GW, AK – Proverbs 3:23-35

“Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ” When you have it with you. Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the Lord ; But He is intimate with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.
Proverbs 3:23‭-‬35 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.3.23-35.NASB

Continuing on this reflection, in verse 24 the writer states “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”
Proverbs 3:24 NASB. This drew up in my mind Psalm 4:8 which says similarly,

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord , make me to dwell in safety.” Perhaps here Solomon is thinking back to his father David’s time of running for his life while his throne was pursued. Or in Solomon’s own life he had cause for at various times vacating the

The writer merely mentions “For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.” Though to be sure the verses were Penned by men of yesteryear, the application point is still poignant for today. The slumber of retreat is only for a short time as we ride in victory with Him!

That is why “Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.” The Lord will be your confidence against the wicked. The Truth will be your anchor. That is why the Savior of the world died for you and I without lecturing or deriding the deeds of the wicked! Actions speak louder than words!

Moving on, Scripture says “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.” As you and I walk, we will come across times both to help and to be helped. Be the helping hand for a friend in need of able! We are all busy and all have placed to be and things to do. But be the hand that helps! The alternative being “Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you.” As time has taught, you never know when the last time is that you will see that person again! Heat, attack, stroke, car accident, these are all reminders that life is fleeting so we should all be ready to go!

Then, moving on we read “Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.” I will refrain from political ramblings but suffice to say, if we were concerned for the wellbeing of others, I think we would not see the same unrest in our towns and cities today. Be the good because you are being Christlike! Not for sordid gain but the Savior’s touch of grace! Be the good!

Further we read “For the devious are an abomination to the Lord…” This is odious to be sure. Do you want to be an abomination to the Lord or a blessing to others? The simple difference is are you seeking their good or your evil? If you are fully open to the Lord we read “But He is intimate with the upright.” Want intimacy and a closer walk? Be the first to forgive and reconcile. Be the change that is a peacemaker not an instigator!

In the text we see “The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.” So, want to be a curse, devise and detach. Want to be a blessing? Bring the “Peace that surpasses all understanding (Philipians 4:7). If you will insistently and consistently be and bring that peace, more often than not the reconciliation will rest and retaliation cease. And for those who do not see it on this earth, you will witness it all the more in the next. Be the peace!

Finally, “Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.”

With the scoffers, join the crowd of the many who at the time of Christ’s crucifixion yelling with the multitudes “crucify Him, crucify Him.” And if that is how you want to be heard and remembered as one of the crowd joining the chorus of the misguided, so be it. But as Joshua said in his day, “

If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord , choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Joshua 24:15”
Joshua 24:15 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/jos.24.15.NASB

Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 4:1-6

“1¶Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father,
And give attention that you may gain understanding,

2For I give you sound teaching;
Do not abandon my instruction.

3When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,

4Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;

5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

6“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.”

Verse 1: First, in what way should we receive the instruction from the Lord? As verse 1 says, like a son to a father. This is not a emotionless command, or a thoughtless order. This is an instruction from the One Who loves you and created you. Thus He is tied to your well-being in that your success gives testimony to His greatness! He is great regardless. But His greatness being displayed in His creation gives testimony to His loving kindness!

The the Scripture states that we ought to give attention or literally “תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ” which is “do not forsake.” But as you notice, the reason for this is so that you may gain understanding. In what way? Only the Lord and your life can attest. Nevertheless in an infinite and finite number on Earth God’s wisdom is displayed time and again. Thus give attention! And as you give attention you will see application as time and study permit to understand better the ways and works of Jesus!

Verse 2: Now in verse 2 we read that the writer gives us “sound teaching. That is the oversimplification of the millennia! To have the Savior and creator of time, matter, energy, life, and everything in between promise to give understanding and wisdom, LISTEN! Then as you begin to understand, you will begin to worship at the marvelous grave and forgiveness He extends all along the journey!

Following the encouragement to abandon abandonment, we are shown to cleave to the Father’s instruction! This appears to be a sort of progression of maturity. Just as a nursing child when first born cleave’s to his mother’s breast for life and sustenance after being brought into the world from her womb, the child is to outgrow to the bottle, then the baby food, then gruel (oatmeal and the like), then solid food! This is echoed in Hebrews 5:12-13 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.”

Verse 3: “When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,”

When the author was a son to father, meaning his relationship to world was interpreted through his upbringing by his father, his reputation and existence was tied to his parents. But now that he is grown, he has to answer for his decisions! This is why his relationship to the world and testimony matured! As verse 4 indicates.

Verse 4: “Then he taught me and said to me, ‘let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;'” Not that the Father’s instruction was general but specifically aimed at his child. Here we see that it is the heavenly Father to His children! Solomon is told to keep the commandments of the Lord and thus live!

I wonder at the power in the simple phrase “keep my commandments and live.” Not for justification but for glorification in the Father! If we love Him, then our walk with Him should grow closer and our dependence on Him stronger! Truly, “keep His commandments and live!”

Verse 5: “5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!”

Acquire form the Lord and the wisdom from Him! As elsewhere it says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge… (Pro. 1:7) Thus if we are to acquire wisdom we should fear and honor Him more! Not as an outsider to the alien in our midst but as a child who has finally come home to His family!

Then acquiring wisdom consists of learning from Him and others the individual testimonies of His faithfulness to them! Likewise, as others are sharing with you, you can share with them His faithfulness to you! And in so doing, you will “get understanding” in seeing how God intimately and individually worked your your life interwoven with others all for a greater body to worship the Father!

Finally, 6“Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will watch over you.”

As you gain wisdom and get understanding, do not forsake her meaning learn from our past mistakes so that in the future we can help others avoid the same! Then as we hear from heaven, the Lord will guard our steps as we walk!

Lastly, as we love the Lord more, we will love His correction and wisdom. With that wisdom we will be guarded by Him as Jesus was wanting all along! We must understand as we walk that we are not going to meet Jesus. We have already met Him for those who have received Him. Thus walking with Him is a journey of gaining wisdom and knowledge in how to help others walk. As I understand, technically we are not seeking Jesus. We are seeking others to walk WITH Him out into the fields white into harvest!

Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 3:23-35

“Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you. Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.”

Proverbs 3:23‭-‬35 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.3.23-35.NASB

First, and the idea is carried over from earlier in the chapter, but “when you walk in your way securely…” This appears to be a volitional choice on the part of the believer to walk securely. Not to waiverabout and tiptoe with care but to walk securely. Much like the plant fixed and grounded in Jesus in the New Testament, we are to “…you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude (cf. Colossians 2:6-7).

Then we are told “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you. Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.” If you notice the progression first your neighbor asks.” When in actuality, first the Lord gives! Then your neighbor asks! I have missed this yoo often that if my family is “given” something it is more often than not to be used to bless others! Thus instead of hoarding and guarding I should follow the example of Christ Who says in Matthew 10:8 “…freely you have received; freely give.”

Then the author says “When you have it with you. Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.” When a neighbor is in need and asks, give. Now I do not take this as a blanket statement and certainly not a cause for oppressive government legislation. Rather I take it as an encouragement and admonition. When your neighbor is in need and voices that need, give!

Then “Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.” As a man, my natural tendency is to desire needless violence and to rejoice in violence. Note the note however, do not contend” or don’t pick a fight without cause if they have not harmed you. I think I’ll let that sit right there and be applied as life and circumstances dictate.

Next we see “For the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked…” The devious, much like Satan himself are cunning. That is part of the reason they are an abomination. The plans for evil are plans set apart from the Lord. Do I hold plans from Him thinking that Christ won’t know? If so that is a pretty good indication I shot submit my plans to the Lord… (cf. Prob. 16:3). And the reward is twofold. 1. He will make His plans in part known to you as you follow. 2. He will letyou be an active part many times in His activity and let you be aware of it! Always God is at work. Unfortunately often I am unaware because I’m too busy doing my own thing while God is beckoning me to follow not devise!

“The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.”

The curse of the Lord tests against the house of the wicked. Therefore, not only to avoid calamity but to rejoice in overcoming adversity join Him in what He is doing! He said in Matthew 11:30, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This does not mean you will have a vacation from work but rather you will have rest for you souls! Thus from Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

As I walk down this path following Him I have lost my balance, my vision, my memories, my ability to drive, my immediate independence, and my promise of “glory and riches.” But I have gained the security of knowing Him more. The peace that passes all understanding. The security that rests in knowing Him more intimately. The dependence that comes from relying on Him moment by moment. Truly “…He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted…” Much like Job was at the tail end of his life in Job 43:10-11 “The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.”

I do not have need for the riches of this world and the false security it brings. As David prayed in Psalm 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.”

And that very Rock is Jesus Christ in Whom I place my trust and surrender my will to His. Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 3:8-22

In order to not unnaturally separate the text, verse 7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” This continuous activity of fearing the Lord and turning from evil only grows as our walk with Him ages. Thus as we walk with Him we are not set free as a child is while they learn to toddle, then walk, then run. Instead, at least by my experience we toddle, then run, then walk! That is why the Lord does say in the New Testament when Jesus commands us to follow He does not say “run into the fields white to harvest” but “follow Me into the fields white unto harvest! Oh the pacing of the Lord is infinitely wise!

“8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.” Healing to our fallen frame that as we age only deepens into further decay. We may become like the 6 million dollar man only insofar as pieces and parts are replaced! Therefore, the Christian Scriptures and only the Christian Scriptures have the capacity to heal our earthly frame and refresh our bones. Admittedly I am only in my late 30s. I understand that as I age I will hurt more, tylenol, advil, excedrin or aleve will become my closest friend, and that the youth and vigor I feel now will only be a distanttdistant in the days ahead. But I also know that since 18 I have felt that way some because of recovering from paralysis, being comatose for a month, and relearning how to walk and move in this frame long after I was supposed have learned to walk was hard! That is why the only lasting healing to our bodies and refreshment to our bones that lasts will be that of the healing balm of Gilead, the Savior Jesus Christ!

“9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;”

The honor used here is to give to the Lord was is His (everything) and then yield to Him everything because it is His! As we walk, as we live, we will understand that though He owns everything because He created everything, designed everything, inspired everything and is everything! Thus, we should honor the Lord from our wealth because it is not ours but His! To give back the first fruits is simply to yield to Him what is His!

10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.

In an agrarian society as Israel was at this time, the barns and storehouses of the people were places where wealth was kept. Much like the wealthy farmers of today, when you pass a barn filled with round bales of hay, recognize the total cost of hay. Now I roughly estimated based on that concept, a barn that holds 100 round bales of hay is harboring a round bales worth $100. This means a small barn full of round bales would be $10,000!

Further, a vat of new wine in Bible times is referring to the good stuff, just as Jesus created in Matthew 9:17. There, Jesus says “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.9.17.NASB When Jesus performed His early public miracle at the wedding in Cana, He turned the wedding party from frowning to frolic when He brought out “the good stuff” last! In John 2:10-11 we read “…very man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”

The point be for today render to Christ that which is His. And as you realize He owns everything, created everything, and desires everyone to have a personal and intimate relationship with Him, then and only then can we begin to understand His plans for you and I.

11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

How blessed it is to correct in love! I do not punish my children because I delight in there suffering! Rather I discipline my children to conform then into the image of Christ! They can read and study thus they sharpen iron as I sharpen them and together we venture out into the fields white into harvest! To a lesser extent, my puppy, Sumo at times steals a shoe. At the end of the day, my wife and I will take off our shoes and sit down in the living room. We know that in order to keep Sumo’s attention distracted, thereby no having to worry about the placement of our shoes. But without fail, either she or I will forget until we see that mischievous “grin” from Sumo with his mouth full of either my or my wife’s shoe. It’s not “okay” but because we understand that he doesn’t recall the former mention of “don’t do that” we most of the time patiently ask him to drop the shoe and come sit in our lap instead. To mimic the Savior in this way, I understand that rather than running from God and “playing” by stealing something away from Him, when all the way He simply wants me to crawl up in His lap and rest!

 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding.

What is this understanding? The understanding which is obtained only once I understand the meaning of the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Once I begin to understand the meaning of it can I understand that the first place I need to run to when I screw up and mess up is back to Him! Then and there I can find wisdom and once retreated to His arms can I see that to understand the predicament that I got myself into through His eyes!

14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.

This drew my mind to Christ words in Mark 8:36 where Jesus says “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Run to Christ not away from Him. Shelter in Christ not from Him. Retreat to Him not away from Him?

15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her.

She being wisdom is more precious than jewels because wisdom knows who to render the wealth and prosperity only to the Lord and from His hand. He doesn’t need jewels He created the world! He doesn’t need bailouts, He created everything ! He doesn’t need anything but He created you and I because we are His creation. We are His desire. We are His chosen!

16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

Long life is not the aim, but dwelling with the Lord in the shelter of His wings as He says elsewhere in Scripture is our aim for eternity. That to live there in His presence for eternity, we  would be best benefitted by learning from Him today! The riches and honor are in His hand and the dwelling in mansions of glory for eternity are set for those who will travail just a short time on earth.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace.

Wisdom’s ways are pleasant ways, not that they lead through peaceful waters but that they hold the path of the One who walks through storms and when necessary says “‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. Mark 4:39″

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

Drawing back the image of the Garden of Eden, the wisdom of the Lord is called a “tree of life.” Seen in Genesis 3:24 as the tree which Adam and Eve had taken, the tree is seen as needing protection “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” This is to show Adam and Eve all the implications of their disobedience had for all of humanity. Thanks be to Christ that you and I can cling to that Wisdom again when we are drawn by Him.

19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.

The Lord founded the earth by wisdom. He established the heavens by understanding. He knows His creation including every minutae! As my wife and I returned from the Creation Museum we were in awe of the wisdom and careful creativity of the Savior in creating this world! As Paul said in Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew.

Again hearkening back to the flood when Noah, safe in the ark, was spared as the entire human race who had turned from the Lord, was wiped out! But just as Noah and his family were preserved by the wood of an ark, so can we also be saved by preservation from the wood of the cross!

21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

Finally, the writer says that them, His wisdom and knowledge, we should not let them vanish. Notice in this repeating He says to keep (willful action on our part) and discretion (the acting out of said wisdom). And as we do this, they will be life to your soul and adornment for your neck. In other words, this wisdom will be your wreath of adornment and your jewelry which has a cost above all others, as it is the cost of the blood of the cross. Oh friend, turn to Him and follow. The fields are still white unto harvest. We simply need to pickup the tools and head into the fields. Blessings as you go!

GWAK – Proverbs 3:1-7

The Rewards of Wisdom

1My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;

2For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.

3Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

4So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

5Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  

7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Right off the bat, we have “My son…” again a term of fond connection and relationship. It is from this position of love and fatherly affection that the author speaks to his children to “not forget my teaching” and in so doing you “…let your heart keep my commandments.” This is personal, it is intimate, and it is logical once one understands that the way to please the Lord is tied up within the walking with Jesus as you traverse the trails He has lain. Though they are unworn lanes, they are not altogether untraveled. The King of kings has beaten the path He desires each of us to walk as we stumble and fight through the jungle at times. Nevertheless I am to walk this path often because there are some who have gone before me down the trail and there are some who will come after me. Thus, it behooves those who come later that I blaze a path through the overgrowth and leave findings on the trail that others might take as nourishment!

Moreover, the heading for this section is “The Rewards of Wisdom” whereas I would label it “The benefits of following,” because sometimes the headings were not added until after the writing of the Proverb. What’s more, the contemporary use of the book of Proverbs, much like the Scripture itself, it to better walk with the Lord in apposition to trying to wade through the muck and mire of the world.

In our next two verses we have “2For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Much could be said of the current sociopolitical status of the United States. However this, like many times before, will pass as the healing in our nation is brought about by the righting of her people over the scope of history. If you note the writer says “for length of days and years of life…” Though this may prove promising to some, for the believer who yearns to see their Savior face to face, the length of days only prolongs the connection as it is further waiting on this earth for the eternal reward of the Savior!

Continuing “4So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.” After learning of the temporal reward of longevity, we read that you will find favor and a good repute in God’s eyes and mankind’s eyes. As you search for the Lord in the workings of your lives and others, you will find favor and good repute in both God’s and mankind’s eyes. This is because of searching for Him does not require violence or disruptive behavior but a diligence and steadfastness of requesting of Him to steady your hand and strengthen your request. Often, the pleading we strive to make are answered with a “not yet” but the very act of pleading strengthens our askance and empowers our belief that He is the only One who might deliver us and provide for us in such a miraculous way!

To finish this section we have verses 6 which state our requirement of behavior “6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” This is not to say that we will or that we will even want to, but the measure of early acknowledgement that He is beyond us and His ways likewise are beyond us, agrees with Him that He is mighty and awesome and we are not. Then, once realized we can rest in knowing that because this Mighty and Majestic Holy Father is for us and not against us thereby drawing us closer rather than pushing us away.

For example, recently my dog, Sumo, stole the TV remote while my wife and I were watching a show. Typically, I correct, complain, and curse the dog for his misbehavior. I then watched my wife, in her cool and calm demeanor, beckon the dog to her, calmly path his side and rub his belly, and then the dog dropped the remote right away. The point, I find the Lord treats me like His dog in that I knowingly and obstinately disobey when all the while He was simply beckoning to Him to commune with Him!  

Finally we have “7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” The statement is succinct and direct. Three instructions, which include both the thesis and antithesis of behavior. Number 1, do not be wise in your own eyes. It was said in my upbringing that if you think you’re wise you probably aren’t. That is not Scripture but it does echo the statement found in the tail end of Romans 12:16 “Do not be wise in your own estimation.” Estimate that you and I only have a small picture in the grande scope of eternity. Therefore we should cleave to the One Who does have the full picture from beginning to end.

Second, fear the Lord. This is not to just be afraid of Him. When our children were younger there were a few times that my anger with something they had done drove me to action. But I did not act in such a way as to cause derision and division. Rather it was a righteous anger at the circumstances which the children did not understand but I had realized the potential danger of. To give credence to this, I recall finding a timber rattler in my office one day while preparing a sermon. Though it was not attacking but rather simply wanting to find a way outside, I understood the threat and so asked the children to stay away. This I believe in some small way is how the Lord often acts to us. There is so very little that we understand. But if we trust in the Savior we obey His commands, consequently He will lead us to new fields and people to interact with who might never otherwise have the opportunity to hear our testimony of His faithfulness. Conversely, He will remove the dangers that you and I are oblivious of because we are simply too short-sighted and too simple a being to be aware of all of the dangers past, present, and future of our choices.

So in close for this section again “1My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments…” This is given to increase our dependence on and love of the Savior. And in so doing give us a love for the world and a passion for creation only the Savior can give. Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 2:20-22

“So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land And the blameless will remain in it; But the wicked will be cut off from the land And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.”
Proverbs 2:20‭-‬22 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/pro.2.20-22.NASB

So or therefore, hence, a conjunction which essentially begs the question “since this, then that.” Since you live in such a way as to bring Him glory… Not that we live in perfect, sinless, lives of godliness, but since we strive in Him to bring Him glory, we will walk (the footsteps of Christ) with Him into fields white into harvest. This means we will venture beyond ourselves to find the broken, the downhearted, the widow, the orphan and essentially lift their head to help them see there is life after tragedy and calamity!

In the next section we read “For the upright will live in the land…” There is a distinct difference to vacation in the land and live in the land. Though we are to be aliens and strangers (1 Peter 2:11) we also are to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28). But notice in verse 22 “But the wicked will be cut off from the land And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.”

The wicked, or those who refuse to follow Christ, will be cut off. For wicked we have וּ֭רְשָׁעִים (ū·rə·šā·‘îm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective – masculine plural
Strong’s Hebrew 7563: 1) wicked, criminal 1a) guilty one, one guilty of crime (subst) 1b) wicked (hostile to God) 1c) wicked, guilty of sin (against God or man)

In other words those who have not received the forgiveness, restoration, and redemption, will be cut off! And there can be no forgiveness because there can be no pardon for the unrepentant heart! Moreover verse 22 says that the treacherous will be uprooted. Whom does this refer? Other occurrences of the Hebrew elsewhere in Scripture are translated as “faithless.” In my mind one of the most glaring examples of this is Judas Iscariot in the New Testament. That Judas walked with the Savior for 3 years. That Judas saw the miracles done. That Judas witnessed all of the miraculous deeds of the Savior. And that Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver all because that Judas wanted no more relationship with Christ than what that Judas could understand. That Judas was unfortunately what many in the church today are. Iscariot’s looking for what they can get out of rather than herding the words of the Savior and following in a loving relationship with the Savior of the world!

Friend, don’t be like that Judas. Be like that Savior Who beckons the world to “Matthew 11:28 NASB — “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 2:7-19

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;      
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;
16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words;
17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;
18 For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead;
19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

Beginning in this section is a word that means “abiding success.” Translated in verse 7 as sound wisdom, the Hebrew תּוּשִׁיָּ֑ה (tu·shi·yah), the Lord stores up “sound wisdom” or “abiding success” for His beloved. This does not mean we can relenquish care of our lives and behavior! Rather, we should have the overarching knowledge that no matter our failures or shortcomings, the Lord’s sound wisdom or abiding success through His own will accomplish its purpose. Consider that meaning. You and I can do nothing that the Lord can undo. Consider the implications! We cannot fail the purposes of the Lord! And this is not because of our greatness but His foreknowledge and activity in our lives! Even our mistakes the Lord uses to accomplish His purpose that He intended and directed from the outset! Oh how great a Savior do we serve!

In verse 8 we read the purposes of God in “Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.” This means He guards our steps, He guards our hearts, He guards our mistakes, He guards our lives such that there is absolutely no mistake we can make that He cannot use to His glory! When Saul of Tarsus was breathing threats to Christians in the first century, how many Christians realized that a few short months or years later this persecutor would turn evangelist and travel the known world spreading the gospel! That is why Christian I say, the COVID crisis, the economic downturn, the election of 2020, these are all temporary opportunities of the Lord to show us His greatness and our frailty in thinking that we are in control. He is!

Thus in verse 9-12 we see that the Lord through us will allow us to “…discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;” What do we need to learn from this? For one, wisdom comes as discernment is exercised. And in turn as the wisdom enters the heart, understanding will illuminate the mind. And as the mind is opened to the things of God, wisdom in turn shuns the wicked come to light! Time and again I have unfortunately been the wicked and perverse man speaking things that were contrary to the Lord. Yet in His patience, He guides me in the pathways of righteousness helping me discern what my mind is thinking, my mouth is speaking, and my words are staying! Thus, let us as James says “…everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:19b).      

Hence, in verse 13-17 we read “From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil; Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways; To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words; That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;”

Do I have a straight path or am I making my own path off in the darkness? We have heard of blazing a trail, but be careful we are not blazing a trail with the Light off. Friend, don’t rejoice in evil things. What’s more, don’t rejoice in the perversity of evil. Again the word for perversity is the Hebrew לוּז (luz) which means to turn aside. Don’t turn aside but do follow Him! That is why when Jesus called His disciples, He did not give them a rulebook and then leave them on their own. Rather He instructed them, He empowered them, then He illuminated their hearts forever by giving the Holy Spirit to guide them and us until He returns again!

In verse 17 we are told that those who turn aside “….forgets the covenant of her God;” Let it never be forgotten that we have entered into a love covenant marriage with the Lord for eternity. Thus every time we are unfaithful to Him we ought to return as a repentant lover who has been unfaithful to their betrothed! If we picture this in our relationship with Him, then my estimation is that our quickness to drift away will be hampered because we want to know Who this Savior is!

Finally in verses 18 and 19 we read “For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead; None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.” Though simple enough in consequence and description, it is very easy to do! We have a sin nature that is at war with Christ. And though we daily ought to reckon our bodies dead to sin and alive to Christ, we must reach for Him as He is the paths of life. He is after all “…the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” (John 14:6b). Therefore, to reach the paths of life, cling to the One Who gave Himself. Blessings as you go!

GW, AK – Proverbs 2:7-19

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

For the first verse in this section we have the phrase תּוּשִׁיָּה (tushiyyah) — which is a rarely used Hebrew word. Occurring only 11 times, it is translated “sound wisdom,” “deliverance,” “helpful insight,” and other words of the same vein. The point being, the Lord stores up sound wisdom to reveal to the upright at the specific time. And correlating to that, He is a shield to those who walk in the integrity of Scripture and the wisdom of the Lord.

8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.

Similar to prior verses, and harkening back to verse 7, He says that those who walk in the fear of the Lord walk on the paths of justice of which the Lord guards. Correspondingly, they are guarded by the Lord Himself! Also, He preserves the ways of the righteous. It is important to note that the ways of the righteous and varied. Yet this is precisely the mark of the testimony as each child of God has a different account of how the Lord touched their life and revealed Himself to the individual.

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

The “Then” in the sentence denotes the point of time in which the decision is made to follow the Lord in my understanding. As the decision is made up in the follower’s mind, the Lord reveals to the follower the understanding during which they are able to see for themselves and show to others the right way. Moreover, the justice in the decision, the equity in and fairness in its logic, and the reason the decision is effectively good. Let us not forget that decisions from the Lord sometimes do not make sense in foresight, but hindsight they are the correct way often because only He sees the full picture.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

As the decision is cast in our minds, a fuller implication of that decision begins to expand in our hearts. Consequently, though the decision is hard, the impact may be difficult, the resting ability in making the decision between options allows for the one making the decision to rest in Him.

11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,

Again, once the decision is made, the discretion will guard the individual so long as the decision is made toward the Lord. For specifics, I suppose my testimony would be of dating again. Once my mind was made up that perhaps I could date again after the brain injury, through the wisdom of my father and the selection by my eyes (she is beautiful after all!), I was able to muster the courage to ask Leslie out on a date. And now 17 years later, she is still my glass menagerie, she is still my beauty and my joy. And she is still my pursuit along with Christ.

12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Now in apposition to seeking the Lord and so seeking my wife, the way of evil is all to easy. Seek the things of the world and the pleasures apart from Him. And just as perversity is defined as “turned away from or rejecting what is right, good, or proper; wicked or corrupt.” So the path that leads away from the Lord and His good pleasure.

13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;

The paths of uprightness are those which lead up the mountain to the Savior. We can walk in the paths up the mountain on the side bearing the sun. But if we walk in ways of darkness, we are effectively scaling the rocky crags in the valleys below of our own pleasures apart from Him.

14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

Just for specificity, as if the Lord has not already brought to mind your specific traps and pitfalls, for those who delight in doing evil and rejoice in the perversity of evil, we are challenged to delight in Him! Recall at His baptism the voice of God the Father saying ““This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). This is in direct opposition to the picture of those who delight in doing evil!

15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;

Again following the path that are both crooked and who are devious in their ways, Christ says that “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:6).”

16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words;

This is not only a devious woman but the harlot of adultery who ensnares many a person with her deceitful eyes and her empty promises. Oh friend turn from her wicked ways and fall on the grace afforded to all who will follow Jesus! Flattery is no comparison to the Word of the Lord and the Rock of salvation, Jesus!

17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Christ through His redemption comes to purchase back and restore. This is why we are told in our youth to run to Christ and remember the covenant of Christ! This is not only for our youth but for our older maturity that we might remember the deliverance and promises kept by Him so that when we need to fall on Him, we might recognize and remember He is the only pitfall of safety and security.

18 For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead;

Again the tension between the wisdom of the world shows itself against the wisdom of the Lord. Her path lead to death. It plays out that if we recognize that we have followed the wrong path, we have the opportunity in the revealed revelation to change paths and cry out to Him! Remember only He can rescue us, but only He should as only Jesus can restore us with His grace, forgiveness, and love.

19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

A stern warning and stark reminder, none who go to her return. This is important as there are many who claim to have found god in his varied incarnations. But for those who know Christ, know that there is but One God and His name is Jesus. All others, Allah, Budha, Shiva, etc, are but pale images of a deceitful devil who only wish for the comradery of fellow contrarians to Christ! Blessings as you go!

Get wisdom, apply knowledge: Proverbs 2:1-6

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

1My son, if you will receive my words
            And treasure my commandments within you,

      2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
            Incline your heart to understanding;

      3For if you cry for discernment,
            Lift your voice for understanding;

      4If you seek her as silver
            And search for her as for hidden treasures;

      5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
            And discover the knowledge of God.

      6For the LORD gives wisdom;
            From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Right from the outset, the heading is “the pursuit of wisdom brings security. Now what that did not say is when that applies. And perhaps that is one of the best things. When you lose your job, the Scripture still applies. When your marriage is falling apart, the Scripture still applies. When your children are walking away from the Lord, the Scripture still applies! Take heart!

Now skimming the surface of the of Scripture, we read in verse 1 “1My son, if you will receive my words and treasure my commandments within you…” If as a son or daughter of Christ, you should receive the Words of the King of kings because He is worthy of all praise and obedience. But notice it is not a command given as an authoritarian rule but as a Father to His children.

If you will receive my words and in turn treasure His commandments then you will understand and be better able to operate in this sin-stated world in such a way as to draw all men to the Father. Then the “how” in verse 2 “Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;” Which begs the question, how do we make our ear attentive to wisdom?

In Proverbs chapter 5, a little ways on in the book we see “1My son, give attention to my wisdom, Incline your ear to my understanding; 2That you may observe discretion And your lips may reserve knowledge.” So to make your ear attentive to wisdom we ought to incline our ear to His understanding. This is to pay attention to and adopt where applicable His understanding of the world. This is done by observing discretion or that you may maintain (לִשְׁמֹ֥ר)1) purpose, discretion, device, plot  (מְזִמּ֑וֹת). Thus to “Make your ear attentive to wisdom” we ought maintain our purpose. And to maintain our purpose we ought incline or bend our will to understand His!

Now to do so, to put rubber to the road, we as children of Him out to cry for discernment and lit your voice for understanding. as it says “3For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;” Without being political, how many voices today are we seeing those crying out for understanding asking for discernment from Him? This is not for culture to change by engaging culture but rather asking to help us understand that we might start change within our own hearts and thereby engage culture with that new understanding!

Further in verse 4 we read “If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;” How do we seek for lost jewelry of heightened value? We search for it with everything we are! Our minds are fully engaged and our hands and hearts are committed to the task! Further we look where we have looked before with a renewed zeal and fervor as we openly and readily admit that we may have missed something previously overlooked. We enlist others to help us as we admit that we may have missed something. Now how often do we when treating the Scriptures enlist others to help us? How often do we study the Scriptures in the context of others to glean what we may have missed? Oh friend, when this COVID crises abates and we are able to attend in worship again, don’t miss out on the community of the brethren! As it says in Hebrews 10:23-25 ” 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Perhaps the quarantine has helped the estrangement of the Church see the value in community!

Then in verse 5 we see “Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.” When will we discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God? Among the brethren! We have an awesome privilege of gathering (even now by Zoom or other technologies) to hear the Word proclaimed and engage the body to strengthen all of her parts!

Finally for this passage we see in verse 6, “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” I’ve been on this earth long enough to know that though you may think you’re wise, though you may think you’re clever, this does not equal an increased fear and awe of the Lord unless you are drawn closer to Him. The Lord does indeed give wisdom and from His mouth only come knowledge and understanding. This is why when we hear those who claim to pronounce both the judgement and the blessings of God in ways and means that are contrary to Scripture, we know they are false teachers! As is said in 2 John 1:7 “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.”

Thus in summation we have three takeaways all stemming from Him, for Godly wisdom learn to fear and serve your heavenly Father as any son would do for His loving Father.
          

1. The Lord gives wisdom so to become wise to the world and in service to Him, learn from Him to love Him and in turn serve others.
2. The Lord gives knowledge from His mouth so to obtain this knowledge we must hear from His mouth (His Word). Cute quotes and helpful platitudes may look good on a t-shirt or onlines discussion but Scripture changes lives!
3. The Lord gives understanding, often after wisdom and knowledge as we look back on the situation that He has brought us through. In order to obtain understanding we must wait on Him to help us understand the “why” of a situation.

Though the chapter headings were added after Scripture was written, it helps to remember that He is the aim, the goal, and the ever present Help in times of trouble! Blessings as you go!