don’t keep the conditions of the covenant, someone gets upset and imposes on us unwanted consequences. Let us therefore be discerning about the people with whom we ‘strike hand’ with; whether it be concerning a business deal or even a friendly commitment. The people we ‘deal’ with, become part of us.
Let us owe no man anything but to love them, and let us certainly not put ourselves at risk of being owned by ungodly popwers.
In the ancient Nuzi society, in the days of the patriarchs, a covenant, an agreement, or a treaty between two people was considered the same as the marriage bound between a man and a woman. They endorsed each other’s name, as well as each other’s assets and liabilities. They even entered each other’s former treaties and warred aginast each other’s enemies. It was a bound only breakable by death, but their children entered it by choice at the age of responsibility.
A Jew was meant to live a life of holiness, to be set-apart from the world. Therefore he couldn’t marry a stranger neither enter a covenant with non-Jews. Borrowing money from a stranger put him in a position where he could end up being owned by that stranger, which would profane him. Moses instructed that if a Jew went bankrupt, his relatives were to help him. They were to lend him money, employ him or even buy his assets to be returned to him on the day of jubilee. For Jew to therefore ‘strike hands’ in a binding treaty with a ‘stranger was forbidden. It would pollute him.
Sounds archaic? Do we forget that Paul, a Jew, taught the same thing? In fact, there are no moral or spiritual difference between biblical Judaism and biblical Christianity. The latter is the fruit of the former, and a fruit embodies the properties of the tree that produced it.
Paul also teaches us to live a holy, or a ‘set-apart’ life. He teaches us to not even go to non-believers courts to settle private arguments, and instructs the church to care for its own poor. If such was done today, our people would not have to ‘strike hand’ with ungodly powers and governments to get the help they need.
When we make a promise, when we make a deal, we are bound by the words we have agreed to. If we break the contract, if we don’t make the agreed payments, if we don’t keep the conditions of the covenant, someone gets upset and imposes on us unwanted consequences. Let us therefore be discerning about the people with whom we ‘strike hand’ with; whether it be concerning a business deal or even a friendly commitment. The people we ‘deal’ with, become part of us.
Let us owe no man anything but to love them, and let us certainly not put ourselves at risk of being owned by ungodly popwers.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
THE TIME OF RECKONING
Proverbs 5:23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.
We are now at the end of this monologue about the evils of the strange woman. Its warnings are clear.
We have one life, only one, and its goal is redemption. We are born lost, and we need to find our way. We are born sinners, and we need to repent. We are born of flesh and we need to be born of the spirit.
A child grows, and the sin of youth eventually disappears behind the learned matured individual. There always comes a time of maturation in life. Even in adulthood, we may experience a time of deception, a time of error under a false teaching, but eventually, a time comes when the light is presented to us; a chance for repentance, for change; an opportunity aided with a motive to return to God’s ways. He is faithful, and He always provides us with such.
I dare submit that that moment is the climatic goal of our life. God brings it to us at His pleasure, but if we willfully miss His opportunity, what chance is there left to us for redemption? We then die without His instruction. We die without ever have fulfilled the main reason for our existence, and there is a place reserved for such who willfully resist the Spirit of God, for those who emulate the attitude so well expressed in the poem ‘Invictus’, My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Many are today satisfied with mid-way decisions. They like to stay on the proverbial ‘fence’. Little do they realize that the devil owns the fence. The fence is the perfect place where we can pretend to make decision against evil, while kidding ourselves and feeling smart that we’ve avoided surrendering to God, avoided His demand for a clear decision.
The Bible predicts a time of polarization, a time when the fence will altogether disappear. We will then have to fall one way or the other. At that time, each of us will be faced with his own deeds, his own decisions or lack of it. Let us now catch the time God has allotted for us to repent, let us now return to His ways, and not be part of those who die without His Instruction, without His Words, without His commandments, without His Torah.
We are now at the end of this monologue about the evils of the strange woman. Its warnings are clear.
We have one life, only one, and its goal is redemption. We are born lost, and we need to find our way. We are born sinners, and we need to repent. We are born of flesh and we need to be born of the spirit.
A child grows, and the sin of youth eventually disappears behind the learned matured individual. There always comes a time of maturation in life. Even in adulthood, we may experience a time of deception, a time of error under a false teaching, but eventually, a time comes when the light is presented to us; a chance for repentance, for change; an opportunity aided with a motive to return to God’s ways. He is faithful, and He always provides us with such.
I dare submit that that moment is the climatic goal of our life. God brings it to us at His pleasure, but if we willfully miss His opportunity, what chance is there left to us for redemption? We then die without His instruction. We die without ever have fulfilled the main reason for our existence, and there is a place reserved for such who willfully resist the Spirit of God, for those who emulate the attitude so well expressed in the poem ‘Invictus’, My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Many are today satisfied with mid-way decisions. They like to stay on the proverbial ‘fence’. Little do they realize that the devil owns the fence. The fence is the perfect place where we can pretend to make decision against evil, while kidding ourselves and feeling smart that we’ve avoided surrendering to God, avoided His demand for a clear decision.
The Bible predicts a time of polarization, a time when the fence will altogether disappear. We will then have to fall one way or the other. At that time, each of us will be faced with his own deeds, his own decisions or lack of it. Let us now catch the time God has allotted for us to repent, let us now return to His ways, and not be part of those who die without His Instruction, without His Words, without His commandments, without His Torah.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
THE BOOMERANG EFFECT
Proverbs 5:22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
In the whole Bible, there is no principle so established than this one. We fall in the pit that we dig for others. We receive the rewards of our actions. We become prisoners of the cords we braid for our enemies.
Jacob was deceived in the same way he deceived his father Isaac. Judah was convicted with the same words he told his father Jacob after selling Joseph as a slave. In Persia, Hamman built gallows for a Jew who would not prostrate to him. Hamman was hang on the very wood he had built for Mordechai.
This principle should cause us to carefully look at our lives. We may have much trouble, but lets take the time to analyze what comes on our plate. Are we in the loop of the boomerang effect of our actions? Lets look; lets look even very far, ten, even twenty years ago; what do we see? Are we the victims of our own doings?
The bad and the good both return. The bread that we generously deal in the waters around us also returns, with dividends. Maybe the blessing that we see poured on an individual is the simple return of a life spent blessing others.
There is hope. There is also deliverance from this ‘karmatic’ return of our actions upon our heads. The Son of Man, Jesus, Yeshua ha Mashiah’, can and delivers us from the sins we carelessly bind ourselves to. By His grace He restores our repentant hearts to a new start and behold, we are delivered.
In the whole Bible, there is no principle so established than this one. We fall in the pit that we dig for others. We receive the rewards of our actions. We become prisoners of the cords we braid for our enemies.
Jacob was deceived in the same way he deceived his father Isaac. Judah was convicted with the same words he told his father Jacob after selling Joseph as a slave. In Persia, Hamman built gallows for a Jew who would not prostrate to him. Hamman was hang on the very wood he had built for Mordechai.
This principle should cause us to carefully look at our lives. We may have much trouble, but lets take the time to analyze what comes on our plate. Are we in the loop of the boomerang effect of our actions? Lets look; lets look even very far, ten, even twenty years ago; what do we see? Are we the victims of our own doings?
The bad and the good both return. The bread that we generously deal in the waters around us also returns, with dividends. Maybe the blessing that we see poured on an individual is the simple return of a life spent blessing others.
There is hope. There is also deliverance from this ‘karmatic’ return of our actions upon our heads. The Son of Man, Jesus, Yeshua ha Mashiah’, can and delivers us from the sins we carelessly bind ourselves to. By His grace He restores our repentant hearts to a new start and behold, we are delivered.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
THE TEN INSTRUCTIONS
Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
The Almighty God watches. As a wise judge He seats in His throne. He has set good and evil before us to test our character; to see what we will choose.
How does this Judge of humanity process our actions? How does he establish the good and the bad in our hearts? All our ways are before Him and he ponders all our goings. Are His criteria of judgment so complicated? Are there some big principles hidden from us that will surprise us the end? I do not believe so.
God is not a trickster. He has established His words from the beginning. He has fully and openly given us His contract in the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai. He said that we please Him by the following of them wholeheartedly. Jesus even told us that these commandments hang on the principles of love. But this great Judge of humanity sees right inside our heart. He knows when we obey not with a full heart. He knows the hypocrisy that so often temps us to do the motions, to worship with our lips, when our heart is far away from Him. Could we ever trick God, or bribe Him with fake obedience?
God has only given us ten basic commandments; yet these ten simple instructions are the most viciously attacked principles in modern society.
1: To totally give ourselves to one God is seen as narrow-minded.
2: We fashion God and our religion according to our own liking.
3: Pseudo-shepherds use the name of God to teach their own theology.
4: We profane the Sabbath and even changed its day.
5: Children find it to be a burden to care for their old parents.
6: Punishment for manslaughter is relative.
7:Adultery is widespread through the practice of sequential polygamy.
8: Banks and merchants steal and call it ‘good business’.
9: Lying about others is so common practice that people must swear to be believed.
10: Covetousness is the driving force of capitalist economy.
By these my friend, by the wholehearted true obedience to the ten instructions given to the Church in Sinai God judges our hearts. God’s Word is written in Heaven. He has established it even above His own name. He wrote them on stone with His finger, and now, He wants to write them on our hearts. Can He? Will we allow Him, or are we so full of our own ways?
The Almighty God watches. As a wise judge He seats in His throne. He has set good and evil before us to test our character; to see what we will choose.
How does this Judge of humanity process our actions? How does he establish the good and the bad in our hearts? All our ways are before Him and he ponders all our goings. Are His criteria of judgment so complicated? Are there some big principles hidden from us that will surprise us the end? I do not believe so.
God is not a trickster. He has established His words from the beginning. He has fully and openly given us His contract in the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai. He said that we please Him by the following of them wholeheartedly. Jesus even told us that these commandments hang on the principles of love. But this great Judge of humanity sees right inside our heart. He knows when we obey not with a full heart. He knows the hypocrisy that so often temps us to do the motions, to worship with our lips, when our heart is far away from Him. Could we ever trick God, or bribe Him with fake obedience?
God has only given us ten basic commandments; yet these ten simple instructions are the most viciously attacked principles in modern society.
1: To totally give ourselves to one God is seen as narrow-minded.
2: We fashion God and our religion according to our own liking.
3: Pseudo-shepherds use the name of God to teach their own theology.
4: We profane the Sabbath and even changed its day.
5: Children find it to be a burden to care for their old parents.
6: Punishment for manslaughter is relative.
7:Adultery is widespread through the practice of sequential polygamy.
8: Banks and merchants steal and call it ‘good business’.
9: Lying about others is so common practice that people must swear to be believed.
10: Covetousness is the driving force of capitalist economy.
By these my friend, by the wholehearted true obedience to the ten instructions given to the Church in Sinai God judges our hearts. God’s Word is written in Heaven. He has established it even above His own name. He wrote them on stone with His finger, and now, He wants to write them on our hearts. Can He? Will we allow Him, or are we so full of our own ways?
Monday, December 10, 2007
THE BRIDE
Proverbs 5:15-20 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. (16) Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. (17) Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. (18) Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (19) Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. (20) And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
The beginning of this proverb took us through a litany of warnings against the dangers of the strange woman, the harlot who tempts us with her worldly dainties. The writer now lifts the curtain and introduces us to the anti-thesis of the strange woman. He shows us the Bride, the virtuous woman. Solomon teaches us here that as we keep ourselves from the Babylonian harlot, that as we keep the Instructions of God with all our hearts, we receive His true gift, the person with whom we make our lives forever.
Hebraic literature teaches its principles through opposites. The harlot belongs to none; the bride is claimed for. The harlot gives herself to the highest bidder; the bride is to belong to one only. The harlot is cursed from hell; the bride is blessed from God. The harlot is used and thrown back into the streets; the bride is to be cherished and kept as a precious treasure forever. Like Sarah of Abraham, even in her old age, the bride is renewed to bring precious fruit, and satisfaction to her husband.
As we peek thought the many analogies of this text, we cannot help but see its messianic character. The Son of God has chosen His Church. She is His and His only. Whereas at times he lets her reap the fruits of her own adulterous ways; He also jealously and violently punishes those who dare to abuse her. He protects her like the apple of His eye and with His own blood redeems her from the filthy hands of the world. He will not throw her away in her old age, but, as Sarah was renewed to bear fruit for her husband, so the Church is renewed. Her fountains are dispersed throughout the earth to bring the fruit of righteousness to her husband, Jesus the Messiah
May we be that bride, worthy of all He has done for us. May our waters be dispersed throughout the earth. Let us be a bride so proud of her husband, that she cannot help but speak to all she meets about Him. Let us bear his banner of love over us openly that all may see and also desire Him.
NOTE: Church: From the Greek word: ekklesia: a body, a congregation of believers called out from the world to belong to God. Noah and his family were the ‘church’. Abraham and his nomadic tribe were ‘church’, and Paul points us to the ‘church in the wilderness’ referring to the people at Mt Sinai. All these were called from the world, unto God to be sanctified by His presence among them.
The beginning of this proverb took us through a litany of warnings against the dangers of the strange woman, the harlot who tempts us with her worldly dainties. The writer now lifts the curtain and introduces us to the anti-thesis of the strange woman. He shows us the Bride, the virtuous woman. Solomon teaches us here that as we keep ourselves from the Babylonian harlot, that as we keep the Instructions of God with all our hearts, we receive His true gift, the person with whom we make our lives forever.
Hebraic literature teaches its principles through opposites. The harlot belongs to none; the bride is claimed for. The harlot gives herself to the highest bidder; the bride is to belong to one only. The harlot is cursed from hell; the bride is blessed from God. The harlot is used and thrown back into the streets; the bride is to be cherished and kept as a precious treasure forever. Like Sarah of Abraham, even in her old age, the bride is renewed to bring precious fruit, and satisfaction to her husband.
As we peek thought the many analogies of this text, we cannot help but see its messianic character. The Son of God has chosen His Church. She is His and His only. Whereas at times he lets her reap the fruits of her own adulterous ways; He also jealously and violently punishes those who dare to abuse her. He protects her like the apple of His eye and with His own blood redeems her from the filthy hands of the world. He will not throw her away in her old age, but, as Sarah was renewed to bear fruit for her husband, so the Church is renewed. Her fountains are dispersed throughout the earth to bring the fruit of righteousness to her husband, Jesus the Messiah
May we be that bride, worthy of all He has done for us. May our waters be dispersed throughout the earth. Let us be a bride so proud of her husband, that she cannot help but speak to all she meets about Him. Let us bear his banner of love over us openly that all may see and also desire Him.
NOTE: Church: From the Greek word: ekklesia: a body, a congregation of believers called out from the world to belong to God. Noah and his family were the ‘church’. Abraham and his nomadic tribe were ‘church’, and Paul points us to the ‘church in the wilderness’ referring to the people at Mt Sinai. All these were called from the world, unto God to be sanctified by His presence among them.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
THE ‘STRANGE WOMAN’
Proverbs 5:1-6 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: (2) That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. (3) For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: (4) But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. (5) Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. (6) Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
A long and sobering warning; but who is the woman? Is this warning related to sexual sins or is it the simile of a deeper truth? Maybe it is both. Let us now unravel together the principles of this analogy.
The way of the Lord in our lives is not always easy. It is rough at times. It is lonely. It seems to take more than it gives. Sometimes we are even tempted to let the seeming security of the physical take over the reality of the spiritual. At times we hunger and thirst for the ‘easy’ path.
It is in those moments that the ‘woman’ comes to us. Her lips drip with honey-like sweet flatteries. Her words denote of the easy smooth flow of oil. “Here is the other way,” she says, “my way is easier; it is soft and sweet”. “Trust in me” she says while she coils her drippy tentacles around our neck and brings us down to the hellish pit that is the place of her hellish conception. For all the promises of ease the devil would bring, a sting of wormwood like bitterness plunges into our heart and draws us closer to the pits of hell.
We do not know ‘her’ way. We are not able to decipher and see ‘her’ when she comes to us. We sometimes mistake her for the ‘blessing’ of God; but she is a wolf in sheep clothing.
Our safety therefore lays in the clinging to God’s Words. We need to bow our ear to His understanding. We must attend to His wisdom. God’s Word teaches us the ways of God, and at the same times, it protects us from the evil distraction that daily seeks to destroy us.
A long and sobering warning; but who is the woman? Is this warning related to sexual sins or is it the simile of a deeper truth? Maybe it is both. Let us now unravel together the principles of this analogy.
The way of the Lord in our lives is not always easy. It is rough at times. It is lonely. It seems to take more than it gives. Sometimes we are even tempted to let the seeming security of the physical take over the reality of the spiritual. At times we hunger and thirst for the ‘easy’ path.
It is in those moments that the ‘woman’ comes to us. Her lips drip with honey-like sweet flatteries. Her words denote of the easy smooth flow of oil. “Here is the other way,” she says, “my way is easier; it is soft and sweet”. “Trust in me” she says while she coils her drippy tentacles around our neck and brings us down to the hellish pit that is the place of her hellish conception. For all the promises of ease the devil would bring, a sting of wormwood like bitterness plunges into our heart and draws us closer to the pits of hell.
We do not know ‘her’ way. We are not able to decipher and see ‘her’ when she comes to us. We sometimes mistake her for the ‘blessing’ of God; but she is a wolf in sheep clothing.
Our safety therefore lays in the clinging to God’s Words. We need to bow our ear to His understanding. We must attend to His wisdom. God’s Word teaches us the ways of God, and at the same times, it protects us from the evil distraction that daily seeks to destroy us.
Monday, December 03, 2007
RESPOND; DON’T REACT.
Proverbs 4:26-27 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. (27) Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
The New Testament rendition of this verse starts: Make straight paths for your feet.
We are to take an active part in the direction of our life. We are to ponder on our way. We are to consciously make the paths of our lives straight and according to God’s way. We are to live our life consciously. If we do not, we become victims of fate and most importantly, of anyone, including the devil, who will take advantage of our indifferent passivity. If we do not, if we let ourselves be led by every current of wind or emotion; we are then bound to be led in error, and therefore to destruction.
Our do we do this; how do we live our lives consciously; how do we make straight paths for our feet? How do we respond instead of reacting?
When King David found his country besieged, he did not react in the most logical way, which was to send troops to the front. He took the time to respond. He first asked the Lord if he should even attack. When he was done, he also took the time to hear from God on how he should attack. There is even a time when the prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah that he should not attack against an oncoming army, because God had already taken care of the situation.
In the same way, we must not ‘react’ to the events that come to us hour by hour. We must rather pray and ‘respond’. We must make a conscious prayerful decision in teamwork with Jesus for each one of them. When we do this, we take control of our lives with the power of the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we yield our lives to God, and we give Him full control.
May we learn today to respond and not react. May we learn this day to make straight paths for our feet; to not turn to the right nor to the left from the direction God has put us in. May we learn to invoke and involve you Jesus in each and every one of our responses to life, whether they be in deed or in word.
The New Testament rendition of this verse starts: Make straight paths for your feet.
We are to take an active part in the direction of our life. We are to ponder on our way. We are to consciously make the paths of our lives straight and according to God’s way. We are to live our life consciously. If we do not, we become victims of fate and most importantly, of anyone, including the devil, who will take advantage of our indifferent passivity. If we do not, if we let ourselves be led by every current of wind or emotion; we are then bound to be led in error, and therefore to destruction.
Our do we do this; how do we live our lives consciously; how do we make straight paths for our feet? How do we respond instead of reacting?
When King David found his country besieged, he did not react in the most logical way, which was to send troops to the front. He took the time to respond. He first asked the Lord if he should even attack. When he was done, he also took the time to hear from God on how he should attack. There is even a time when the prophet Isaiah told King Hezekiah that he should not attack against an oncoming army, because God had already taken care of the situation.
In the same way, we must not ‘react’ to the events that come to us hour by hour. We must rather pray and ‘respond’. We must make a conscious prayerful decision in teamwork with Jesus for each one of them. When we do this, we take control of our lives with the power of the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we yield our lives to God, and we give Him full control.
May we learn today to respond and not react. May we learn this day to make straight paths for our feet; to not turn to the right nor to the left from the direction God has put us in. May we learn to invoke and involve you Jesus in each and every one of our responses to life, whether they be in deed or in word.
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