The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14 Here God tells us that the law or teaching of the wise - the one who sees things as God sees them - is a fountain of life. As usual - we are being taught to have a very teachable spirit - and this is especially the case when we are hearing truths from someone who is wise and godly. Our ability to pay attention in these moments will make the difference in a large number of situations. The phrase "fountain of life" should catch our eyes because it is a term that is very rarely used in Scripture, yet when used it refers to some very important truths. The first time it is used is in Psalm 36:9 as a reference to God Himself. With God Himself is the fountain of life. We are told that it is in His light that we see light. If we don't take advantage of listening to God - we won't even have the light we need to see things properly. The other four times when this exact phrase it used is in the Proverbs. We read in Proverbs 10:11 the the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, so once again we are encouraged to listen closely when a godly or righteous man is speaking. Next in Proverbs 14:27 we learn that the fear ofthe Lord is a fountain of life. When we fear God - showing respect to Him and to His Word, we are given the wisdom necessary to "avoid the snares of death." Lastly in Proverbs 16:22 that understanding is a fountain of life - keeping us from the discipline of fools. These passages along with the promise here that the teaching of the wise (which is that fountain manifest again) will turn us aside from the snares of death. We see a pattern here that should catch our attention. The "fountain of life" is when God Himself is giving wisdom - and that comes through His Word, through godly men and women who speak it, and through gaining understanding when we hear what they have to teach us. Oh the problems and difficulties that we could avoid in life if we would only listen - and learn from this fountain - hearing what God has to say - and the understanding and cautions that He wants to offer to us. Our problem is that much like the people in Jeremiah's day, we abandon the fountain of living waters - to dig our own cisterns instead. We consider so many other sources more informative and worthy of our time rather than the Word of God. We do not realize the value of godly counsel and teaching until it is too late and we've landed ourselves in the discipline of fools. That is why it is wise to cultivate a desire for and an ear to hear what God is saying to us - no matter what the source at the time. Listening will provide blessing - and in some cases the difference between walking unhindered in our lives, as opposed to finding that our path has led us to fall into a pit. Such "snares of death" can be avoided if we will only listen and learn that the bait in the snare is a lie. It won't bring satisfaction. It will only be a lure to bring us down and yield death and destruction in our lives.
0 Comments
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
Proverbs 13:14 Here God tells us that the law or teaching of the wise - the one who sees things as God sees them - is a fountain of life. As usual - we are being taught to have a very teachable spirit - and this is especially the case when we are hearing truths from someone who is wise and godly. Our ability to pay attention in these moments will make the difference in a large number of situations. The phrase "fountain of life" should catch our eyes because it is a term that is very rarely used in Scripture, yet when used it refers to some very important truths. The first time it is used is in Psalm 36:9 as a reference to God Himself. With God Himself is the fountain of life. We are told that it is in His light that we see light. If we don't take advantage of listening to God - we won't even have the light we need to see things properly. The other four times when this exact phrase it used is in the Proverbs. We read in Proverbs 10:11 the the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, so once again we are encouraged to listen closely when a godly or righteous man is speaking. Next in Proverbs 14:27 we learn that the fear ofthe Lord is a fountain of life. When we fear God - showing respect to Him and to His Word, we are given the wisdom necessary to "avoid the snares of death." Lastly in Proverbs 16:22 that understanding is a fountain of life - keeping us from the discipline of fools. These passages along with the promise here that the teaching of the wise (which is that fountain manifest again) will turn us aside from the snares of death. We see a pattern here that should catch our attention. The "fountain of life" is when God Himself is giving wisdom - and that comes through His Word, through godly men and women who speak it, and through gaining understanding when we hear what they have to teach us. Oh the problems and difficulties that we could avoid in life if we would only listen - and learn from this fountain - hearing what God has to say - and the understanding and cautions that He wants to offer to us. Our problem is that much like the people in Jeremiah's day, we abandon the fountain of living waters - to dig our own cisterns instead. We consider so many other sources more informative and worthy of our time rather than the Word of God. We do not realize the value of godly counsel and teaching until it is too late and we've landed ourselves in the discipline of fools. That is why it is wise to cultivate a desire for and an ear to hear what God is saying to us - no matter what the source at the time. Listening will provide blessing - and in some cases the difference between walking unhindered in our lives, as opposed to finding that our path has led us to fall into a pit. Such "snares of death" can be avoided if we will only listen and learn that the bait in the snare is a lie. It won't bring satisfaction. It will only be a lure to bring us down and yield death and destruction in our lives. Staying Positive is Not Always Staying Wise, Part 5 - When God Rejects and Why - Proverbs 1:28-304/5/2011 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me, because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD. They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof."
Proverbs 1:28-30 There is a time when prayer will not reach God - not will it do a person any good at all. That may sound like a strange thing to say - but it is true biblically. God warns those who reject His counsel and who turn away from His reproof that there will be a time when they pray and find that no one is listening. Proverbs tells us that when our lifestyle is one that rejects God's Word and wisdom that there will be a time when due to the lack of it we will call on God and even seek Him diligently. The problem is that the reason they do this is because they want to be rescued from their bad decisions and from the consequences of their actions. Their call to God is not made out of any desire to repent and change how they are living. This kind of prayer will not receive God's answer - although it will receive His rejection. The reason God rejects these kinds of prayers is because of the state of their hearts. These are the one who hated knowledge. They are not ignorant in human terms. In fact often those who hate knowledge are brilliant in the world's eyes. They just hate the knowledge that God has to offer to them. They hate the Word of God - and they hate the things that God has to say about the true state of humanity and the true state of this world. What I refer to is the worldview that sees mankind as fallen and sinful. There are scholars who absolutely reject that worldview. They see man as basically good. In their estimation what mankind needs is not salvation from sin - but to be resuced from those who make us feel bad about ourselves and tell us that we are sinful. They believe that if mankind was just educated properly and kept from the negativity of the Biblical view of mankind. If mankind were not told that anything was sin - but that man could claim their basic god-ness once again - then mankind would prosper and climb to a whole new level of evolution. This was the view at the turn of the century as mankind pretty much rejected the biblical view of sin. The world thought it would rise to a whole new existance without war and without anything to hinder it. What we received from this new enlightened man was a century like no other in its ability to kill one another, make war, commit genocide, and perpetrate horrors upon one another in ways that seemed previously impossible. When men reject God's knowledge - they also choose against the fear of God. They do not honor or respect Him - and they also do not tremble at His Word. When men do not believe God's Word - they are destined in every negative way to fulfill it. They truly will show the work of the fall of man in ways that will astound future generations. Actually future generations, just as blind as their fathers, will say that these things happened because they didn't quite do it right - or because they need an even more God-rejecting philosophy. In so doing they fulfill what verse 30 says. They would not accept God's counsel and they spurn all His reproof. Even as they watch the truth of God come to pass and His worldview upheld again and again, they reject it. Blind guides of the blind, they reject the existance of the very pit into which they lead one another as they continue in their rebellion. Please understand that I know that such writing as this is very depressing. But it is only depressing if we continue to reject God's Word and the counsel, knowledge, understanding, and truth that comes from it. For those who accept God's counsel there is an answer to the futility of mankind and the stupidity of his ways. There is the grace of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a savlation that God grants us and offers to us through His Son. There is a hope that when we embrace God's ultimate worldview - we not only see our sinfulness - but we are also allowed to see our Savior as well. God graces us with forgiveness, regeneration, and His ongoing work of sanctification. We are redeemed, literally bought from the slave market of sin and given the glorious hope of heaven and fellowship with God for all eternity. There have been and will continue to be those who scorn the negative message that MUST come to mankind for there to be hope. They will say that it is the negative message itself that is the problem - and that if we would just rid ourselves of it - all would be well. But they do not understand that the so-called negative-ness of that message is absolutely necessary in order for us to get the most glorious message of the ages - God's salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! You cannot have one without the other. If you reject the message that we are sinners - and choose instead to spurn God's truth and counsel - all that awaits you is deception, destruction, and ultimately death. Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. Proverbs 24:19-20
Ever watch what is going on in the world and wonder if the evil and wicked are winning the day? It is difficult at times not to fret and become angry (even at God) when we watch the evil men and women of this world seemingly prosper and succeed during our lifetime. But the wise man knows the Word of God - and knows that God promises that He is just, and knows that in the end it will not go well for the wicked. His lamp may burn brightly for a season, but in the end his lamp - his influence - his power will be put out. We are warned against two things in this passage. The first is that we do not fret because of evildoers. The word "fret" here actually does not refer to worry but rather to anger. The word for fret is the Hebrew word, "nahar" which means to burn, to be kindled and glow, or to grow warm. It refers to someone becoming angry. It was the word that was used of Potiphar's anger when he thought that Joseph had raped his wife. It is also used in Joshua 23:16 of God's anger toward those who disobey His Law. Here, we are being warned against becoming angry at God - because we watch evildoers prosper in this life. David struggled with this very thing in Psalm 73. The more he looked at the wicked and the evildoers in this present life - the more his anger was being kindled. He reached the point in that psalm where he said that he almost betrayed his generation until he entered the sanctuary and saw the latter end of this wicked people. His betrayal would have been the things he said about God and His justice. David would have allowed his fretting to be manifested toward God. But he saw that all at once these prospering evil people fell - that they faced God's wrath with no recourse. He saw that they thought all was well until death or calamity crushed their world. Since they were only living for the here and now - that meant that their entire world was destroyed. David's fretting ceased - and instead he felt compassion toward them - and awe and fear toward God in his "ULTIMATE JUSTICE." We are also warned not to become envious of the wicked. This second warning comes because we will watch the shrewdness of the worldlings as they use graft and corruption to gain wealth in this world. We may watch them seemingly succeed in regard to money, sex, and power. But once again we must see things from God's perspective. As they gather power, sex, and wealth to themselves - they are also storing up wrath for disobeying God's commandments and laws as well. Their supposed prosperity comes at an eternal price tag. In the end their future will be horrific - not blessed. That is what these two verses in proverbs deals with in the second verse. We are told that there will be no future for the evil man. The word future is our old friend "acharith" which means the end of the matter. Though the wicked does all his evil desires, and seemingly prospers in them - he is not seeing long term. He may enjoy the moment - but the latter end of his life will be devastating. There is NO future - NO latter end - NO prosperity eternally. He will be damned for his rebellion and destroyed utterly for his wickedness. Only someone who sees with a ridiculous short term vantage point would trade a few years of pleasure for infinite pain and suffering. God's Word refers to this life on earth as a mere breath while there is no end to our state in eternity. The other warning to us here is that the lamp of the wicked will be put out. As I said earlier, he may burn brightly for a little while - for a breath or two - but his light will be extinguished. Consider all the terrifying dictators of the past - Hitler, Ghengas Khan, Sadaam Hussein, Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot - and a host of others throughout history. For a brief moment they seemd to have a bright light burning for themselves and their regime. Yet all are viewed as horrible men who committed disgusting crimes against humanity itself. God assured that these men do not live on as famous - but as infamous. So also will be the legacy of all those who oppose God and live out their wickedness. Their lights will go out - snuffed out by God Himself. The wise man does not become angry with God over such men and women. He certainly does not envy them. What we should do is pity such men. We should pity them and pray that they would repent and turn to God. We should also realize that God is showing them great mercy by not consuming them instantly in His wrath. He is offering them another day of mercy during which time they have opportunity to hear the gospel and repent. But know that beyond any shadow of doubt the day is drawing near for them to be judged according to God's law. Envious? Angry? - no . . . we should pity them - and we should tremble before the awesome, exact justice of our holy God. And as wise men - we should depart from their ways and fully embrace those of our Lord. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15
God is a God of justice - and with Him matters of justice take the forefront. That is why God refers to someone who completely skews the matters of justice and righteousness as a person who is an abomination to Him. Today's proverb tells us that a person who justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous are an abomination to the Lord. This should be something that causes those in the legal industry to fear God and tremble concerning their decisions of right and wrong within the justice system. Which brings me to a few comments about biblical justice. Several times in the Scriptures the history recorded for us involved the selection of judges. Each time this took place, God made several things very clear. First, He declared that matters of justice always involved His Word, which is the ultimate law-book when it comes to what justice is - and what it is not. This is something we should all heed. Our legal systems are to be nothing more than legal systems which do their best to mete out justice in the sight of God. We are not left to ourselves in determining what is legal and what is not. There is plenty in God's Word to describe any lawless person or delinquent. It is not necessary to consult with the legal opinions of men (even though we may be required to do so by their laws) if God has commented on the issue. He is the ultimate dispenser of justice (and will be at the end of the age). Therefore, if God has commented on the matter - His judgment is supreme. Second, that decisions of justice are to be free from favoritism. This refers to favoritism on the basis of someone being a family member of friend, but it also refers to more sinister favoritism such as a situation where a bribe has been offered to twist justice. God forbids the acceptance of a bribe to pervert justice - and warns that He will require it of the judge if it is done. This is why our proverb says that justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous are an abomination in His sight. Third, is a reminder that all human judges are to be those who dispense God's justice, not their own. They are never to be a law unto themselves - or take matters of justice into their own hands. For those who experience perverted justice, God warns not to take vengeance into their own hands. The promise of God is that He will take vengeance on those who disregard His laws and ways. There is a Psalm that should terrify judges as they ascend to the bench. I wish it was written on their desks for them to see daily. "Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (Psalm 2:10-12, NASB) This Psalm reminds every one of us that even the judges and kings of earth are to worship and bow in reverence to God's King, Jesus Christ. All that they do - every judgment that they make - is made in His sight and under His ultimate jurisdiction. Therefore every decision that they make should be made under His lordship - and for His justice to be established on the earth. The wise man knows that justice has already been decreed - and that all he need do is follow the direction and leadership of the Scriptures on all matters concerning what is just and right. But before we leave this particular Proverb - we should mention one situation in which some consider that God Himself stepped over the line. Some think that God condemned the righteous and justified the wicked when Jesus died on the cross - and when sinful men were granted salvation. But contrary to that thought - God did everything according to His perfect righteousness and justice. Jesus did not die for His own sin - but when He chose to become sin God's justice had to be fulfilled - even on Jesus. When by faith we are credited with Christ's righteousness at salvation, God responds with His perfect justice in welcoming us and granting us His blessing and favor. He is both just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus. Rather than being an unjust situation - the cross is actually the ultimate moment of justice in the universe. For when Christ became sin - God had to respond with wrath and punishment upon His only Son - or else He would have been unjust. It is not only wisdom for us to grasp God's perfect justice and righteousness - it is glory itself! Knowing this, though, should make us tremble at His justice and be all the more committed to calling wicked what He calls wicked, and calling righteous what He calls righteous. Any other choice is an abomination to Him. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
How can someone start on the road to becoming wise? If we asked that question of 100 people, we might get some similarity in their answers, but if we did not know this verse at the beginning of Proverbs, we probably would not choose fearing God as one of those answers. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. We will not gain any kind of true knowledge of ultimate reality until we do. There are a great number of truly smart men (in earthly terms) and yet many of them reject God - at least they reject the God of the Bible. Smart they may be - but when it comes to eternal matters - they are dumb as stumps. Their great learning in human endeavors has made them arrogant and unwilling to bend their knee before the One True God. The man who thinks he knows something - most likely does not yet know as he should. Human learning manifests itself in pride. Paul told us under the inspiriation of the Holy Spirit, "Knowledge puffs up . . . " That is something that is dangerous in the most deadly way. When we think we truly know something - we don't yet know anything. For all their supposed knowledge, these scholars are facing a horrific future. They will continue in this age as sage, wise men - only to learn that it is the fool who says there is no God. They will be praised as men of great insight - only to find that all their genius has done nothing to save them from the wrath of God. Never have they trembled before the majesty and glory of God. Never have they seen the universe rightly - as His creation and as a testiment to His vastness and infinite nature. Never have they considered that if we are moral beings, we must have been created by a moral Being - before Whom we will have to stand and to Whom we will have to give an account. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge becuase as creator, all things have their origin in Him. Without a healthy respect and fear of God, we will ultimately give ourselves over to our own foolish pride - and lift ourselves to an unhealthy level in our own thinking. That can end only in disaster at the throne of God's judgment. God is in heaven, we are on earth - therefore we should tremble in His presence. To fear God means that we recognize Him as supreme and absolute. If God is a mere concept - a thought - He is nothing more than a mere jump between synapses in our brain. But if He is real - then He is the most powerful, most wise, glorious being that ever has and ever will be. His power and glory are unexplainable - for they are incomprehensible. As such, we tremble before Him for He is ultimately in power and will remain so for all eternity. Until we know and grasp this - we are mere brutish fools walking upon the earth. Part of our problem with this word knowledge is that we've divorced it from the biblical context. We have come to view knowledge as the mere storing of facts as man sees them. This is not what God refers to when he says that the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. The word used here is "daath" and it means not just a storing of facts, but an ability to know to where we can practice discernment, insight, and an experiential knowledge and experience of something - or in this case, Someone. Just knowing a bunch of facts and being able to manipulate them on earth so that it impresses other humans - is something akin to being able to juggle a set of balls well. Nice trick - but what exactly is it worth in the end? The knowledge we speak of in Proverbs 1 is that of knowing God - and being able to see things like He does so that we have a discernment that will aid us for eternity. That only comes when we see God accurately - and then in the light of His glory - see the world accurately for the first time in our lives. Until that moment arrives in a man's heart - he is and will always be a fool. We are told on the back-end of this proverb that fools despise wisdom and instruction. Here is the value of knowledge - it makes us wiser and teachable. The fool who rejects God despises His wisdom. Since God is all-knowing and all-encompassing, He is the ultimate source of knowledge. If one wants to get it right - go to Him. If one is unwilling to go to Him (as the wicked admit they are) that one is actually despising wisdom and instruction. He only wants to exalt his own thinking and the activity of his own mind. Since He is utterly limited compared to an infinite God - well - he is stupid. He hates seeing the full picture in favor of his utterly parochial view. He despises discerning the best since the only thing he considers best is his own view. He is unwilling to be instructed by the One will absolute knowledge - thus he rejects the greatest Teacher anyone can imagine. In every way - his lack of respect, honor, and fear toward God is evidenced by his unwillingness to sit at God's feet and learn from Him. So how do we grow in knowledge and wisdom? It is by first acknowledging that God is ultimate in knowledge, in wisdom, in everything! Then it is by humbling ourselves and learning to tremble in the presence of the One Who is Lord and God. Then and only then can our minds and hearts be opened to receive the wisdom, the instruction, and the knowledge of God. The Merciless Messenger Sent to the Rebellious - and His Terrifying Message - Proverbs 17:1110/17/2010 A rebellious man seeks only evil, So a cruel messenger will be sent against him. Proverbs 17:11
When a man is in rebellion against God he is seeking only evil in his life. What a fascinating statement this is - and yet, because it is Scripture, we know that it is true. So let's learn some lessons from the rebellious man so that we will not find ourselves visited in the same way that he is visited in this proverb. The rebellious man is the one who is obstinant - stubborn - and rebellious. But there is one very important thing about his rebellion. It is against God and His laws and ways. The term was used often to describe the way that Israel was determined to go their own way - stubbornly refusing to obey the precepts and laws that God gave them in His Word. It is used also of Saul's reusal to carry out the Lord's command concerning the Amalekites. This man wants nothing to do with what God desires and calls for from us. Thus he sets himself in a direction that only agrees with what he wants. We read here that this man, while in this sad spiritual condition, seeks only evil. Until he comes to the place where he will submit himself to God and to what God says in His Word - it matters not what he does - because it is evil. Turn from God and you turn from anything that is truly good. Turn from God and you will ultimately turn away from anything useful - at least in eternal matters. And since everything in this life and this existance will be destroyed with fire in the end, anything not laid up in eternity will be first consumed by moth and rust - but in the end it will be destroyed by fire. A promise is given to the rebellious man - one that is pretty frightening. God says that because of his rebellion, this man will receive a messenger from the Lord. We read that a "cruel messenger" will be sent against him. The word for cruel here is "akazarty" and it means someone whose cruelty is contrasted with a person who is merciful and righteous. What God is saying here is that a messenger who knows no mercy is going to come against the rebellious man. There is coming a day for the rebellious man - a terrifying day. God refers to such days in the prophets of the Old Testament. He calls such a day, "the cruel day of the Lord. Isaiah 13:9 tells us of such a day when God says, "Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it." In order to grasp what is said here - and what kind of things will come with this cruel day I want to take a few moments and exegete this verse for us. The "cruel" day of the Lord is described for us in five ways here. Each will help us understand better the cruel messenger that is going to be send against the rebellious man. 1. Cruel - this day is going to be one that is "cruel" The Hebrew here - akazary - means lacking mercy or kindness. This is the day - the day Jehovah removes mercy from the scene - in other words, man is going to receive what He deserves. He has deserved such cruelty - but God has withheld it - even pouring it out upon His Son for forgiveness to be given - but now - only cruelty is left. This word was used to describe the utter savagry of the cruel warriors of Babylong - now - that savagery is returning upon their head! 2. Fury - Hebrew is "ebrah" meaning an overflowing fury, wrath, and anger. God is overflowing with wrath. He has withheld it for the most part - but now, no longer. It is released - and like a dam breaking - it comes with power - crushing all that is before it. 3. Burning Anger - The word here means a fierce anger that is like an uncontrolled fire burning and consuming all that is before it. God is no longer holding back this fury and wrath - now it burns in all its measure upon the wicked. 4. Desolation - The land is now a desolation - a waste - a horror to behold. Those who would look upon it would do so with a sense of being appalled! 5. A Day of Extermination of Sinners - The end of this is to "exterminate" the sinners from it. The word means to destory, eraditcate, exterminate - to totally or utterly destroy or wipe out. That is what is awaiting those who grieve and anger the Lord of the universe! When we read these words, the wise among us tremble in fear of God. We also do all that we can to abandon any way that God would describe as rebellious. We want nothing to do with the rebellious man - or his ways. He is truly a stupid man for living in this way. Some might accurately go as far to say that he is close to insane for living in rebellion against God. Others (actually the rebellious themselves) will laugh all this off - rejecting God's warning and His holiness and justice. It is sad to say that the cruel messenger that will come to them to awaken them out of their spiritual lethargy and rebellion will be death. In that moment they will move from rebellion to terror. But in that day it will be too late. God will have already sent His final message to them - and what a cruel, absolute message it will be. No mercy will be available in that day. Just the opposite will be true. Having rejected God's mercy all their lives, these rebellious fools will have only the fiercest of the wrath of God as the reward for a life that sought only evil during the few brief years given to them. May God give us grace that we will reject such a stupid and foolish choice. May we look at rebellion and rebellious ways toward God as we would look at a vile of beubonic plague - as that which will bring certain death and destruction. 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. Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy? Proverbs 27:4
Three things are mentioned here - with the last being the most severe. Wrath is the first thing mentioned. The word used here is "hemah" and it means to be hot with anger. It signifies anger, hot displeasure, indignation, or rage. It was used to speak of a person's burning anger as well as once to speak of God's intense anger toward those who practiced idolatry in 2 Kings 22:17. We are told that this kind of burning anger is fierce. When people have this kind of burning wrath toward something - or probably in this context someone - they can be both fierce and cruel. For the most part, God encourages us to refrain from this kind of wrathful, hot anger and rage. The second word used in this proverb is anger. This is the oft used Hebrew word "aph" and it refers literally to a flared nostril or the way a face is altered when a person is angry. Except for only a few instances, this kind of anger is viewed negatively in the Word. What is fascinating is the two or three examples where an exception is given. This anger is expressed in a passion and desire for God to be glorified. Because He is not - then the anger rises in one who speaks or acts on behalf of God and His honor and glory. We see that this word is described as coming in a flood. The word for flood means a mighty torrent of water - probably something like a flash flood. God's judgment is mentioned as coming this way in Nahum 1:8 where God says, "But with an overflowing flood He will make a complete end of its site, And will pursue His enemies into darkness." When God's anger is loosed in judgment - it will be like a flash flood - like a tsunami that will crush all that stands against Him. But when humans act this way - it is usually when someone blows his or her top. Like a volcanic eruption - the person just blows - and the result is seldom anything but problematic and damaging to whomever is unfortunate enough to be in its path. As said at the beginning of this devotion - three things are mentioned here - with wrath and flared anger being those two of those three things. But the third is considered the worst them. That is jealousy. The word here is "qana" and it means to be jealous with great zeal. It describes a person who has an intense fervor, passion, and emotion that supercedes that of a person with wrath or anger. This is seen in the Word as both good and bad in various situations. Phinehas was filled with this jealousy when he acted on the Lord's behalf in Numbers 25:11. Seeing an Israelite man walk right in front of the tent of meeting with a Midianite woman - intending to have sex with her - filled Phinehas with a jealousy for God's glory that moved him to act. This kind of sin was only a precursor to Israel stumbling headlong into Baal worship and its practice of sensuality and sexual immorality as worship of their false god. Incensed and filled with passion and godly jealousy - Phinehas pierced both the man and the woman through with a spear as they engaged in this wicked act. God praised Phinehas for his godly jealousy in this passage. But jealousy can also be evil. Proverbs 14:30 warns agaisnt a passion that is rottenness in the bones. The wrong kind of jealousy - for our own honor and praise - for what we want and think we deserve - can eat us alive. In the end - God experiences all three of these things in His great love for His honor and glory. His wrath is fierce, and His anger can come like a wave crashing against the wickedness of man. But these two things cannot measure against His great love for His people manifest by His godly jealousy and zeal for them to love Him and honor Him as He deserves. We read in James that God's Spirit desires us to the point of envy. God has redeemed us and bought us for Himself. What He has done in bringing us to life - paying for our sins - and calling us unto Himself - He longs for it. He longs to see us tear down every idol and cast out any other love - and to be completely devoted to Him. Who can stand before such a jealousy!? Here is the amazing thing about this proverb. Our first response to this should be to cower in fear at the manifestation of God's wrath and anger. These things have been seen in ways that would drop any man alive to his knees. We would prostrate ourselves before God in terror at His wrath and anger - fearing and trembling for our lives as we watch Him bring the just deserts of the wicked upon their heads. But what we experience as believers is the Lord's jealousy for the work He has done in us. He longs for us to fully embrace the grace He has given us - to fully access all that His Spirit is willing to do in us. And He does so with a jealous passion to see us as the very trophies of His grace and kind work in our souls and bodies. Who can stand before such blazing love? Who would dare to oppose Him in His quest to destroy every idol in our hearts and have every part of us as His sole possession? Oh, that we would see the love of God in all of its shining glory and passionate heat. We cannot stand before it - we cannot imagine the depth of His love. All we can do is fall before Him and see ourselves consumed in the loving flames of His glorious, jealous passion that in Christ Jesus He will finally be glorified in His saints. The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. Proverbs 22:4
What brings a person riches and honor? That is widely debated in our world today. There are those who act with pride and isolence - who step on whoever they need to step on to get to the top. They use questionable tactics and ungodly ways to gather their riches and they demand honor from their subordinates. The problem is that once they leave this life - they leave their so-called honor and riches behind - and enter into eternal poverty. The other problem is that while in this life honor is not afforded to them except by threats - and their riches are in danger of someone just like them - who would gladly take them away and toss them on the trash heap of those who were formerly rich and famous. God gives us wisdom as to the place of lasting riches, honor - and most of all life. These three must come in their trio-form for a person to truly be rich and truly be honored. For what honor is there in hell? What riches await those burning in flame and eaten by worms? Without life in eternity our earthly honor will mock us as the ages pile upon the ages. Without life our riches will slip through our hands like one trying to grasp and hold oil. The way to these things is through humility. We read in the Word that God resists the proud. That the Lord hates the proud look and the arrogant heart. Temporary riches and deceptive honor may come without humility - but the real thing demands it. The wise man realizes that at the top of all things is God - and the true "way to the top" comes as we humble ourselves before Him. History is littered with those who thought they could become the big cheese - yet in the end - only smelled like it. When we humble ourselves before God - we place ourselves in the path of blessing. The truly wise man embraces humility and his own weaknesses. He even glories in them because he knows that as he sees himself weak - then God becomes strong in his life - his choices - and his actions. God also speaks through this proverb to tell us that the other twin of riches, honor, and life is the fear of the Lord. This is a respect and intrinsic honor shown to God, His Word, and His judgment on all matters. We are told at the very beginning of Proverbs that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Without a proper fear of God - we will degenerate into a pride and self-assuredness that will lead us astray from wisdom. This fear of God often begins with a terror initially as we grasp Who God is - and where we stand before Him. Imagine the moment Paul grasped the true fear of the Lord. He had settled into a self-assured sense of his own right-ness in his religious views and stands. This had led him to the point of persecuting Christians to the death - and imprisoning others. On his way to Damascus to continue his unholy war on the church - Jesus Christ manifest His ultimate power and knocked Paul off his horse and blinded his eyes with light. Imagine the fear that must have gripped Paul when he heard that the answer to "Who are you Lord?" was, "I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting." The fear of God had to almost paralyze this man who lay on the road. But that moment of terror was also the beginning of wisdom for Paul. It led him away from a religion of effort and self-righteousness - to the true wisdom of God's grace in the gospel. There are many voices telling us how to be rich, honored, and truly alive in this world. Unless they are telling us that the way to these things is through the path of humility and the fear of God . . . they are wrong. God will resist those who take other messages than this one. But for those who embrace humility and the fear of the Lord - there is a wealth, an honor, and life that can never be taken from them. Truly theirs is the wise way of achieving them - and holding to them forever. |
Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. 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!
Archives
August 2018
Copyright 2024 Calvary Chapel Jonesboro | all rights reserved |