Category: Equity

Can You KNOW Anything? Proverbs 2:9

8/2/2010

Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. Proverbs 2:9

How do you know when you are doing the right thing or going in the right direction in life? Here is a question that everyone would love to be able to answer. The fact is that God says that we can know this. The way that we know it though is definitely outside of the mainstream of ideas that exist today. Let's take a look today at how we can know whether we are on course or not.

Solomon tells us here that there is a time when we will be able to discern some very important things. The first in his fourfold list is righteousness. Before we jump into those four things, we should see that discernment is involved. The word discern means that we are able to look at things and distinguish between them. We see differences between two or more things - and use that knowledge to understand them from God's vantage point. Here is our first very important lesson - things differ - and you can tell the difference. Most would agree with you on this truth - until you begin stating what you can distinguish between. The last thing we should address before we go into our list is that Solomon is stating what he does in verse 9 as a conclusion to all he has said before. What is it that allows us to have this discernment? It is the Word of God. All through this chapter he is calling for us to receive the Word, store up the Word in our hearts, cry out for God's work in teaching it to us, and to seek for the Word as one would buried treasure. The discernment of which we speak here is a discernment that comes only because of the way the Word works in our hearts.

As I said earlier, the first in his fourold list if righteousness. We will be able to discern when something is right or not. Now is the moment when the postmodern among us throw up their red flags. They assert someone might know right and wrong for themselves - but consider it the height of arrogance to think or state that anyone might be able to discern right and wrong for everyone. But that is exactly what Proverbs asserts here - and more by the time we finish with the four things Solomon says can be discerned.

The second in our list of four is justice. Our society cries out for justice - but unfortunately the justice they want ignores the Word of God. It ignores what God calls just in many cases - and completely ignores the problem of how we can be just before Him. Whereas the world cries for social justice - God offers absolute justice. These are not always opposed to one another - but - God ultimately wants us to be able to stand before Him just and righteous - and that requires the person and the work of Jesus Christ to happen.

The third thing we will be able to discern is equity. Here, my friends is a loaded word. "Meysar" is the word the Hebrews used to describe equity. It means rightness, correctness, and fairness. The word meant something smooth and level. Communism is man's way of trying to make everything equitable. Pure communism takes from everyone and then redistributes it so everyone gets an equal share. It does not take into account work ethic or whether someone has truly earned their share with hard work. And since pure communism would require pure hearts to work - we see that in practical communism - the ruling class takes and redistributes so everyone is equally as poor - while they live in the lap of luxury and take care of those who most honor and support their rule. When God speaks of equity He is speaking of how a state should judge fairly and honorably. He is speaking of how His promises are available to all. To "discern" equity we need to see things as God does - for fairness and correctness begins with what is fair and right in God's eyes. When we bring God into this equation - we have serious trouble for mankind. Man is sinful and rebellious - and what is fair for him is God's wrath and judgment. What we should find amazing about God's equity is that He chose to pay the price of equity for us - and instead of giving us what is fair, He gave us grace instead.

Finally, through the Word, we can discern every good course. We will know the right ways to walk - and God will indicate to us wrongs ones as well. This right and wrong will correspond to what He says in His Word. Thus we have the ultimate aggravation to the modernist. We assert that through God's Word we have an "absolute standard" upon which all things in life is to be measured. If actions and choices and lifestyles do not measure up to what God calls good, right, just, and equitable - they are wrong. And thus begins the clash of worldviews. True Judaism and Christianity will always find themselves at odds with the rest of the worldviews that come from men. They end up at odds because they have the audacity of claiming that God's Word is a revelation of THE truth. For those who reject this claim - the world is a mish-mash of conflicting morals and ideas. We all get along by ultimately stating that both everything is right, as well as everything is wrong. It might be right for us while at the same time being wrong for others. The resulting public moral quicksand creates a world in which all things are to be tolerated except the arrogance of Judaism and Christianity who assert that their worldview is absolute. That view - that view that states that there is absolute truth and it is found in God's Word - is the one that absolutely cannot be tolerated. Too bad though - because it is the only worldview that creates the stability of actually knowing whether the path you are taking will ultimately lead to blessing or destruction.

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What a Wise Guy Lives Like . . . Proverbs 1:3

4/1/2010

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To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; Proverbs 1:3

What is wise behavior? The word used here in Proverbs chapter 1 is actually the Hebrew word "sakal" which means prudence. It has the idea of acting with insight. This is an interesting word because it goes beyond even these definitions. The word means to think, ponder, and understand things so that one lives to act with devotion to God and His ways - and thus will be prudent as to evil - and eventually to prosper in God's ways. That is quite a definition, but it does speak to us loudly that to be wise in our behavior is to have a devotion to the Lrod at the very center of our thinking. Want a good life - and one that prospers in all the right ways? Then live a life where you seriously consider what God says in all areas of life.

Three things are used by Solomon to teach us what wise behavior looks like. First it is righteousness. The word here is "sedeq" and it means to live with an ethical and legal standard. This standard is the Word of God and its commandments and decrees. Oh, how wise it is to live with God setting your ethics and standards. When we walk in this way - we will walk wisely - and our behavior will reveal it.

The second word used here is justice. It is the Hebrew word "mishpat" and it means proper judgment. This word refers to a legal decision given by God - which God expects us, as His people, to follow. It means a legal case - and we could see it as practical application of God's Word in individual cases. What is wise behavior? It is not just living by God's standards and ethics, but it is also learning how to take His laws and apply them in individual situations all throughout life. It is practially applying those laws as we face moral and ethical dilemmas throughout our day.

Third, we see that wise behavior is acting with equity. Equity is the Hebrew word "meysar" and it means rightness, equity, and smoothness. It is what is correct and fair - but has an aspect of evenness and smoothness to it. Here is a great balance to the ideas of righteousness and justice. It is the idea of smoothness in doing what is right and correct. Too often we embrace righteousness and justice without the corresponding smoothness of equity. We love what is right - but to often do it so roughly that people reject God's wisdom. They reject it not because they see it as unwise - but they react to our rough, unkind ways in communicating and living it out. The truly wise man whose behavior honors God greatly is the one who can speak the truth in love. He is the one who can offer correction and rebuke so that his soft words can break a bone. He has learned that wise behavior does what is right - but does it with as much gentleness and kindness as possible.

Thus we see wise behavior laid out for us. It involves a love of the truth and a love for what is right and godly. Yet it does so as inoffensively as possible. There is great respect and honor for the commandments of God - but a gentle, loving application of them so that truth is not lost in the rough way it is communicated. Oh, to have such wise behavior as our standard way of living, communicating, and walking out God's ways. There was an example of these three things balanced out perfectly - it was the example of God's own Son, Jesus Christ. He showed us the perfect blend of passion and zeal - kindness and grace - truth and wisdom. May we ever desire to be like Him!

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Poor Oppressers: The Original Spiritual Gully Washers - Proverbs 28:3

3/28/2010

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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.

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The Place of True Justice for Rich and Poor Alike . . . Proverbs 22:2

2/22/2010

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The rich and the poor have a common bond, The LORD is the maker of them all. Proverbs 22:2

There are many inequities in this world. One of them is the difference between the rich and the poor.  These differences can drive people to the point of revolution and violence. There are entire political and economic ideologies formulated to try to bring some kind of balance to this situation. They want to create an equity between men that is enforced. But these ideologies will never work because of the fallen state of man.

Communism was one of these ideologies that tried to bring equity among men. The problem was that while communism sounded good to many in theory - in the end it only bred a ruling class of rich oligarchs and a class of serfs who did the work of the state in a common poverty. If it were possible for sinful man to mutually share all things - including the work to produce them - we might be able to create a paradise here on earth. As long as the fallen, sinful state of man continues though - all these wonderful and fanciful concepts will break down as selfishness and self-centered living will take over. In the end, we will wind up with the rich and the poor once again.

One of the most maddening inequities of the difference between the rich and poor is the whole practice of justice among them. Our own justice system has a statue that supposedly represents what our ideal is. That is a woman with a pair of scales who is blindfolded. The picture represents that justice is blind to differences in those who come to receive it. True justice is this way - but unfortunately all human systems will eventually break down due, once again, to the innate selfishness of mankind. Thus we have the problem of how the rich are represented at the bar of justice. If you have money - lots of money - you will fare better in our justice system. If you are dirt poor - and to be honest - black or a minority - often you will have a more difficult time in our justice system. To those who would argue against this by saying that more of these people commit crime, I would respond by saying that poverty itself often breeds crime. So, how do we bring a sense of justice to all this? Are we forever to face inequities between the rich and the poor? Is there no place where the rich and poor are treated alike?

This proverb - written by a very rich man - gives us God's answer.  Before God all men are viewed the same. There is a statement of doctrine which says, "God is no respecter of persons." If God is Who the Bible says He is, then this is comforting to those who cringe at the basic inequities of this world. Being infinite and eternal - needing nothing and possessing everything there is - being all wise and having infinite understanding - being perfect and beyond any kind of corruption - we can trust Him. Also, if He already owns all things - who, praytell is going to impress Him or offer any kind of bribe or influence that would affect Him at all?

At this juncture I must make a differentiation between God Himself and how His church has conducted herself. Shamefully, the churches' history is replete with examples of bribery and influence peddling. James warned us in the New Testament that there would be the evil of favoring the rich and dishonoring the poor just because they were rich or poor. The Old Testament prophets thundered God's judgments against those who dishonored the poor while catering to the rich. But do not equate to God Himself the poor example that His children - or those who claim to be His children offer. Take God at His Word.

This proverb tells us that the rich and poor meet together at one place. This is what that common bond is (The literal Hebrew here means "to meet at a common place). They both meet before almighty God as His creation. The Lord is the maker of them all. I realize that many in this world will scoff at the thought of a creator God. But I would propose that you think about something if you want equity in the world. If all that there is came about through evolutionary processes - what basis is there for equity in the world. One of the fundamental principles of evolution is survival of the fittest. This means the strong survive and the weak are weeded out. If this is the case and is a principle upon which the survival of our species exists - then we shouldn't want equity for the poor. We should cheer the rich and their ability to maintain power and control. There is NO basis for any kind of selfless morality in evolution. There is only the fight to continue the species. So, if the poor gets in your way - evolutionary theory says to crush them because they will only weaken the species. This is what animated Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and any other horrific leader who took evolutionary thought to its logical conclusion. Those who propose some kind of equity in the world from it - are being utterly contradictory to their own theory of origin.

Let's return back to the proverb now. What is the place where rich and poor meet together? They meet at the point where God is maker of all. Both Judaism and Christianity teach that the point of ultimate equity is the throne of God. All men will stand here - and all will receive the justice due them for their actions. When we look at this biblical reality - it is a powerful motivator to use one's riches in a way that does not simply energize our innate selfishness. Your 70 or so years here on earth will yield you an eternity that will truly manifest true equity. Some will ignore this - and continue on their selfish path - but that path will only lead to destruction. True, the person may amass a fortune that impresses men - even impressing judges and rulers. But - God is unfazed by any amount of wealth that can ever be amassed by any individual, corporation, or nation-state. He continues to call us to obedience to His moral code. In the end - without any of the advantages of wealth, power, or human influence - both the rich and poor will come before their maker. They will be judged according to His standards - and will receive an ultimate future according to their deeds - according to the results of their actions.

Solomon wrote in his farewell address, the book of Ecclesiastes, of the inequity of rich and poor. He said that often in the place of justice there is inequity and corruption. He also spoke of the transitory nature of riches - and how they too often deceive their possessors of ultimate reality - that they will face true justice in the end. He closed that last teaching with this statement.  "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Sounds to me like the richest man on earth, who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote these very words about the place where rich and poor ultimately meet for justice - knew very well that place. He knew that the justice due all men - regardless of their financial bottom line - lay at the feet of their Creator. We would do well to remember this in all our dealings - both financial and moral.

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Proverb A DAy

Can You KNOW Anything? Proverbs 2:9

What a Wise Guy Lives Like . . . Proverbs 1:3

Poor Oppressers: The Original Spiritual Gully Washers - Proverbs 28:3

The Place of True Justice for Rich and Poor Alike . . . Proverbs 22:2

Proverb a Day

Archives

​Proverb A DAy

Can You KNOW Anything? Proverbs 2:9

What a Wise Guy Lives Like . . . Proverbs 1:3

Poor Oppressers: The Original Spiritual Gully Washers - Proverbs 28:3

The Place of True Justice for Rich and Poor Alike . . . Proverbs 22:2

Proverb a Day

Archives

Proverb A DAy