Happy new year! I guess that’s a little belated. Oh so much has happenend though!
- Our eldest has graduated and off to college.
- Our youngest is in high school now.
- I have a modicum more gray hair but at least it’s holding so far.
- My wife looks all the more radiant and beaming as she proudly recites the challenges of life and the victories in the Savior.
- I’ve been interviewed in a podcast for TBI survivors to highlight and dispense with the pleasantries and get down to brass tacks regarding the need of culture to be made more aware of TBI!
As this isn’t the place for that however, let’s get back to the Bible which talks about Who life should be about, Jesus Christ! We left off talking about a broken spirit who can endure it. This is true as many ultimately will be cast into hell because of their unwillingness to seek the only Salve that lasts forever, the salvation of Jesus Christ! With that, let me jump right back into where I left off.
15 The mind of the discerning acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
The mind and the ear apparently are the intitial contacts with the outside world to receive and intially interpret the confusion of this world. Perhaps here it would be a good reminder to don the armor of God to both fend off the arrows and thrusts of the enemy that seek to distract and ultimately destroy us. To parry, one must hear with his or her ear and then turn from the voices they were listening to. Moreover the mind directs the ear toward knowledge. So there appears to be a willful and directed movement of the body so that the ear is poisitioned and the body is aligned to find knowledge which in turn becomes wisdom in due time.
16 A person’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great people.
The word used for gift here is מַתָּ֣ן
(mat·tan) which is the word used to describe wedding gifts and also the very name of Nathan, King David’s friend who eventually revealed to the king his deception before the people. Nathan was a gift, which for the moment seemed embarrasing but led to repentance and healing.
17 The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him.
I debated to steer clear of politics but as its so pervasive on my mind, it is election year after all, the prospect of cross-examination seems so rudimentary but necessary. For the U.S. we seem to be beset with choosing before the lesser of two aged men. I personally believe this to be an asset for one and certainly not for the other, but I do know this: election 2028 will be new personalities and characters. So to steer us back to verse 17, I am encouraged to know that Jesus’s perfect plan is not shaken by a temporary tumult that happens in the U.S. every 4 years. In fact, after 1000 years of singing praises to Christ next to the crystal see, I scarecly doubt we will ever remember this TEMPORARY affliction of life on this earth.
18 The cast lot puts an end to quarrels, And decides between the mighty ones.
Interesting that the cast lot is spoken of here as what do we now have that causes the lot to be forgotten? The Holy Spirit! Oh what a blessing it is to be limited only by our knowledge of Scripture and our daily walk with Him. Whereas in years before, especially before the Acts 2 giving of the Holy Spirit marking the age of the Church, we would have had to listen to Rabbi’s and oral traditions. Now, because of our ability to understand Scripture for ourselves, every believer has the ablity to in part understand!
19 A brother who is offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And quarrels are like the bars of a citadel.
How often this is true! In glory, we will not quarrel. On earth, if you have children, friends, coworkers, or drive, you bicker. You quarrel. What is the solution? Be quick to forgive, quick to be corrected, and be quick to repair the chasm created by bitterness and unforgiveness.
20 With the fruit of a person’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied; He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
Easy enough to understand, you eat good food, your appetite and tast buds will be satiated. The satisfaction likewise of the mind can be given by the product of your lips. Reminding me of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Love is a fickle thing but seldom hard to understand the consequences. If you hate someone, that hatred could end in literal murder. Conversely, if you love someone the end of that love could be the love of an entire lifetime. Afterall, for those who believe in and surrender to Christ, their lives are now eternally wrapped up with His for eternity!
22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD.
And just has likewise it could be said of the females a husband, when you find someone to share your life with in the most difficult and intimate of ordeals, it can make a difference. In a much lesser illustration, few people who have cared for an animal, be it a dog or cat, would say that they didn’t care for pay for and likewise receive love an affection. Multiplied much more is the love of one person for another. Then infinintely more is the love Jesus Christ has for us. He loves us! What’s more, Jesus didn’t fall in love with us as we became known to Him. Here I’m using caps intentionally, HE ALWAYS LOVED US!
23 A poor person utters pleadings, But a rich person answers defiantly.
I couldn’t help but notice the passage shifts from marraige to a poor person. They must have had children! Hah. But seriously here we shift our focus from husband and wife to a poor person uttering pleadings. These legal pleadings conjur the images of a defendant pleading with the judge for mercy. As we who are in Christ can confidently and humbly plead to Christ to take our place and He will. To the “rich person”, that is swollen with pride and self-sufficiency, they defiantly and brazenly answer to the One Who made, owns, and created everything, “I don’t need you”. And that very well becomes the cry until judgement falls on them for an eternity in the lake of fire.
24 A person of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Who is this person who sticks closer than a brother? Me being an only child honestly kind of struck me as odd. But my wife who has brothers helped me understand more detailed to have a brother is to have a confidant who you can both be driven stark raving crazy mad, AND feel a close affection and protection as they offer familial protection that is hard to find on this earth.
Which brings to a close this chapter, but I wonder Who this could be pointing the reader? Enter: Jesus Christ
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