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Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. Proverbs 31:6-7
Is the Bible encouraging drunkenness here? When I read this - at first glance I come away with the thought that the Bible is encouraging us, if we know someone who is struggling with poverty and bitterness, to encourage them to knock back a few - and they will forget all their troubles. Is that what the Bible is saying here? If it is - then this contradicts badly the passages that warn us against the harm that over indulgence in alcohol can do in our lives. To understand this Proverb we once again need to understand it based upon what it says in context. God just moved on Bathsheba to instruct her son NOT to drink wine or strong drink. Her reasoning is that such an action would lead her son to forget the Law. With his thinking and reasoning impaired - he might pervert the rights of those who are afflicted. So, two things we know here are that drunkenness is out of the question in what is being said - and - that Bathsheba is interested in how her son, as king, deals with the afflicted within his kingdom. Her admonition to her son, next, is to give wine and strong drink to the one who is perishing. This word means to perish, to be lost, or destroyed. It was understood by the Jewish rabbis as dealing with two primary situations. The first is when someone is suffering greatly with sickness - especially when that sickness is terminal. It was a custom due to this admonition to medicate the dying with strong drink so that they would drink and forget the pain of their dying. We do this today with terminal patients through morphine. It is not evil to do so - it is merciful. It is giving them something to help with the throes of dying. The second instance where this was used was with those given to a death sentence - especially crucifixion. We know this because Jesus was offered wine mixed with gall when He was on the cross. This was a pain killing mixture that was given by godly women to those who faced the death penalty. Jesus refused this because He needed to embrace all that the cross meant for sin. But to offer some merciful pain killing substance to someone in the midst of horrific pain is something God counsels us to do. These admonitions are given for those "perishing" and also for those who are "bitter of soul." Here is where things get a little bit more dicey. For the one who is perishing - it is easy to see that we are easing their suffering as they draw near to death. But what about the bitter of soul? What is going on here? Again, context is so important to remember. We are in a section of Scripture where a mother has just warned her son against alcohol abuse - and how it clouds judgment and could lead to her son disregarding the Law in a moment of drunkenness. Therefore, we can be assured that when it comes to those who are "bitter of soul" she is not advocating drunkenness to alleviate their problems. This passage cannot be used therefore to justify men or women drowning their sorrows in whiskey or beer. What we do see though is that there is a benefit for the bitter of soul in having a drink. The Bible itself says that "wine makes man's heart glad," in Psalm 104:15. That verse is in the midst of a list of things that God Himself provides, including oil for the skin and the food that sustains a man with strength. Wine was used in the feasts of Israel as well - and even offered up to God as a sacrifice. Our problems with alcohol come from living in a society where drinking is too often done for the sake of partying - and with a view to getting drunk. But God knows that drinking in moderation (let me stress here that this means NEVER getting drunk - and it also means drinking apart from the party scene, which in itself has more sins than just the drinking) can lift someone's spirits. Wine does make a man's heart glad - and can lift someone's spirits. Thus, Solomon was advised to give it to those who are bitter in soul to help them be lifted temporarily and cheered. I'm going to venture into an area where there is much disagreement and where I can be heavily criticized. But in light of this passage, I feel the need to go there regardless of the dangers. There are believers who struggle with periods of depression. You could call these periods of time being bitter in soul. Often a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a doctor encourages them to take something for a while to help them with their depression. When this happens there is a cry from some that this is wicked, sinful - and it is only because the person does not trust God. Yet here we have counsel given to the king that he should give wine or strong drink to someone who is too struggling with being bitter in soul. Verse 7 in this section speaks of having him forget his poverty and trouble no more. Poverty speaks of a lack - something is missing here - and it is further described as a man's "trouble." This second word means a troublesome time - a time of labor and toil - and was used of the difficulties and hardships of life that lead to sorrow in a man's heart. These times can be very difficult to handle - and I've actually watched brothers and sisters helped for a period of time by a medicine - something that lifts their spirits as they walk through a very difficult time. Needless to say - or maybe it is better to say, Needful to say - God is not advocating drunkenness and the proverbial drowning of our sorrows in beer or hard liquor - but I do think what is advocated is something that would temporarily lift ones spirit and soul through a very difficult time. Here is where I offer what I hope to be the other side of wisdom on this issue. Although I do see a situation and a period of time where this might be profitable - I do not see it as "the answer" for depression and for times when we are bitter of soul. Psalm 4:7 tells me that God puts, "gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine abound." A period of time may require this verse to be applied (if it does not refer solely to the perishing - and the bitter of soul is just another way of saying someone who is perishing) but we need to see God ultimately as our source of joy and as the ultimate One who can lift us out of any funk in which we find ourselves in life. The one who turns to wine, strong drink, or even modern medicines as a permanent solution to their difficulties - and who does not turn to the Lord with them - is placing themselves in danger of looking to something rather than looking to Somone - as the answer to their problems. Remember this - as we close today's look at Proverbs. There is a mountain of Scripture dealing with the abuse of alcohol - of wine, new wine, and strong drink. The Bible is overflowing with examples of how people lost their reason and their discernment with these things and wound up in grevious sin. So as we see the wisdom of using wine and strong drink in the ways specified here - we need to do so with extreme caution and with God's wisdom guiding our every move in this area. Too many, thinking they were just needing a little lift - have turned to alcohol and found it to be worse than their original problem in the end. Wisdom, dear saints, should always color our use of such things. May God give us grace and wisdom to do just as His counsel suggests here - and not find ourselves falling into sin by abusing something meant for a temporary benefit. In the end, He is and always will be our source of comfort and of encouragment in difficult times - even in death.
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Surely I am more stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man. 3 Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One. Proverbs 30:2-3
I know that at first reading this sounds like the Proverb of the one lacking self-esteem. But if this is your thinking, it is simply because you are too much a child of this age and the deception of its culture. Although we may not see it like we should, this is actually a man who is about to move from foolishness to wisdom in short order. As a result we have much we can learn from him. He speaks with serious lament in his voice. "Surely I am more stupid than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man." His lament is for wisdom - for he sees such a strong need of it in his life. The vast majority in this world do not have such a lament. If anything, their mindset is that they have pleanty of knowledge and understanding. They do not feel stupid! They are brimming with the confidence that they are worthwhile and that they usually get stars and high grades on all their papers. They've gotten the token trophies that everyone gets - regardless of their performance or achievements. Stupid! Lacking understanding! How could anyone be so filled with a lack of self-esteem! Who educated this poor soul to where he would think he lacked anything? There is the crux of the problem with our educational system. We are so concerned about the effect of actually correcting the children of this generation (for fear of harming their poor self-esteem) that we will not do what is necessary to help them see their need. They have a socialistic system that promises them government money from cradle to grave - whether they work or not! They have a government that guarantees a world without problems - at least ones that the government promises to fix. They have a promise that no one will be considered more successful or more intelligent than them (at least not without serious punishment for it). Thus seeing themselves stupid, lacking in understanding, even in need - well those ideas are out of style in our socialistic utopia. This man is on the verge of great wisdom because he knows the great truth. That truth is that he needs wisdom. He needs education. He needs understanding that can only come from God Himself. What he needs is God - and the wisdom that comes from intimacy with God in sweet fellowship with Him. He begins with the statement that he is stupid - more stupid than any man. Rather than have him brimming with self-centered, self-induced, and self-glorifying pride, this man has learned the truth. He is a sinner - and as a sinner he is cut off from the all-wise God. Thus he makes foolish and stupid decisions. He does so because He lacks understanding - lacks wisdom - but most of all, lacks knowledge of the Holy One. Our problem is not our environment! Educationally . . . our problem is our sin. We are not wise - because we reject God's wisdom. We are lacking in understanding because we will not listen to our Father in heaven Who longs to give it to us. We lack wisdom because we refuse to see things God's way. We lack all across the board because we do not know the Holy One of Israel! This world was made by God . . . for God. It is beset with all his working - and works best when His wisdom is applied to daily living. Without Him - we are stupid - and will continue unabated in that stupidity until His mercy lays hold of us and we understand His grace. The man who is the closest to receiving God's wisdom, understanding, and knowledge . . . is the man who embraces humility. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. The fact is until we come to the place this wise man reached - we are not candidates for God to work mightily in our lives. When we do come to the place where we humble ourselves and trust Him - we will lack. But to the man who embraces humility - to the man who grasps and deals with the fact that he is not a genius - to that man goes the marvelous gift of God's grace, mercy . . . and the joy of knowing Him . . . which is wisdom indeed! A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad, But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth. Proverbs 29:3
We see again the correlation between wisdom and the relationship between a father and a son. Here we see that the father has taught his son well to avoid the company of harlots. Truly he has a wise father if he has taught his son this. I once talked to a campus minister who worked with young men and asked him what one thing did more to derail the process of discipleship. He did not even pause in answering me. His words reverberated in my soul - and still remain there. He said, "When they get involved with the wrong kind of girl." If we love wisdom, we will know that the wrong relationship with a woman can be devastating to us. The first 9 chapters of Proverbs warns us again and again of this trap. When we love wisdom, we are one who listens to these warnings and heeds them. We avoid those kind of relationships and steer clear of any kind of involvement with a woman that would rob us of our ability to think, to reason, and to make wise decisions. We love seeing things from God's perspective - and seeing things this way helps us to deal with our sexuality without being burned. Our sexuality is a gift from God Himself - and is only to be given to our wives. Ladies, the same is true for you - your sexuality is a gift from your heavenly Father - and is only to be given to your husband. When a man begins to "keep company" with harlots, he is evidencing that he is a fool. One of the reasons loose women hang around a man is so that he will spend his money on them. He will do so in large amounts because the more he spends on this loose woman, the looser she will become with him. The fool may think that she really likes him - or that she truly thinks he is her man - but all that will go away as soon as the money runs out. In the end, he has lost something he will not regain in his sexual purity - but he will also lose large amounts of money in the process. If he is foolish enough to do this when he is married - and follow a harlot into adultery, divorce, and remarriage - he'll even lose more money when it is all over. We've seen this again and again in the world - when rich men marry young women who throw themselves at them. When the woman has stayed long enough to get a lot of his money and wants to move on - she cleans him out in the divorce settlement. The fool does not love wisdom - he loves his immorality. He loves that his money can buy him illicit relationships (note I did not say love, because whatever he has gotten - it isn't love). But the fool and his money are soon departed. If he is wise, he will have learned from the situation - but most don't - as evidenced by their next relationship with another woman after the same thing. The fool never learns. That is why it is such a delight to have a son who loves wisdom - and - who knows the pitfalls of his sexuality when it takes over and turns him into little more than a moron. Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them. Proverbs 28:4
How should a Christian deal with the wicked in society? That is part of what we will learn in this passage in Proverbs. We read of those who "forsake" the law here. These are people who look at God's law and they abandon it. They want to loose themselves from it - and see God's Law as a binding thing - something that chains them and keeps them from doing what they want to do. They separate themselves from what God says is morally and ethically right. Not only do they do this - but they praise the wicked. The wicked are the ones who revolting against God. They do not want to obey the Lord - nor do they intend on doing so. When men forsake God's Law - they don't want anything to do with it - or with anyone who is obeying it. They prefer boasting and rubbing elbows with those who reject it as well. They praise the wicked for their open-mindedness and for their desire for life. They package evil and wickedness in such a way that it looks good and acceptable. Problem is that God does not change His mind - and the things that He considered wicked before - He will continue to consider them wicked until the end of time. The ones who keep God's Law - they strive against the wicked. Keepers of the Law are those who watch over it and seek to protect it. They cringe at the thought of disobedience - but they also realize the damage it causes. Therefore they strive with the wicked. To strive here means to stir oneself up against something. When we strive against the wicked - we are standing up to their views and opposing them. We will not allow them to win the battle of ideas in our world without a fight. The way this looks in the world today is that godly men and women stand for God's righteousness. We stand for it in our homes - in our churches, and yes, in the world system itself. We will not go quietly, but will show people the error of living apart from God's Word and ways. We will fight them in the marketplace of ideas - by preaching the teaching the Word of God. We will show that a godless lifestyle is not blessed here - or in eternity. God's ways are best - and we will stand for them and in them. So how do we do this in our current situation. First, we identify what is godly, what God considers to be righteousness and what He considers to be sin. Next, we pray for God to grant us victory in overcoming the wicked. Then . . . we act! The slave trade was an evil in the British empire. It was one that William Wilberforce was unwilling to stomach. He fought and strove with the wicked within the empire in an effort to ban it in their country. It was not a short fight for Wilberforce, but rather one that lasted most of his career - yet he strove on - never losing sight of his Lord - or of what was right in the midst of it. We face a similar fight today with the abortion industry. This is a wicked practice and one which God abhors. If we are God's people and grasp righteousness - we need to rise up and strive with the wicked once again on this issue. No matter how long it takes - or how difficult the battle becomes, we need to strive with the wicked on this matter until this barbaric practice is laid aside in our nation. We must speak against it - work for godly legislation that will outlaw it - and offer ministry to the women who would be drawn into it. This is how we practically take this Proverb - and we do so everywhere wickedness raises its ugly head. Better is open rebuke Than love that is concealed. Proverbs 27:5
Indulgence of a problem that needs to be addressed is something that is not the mark of a true friend - or someone who truly loves you. Love by its very nature is always mindful of what is best for the one it loves. Thus true love for another will at times take on the task of open rebuke, rather than hiding ones faults from them. God tells us that open rebuke is necessary. When David was in his sin with Bathsheba, Nathan was sent to him with an open rebuke - a correction that he needed. To leave David without such a confrontation would have been very harmful to his future. There are times when someone is doing something dangerous that they must be confronted. The world calls such things interventions, but things do not need to move into dangerous territory for a word of rebuke to be uttered. Sometimes it is good for us to receive such a word - as it can turn us from a wrong path long before things get that difficult. Such a word can bring difficulty if one does not receive the rebuke - but the other option really is not wise. We read that this open rebuke is better than love that is concealed. Too often love is concealed - at least the kind of love that will rebuke and correct. Some dare to call such indulgence love - but when we leave someone in a situation where they continue to offend others (and more importantly they continue offending God) - that is NOT love. When relationships between family, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ lack mutual discipline and loving correction - their love is weak and ineffectual. There is a forefearance that is nothing more than willing blindness. Such actions leave us with a conscience that continues to be concerned - and too often - tongues that continue wagging behind the scenes about our brother's behavior. Is is not better to pray through the much needed loving rebuke until it is offered? Just a word of caution here as I close today's thought. Offer that loving rebuke - just make sure it is loving. There are those who take a little too much pleasure in giving such rebuke. Our rebuke, if done properly, should have been sandwiched on either side with deeply concerned prayer. Prayer on the front end so that we will be received and will be wise and gracious in offering our rebuke. Prayer on the back end of things is offered because we desire the work of the Holy Spirit in helping our loved one change and become more Christlike. When done this way we cannot guarantee no offense - but oh how the numbers of offended ones drop. If you have a loved one, a friend who needs a loving correction - take the time to "show" that you truly love them. This is done as you pray and cry out to God for His work in this process - and you gently and humbly go to them. You go desiring that they change - not to your liking - but in response to the call of God upon them to walk a holy, godly life. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. 5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. Proverbs 26:4-5
This particular verse and the next one have caused a stir among some who would like to think the Bible contradicts itself here. As usual though, when you actually study the text (rather than knee-jerk react to it) you will find no contradiction. You will find wisdom in dealing with fools - even those who have knee-jerk reactions hoping to discredit the Scriptures! The wisdom given here in verse 4 is that we are not to answer a fool according to his folly because when we do so, we become just like the fool. The fool would ask whether the infinite God can create a rock bigger than he can pick up. If we answer him according to his folly, we will become like him. The unwise man will answer, "No," to this question. He thus falls into the trap set by the fool, who then jumps on the answer saying that then God is not infinite - because God cannot make the rock. The problem with this question is that it is foolish in its very presupposition. If God is infinite (which He is according to His self-revelation in Scripture) then by this very definition He is without limits in every way. The question presupposes God is either less than infinite in power to make the rock - or less than infinite in power to pick up the rock He makes. If God is infinite - any language that presupposes anything but infinite power and ability is by its very nature foolish. Don't answer the fool according to his folly - for in doing so you will become like him. You will make the same foolish presupposition that God can in any way be limited. You answered the fool within the scope of his foolish thinking. When a fool speaks this way - he proves he is a fool. These kind of questions do not seek knowledge or answer - they seek an opportunity to pounce on anyone who answers them. Therefore to answer them at all is to place yourself on the level of the fool - to make yourself just like him - a fool. Jesus spoke of not casting our pearls before swine - because they will trample them and then turn on us. To answer a fool in his folly is to cast pearls before swine. There are times when Christians need to remain silent. Our lives and our faith should speak for us. Our wisdom at times is better revealed by saying nothing than it is by wanting to have an answer for everything. But there are times to answer a fool according to his folly. A better way to state this for our understanding is that we are to answer a fool as his folly deserves. So let's take a look also at verse 5 today - because it offers wisdom from the other way we need to deal with fools. Answer a fool as his folly deserves, that he not be wise in his own eyes. When we answer fools it often does not need to be as they have questioned us. We don't need to get into the slop with them in their statements. But often we need to answer not their questions, but their spirit and their intent. Oh, how we need to watch Jesus on this one (actually we should watch Him all the time - but on this one He offers such great interactions with fools). When I read the gospels I am always fascinated that Jesus answers some people's questions - and others He does not. He offers answers to his disciples when they question Him about certain things - but when he is asked questions by the foolish Pharisees and Saducees - He often answers their questions with questions - or with statements that reveal their heart. Here is how to answer a fool as his folly deserves. When Jesus asks a question to answer a question - He puts the responsibility to answer back into the court of the fool. Almost every time He did this - it revealed the wicked, foolish heart of the questioner. He answered as they deserved - and answered in such a way as to reveal the motives and heart of the one who wanted to trap Him. Here is true wisdom dear saints. He took the time to see past words to the intent of their heart. We err when we think our purpose is to simply answer the words of those who questioin us. What we need to do is to answer their heart. But the question naturally arises, "How can we answer the intent of someone's heart? How can we know this?" Let me answer your question with a question. How well do you know the Word of God? How often do you discern what someone says using the Word of God? The reason I ask this question is because Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Do you see the highlighted part of this verse? It says that the Word of God can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. This means when we look at all things (including what a fool says to us) through the lens of God's Word, we will be able to see thoughts and intentions of the heart that are behind the words we hear. You ability to answer fools as they deserve to be answered will rest on your ability to see what they are saying through God's Word - and avoid the traps that your own ego or your own desire to put them in their place afford. Why should a fool be answered? It is because he needs to experience God - and God's wisdom. If your desire to speak, as I said above, is because "you" want to put him in his place - well - then we have two fools speaking to each other. That kind of motivation comes from pride and a misplaced zeal that has little or nothing to do with God's honor and glory. Note in the gospels how many times the words of Jesus left men blown away with the wisdom with which He spoke. His answers left them with a touch of God. Do our answers do as much? You see, this is what we should covet. We should desire that whatever answer God has us give leaves them with a sense of God's wisdom. Amazing isn't it that when we take the time to examine the full intent of God's Word - that seeming contradictions become some of the most wonderful truths. There is a large contingent of fools out there in the world. Our purpose needs to be to walk with God so that whether we are silent or speak - they do not run into us being God's vigilante - but rather they run into God Himself. In the end He will be the One who answers all their questions and statements. But He will do so bringing them to His desired humility for their lives - but also bringing them to Himself - and to His grace that can change their hearts from foolishness to wisdom - from their sinfulness to His righteousness - from being children of wrath to being children of grace. Honestly . . . isn't that what He wants in the end? He's not after some kind of prideful display where He puts them in their place - unless the place of which we speak is His salvation through grace. These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed. Proverbs 25:1
Thank God for the men of Hezekiah! Were it not for their diligence, we might not have a great deal of wisdom at our finger-tips today! This is probably a proverb you've never heard comment upon - and honestly - it is one I've not looked forward to dealing with as I do this study. But as I read it and asked the Lord to give me insight in what good it is for us - I began to truly appreciate what these men did for us - and what people do for us even today. The word for "transcribe" means to move forward, to proceed, or to grow older. What it indicates here is that these men of Hezekiah took writings that were old - and brought them forward to a new generation. They took what were old documents and they copied them so that another generation could enjoy them. Seeing the spiritual decline that preceeded the reign of Hezekiah, these writings easily could have been lost - but these godly men of Hezekiah kept them from this fate. Did you ever think of all the Christian writings that have been preserved for us - generation after generation. We have our Bibles because men faithfully transcribed things generation after generation. We have wonderful books because of this same thing. Men who were blessed and strengthened by something they read - transcribed it so that others could receive the same blessing. Consider, for just a moment, the spiritual poverty that would be ours if the writings of Jonathan Edwards, A.W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, A.B. Simpson, Andrew Murray, John Calvin, Charles Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, and a host of others were never transcribed or copied from one generation to the next. One of the fears I have is that we will lose the writings of godly men of generations past because our current generation has such a disdain for older things. We would be so impoverished if these writings were no longer available to us. So, I want to send a thank you out through the generations for those whom God used to give us the Scriptures. Some did so at the risk of their very lives. I want to also thank God for all the godly publishers and printers who might have made more money publishing "best sellers" but who chose instead to make sure that we have the works of our godly fathers and mothers available to us. Your diligence has provided us with a wealth of Christian literature in our day. May we be diligent to pass on to our children that same wealth from our past. May we be the men of our day who transcribe works of wisdom and inspiration that will bless many generations to come. For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory. Proverbs 24:6
Waging war - not exactly something we spend a lot of time thinking about in life - unless we're in the armed forces right? Well, before you dismiss this verse let's take a few moments to think about it and learn from it some very valuable lessons. In military matters we see the wisdom of what is being said here. We watched our military over and over again plan their campaigns with great care - and their wisdom was revealed as victory after victory was achieved. We also watched foolish leaders like General Custer not concern themselves with good planning and information and the disaster that came with their foolishness. Not just planning is wise - but also getting counselors who will help you understand things from many perspectives is also good. Doing these things will not absolutely assure victory - but will work toward it greatly. But there is other warfare that we should consider when reading this verse . . . spiritual warfare. There is a warfare for walking in holiness and living for God's purposes of which we should be aware. We have a very real enemy who wages war against our souls and who desires to hold us captive morally. Every day when we walk in this world, we are going to face a fight for godliness. This world system is under the power of the evil one - and it really shouldn't shock us that the world is not doing much to encourage godliness and a heart for the gospel. Paul told us that we should not be ignorant of the devil's devices in this warfare. He also told us that we should take up the armour of God and be ready to stand - and having done everything - to remain standing. Hmmm . . . sounds to me like the Bible may have some things to say to us in the way of wise guidance when fighting for godliness every day? Two things we learn here. When fighting the spiritual battles we face every day - we need to do so drawing upon "wise guidance." The word used here is "tahbulah" and it means counsel or advice - and is used more often for God's counsel and advice than anything else. It is even used of God's counsel used to direct the clouds in the sky. What we can learn from this is a wise man seeks God's own counsel in the way to fight the every day battles of godliness and holiness. We need to hear from Him every day. That points us to spiritual disciplines like the quiet time - the daily prayer time - and daily Bible reading. We do not do these things to be religious - we do them to survive and thrive in the warfare that we face against the world, the flesh, and the devil. If we listen - we will be blessed, but if we turn a deaf ear to the Word of God - we will suffer for it in the end. The second thing we see here is that there is victory in an "abundance of counselors." We need the wise guidance of God Himself to wage the war we fight daily in this world. But we also need to counsel of our brothers and sisters in Christ. A wise man knows that in an abundance of godly counselors - there is victory for us. This is something we need to embrace because quite often we face trials and problems that require some assistance from our brothers and sisters in Christ. The "lone ranger" Christianity that many embrace because of the emphasis in the west on individuality and self-reliance often robs us of the unity that comes from shared struggles in life. There is also that word "accountability" that we need to hear as well. Being accountable is more than just calling one another on the carpet and asking questions about how a person is doing in an area of struggle. Being accountable also means mutual encouragement and mutual counsel - so that there can be victory. We read in Ecclesiastes that two are better than one - and that a strand of three cords is not quickly broken. These verses remind us that we need each other in Christ. We need not just a few - but an abundance of counselors in life to see victory consistently in our walk with God. I cringe when I hear political figures tell us that it takes a village to rear a child. I only cringe because the village of which they speak means "it takes government and bureaucracy" to rear a child. That only means that government wants to take over the responsiblity of rearing your child - or reserves the right to trump how you want to rear your child. But with all double-speak aside - it does take an abundance of counselors to see victory in life - even with our children. Blessed is the child - and the parents - who have a church family with many counselors who will steer a child to the Scriptures for answers. That child - that family - and that church will be blessed - and will win the battle for that child's mind and heart. War is a serious matter - whether it speaks of those fought on actual physical fields of conflict - of the ones fought in our minds. The wise man accepts the counsel of God each day in preparing for battle. He also listens to his brothers and sisters in Christ who also offer godly counsel and encouragement in this daily war we call the Christian life. As Peter said, we need to "gird up our minds for action." That daily "girding" needs to have a healthy does of counsel from the body of Christ - and from God Himself as He speaks to us through His Spirit in the Word! He who mocks the poor taunts his Maker; He who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5
So tell me . . . how smart would it be to taunt and mock God to His face? No? Yeah, I don't think it is too smart either. In fact I would say that doing this is about as smart as playing chicken with a Mack truck while riding a tricycle. Therefore, I think it would be wise to heed what Proverbs 17 tells us today. Mocking the poor is not a smart thing to do. God says some pretty interesting things about His care and His graciousness to the poor. He does not take it very well when we decide to mock someone He loves. In fact, what Solomon tells us is that it is like taunting God to His face to mock and make fun of the poor. What He wants us to do is to love the poor and try to lift them up with acts of kindness and mercy. Now, if you are looking to be smacked down for your foolishness - go ahead - mock the poor. The second thing we are told is not to rejoice at the calamity of someone else. The Lord does not look to this too favorably either. God is the One who brings calamity into people's lives for His purposes. By the way, His purposes are gracious and loving - even though there has to be discipline administered to people. God does not rejoice in seeing people have a difficult time in life. He allows and plans these things for His ultimate purposes. He allows these things to happen because He loves us - and wants us to learn from them. But when we look at another's calamity and rejoice over it, it greatly displeases the Lord. Remember this for a moment next time you want to mock at another's calamity . . . One day calamity will come upon you as well. No one escapes problems and difficulties. So, we are far better served by observing calamity and remembering that difficulties will come to us as well. May God give us grace to pray for others - love them - and work side by side with them to get through difficult times. The poor and those in distress will always be with us as long as this world is in its fallen state. May we use our interactions with them to learn greater character and godliness in our own lives. Then maybe the Lord will be gracious to us and send us someone to comfort us if troubles ever come to our own lives. By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. Proverbs 16:6
Here is wisdom . . . He atones for iniquity by lovingkindness and truth. The Hebrew does not give the impression that any kind of lovingkindness and truth will do - it is His that does this - it is God's mercy and truth that grants us forgiveness of sin. Let's look at this - because imbedded in this verse is the gospel itself! Lovingkindness is the Hebrew word for God's covenant love and mercy. This word speaks of God's grace - that He shows us mercy in keeping with His covenant with us - and with the fact that He has set His love upon us. Here is salvation described gloriously to us. God Himself has set His love upon us - and because of His mercy and what He has done to give us something we don't deserve - He has forgiven us all our sins. What is even more wonderful about this verse is that God does not separate the work of His grace from the work of His truth. It is by both God's mercy and truth that iniquity is atoned for when God is working in us. He brings truth to us by the Spirit of God when the Word convicts us. He does this by bringing of all things the Law which convicts us of sin. Without this work of truth showing us our sin - we are unfit for mercy - for mercy presumes that we realize that we don't deserve anything but judgment from God. But when truth brings us to the end of ourselves and our godless ways - we come to grace and cry for God's mercy. Once that work of grace happens by God's truth and mercy - we need something to keep us away from evil. Proverbs tells us that this work happens as we fear the Lord. When we properly reverence God - when we see Him as holy - we tremble over sin and over anything that would be rebellion against Him. What a great verse instructing us how to walk with the Lord. We are taught of both salvation and sanctification - of grace and godly fear - of mercy and of fear. There is a balance to the things of God that too often is lacking. We all tend to lean more toward mercy or truth - and yet God's Word tells us that both are necessary. We want all grace or all fearing God. What we find is that God tells us that both must be present for us to grow in the Lord. May we have the wisdom to embrace both the work of grace and the work of the fear of God in our lives. |
 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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