The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. Proverbs 11:3
Integrity is always a good choice - especially when it it biblical integrity. That is what we learn from today's proverb. It is the integrity of the upright that will guide them. The word integrity here in the Hebrew has a strong emphasis on moral integrity. As always, when we read of morals we need to remember the moral law of God as the path that is set before us. These godly morals will "guide" us. The word used here is "nahah" and it means to be led or guided in the right direction or the proper path. Think about the moral law of God. If we were to follow the 10 commandments in our everyday lives - not just the outward sins involved - but even the inward thinking Jesus exposes in the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) - how often would we be guided into the very decision that was right and best. Not all of these decisions would be easy. Some would be painfully difficult at first - but all of them would be right - and would take us in the right direction in life. The treacherous have no such guarantee. These are the peopl who act as traitors, they are unfaithful and betray others. The key relationships where this word is used is in regard to God's covenant (which includes the moral law) and in regard to marriage. These are people who make promises - but do not keep them. They enter into contracts but look for the loophole. We are warned that it is the crookedness of these people that will destroy them. Crookedness refers to the perversions and deceitfulness that governs their actions. They are distorted and perverse in their character and thinking - and that is why they are treacherous in their dealings. What is so dangerous for us in this is that the treacherous seem to do well for themselves initially. They seem to prosper and have pleasure and fun at the start of their crooked choices. But wait and be patient. The best friend of truth is time. Eventually you will watch the house of cards the treacherous build come crashing to the ground. They are caught in their adultery. They are exposed in their perverse dealings. Their ponzi schemes implode. Their crooked financial dealings come to light. Then you see the wisdom of this proverb. Indeed the crookedness of these people destroy them - and all the while the upright, guided by their integrity and moral uprightness - are guided safely through.
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The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3
There are two level's of meaning to this particular proverb. They are both a blessing to those who read it, understand it, and who look to the Lord for their subsistence. Jehovah will not allow the soul of the righteous to hunger. That is what this passage says. It refers on the surface level to the simple fact that God is going to provide basics for believers. David said, "I was young, and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." What a comfort to us this should be. God promises to make provision for us. Often our problem is that we want way more than provision. God promises food and raiment (clothing) and with these we should be content. Yet in our culture we have come to call too many things "necessities." In fact there are entire theological systems based upon us getting whatever we claim from God - no matter how blatent the greed becomes. Hopefully we see through the ruse of selfish and fleshly greed and rejoice when we are able to eat and clothe ourselves each day. But there is more to this proverb - a deeper level. God will not allow the SOUL of the righteous to hunger. If we desire the Lord - if we hunger for God - our soul will be satisfied! Blessed are the hungry, for they shall be filled! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled! God promises to us a fullness that can never be defined by food and drink alone. It is the fullness of the Spirit. It is a fullness that describes how God Himself comes to fill us to the deepest levels of our hearts and souls with Himself. This, even more than just a promise of food, should fill our hearts with joy unspeakable, and full of glory! There is a comparison here though. We read that the craving of the wicked will be thrust away. The craving of the wicked is the desires and lusts that they have without limits and without bounds. The wicked will always seek to push the limits of what is allowed. They will always seek to push the laws of the land to where they can pursue greater and greater godlessness. Because it is the desire of the wicked - these desires and wants are ungodly ones - desires that are clearly outside of the scope of God's will and desires. The Lord promises to thrust away these things. When I read this I think of that horrific final day when God's judgments on all things, all choices, all lifestyles is made clear. In that all important day those who lived for wickedness will hear those eternally aweful words, depart from me, you wicked, into everlasting fire - I never knew you! In that moment every desire of the wicked - every lifestyle that is outside God's purposes will be thrust away. There is one thing though that I think we need to grasp to see this proverb clearly. We usually see words like "wicked" and think of only the most heinous of sinners. The wicked are those outside of God's grace and salvation in Christ. The "wicked" might look to us like the model citizen, the good ole boy, the nice girl, the sweet couple. Yet, if they reject their sinfulness in God's sight and the only remedy which is Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected from the dead - they are indeed wicked. Even their 'nice' lifestyles and 'decent-looking' lives will be thrust away. When our desires run contrary to those of the Lord - we place ourselves firmly in the place and the choices of the wicked. Their lives may look full and meaningful from the outside - but inwardly they are empty. Their desires will be thrust away. Yet the righteous - their soul will be satisfied as with fatness. They have Christ Jesus as an everlasting portion. Their hungers and desires in Him will be fulfilled! Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning. Proverbs 9:9
Ever wonder why we should continue to be taught in a church setting all the days of our lives? One would think that after a while we would have heard everything we could possibly hear about the Bible or about God. Proverbs gives us an answer to this question. First of all there is no way anyone could ever exhaust all there is to know about the Word of God. Beyond this God Himself is an infinite and eternal being. By definition, these aspects of God's attributes defy the ability of someone to ever truly exhaust them educationally. But there is more to this proverb than just learning something, there is a truth about humility and true wisdom. True wisdom realizes and readily admits that there is always room to learn more. The only truly ignorant person in the world is the one who thinks he or she has nothing more to learn. At that moment ignorance abounds and continues to abound in that person until humility and a teachable heart is recovered. Solomon tells us that when you give instruction to a wise man - he becomes even wiser. The wise man lives by the truth that you can learn something from anyone if you will open your heart and mind to be taught. This proverb also instructs us that when a righteous man is taught he will increase his learning. No one will ever come within sight of perfect knowledge. When you think of all the libraries filled with books - of all the subjects that have not been exhausted with study - of all the recesses of the universe which we haven't even seen yet - it is the height of arrogance and pride to think that we've arrived at a point where we cannot increase our learning. What is fascinating to me about this second part is that it says a "righteous man" is the one who will be taught and increase his learning. It is the ungodly that will not look at science and what it says about evolutionary theory. It is the liberal who no longer will listen when philosophy asks questions of their theories that reveal their weaknesses and hopelessness. The righteous man - the truly godly man wants to learn. He submits all his learning to the wisdom of God who is the only One who knows all. But his thirst to know more and to grasp more only sends him further into the arms of the One Who has made all there is. "Listen, for I will speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will reveal right things. Proverbs 8:6
Why should we listen to the voice of wisdom when the Holy Spirit speaks to us? It is because unlike anything else in this world - when He speaks wisdom to us - it is a noble and a right thing we will hear - and hopefully receive. Our society is devolving every day. This is true because of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. But it is also true morally. Due to the fall and our propensity to sin - we gravitate to things that are not noble or right. Consider for a few moments the direction of the movie and television industries. When these mediums came out - the programming was primarily good and wholesome. But as time progressed writers and directors wanted to "push the envelope." what is interesting is that by pushing the envelope, they did not mean challenging people with godly morals and values. They meant that they were wanting to use foul language. What began as one curse word at the end of "Gone With the Wind" became movies so filled with profanity that we had to devise a rating system to protect our children from it. When started as moving a married couple into the same bed in the early sixties - has run headlong into every kind of heterosexual and homosexual immorality with a thirst for more. What started as allowing a little violence has descended into the most gruesome and disgusting ways of using special effects to depict the bloodiest butchery. We don't gravitate toward what is noble and good. Sure, we have the occasional movie where we see nobility and goodness - but they are definitely the exception and not the rule. When the Holy Spirit speaks God's wisdom to us - we will hear Him speak noble things. The word noble (nagiyd) means just what it says - nobility, a ruler, a prince or a king. It refers to the most noble of statements. We are not going to hear gutter language from the Holy Spirit - we will hear the most noble of statements. These will be things that will call us higher into the very nobility of God's character and ways. The Holy Spirit will lead us into noble action that will glorify God and do what is best for His creation. This is especially true for what we will do for each other. The other thing we will hear when God speaks His wisdom to us is "right things." It is interesting that the passage says that He will "reveal" right things to us. The "right" way is not natural to us. There are those who in their ignorance tell people to just follow their hearts. The problem with this counsel is that our hearts are deceitful and desperately sick. They are given to doing that which does not please God - or doing the supposed right thing with the wrong set of motives. We need God's wisdom - which will reveal to us the "right things" that we should do. We need revelation in order to get wisdom. We won't get it searching within our own hearts. But if we will listen to the Lord. If we will go to God's Word and read and study it with the help of God's Spirit - we will know the right thing to do. Oh, one other wonderful thing about this is that we will also be able to DO the right thing too. When God wants to give you wisdom - Listen! It is the best way to fill your mind and heart with noble thoughts - and with right actions. Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:2
To what extent should we watch over God's Word in our lives? How much of a love and a desire are we to have for it? That is the subject of this proverb - and the imagry used here will help us to grasp it and know the depth of love and care with which we should hold God's Word. Watchfulness and care is how we should keep God's commandments. They will give us life. Thus we want to protect ourselves from disobeying them - from forgetting them - from being distracted from obeying them. But to what extent should we do this? That is where this proverb uses a great picture to teach us. How well do you protect your eye? If you are like the average person you will protect your eye almost instinctively. When something is coming toward your eye - you will close it - and most often will cover your eye to keep it from being injured. One of the ways that a raven determines whether something is dead or alive - is that it pecks at the eye of the animal. If the animal does not react to protect its eye - it is dead. So, we see that the manner in which we should protect God's Word in our hearts and minds is with an almost instinctive defensiveness. In the same way we would protect our eyes from injury - we would protect the Word from being taken from us - from being the instruction for how we should live each day. This is what is meant by keeping the teaching of God's Word as the "apple of our eye." This phrase is a Hebraism for keeping the very pupil of our eye. Watch over God's Word - watch in order to obey and honor God in how we deal with it. Watch so that disobedience and disregard for it are absolutely out of the question. Watch over it so that you would prefer having your eye poked out than to walk in a way that would be contrary to it. My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, Have given a pledge for a stranger, 2 If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, Have been caught with the words of your mouth, Proverbs 6:1-2
Surety . . . this is a topic that Proverbs spends a decent amount of time discussing. We are told very clearly that we are not to become surety for anyone. But maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves. What does it mean to be "surety?" Surety is giving a pledge or a guarantee. It means we take responsibility for debt of someone else. The Bible makes is clear to us that this is not a wise thing to do. In fact, what is said here is that if we have become surety for a neighbor, or have given a pledge to pay a debt for them - that we've put ourselves in very serious danger. It is referred to as being caught in a snare. The snare mentioned here is one that was used to capture birds. The word figuratively means to catch a person or persons in an undesirable situation. The bait for this trap is usually a desire for something that is outside of God's will. It can be pride, a desire to please others more than pleasing God, or any number of other things, but whatever it is, it lures us into a trap. Why is this a trap though? Surety is a trap because we are putting ourselves into a position where we are guaranteeing the actions and character of someone else. If they do not pay - we are on the hook for whatever they don't do. Thus, with a promise or a simple signing of our name on a dotted line, we've placed ourselves in bondage for someone else's debt and responsibility. That is not wise - because we have our reputation on the line until that debt is paid. No wonder God says for us to stay clear of situations where we place ourselves as surety for someone else. It puts us into an unnecessary jeopardy regarding our reputation - and because we are seen as representatives of God - His as well. That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge. Proverbs 5:2
One of the ways that we know that we are being discreet in life is by what comes out of our mouths when we speak. What is fascinating about this passage is that the overall gist of the fifth chapter of Proverbs is that it deals primarily with the issue of immorality and those who fall into the trap the adulteress. One of the reasons why we need to gain wisdom and understanding is so that we may watch out to be discreet. The word "observe" in this passage means to guard and be careful. Zhodiates states that this word basically means to be on your guard. What you are guarding is "discretion." Yet the word is different than the discretion that is mentioned most often in the book of Proverbs. It means a thought - or the thoughts in our minds that are used to make up our plans. There is one major point though that needs to be distinguished about this word. It most often means evil plans and schemes that are contrary to God's ways. What Solomon is warning his son to watch out for in life is evil plans and schemes that begin to formulate in his mind. When it comes to maintaining purity in our lives, what happens in our heads is vitally important. We need to watch over our minds and what is running through them. Actions begin as thoughts - which in time turn into plans and schemes. The reason we watch and guard our minds is to make sure that when lust and immoral thoughts try to push in - we deal with them. It is not just enough to push these thoughts out - we need to bring them to the cross. The Word tells us to mortify these things - and that means to kill them! Nothing short of this will do. The second half of this proverb says that when we watch over the development of evil plans and schemes in our heads - it will help us to watch over our mouths. Our mouths will speak "a knowing" when we guard our minds. This knowing is once again primarily a discernment - but one that is specific to the situation. Remember that here this refers to sexual immorality and the wiles of the adulteress. We are warned in the very next verse that the adulteress captures men with her words and her flattery. These things often cause men to be deceived in their hearts and minds. The flattery of a woman giving them attention strokes their pride and their ego - something very dangerous to a man who doesn't watch what enters and walks through his mind. In time his pride and ego can lie to him and fill his mind with thoughts of further flattery. He begins wanting to spend more time with this woman - at lunch and eventually at secret meetings he keeps from his wife. We all know where this is going - toward an eventual adulterous relationship with this woman. Yet the real danger started with the thoughts that ran through his mind - and the words he began to speak to this woman because he didn't watch and guard against the adulterous thoughts that were fostered in his head. He may not wake up until the damage is irrepairable. It is vital to our spiritual progress and protection to keep a close eye on what is going through our minds. This is the stuff that can cause us serious problems. What begins in just a seed form in our minds will eventually sprout and bear disastrous fruit. Better to deal with seeds by being wise - than have to cut down entire forests because of a lack of watchfulness. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19
Solomon is summing up his argument to his son on why he should walk in the way of the godly rather than the ungodly. He has spoken of the way of wisdom as well as the path of the wicked. Now in these two verses he sums up his statements with one of the most memorable statements in all of Proverbs. He begins with the path of the righteous. A "path" here is a byway or highway. It is the kind of path a person walk on and usually refers to the way a person walks throughout their life. It is referred to as the "path of the righteous" - meaning the path of those who walk in what is right. If you are wondering Who's view of right this is - it refers to what is right in the sight of God. This path is described for us next. It is like the light of dawn that shines in increasing brightness until the full day. This description is of how the sun rises with its initial beams of light at dawn. As the sun rises in the sky, the light given to us increases ever brighter, illumining all that is in the world, until it reaches its zenith at noon. This description is given to us to describe the path and way of those who walk in what God states is right. Their path is full of light and they see clearly where to walk. In fact as time goes on their path only grows more illumined and easy to walk upon. By this I do not mean that the Christian life is always an easy one, because that is not true. For the believer who draws near to God there are times of opposition from the world as well as the fight with indwelling sin. There is also the battle with the devil and the forces of darkness. The Christian life is not one that is always easy - but this passage speaks of how clearly we know how to walk upon it. For the one who seeks the Lord and knows Him better and better; for the one who desires God's wisdom and walks in it; for this one the path of life grows brighter and brighter as God's illumination through His Spirit and through Scripture continues to grow daily. As I think about this text I remember how some issues for me were dimmer in the past. There were things I didn't understand at first, but which God has illumined for me now. There are aspects of character and godliness which I see clearly now. There are areas that were dark and murkey - areas where I didn't yet realize that my actions were sinful. The light of God's Word and wisdom continues to illumine my darkness - and as He illumines He convicts and delivers as well. The path to Him grows brighter every day. More obstacles are being removed and every weight is falling to the wayside as I learn to run for Him with total abandonment and joy. Choices that I did not make too confidently before are now easy ones because I see things so much more clearly in the light of His Word. God now turns to the way of the wicked - after speaking of how the path of the righteous is shining ever brighter. The way of the wicked knows no such light. Their way is like darkness. What a word is used to speak of this darkness. It is the Hebrew word "apelah" and it means darkness, gloominess. It is the intense blackness that exists in the middle of a moonless, starless night. The word is used to describe the darkness of the naive who stumble and grope through this world. It is used in Exodus 10:22 to speak of the plague of darkness that came upon Egypt. It is a darkness that goes beyone the absence of light - a darkness that can be felt. Metaphorically, it is used in Isaiah 8:22 and Jeremiah 23:12 to speak of the trouble and misfortune that comes upon the wicked in the day of God's wrath and anger against sin. This same word is used to describe the darkness of the day of the Lord in both Joel 2:2 and Zephaniah 1:15 when God speaks of the day of "darkness and gloom" that will come upon the ungodly. This word indicates gloom, despair, distress, and anguish. This is the way of the wicked - they may look happy on the outside, but inside they are not at peace. There is gloom in their future - distress and despair await them. They walk in darkness and don't know the light of the glory of the face of Christ. The study of the words "light" and "darkness" and how they are used in describing the darkness are very illuminating for us. 19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:19-21 Here Jesus makes it clear that He has come as Light into this world. He is the One who illumines us - but men love darkness rather than light. They do this because their deeds are evil. They don't want the light because it will expose them as evil - as disobedient and rebellious. So, they come to hate the light, fearing the exposure of their hearts and deeds. Proverbs 2:13 tells us of the wicked - that they leave the paths of the Lord and turn to ways of darkness. The ungodly love the darkness - and will not come to the light. There is a secretive aspect to the darkness - one that keeps men in bondage. This passage in Proverbs also informs us that as a result of walking in the darkness - they stumble - they fall - the wind up with problems. The word stumble here indicates more than just tripping up on something. It means they stagger, they totter and fall. This is a stumbling from weakness. It is the stumbling of those overthrown by lifestyle choices that bring them low. Yet the wicked just don't get it. They don't know over what they are tripping, because they reject God's Word as a source of truth. Thus they trip, they fall, and they curse the darkness - not realizing that their steps would be sure if they just stepped into the light Why would anyone want to walk in the darkness of the wicked? No one would if they truly knew that they were walking in darkness. Unfortunately they do not understand. When you consider this - and watch day by day those who wallk about in darkness - it should make you eternally grateful for the grace of God that has brought you into the light. Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
How can a person maintain a good reputation as well as the favor of those around him or her? Even more important to us as believers is the thought of how we can have these things in the sight of God. The answer may be different than you think. Two things you must have to enjoy favor and a good reputation among men and with God are kindness and truth. These two things are a perfect team. Some people are geared toward kindness more than anything else. They are very merciful people who can commiserate with anyone around them. They are a perfect shoulder to cry on - and they will always join with you in feeling your pain. When going through difficulties they will listen and love you no matter what. It is a blessing to be geared toward kindness - but there a liabilities as well. When you are geared toward kindness at all times, you will find it very difficult to share tough truths with people who really need to hear them. One of the pitfalls of being filled with kindness alone is that you can become someone who enables people to stay where they are when they desperately need change in their lives. For someone with a deep problem this can lead to an enabling relationship that allows them to continue with lifestyle choices like alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or sexual problems. There are also those who are geared toward truth. They will speak the truth to you in all situations. In fact they have a difficult time with those who won't take a stand on an issue. These people are wonderful to have around when you need to have a confrontation in regard to sin - or s situation where only truth can remedy things. These people are people of integrity and honor. But, a problem can develop when only truth is spoken. The problem is not the truth verbalized, but the spirit in which is it spoken. Those given to truth sometimes lack the personal touch - the ability to speak the truth in love and with kindness. They can offend - not because of the truth they speak - but because of the way that they speak it. This is why Proverbs tells us that we need to have both kindness and truth. There is a balance here. Both are needed to truly be a person who knows the blessing of having a good reputation and favor of both God and man. When these things are combined you have someone who speaks the truth in love. You have the person, who according to Proverbs, can speak the truth gently, and who can with a gentle word break a bone. These two things need to be bound around our neck and written uon our hearts. What you have when you have this is the character of Jesus Himself working and speaking through you. He had the ability to speak the truth in incredibly difficult situations. He did not back away from truth - but spoke the truth with kindness. One of the most amazing examples of this was in John 8 when Jesus was tested by hypocritical men who brought a woman caught in adultery to Him. These men did not truly want justice - because they did not bring the man as well. They only wanted to have something with which to trap Jesus and give rise to criticism and the ability to destroy Him. The humiliated adultress was thrown right in front of Him, along with the question of whether He was going to agree with the Law that such a woman should be stoned for her offense. Jesus stated anyone without sin could cast the first stone. Here He spoke truth dealing with the hypocrisy of His accusers. Eventually they all left, knowing as they did their own sinfulness and hypocrisy. Jesus made His comments gently and graciously, the bent over to draw with a stick in the sand. Then after they all had left - He dealt with the woman. Offering her His love - and no condemnation for her sin - He spoke with great kindness to her. He asked where her accusers were - where those who sought to condemn here. She stated that none of them were left to condemn her. He then revealed that He was not going to condemn her either. But He did not stop with kindness only, there was the issue of her adultery. To this issue He spoke truth when He told her to go her way and sin no more. There it is perfectly demonstrated - kindness and truth bound together in one difficult situation. When we do this - we won't be popular with everyone. But will will have favor and a good reputation with men because they know we will be fair and gracious with them. We will also know God's favor because we show both His love and His justice. It is a difficult balance to maintain. This is especially true with those bent in one direction or another - toward far more kindness or far more truth. We can thank God that in His Son He showed us what the perfect balance of the two looks like when walking among men. So if you want to have these two things, kindness and truth bound perfectly together, there is only one real source where you can have them. They only exist in perfect balance in Jesus Christ. Embrace Him and you will find that they are yours as well. If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:4-5
Solomon is relating to us an exhortation he gave to his own children. It dealt with the search and the quest to know God. There is no greater quest for anyone in this life than to know the God of creation and the God of salvation. The search is worth all the effort that we can muster - and the rewards will eventually dwarf any cost or effort we put into it. Solomon tells his son to seek after God like one seeks for silver. The search for silver takes a man under ground. There are dangers in this search, but when you run across a vein of silver there is abundant wealth in the finding. The famous "Comstock Lode" in the Nevada region started just as a smaller vein of silver that was discovered. Yet when the search continued to areas adjacent to that area - a lode of silver of phenomenal proportions was discovered. This is how a search for silver goes. You research and study an area and search at great length to discover even a small vein of silver in the earth. But as you follow that vein there is the possiblity that you will find the "mother lode" which refers to the largest portion of the valuable silver ore. This parallels the search for the knowledge and wisdom of God. As you search the Scriptures - and seek for God Himself - He will allow you to find Him. The search may be long and arduous - but the finding is so glorious that all the hard work will seem as nothing. This search is also compared to searching for hidden treasures. There are those who know of sunken ships that contain great treasures. Those who search for them scan documents that give clues in locating the sunken vessels. They take these clues and follow them in their search. They may search for weeks and months and even years - but they know that finding the treasure will make it all worthwhile. Solomon told his son to search the Scriptures the same way so that he would know the God of his fathers. This search will yield great treasure. But our treasure is not measured in silver and gold. It is measured in discerning what is means to fear God. It is measured in what we find when we discover and know God Himself. We search the Word and the wisdom of God so that we can discern what it is to fear God. The fear of God is not a terribly popular thing in today's society - but for those who study the Scriptures the fear of God is a treasure trove full of diamonds and rubies. We've already learned in Proverbs that one doesn't even begin the trek toward wisdom until he or she learns the fear of God. As one searches the Scriptures he learns about God Himself. He learns of God's judgments and His mighty acts. Can you imagine being present as Mt. Sinai rumbled beneath a cap of smoke and fire? My guess is that those who viewed such a thing didn't respond with warm and fuzzy feelings. They looked and experienced great fear and trembling. Consider the mighty works of the Lord through the ages. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah being rained upon with sulphurous fire - consider Dathan and Abiram with their families falling into the gaping crevice that God opened in the earth to swallow them alive. Think about what it must have looked like to watch the Egyptian army crushed by millions of gallons of water as the Red Sea poured upon them - even while Israel walked on dry land with a wall of water on either side. Imagine the enemies of Joshua being crushed with huge stones that God was casting from the heavens - even as the sun was standing still in the midst of the sky. What do these things inspire? They inspire wonder and awe and fear! They should help us discern that our response to such a mighty God is to fear and honor Him. There is more though. Through this kind of search we also "discover the knowledge of God." The word here is "daath" and it speaks of a knowing by experience, by relationship, and by encounter. This is what I love about the study of Scripture. We are not just looking into what is written in a book. We are not just studying so we can add to our "head-knowledge." We are studying and examining things so that we can KNOW GOD! There is a very real relationship and encounter awaiting us. God is real - in fact He Himself is ultimate reality. We search and seek so that in the end we may experience Him. This is the incredible promise that is made to us in Proverbs chapter 2. All the listening, the crying out, the seeking and searching is so that we can know the living God in a living relationship. This is NOT just religion or a set of values that will make our lives better. We are searching and seeking for THE God of the universe - Who literally made all that we see. He reveals Himself through Scripture - so that we may know Him as we walk through our every day lives. He is here - and He is knowable! That is why we search - that is why we seek - that is why with every fiber of our being we reach out to Him. We do so because He IS there - and He is drawing us into a vital, glorious, wonderful relationship with Himself. Oh the treasure that awaits us at the end of our search. Oh the ultimate mother lode that rewards us for digging and mining in His Word. Do not ever underestimate what awaits you when you seek God. Not even the first billionth could ever be comprehended of His imeasurable wealth and riches. So search . . . search with all your heart . . . search for the ultmiate treasure which is God Himself. |
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. Thank you for visiting our website! Everything on this site is offered for free. If, however, you would like to make a donation to help pay for its continued presence on the internet, you can do that by clicking here. The only thing we ask is that you give first to the local church you attend. Thank you!
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