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Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. Proverbs 31:3
Here is a wise mother's advice to her son - and it is all the more poignent because we know it is the advice of Bathsheba to her son Solomon. What is Bathsheba's advice? She tells her son not to give his strength to women. What does it mean to give one's strength to a woman - or in this case to women? The word strength here means to have strength and influence. It has the idea of someone who has a great deal of influence over you - over what you do - and over how you expend your strength. Bathsheba knew from her own sin that it was devastating when a king gives undue influence to women in his life. David chose to give himself and his strength to pursue immorality with Bathsheba. He chose then to give himself to a cover-up of that sin. In the end, David gave himself over to a laundry list of sins including lust, adultery, lying, deception, murder, hypocrisy - and many more just because he decided to give women his strength and influence in what he did. This led to disaster in his kingdom, in his family, and in the history of his life. God's grace overcame all this as David repented and turned back to the Lord. But oh, what a dark chapter of his life was written when he gave undue heed to women. Now, before anyone thinks this is women-bashing, I want to make certain in what situations one is and is not to heed the influence of a woman. In the case of godly mothers and wives - HEED THEM AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY! God makes it clear that the influence of a godly mother is vital to a young man. When God gives him a godly wife - it is a good thing the Lord has done. Many a man has been greatly blessed by the influence of a godly wife and mother. But that is not what Bathsheba is saying here. And before anyone thinks this is a rant from a male chauvenist pig - remember - Solomon's MOM is the one giving this advice to him! The kind of women Bathsheba warns against are the ones who lead a man into sin - or at least greatly encourage it. She says to stay away from the "ways" that destroy kings. What a loaded statement this is! Think of all the men who were destroyed by their involvement with immoral women! By the way - the kings chose to be immoral as well - because it takes two to become involved in consentual sexual relations. If we need any examples of this, they abound in our world today. In 2010, the governor of South Carolina was destroyed by his involvement with a South American mistress. Tiger Woods reputation and fame will forever be marred by his involvement with prostitutes. These situations destroy men - and the higher the man - the greater the potential for disaster. Oh, how we need to hear these words from Bathsheba - words of warning most likely tinged with shades of her own regret. Too bad Solomon did not listen to his mother. His latter years were spent in the midst of this ruin - as he sought many wives and many concubines. Solomon probably thought he had it made sexually with somewhere around 1000 different women catering to his every whim and desire. The problem is that he didn't have it made - he made a mess. His immorality and unwise actions didn't just betray his mother - they betrayed all of Israel and more than anyone else - the Lord his God. Because he did not heed the words of his wise mother - Israel was divided and eventually fell. At the core of this fall was a disregard of God's warnings against sexual immorality. Interesting isn't it - we can either be blessed by adhereing to godly wisdom - or we can crash on the rocks of those very warnings. So tell me - which direction are you headed?
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The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: Proverbs 30:1
Here we have an interesting verse in Proverbs. It is generally accepted that this person named Agur was an actual man - and that his students, Ithiel and Ucal were also real as well. Thus this is probably part of the collection of wisdom that Solomon had. He was probably greatly impressed by this collection of wise sayings and incorporated it into his own collection as well. What do we know of these three men. Well, beyond the meaning of their names and this particular collection of sayings - nothing. Yet God used them to offer to us an entire chapter of Agur's wise sayings. In fact, Agur is called, "the oracle," which means that Solomon considered him a prophet - or at least a man inspired by God to put these sayings from Him into a list of sorts. Let's take a closer look at their names and what they mean. Agur means collector or gatherer. This name probably designates that he was a collector of wise sayings - but the "son of Jakeh" refers to his father. Jakeh means to be on one's guard - and this particularly before God Himself. Thus the idea here is that of piety - guarding ourselves before God - and guarding others so that they walk in godliness. Thus, when we grasp Agur's full name - he would be considered to be the gatherer, the son of the man who guarded piety - who desired to walk in holiness and purity before God. If a name meant anything - and in Hebrew culture it did - then this was quite a man God used to collect these sayings from God and then declare them as an oracle from God Himself. Not only did this man offer these wise sayings as much needed wisdom - he took the time to state them to others. Ithiel and Ucal were Agur's students. Ithiel means, "with me is God" while Ucal means "to eat or to devour." These are quite the names of his students. Evidently his students wanted the presence of God in their lives - and also had a hunger for the things of God. At least this is what their parents hoped and desired for them when they named their children. We come back to this verse - apart from trying to gain information from the names themselves and see a very important principle of discipleship here. At face value, we have a situation where a godly man - even a prophet or oracle of God is taking two others under his wing for the purpose of declaring to them the things God has made known to him. This is the heart of true discipleship. Life on life ministry is so important. It is not enough to just try to read the Bible - we so desperately need for godly men to pour their lives into younger men and pass wisdom to them. Jesus did it with 12 - Paul did it with Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Epaphroditus and others. If we are wise, we will do it too. The king gives stability to the land by justice, But a man who takes bribes overthrows it. Proverbs 29:4
What makes a nation stable? According to this proverb, the thing that makes any nation stable is when that nation has a king who enforces justice. This is not exactly an easy thing to understand because in our day justice is not measured in biblical terms. True justice deals with just laws and justice meted out on the basis of truth and evidence. When one has proven to have acted unjustly, they are given the appropriate punishment for their actions. This works very well until the situation arises where a man within the system of justice is willing to receive a bribe. The money blinds them to justice. In a moment of time - the bribe overthrows the entire system of justice and righteousness - and soon "so-called justice" goes to the highest bidder. The king could change all this - if he is the kind of man who desires justice first. He can give a wonderful stability to his kingdom if he stands for righteousness in all that he does. He will not take a bribe, because he fears God and realizes that even his own position is a trust from God. Knowing these things - he dispenses justice and righteousness to those in his kingdom - and does so with no respect to persons. Oh, the stability this gives to his kingdom and to the subjects within it. If money cannot change a man's mind - if it cannot blind a man to the laws which are written - that is a blessed land indeed. The people - the commerce - the homes will enjoy great peace and prosperity because of the honesty and integrity with which the king administers all things within its borders. We would be wise to learn this lesson in our current situation. Too often legislation is made due to the influence of "special interest groups." These groups offer various things to our legislators to influence them on the kind of legislation they support. What they often offer is contributions – large contributions to a candidate or an incumbent member of the House or Senate. By accepting this money from special interest groups and other lobbyists, these legislators often choose to vote according to who is giving them money – rather than according to their constituent’s good. These kind of things have the affect of quietly overthrowing our system They overthrow it because the system is no longer based upon truth - but it becomes based upon who can produce the biggest bribe. In the end, the real problem becomes the total lack of integrity in those who lead - which in turn awards leadership, not to those whose character and integrity will give light to the people - but rather to the one who is the biggest crook with the biggest wallet. Blessed is the nation whose leaders function according to laws – who enforce laws – and who even enforce them on those in leadership. It is when the people can see the written laws, and see them applied to everyone justly that a nation has true stability. Otherwise men will do what is right in their own eyes – or – as the case is made here, in the eyes of whoever is offering them the most money in a bribe. A poor man who oppresses the lowly Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. Proverbs 28:3
We have all heard stories of the oppressive who are rich. God condemns this kind of behavior. But when a poor man does the same - it is an even greater sin because the poor man should know better being among the lowly himself. Proverbs describes this man as a driving rain which leaves no food. The rain described here is one that is a deluge - a true drenching storm. It is described as being a "driving" rain. The word here means something that sweeps things away. It is rain that is so heavy and strong that it literally washes all the crops in an entire field away. It leaves nothing behind, completely destroying all that is in its path. The poor man who oppresses the lowly is best described in the parable of the debtors. Matthew 18 tells this parable of two men who owed money. One owed millions to the king - and there was no way of paying it back - even in a hundred lifetimes. When the king pronounced judgment upon him for his debt, the poor man begged for mercy. The king then acted with unimaginable mercy - forgiving the man every penny of his debt. It is one of the most poignent displays of mercy in all of Sripture. But what did the poor man do with this mercy and newfound freedom. The Word tells us that he went out and found a fellow lowly servant who owed him about 50 to 100 dollars. The fellow servant begged too for mercy - and asked for a little time. He promised to pay it all back. But the forgiven servant then grabbed the other by the throat and cast him into the prison till he was paid all that was owed to him. Indeed, this was a case where the poor was oppressing the lowly. When the other servants heard of this, they informed the king - who then called the poor oppressor to account. He was told that having received mercy - he should have shown it to others. Having been forgiven, he should have forgiven others. The end of the oppressing servant was to be thrown into prison and handed over to the torturers until every cent was repaid of his debt. This proverb does speak to us about the need for reciprocity in showing mercy. If we are the poor - we of all people should have great patience with the por who are around us. To oppress them is like being a driving rain that washes away everything. If there cannot be mutual grace among the lowliest of people, what is left. But there is a greater reminder given to us here. It is the reminder of the spiritual lesson before us. Just like the poor man in the parable, we need to forgive as we have been forgiven. We are the poor in spirit - the spiritually devastated and bankrupt. God has shown us astounding mercy in forgiving our sins and giving us His unmerited favor. Oh, how we should be ready to show that same mercy and grace to others - the ones around us just as poor, just as spiritually bankrupt - as an example of our Father's love. To do otherwise is to be a driving rain that leaves nothing behind. It is to offer no hope of forgiveness and grace among the lost. Our message is also to be our example. By God's grace - when we show grace - we will verify grace - thus offering grace to those who need grace. Don't be a driving hurricane that leaves nothing behind - be a gentle rain that waters so that fruit can be borne to God - fruit that will last - and thus our Father will be glorified. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4
Three things are mentioned here - with the last being the most severe. Wrath is the first thing mentioned. The word used here is "hemah" and it means to be hot with anger. It signifies anger, hot displeasure, indignation, or rage. It was used to speak of a person's burning anger as well as once to speak of God's intense anger toward those who practiced idolatry in 2 Kings 22:17. We are told that this kind of burning anger is fierce. When people have this kind of burning wrath toward something - or probably in this context someone - they can be both fierce and cruel. For the most part, God encourages us to refrain from this kind of wrathful, hot anger and rage. The second word used in this proverb is anger. This is the oft used Hebrew word "aph" and it refers literally to a flared nostril or the way a face is altered when a person is angry. Except for only a few instances, this kind of anger is viewed negatively in the Word. What is fascinating is the two or three examples where an exception is given. This anger is expressed in a passion and desire for God to be glorified. Because He is not - then the anger rises in one who speaks or acts on behalf of God and His honor and glory. We see that this word is described as coming in a flood. The word for flood means a mighty torrent of water - probably something like a flash flood. God's judgment is mentioned as coming this way in Nahum 1:8 where God says, "But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness." When God's anger is loosed in judgment - it will be like a flash flood - like a tsunami that will crush all that stands against Him. But when humans act this way - it is usually when someone blows his or her top. Like a volcanic eruption - the person just blows - and the result is seldom anything but problematic and damaging to whomever is unfortunate enough to be in its path. As said at the beginning of this devotion - three things are mentioned here - with wrath and flared anger being those two of those three things. But the third is considered the worst them. That is jealousy. The word here is "qana" and it means to be jealous with great zeal. It describes a person who has an intense fervor, passion, and emotion that supercedes that of a person with wrath or anger. This is seen in the Word as both good and bad in various situations. Phinehas was filled with this jealousy when he acted on the Lord's behalf in Numbers 25:11. Seeing an Israelite man walk right in front of the tent of meeting with a Midianite woman - intending to have sex with her - filled Phinehas with a jealousy for God's glory that moved him to act. This kind of sin was only a precursor to Israel stumbling headlong into Baal worship and its practice of sensuality and sexual immorality as worship of their false god. Incensed and filled with passion and godly jealousy - Phinehas pierced both the man and the woman through with a spear as they engaged in this wicked act. God praised Phinehas for his godly jealousy in this passage. But jealousy can also be evil. Proverbs 14:30 warns agaisnt a passion that is rottenness in the bones. The wrong kind of jealousy - for our own honor and praise - for what we want and think we deserve - can eat us alive. In the end - God experiences all three of these things in His great love for His honor and glory. His wrath is fierce, and His anger can come like a wave crashing against the wickedness of man. But these two things cannot measure against His great love for His people manifest by His godly jealousy and zeal for them to love Him and honor Him as He deserves. We read in James that God's Spirit desires us to the point of envy. God has redeemed us and bought us for Himself. What He has done in bringing us to life - paying for our sins - and calling us unto Himself - He longs for it. He longs to see us tear down every idol and cast out any other love - and to be completely devoted to Him. Who can stand before such a jealousy!? Here is the amazing thing about this proverb. Our first response to this should be to cower in fear at the manifestation of God's wrath and anger. These things have been seen in ways that would drop any man alive to his knees. We would prostrate ourselves before God in terror at His wrath and anger - fearing and trembling for our lives as we watch Him bring the just deserts of the wicked upon their heads. But what we experience as believers is the Lord's jealousy for the work He has done in us. He longs for us to fully embrace the grace He has given us - to fully access all that His Spirit is willing to do in us. And He does so with a jealous passion to see us as the very trophies of His grace and kind work in our souls and bodies. Who can stand before such blazing love? Who would dare to oppose Him in His quest to destroy every idol in our hearts and have every part of us as His sole possession? Oh, that we would see the love of God in all of its shining glory and passionate heat. We cannot stand before it - we cannot imagine the depth of His love. All we can do is fall before Him and see ourselves consumed in the loving flames of His glorious, jealous passion that in Christ Jesus He will finally be glorified in His saints. A whip is for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the back of fools. Proverbs 26:3
Here is a marvelous proverb - and one that in many ways necessitates the entire penal system in any country. The interesting thing about this proverb though is that you see that a horse and a donkey can be trained. They may require a whip and a bridle to accomplish the task - but they can be trained. You may have to break them in the process - but with these instruments one can train these animals to be useful. But, the fool cannot be trained. The only situation adequate for the fool is a rod for his back. It is only through very specific consequences that the fool can be dissuaded from his foolishness. Here, also, is where many people rise up and begin barking about a person's rights. How could the Bible speak about a rod for a man's back? That is against his fundamental civil rights! Yet, those who state such things fail to see the incredible failure our penal system has in this world. We no longer punish criminals. We offer them college educations, libraries, televisions in their rooms - and a whole list of rights they have learned to demand from us. It is easy some times to see why recidivism is so rampant in our prisons. The exit to these prisons becomes a revolving door. Give a fool rights - and that fool will use them to continue in his foolishness unabated. Offer him punishment worthy of the crime - including beatings and capital punishment - and many fools will turn from their ways when they think of the ultimate consequences attached to such actions. Take the much maligned issue of the caning of the American citizen in the far east. We heard howls and screams about this issue. Maybe though, we should look at the recidivism in those nations. It is almost at zero. Another thing running zero in their societies is the people who even want to commit such crimes. They know the high price of such actions, to they refrain from doing them. Fools do not learn from those trying to educate them. That is why they are fools. They are committed to their way of living and thinking (or non-thinking as the case may be). To try to rebuke or train them brings their scorn and laughter. They are set in their ways and need a much stronger deterent to their way. That is the reason why the rod needs to be applied to their backs. Some will continue to cringe because they are part of our overly permissive society. Our society - at least the liberal parts of it - tend to blame themselves for everything someone does bad. We need to consider what we've done to cause them to act in such a way. Thus we have the fruits of the Freudian tendency to blame parents and anyone else we can find for our actions before ever considering our own choices as paramount to the situation. Perish the thought that maybe the fool is that way because he chooses foolishness. The sad thing is that we will continue to watch foolishness rise with our permissive attitudes and actions. The fool would learn just like the horse and the donkey - if the proper motivation were applied. POSTSCRIPT: Recently, individuals have quoted articles from this section and stated that we teach child abuse at Calvary Chapel Jonesboro. To this I feel the need to respond. First, biblically, we are told that if we have a problem with our brother to go to our brother - not the internet - and confront our brother. To date, these individuals have yet to contact me to discuss these things. That should say volumes in itself. Second, we do not teach child abuse at our fellowship. This blog is an endeavor to teach what is in the Bible for the edification and upbuilding of God's people. Anyone who has been to our fellowship knows that in our classrooms we administer NO physical discipline. We correct with words and with "time outs" and eventually with a report to parents. From our nursery throughout every age group our people are instructed NEVER to administer physical discipline. We believe this right alone belongs to a parent. Even then we teach the following about any application of physical discipline. Discipline is about the heart of a child. Physical or corporal punishment is ONLY to be administered in a spirit of love for the child. Teaching and loving verbal correction is key - as is prayer for the child's eventual salvation in Jesus Christ. Any physical punishment administered due to anger or rage is out of line and wrong. The parent is to discipline the child with appropriate discipline - not abuse. In the end the child should be taught - and in every circumstance hugged, loved, and prayed with after any physical punishment to assure them of our love. The idea of a "beating" is completely out of step with what the Scriptures are teaching. Instead the idea of loving discipline is intended. As the heavens for height and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. Proverbs 25:3
Three things here are considered unmeasurable - or unsearchable. First we cannot search out the measure of the heavens. Astronomers concur with this fact. No matter how powerful our telescope - the heavens are unsearchable. And even if we could begin to fathom just how vast our universe was - we could never actually search it out and exhaust the information we could gather on it. The second thing we cannot search out is the depths of the earth. We have theorized just what is underneath us - but considering we are still discovering fish that we had no idea ever existed - I think it is safe to say that we cannot fathom all there is to know about the depths of the earth. The third thing is different from these first two. We are told that neither can we search out all there is about the heart of a king. This is true on several levels. First, kings and leaders have information that the local people do not have - and probably will never have. I think it would absolutely blow our minds to realize how much information about different things - important things - comes across the desk of our president or any other ruler in our world. They do not have the time to inform us of everything that goes into their decision making processes - neither do they need to. This is why we need to pray that God would surround our leaders with wise and understanding counselors. Much of the decision making that happens in Washington D. C. happens because of the advice of those around our president. Pray that he will have godly, discerning advisors. We see what just one Daniel did in the kingdom of Babylon - one Mordecai in the kindom of Ahasuerus - and one Ahithophel in the kingdom of Absalom. Whether for good or for bad, those who advise our leaders will greatly affect our nation. The king's heart is also unsearchable because he will not ever share all his reasonings for his decisions. The role of a king/leader is to make decisions and lead a nation. Quite often pundits and writers will try to tell us what has gone on insider the minds of our leaders - but they don't really know. All we can hope and pray for is that they will make godly decisions that will bless our nation. When we grasp this we may begin to understand why we are commanded to pray for our leaders. Paul wrote to young Timothy, "First of all I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and those in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Who desires for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Timothy 2:1-3) The command of God , because this is in the imperative, is that we pray for our leaders. In fact - we are commanded to pray four ways for them! Entreaties - to make known a need - and ask for it to be met. Prayers - general word to pray to God. Petitions - to intercede on behalf of another. To stand before God on their behalf. Thanksgivings - to be grateful and to give thanks. Just a thought . . . maybe we've got the kind of leaders we have - because we get the leadership that our prayers deserve? We truly need to pray for all our leaders (not just the ones we like) because they truly need the wisdom of God. And remember, before you begin making a comment about their level of spirituality or lack of it - God used some pretty ungodly characters to advance what he wanted done. And - it may be wise to remember that they were greatly influenced by godly people that God providentially put into their life for the pupose of giving godly example and counsel. Finally, the heart of a king is just like every other heart among mankind. The king's heart is fallen. He is sinful no matter who he is. Thus, just like anyone else, the heart of the king is desperately sick and beyond even his own understanding. What we need to pray for is that our rulers are Christians who derive their wisdom and leadership from seeking God and knowing His Word. The king, like any other human, is sinful - and has aspects of his life that grieve him and plague him. He has weaknesses. This is the reason we need to pray for those in power and authority. They need our prayers because they do have to lead us. Our hope is that the One who searches all hearts - will search theirs as well. Our hope is that our leaders will have godly advisors and godly reasoning behind all that they do. Then we will have a blessed nation - because a nation ultimately must have its blessings from God. Oh that we would have leaders who turn to Him for that blessing. Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate. Proverbs 24:7
Wisdom is costly - and it is something that requires commitment to have in our lives. Those who have gained any wisdom knows this. Wisdom requires an investment of time and effort. One who desires wisdom must gather wisdom by reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating upon God's Word. One who desires wisdom also will desire to be in the presence of God and godly men who will speak wisdom as they listen intently. Wisdom also requires an investment of life or living. One who has wisdom - true wisdom - lives it out each and every day. The wise man bucks the world when the world tells him to go his own way. The wise man does not run with the worldly crowd when the run headlong into a pursuit of their own lusts and desires. The wise man will make difficult choices that will of necessity require him to die to self. He will walk contrary to the fools who gather and approve each others foolishness. He will speak and live wisdom when it is in season - but more importantly when it is not. This is why wisdom is too high for the fool. He will not open his mouth in the gate. The gate was the place of decision making - the place where the elders gathered and offered their wisdom for the good of the city. Blessed is that land - that city whose gate is filled with men of wisdom. Blessed are they because the fool will not open his mouth there - for the very reason that wisdom prevails in that place. Very unfortunate is that city - that state - that people who have surrounded themselves first with their own foolishness - and ultimately with fools who sit in the gate. Theirs will be a land that multiplies foolishness - and pays for it dearly in their captivity to their own lusts and desires - and in the future - captivity to others who exploit their foolishness to gain the ascendency over them. It is better for us that the fools of our society not have the freedom to open their mouths in the gate -and that foolishness is seen for exactly what it is - foolish. Keil and Delitzsch make a wonderful comment about this when they say, "Wisdom is to the fool too high; the way to wisdom is to him too long and too steep, the price too costly." For this reason the fool is unwilling to make the climb, pay the price, or make the sacrifice necessary to gain wisdom. The wise man does not see the cost - but the jewel. He does not see the climb - but the panoramic view. He does not see the sacrifice - but the victory in the end. Wisdom is indeed exalted, high, and pricey - but is worth every penny, every sacifice, and every labor to attain. Do not move the ancient boundary Or go into the fields of the fatherless, 11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you. Proverbs 23:10-11
There is something about the orphan, the fatherless in this world that moves God's heart. Those who seek to bless the widow and the orphan God pronounces as blessed - while here we receive a warning - a dire warning against doing things that harm them. The first thing we read is not move the ancient boundary. What is this about? In biblical times these were markings that helped people know where their fields ended and where others began. People would move boundary stones when plowing their fields - so that they could steal land from their neighbors by doing so. Here this is equated with going into the fields of the orphan - stealing from orphans for your own greed. God reserved some of His strongest language for those who would do such things. The heaviest curses were reserved for this kind of sin. We are warned that the One who is the Redeemer for these orphans is strong - in this case strong enough to be considered omnipotent. Only a fool would take on Someone with omnipotence. This Strong One, Jehovah Himself, will take up the case of the orphan and will plead their case against your greed and godlessness. The best wisdom from the Word of God is not to mess with orphans - unless you either are going to bless them - or face a fate that is sure and deadly. But back to this boundary stone - how can we move boundary stones in our day? With current technology involving GPS systems - that kind of sin is just about obsolete in our day. But there are many kinds of boundary stones in life. There are those related to land and agriculture. But there are also boundary markers when it comes to morals and to theological matters. Pity the man or men who decide they want to move things morally or theologically away from where God Himself has set those markers. This is not really a new sin - because men have been doing it for years. They also have been paying a horrible price for it as well. Back in 1973 we, as a nation, decided to move an ancient boundary marker and declare open season on the unborn. In 1967 we decided to move the boundary marker concerning prayer and bible reading in our schools. The results have been disastrous. In our current day our government is decided to remove the marker altogether concerning immorality, sexuality, and marriage. It is truly unwise to move that boundary - as unwise as messing with orphans. Yet men continue to do so - to their own destruction and the destruction of entire nations. Just as a fool is the only one who would take on an omnipotent God in messing with orphans - so also it is only a fool who decides to stand against God Himself by moving the moral boundaries that God Himself has set. We've done it . . . but then again we continue to pay for it every day. The God of those boundaries is truly strong - and for every boundary we seek to push backward - there will be a price. Are we willing to continue to pay it? The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
What brings a person riches and honor? That is widely debated in our world today. There are those who act with pride and isolence - who step on whoever they need to step on to get to the top. They use questionable tactics and ungodly ways to gather their riches and they demand honor from their subordinates. The problem is that once they leave this life - they leave their so-called honor and riches behind - and enter into eternal poverty. The other problem is that while in this life honor is not afforded to them except by threats - and their riches are in danger of someone just like them - who would gladly take them away and toss them on the trash heap of those who were formerly rich and famous. God gives us wisdom as to the place of lasting riches, honor - and most of all life. These three must come in their trio-form for a person to truly be rich and truly be honored. For what honor is there in hell? What riches await those burning in flame and eaten by worms? Without life in eternity our earthly honor will mock us as the ages pile upon the ages. Without life our riches will slip through our hands like one trying to grasp and hold oil. The way to these things is through humility. We read in the Word that God resists the proud. That the Lord hates the proud look and the arrogant heart. Temporary riches and deceptive honor may come without humility - but the real thing demands it. The wise man realizes that at the top of all things is God - and the true "way to the top" comes as we humble ourselves before Him. History is littered with those who thought they could become the big cheese - yet in the end - only smelled like it. When we humble ourselves before God - we place ourselves in the path of blessing. The truly wise man embraces humility and his own weaknesses. He even glories in them because he knows that as he sees himself weak - then God becomes strong in his life - his choices - and his actions. God also speaks through this proverb to tell us that the other twin of riches, honor, and life is the fear of the Lord. This is a respect and intrinsic honor shown to God, His Word, and His judgment on all matters. We are told at the very beginning of Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Without a proper fear of God - we will degenerate into a pride and self-assuredness that will lead us astray from wisdom. This fear of God often begins with a terror initially as we grasp Who God is - and where we stand before Him. Imagine the moment Paul grasped the true fear of the Lord. He had settled into a self-assured sense of his own right-ness in his religious views and stands. This had led him to the point of persecuting Christians to the death - and imprisoning others. On his way to Damascus to continue his unholy war on the church - Jesus Christ manifest His ultimate power and knocked Paul off his horse and blinded his eyes with light. Imagine the fear that must have gripped Paul when he heard that the answer to "Who are you Lord?" was, "I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting." The fear of God had to almost paralyze this man who lay on the road. But that moment of terror was also the beginning of wisdom for Paul. It led him away from a religion of effort and self-righteousness - to the true wisdom of God's grace in the gospel. There are many voices telling us how to be rich, honored, and truly alive in this world. Unless they are telling us that the way to these things is through the path of humility and the fear of God . . . they are wrong. God will resist those who take other messages than this one. But for those who embrace humility and the fear of the Lord - there is a wealth, an honor, and life that can never be taken from them. Truly theirs is the wise way of achieving them - and holding to them forever. |
 Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. 
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