Tag Archives: proverbs

Friday Proverb – Getting Over Yourself

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Last week’s Proverb was a beautiful exhortation to obedience. This week, we take a peek at the underbelly – the ego of man – that forever stands in the way of true fellowship with God, and meaningful spiritual growth. Proverbs 3: 7-8, is one of the most well known and beloved of all the Proverbs.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

What a barrier man’s ego is! Think of all the nations of the world, the religions of the world, all people – everywhere – completely, 100%, full of themselves. How did the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, handle the ego problem? This is especially important, because Paul, by anyone’s standards, would have had something to preen about. Paul was educated by Gamaliel, a preeminent Rabbi, one of only seven in history, and the very first  to be dignified with the title – “Rabban.”

The title “Rabban,” which, in the learned hierarchy until post-Hadrianic times, was borne only by presidents of the highest religious council, was. first prefixed to the name of Gamaliel.

[jewishencyclopedia]

paul

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5

There are copious statistics demonstrating the benefits of strong Christian faith and its health benefits. Certainly, many followers of Christ have met an early death through religious persecution. But the facts are clear – those that follow the wisdom of God are healthier than those that follow the wisdom of the world. The statistics relating to sexually transmitted diseases, abortion, and substance and alcohol abuse are evidence enough.

Man second guesses God all the time. When presented with the Word – they respond – “Well, I don’t know about that.” 

Or – “To me, God isn’t like that.” 

How about – “Well, I believe this part of the Bible, but I don’t go for that other stuff. That’s not the God I believe in.”

There’s a sardonic saying out there – “I’m just not that into you.” Perhaps a more appropriate expression would be – “I’m really into myself.”  

sage

Friday Proverb – Fear of the Wicked

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Last Friday’s Proverb stressed the tendency of mankind to put their trust in man’s wisdom rather than in the Lord’s wisdom. The inherent sinful pride of people causes them to think highly of their own intellect and logic, which only leads to misery. This week the focus is fear of the wicked, and the proper Christian response to it.

scary-headlines

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

It does not say if the desolation of the wicked comes. It says when it comes. Avoiding the truth will cause people to be blindsided by the tactics of the evil one. Choosing to rely on our own resources will allow fear to overcome us when the desolation of the wicked comes. But verse 25 is an imperative for believers. “Be not afraid.” It does not say if you are afraid. Fear should never enter into the hearts of the faithful. When our hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit – there is no room for fear.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Proverbs 3: 25-26

Satan and the media he controls, love to instill fear in the hearts of Christians. He wants us to fear him. When we fear him and what he does, it gives him power over us. He will use this fear to cause us to stumble, the same as he uses every weakness he can find to spoil the Christian’s testimony and undermine the work of the Church in spreading the Gospel.

If the Lord is our confidence – we will not stumble. Period.

The New Testament opens our understanding even further . . .

13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 Peter 3: 13-14

And from the Psalms. . .

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.

3 Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

Psalm 91: 2-5

So as we watch the news, troll the internet, and read the paper, it would serve us well to remember who the media is in service to. They work steadfastly with one goal in their collective mind – to bring forth the kingdom of anti-Christ. We as believers should be just as single-minded, with Christ Jesus as our only Sustainer.  Remember when Peter went out onto the sea, to meet the Lord as He walked upon the water.  Peter too, could walk on the water as long as his vision was completely filled with Jesus Christ.  It was only when he took his eyes off of the Lord, that he began to sink. . .

sage

The Purpose of Proverbs

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This is a series which is installed every Friday, focusing on the Proverbs.  Undertaken  for another blog,  I intend to re-post these – ultimately finishing  what was begun.  The beginning of Proverbs explains their purpose – starting with the greeting:

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

The next five verses lay out the purpose:

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

The essence of the Book of Proverbs is the teaching of moral and ethical principals. The peculiarity of this Book is that it is largely given over to teaching by contrasts. It has 31 chapters, 915 verses, 15,043 words.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverb 1:7

One can possess great intelligence – yet still be completely lacking in wisdom. IQ is an inherited ability, but wisdom comes from God. Without the fear of God – there can be no great wisdom – only man’s corruptible wisdom.  Those that do what is right in their own eyes – are bereft of wisdom, because they do not fear God.  God is not our buddy, nor our “co-pilot.”  He is the Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Sovereign King, Holy and Righteous Judge,  Beautiful Savior,  and Creator of the Universe.

28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments: His praise endureth for ever. Psalm 111:10

sage

Friday Proverb – Are You His Delight?

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We will begin by first looking at the definition of the theme words of this Proverb study. 

FRO’WARD, adjective [Latin versus:turned or looking from.]

Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a froward child.

ABOMINA’TION, noun

1. Extreme hatred; detestation.

2. The object of detestation, a common signification in scripture.

3. Hence, defilement, pollution, in a physical sense, or evil doctrines and practices, which are moral defilements, idols and idolatry, are called abominations. The Jews were an abomination to the Egyptians; and the sacred animals of the Egyptians were an abomination to the Jews. The Roman army is called the abomination of desolation. Matthew 24:15. In short, whatever is an object of extreme hatred, is called an abomination

Proverbs 11:20

20 They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord:

This image is of Nadab and Abihu, the priestly sons of the first High Priest – Aaron.  Their story is well known.  As priests of the Most High God – they offered “strange fire,” before the Lord.  Whereupon the Lord sent out fire from heaven and consumed them. 

The significance of this event should not be overlooked.  What should the Christian take away from this?  Quite simply, that our God is very, very Holy, and we can not offer “strange fire” to Him.  Rock music, back beats, sensualized “praise teams,” speaking in gibberish, being “slain in the spirit,” – these and many other offerings and worship practices are strange fire.  They do not conform to the Scriptural outlines for worshiping the Almighty Creator of the Universe. 

The Charismatic movement is creeping into even the most conservative churches via the music.  Make no mistake – this is “strange fire.”  Country, CCM, and Southern Gospel music is inherently sensuous.  And God will, in fact, rain down fire again on the apostate church, only this time, instead of the two sons of Aaron,  it will be worldwide and they will “die before the Lord.”  True worship music is reverent and respectful.  It should not give you the sensation that you “really worshiped God!!!!”  Rather, it should put you in a place of adoration and humility before your Savior, and convict your soul.

but such as are upright in their way are his delight.

Heads bowed, and sincere prayer are His delight.  Before you “lift up holy hands,” be sure that your hands are indeed holy!  I never feel that mine are.  Not even for a second.  I am too proud of what I can do with my hands.  It is also important to realize, that at the beginning of this country, the Pilgrims allowed no musical instruments into the congregation.  Why?  Because of the natural tendency of musicians to “spice things up.”  In the same fashion that a good cook will enliven what they make, a musician will do the same thing with music.

The pop preachers of today, speak loud and clearly that “you can’t grow a church with the old ways.”  Well, that’s not what the Lord God of Heaven and earth has to say.  We are no different than the Jews of the Old Testament.  We, in our sinful flesh, desire and lust after the “leeks and onions” of Egypt.  We desire to feed the flesh rather than the spirit.

Jeremiah 6:15-17

15 Were they ashamed when they had committed  abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

16 Thus saith the Lord,  Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

sage

Friday Proverb – Seeking Godly Advice

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Many great and powerful men, have been brought to ruin through trusting bad advice.  Conservative media outlets often express incredulous wonder at the kind of counselors the United States president keeps around himself.  Any studier of sinful human nature would not need to ponder why this is.  Birds of a feather DO flock together.  We like to keep company with those who think like we do.  If we are in darkness, we will be drawn to yet deeper darkness.  If we are in the Light of Christ, we will be drawn to yet more of His light. 

Proverbs 11:14

 Where no counsel is, the people fall:

The infamous incident, wherein the nation of Israel began to divide, is prime example of the first half of today’s Proverb.  In 1 Kings 12, the son and heir of Solomon, Rehoboam, is met with representatives of the congregation.  They ask him, quite politely, if he will reduce the heavy tax burden Solomon had levied.  He tells them to come back in three days, at which time he will give them an answer.  Rather than consulting his father’s old counselors, priests or prophets, he turns to his “friends,” who are as young and inexperienced as he is.  Perhaps even more so.  In following their advice, he states – “My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”  This was not received well!  It is the spirit of rebellion at work.

1 Kings 12:15 states that  the reason this happened was in the will of God –   “the cause was from the Lord.”   His purposes for Israel are not license to sin.  Don’t make the mistake of justifying the use of ungodly advice via this Scripture.  Born again believers are never to take the mistakes made by Old Testament persons as an excuse to sin.  “David did it, Adam did it, Solomon did it. . .”  There is no Biblical justification for following in the path of sinners.  And, they were sinners all.

A godly counselor, will always lead you to Living Water.  If you tire of their reading relevant Scriptures to you, then you are not really wanting godly counsel.  You more than likely want affirmation, as Rehoboam did.  The desire to be accepted, colors all of our decisions.  If you really want godly advice, really – then seek the counsel of the aged men and women in your church family.

but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

sage

Friday Proverb – Don’t be a Talebearer!

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Satan, and the media he controls, is the master talebearer.  It is he that inspires every bit of salacious gossip and slander in the world today.  He camps out in churches too – leading sheeple to verbally destroy their brethren with “something they’ve heard.”  It is sinful human nature to be attracted to darkness.  Talebearing is a slippery slope that is often looked-on as harmless, yet the ones who do it are caught in Satan’s sticky web of darkness.  The more they do it, the more they want to do it.  It is exceedingly sinful.  

Proverbs 11:13

 A talebearer revealeth secrets:

but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Brothers and sisters – we have enough of our own sins to be concerned about.  Your church family’s, spouse’s and children’s sins should not be shared with others.  Not unless you want them talking about you to their friends!  We will reap what we sow, no matter what it is.  Lying, stealing, greed, and talebearing will all come back to us 10, 100, and even 1,000 fold. One of the reasons  FOX News is so incredibly popular is because of its gossipy nature.  On the website, it features un-newsworthy items such as “More Sex for Grilled Cheese,” or “Get the latest news on celebrity scandals!”  Yes, garbage like that is prominently featured, while zero attention is given to the church’s works of righteousness.  The reason News Corp does this, lies in the love of money.  As  stated before, sinful human nature is drawn to darkness.  Darkness makes money.  Oprah Winfrey’s wild success is proof positive of this.  Not only should we not bear tales ourselves – but we shouldn’t listen to it either! 

Do you really want to resemble the “father of lies” in any way?  When you do his work, he will not reward you – he will be your accuser!

Revelation 12:10

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Don’t give him any ammunition to accuse you with! 

sage

The Reward of Heeding Wisdom – 2

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The reward of heeding wisdom, is God Himself. He is our reward! This is in direct contrast to what the prosperity ministries teach. If we seek after Him with the same intensity as a carnal person would seek after buried treasure – He will reveal Himself to us.

We continue on the same theme. This time finding out exactly what happens when we receive this Godly wisdom.

10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

This “evil man” can come in the guise of a co-worker, a friend, TV personality, a worldly book or magazine, employer, family member, class mate, neighbor, internet, or even a passing acquaintance.

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

Of course, the “strange woman” could be any woman. She could be the neighbor that dresses immodestly in front of your husband, the girl at work, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, one of the female false prophets on TV, your hairstylist, or even your kid’s Bible study teacher!

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

Proverbs 2: 10-22

And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19

sage

Friday Proverb – Holding the Line

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Proverbs 10:29   

The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Once again, the Proverbs make a clear demarcation between the saved and the lost.  The pagan world is stymied when Christians repeatedly stand tall in the face of adversity.  They would prefer, if when faced with calamity, that we collapse and fall into the abyss of sinful behaviors that they are mired in.  But – the Proverb states that the Lord is our strength.  We do not need to resort to the world’s accepted methods – we have the Word of God.  Nothing more is required to see us through life’s darkest hours.

Psalm 1:6
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Proverbs 10:30

The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

That’s right all you Mother Earth worshipers, you do NOT inherit the earth.  No matter how much you do to “save the planet,” it won’t help – because it’s not yours to save.  The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it – and He will give it to whom He chooses.  It will not be given to the unrepentant, that is a fact.

Psalm 37:29

 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

Revelation 21:6-8

6 And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

sage

Friday Proverb – Our Life and Hope

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The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. 

Proverbs 10:27

While the Word of God does not guarantee a long  earthly life to truly born again believers, it does follow reason that those who fear Him, and forsake sinful lifestyles will have better health and greater joy in life.  While we are in our flesh – we long to be with Him, and  having the knowledge of His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence will prevent us from taking a detour into the dark side. 

Living the Holy Spirit filled life is a matter of surrendering our wills to His will.  It is a matter of getting rid of our household gods and fleshly desires,  and allowing the Holy Spirit to completely fill us.  And while it seems that the wicked are holding sway at this moment in time – remember – that to God – there is no time!  Time only exists here on earth – it is not a part of the heavenly realm. 

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish. 

Proverbs 10:28

Yes – we must fear our Creator – but we must also hope in Him.  One need only see the hard, brittle, look in the eyes of the abrasive atheists when they are attacking the Bible and Bible believers.  It is a cold, dead expression – void of hope.  And if the eyes truly are the window to the soul – what does that tell us?   There is death where there is no hope – spiritual death.  And then in the not so far off future – eternal death in the Lake of Fire. 

We can be truly glad of heart, and take joy in the fact that our futures are already secure, and written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  There is no reason to fret over evil doers – because their future is already determined if they remain unrepentant.  What a terrible thought. 

The next time you hear news of murders, corruptions, and all the sundry evils that satan has in his arsenal, it would be wise to think where your hope is.  It is not here! not in America, not in anything other than our blessed savior – Jesus Christ. 

James 4:14

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

[Forgive me.  I so wanted to post a video with the classic hymn – “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” but was unable to find one without a sensuous back-beat.]

sage

Friday Proverb – Sluggish Workers

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I’m sure we’ve all seen it – one or two people actually working – while the vast majority are standing or sitting around doing nothing.  While it has always been sinful human nature to be lazy – certainly the death of the famous Protestant Work Ethic has elevated sluggishness to a lifestyle – perhaps even an art form. 

Proverbs 10:26

 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes,

Bitter and burning – that is what the sluggard is to employers and those in authority.  And the taste of vinegar is long lasting and memorable – as is smoke in the eyes.  Never will the sluggard be looked on in any other way, than as a sluggard or potential sluggard. 

So is the sluggard to them that send him.

Do we really want the world to see believers that way?  Think about that word – sluggard.  Not at all a pleasant image to think about.   And it is also unpleasant to recognize,  that the sluggard does not only hurt himself and the image of the church – he leaves a slime trail. 

Which means that though the sluggard is being self indulgent, he really is leaving a sticky trap behind him for others to see where he’s been,  where he is going, and where to follow. . .

There are so many behaviors that qualify as sluggish, in the church, it would be impossible to list them all here.  We could fully embrace the Lord’s perfection, and even recognize such sins as adultery and gluttony as sluggishness.  For example, the lazy spouse will seek outside relationships, or even internet pornography, rather than working on their marriage.  A sluggish body will eat copious amounts of easily obtained foods, rather than prepare healthy foods to eat – because the preparation (planning, shopping, cooking) requires effort and – work. 

We are to blame for the situations we find ourselves in.  Bad decisions are one thing – and sluggishness is its evil twin.  Let us strive to put our best foot forward – and show to the sinful, fallen world, the radiance of a Holy Spirit filled life, and reflect outwards –  the Light of the Son. 

Friday Proverb – Wisdom is Life and Health

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In our last Friday Proverb, we learned that the best way to avoid wickedness is to flee from it. As the old saying goes – “Run like the very devil is after you!” (Because he is) It was also stressed that the wicked cannot rest or even sleep until they cause others to fall. That is a very important fact to remember when the sinful temptations are being sold to you.

father-and-son

20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Again, the Proverbs are stressing that God’s Words must be kept deep within our hearts, providing life and health to our bodies. Understand that this is more than prose. Ample (if resentful) secular evidence exists to support what is written in this Proverb. It stymies the “scientific” community as to why church goers, and those who regularly pray and study the Bible, live longer. They continuously try to explain it away with brain scans and Freudian analysis. Aren’t we blessed not to have to worry about the why? And just addressing the logical side of the question – it stands to reason that the truly faithful Christians avoid much of the behavior that makes people sick, as well as dangerous situations and lifestyles.

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

guarding-your-heart

From the Hebrew “keep” =

natsar: to watch, guard, keep

Original Word: נָצַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: natsar
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-tsar’)

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Guarding your heart is not the same thing as “hardening” your heart. Keeping it with “all diligence,” protects your heart from being damaged by sin. Leaving it exposed like a target is considered foolishness in the Proverbs. If left exposed, sin does its damage, so that even if sins are repented of, the sins that were swept away still leaves scars. And like all scar tissue – it is hard – and can even be seen in the eyes of the repentant sinner. How much better it is to guard your heart to begin with, and not have to suffer and bear the scars for the rest of your earthly walk.

angry-mouth

24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Hmmm, let’s think about wisely holding our tongues and thinking it through before we speak in anger, spite, or in a gossiping manner. “Perverse lips” means that the speaker gets pleasure from evil dialogue, such as locker room talk, or “talking dirty.” Not only should we not do these things – but we are instructed to put the people that do them far away from us. If we participate in the gossip, or in the locker room talk, we become as they are.

staying-on-the-path1

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Further admonishment to keep our eyes where they should be – focused on heaven – not the world and its trappings.

26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Look where you are going, think about where you are going, determine where you are going.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Proverbs 4: 20-27

Do not veer from the path of righteousness. If we are like Lot’s wife, and are constantly looking longingly back, or to the side – we do not belong to the Lord! In the words of John Bunyan –

Beware of this By-path Meadow; it is on the left-hand. O! how many are walking securely, confidently, and comfortably, in it; while every step they take endangers their destruction. The transition into it is easy; for it lies close to the right way; only you must go over a stile: that is, you must quit Christ’s imputed righteousness, and trust in your inherent righteousness; and you are in By Path Meadow directly.

Pilgrim’s Progress, p. 129, John Bunyan

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Hebrews 12: 13

Friday Proverb – Avoiding Wickedness

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Last week we enjoyed the wonderful wisdom that King David passed down to his son, Solomon – stressing the pursuit of wisdom above any worldly thing.  Today we look at the relentless efforts of the world to corrupt us – and the best way to not fall into its trap.

night-club1

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

There are many “paths” that could be considered wicked. What is being stressed here is the influence that worldly people have on us. The pressure to conform in appearance and behavior to the world comes at us through many different avenues. Television, internet, magazines, coworkers, “friends,” peers. . . the things we see and hear – lead us to covet – and in coveting we are caught.

money

15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

The only escape from the myriad temptations in front of our eyes is to flee from it, and completely avoid it – no matter what it is. If you can’t look at a magazine without lusting – either by wanting to look like someone in the magazine, or have someone or something in the magazine – better throw out the magazine! The same goes with alcohol, pornography, gluttony, lechery. . .the list goes on and on. If you can’t sit down at a computer without looking at porn – you have entered the path of the wicked. If you sit lusting after cheerleaders while watching a football game – you are on the same path. If looking at Pinterest causes you to be dissatisfied rather than content – you are in the coveting trap.  If your “friend” encourages you to do something wrong – flee – flee – flee!!!

The Proverb goes on to say, that the people that lead us to do wrong, whether it is the corrupt CEO of a gigantic, international company, or your sister-in-law bombarding you with temptation – they all truly desire you to fail.

wolf-in-disguise

16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

The above verse is the source of the colloquialism – “No rest for the wicked!” Certainly television commercials and programmers are relentless in their push for immorality – but have you ever encountered someone who pressures you with their own kind of intensity? Trying to get you to do something that you know is wrong? The Word of God clearly says that they cannot rest until they have accomplished their goal! Think of the tireless, driving methods of influential musicians, authors, media, even video game designers! Or the “friend” that pushes you to have another drink, or coworker telling you to help yourself to whatever is in the company storage room – because “everyone does it.” If you get the feeling they are trying to take you down with them – your feeling is correct!

roman-feast

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

Verse 17 is saying that wickedness and violence actually sustains the evil ones, in the same way that pure food sustains us. Their very beings are gladdened by a Christian’s failure in the same way that we are made joyous by a good meal with people we love.

godly-path1

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

How beautiful. The perfect day will be at the Lord’s return. If we stay on the right path, it will shine brighter and brighter in this dark world, until that glorious day!

Pitch Black Darkness

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. Proverbs 4: 14-19

At right is what the lost see. Nothing. The Hugh Hefner’s, Richard Dawkins, and the neighborhood philanderer . . . the multitudinous purveyors of corruption do not see where they are going. Even when they trip and fall, they have no idea what they tripped over. They will continue to grope along in the dark.

126 It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law.

127 Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

128 Therefore I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.

130 The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Psalm 119: 126-130

Friday Proverb – A Father’s Wisdom

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In our last Proverb, we had a thorough comparison of the just and the wicked. This week, King Solomon speaks to his children of wisdom, in remembrance of his own father, David.

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1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

This father, Solomon, has parental authority.

2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.


Solomon was “tender” or young when he was instructed by his father, David, and was loved above all others by his mother.

4 He taught me also, and said unto me, 

[what follows are the teachings of David, to his son, Solomon]

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Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Verse 5 -7 above, are one of the most memorized passages in the entire Bible. David told Solomon to seek wisdom “with all thy getting” – meaning no effort was to be spared in the pursuit of wisdom, and that it would preserve him. Think of the intensity of an Olympic athlete’s quest for a gold medal. These words from David – are the Lord’s Words to all of His children.

People lusted after the same things in 950 B.C. as they do now. Money, fame, power, wealth, things, people . . . the admonishment to pursue wisdom is as relevant today as it was then.

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8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. [Long and healthy life will accompany wise living.] 11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

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12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 

[When Godly wisdom is followed – the path will be smooth – it will not need “straightening’] 

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Proverbs 4: 1-13

 . . .for them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

1 Samuel 2: 30b

Friday Proverb – The Just and the Wicked

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Last week we discussed the tendency of mankind to envy the very people they perceive to be oppressing them. We always seem to believe that if the positions were reversed, that we would be different than “they” are. Today we look at three short Proverbs, each one comparing the just to the wicked.

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33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked:

This has an eternal meaning, as well as a present context. The lost sheep look at the wicked and often see them prospering. But believers know that the victory of the wicked is always temporary. And the curse on the wicked is not only on they, themselves, but on their posterity – or house, as well as all their works. I put pictures of houses here – but think of it more as the heart of the person, and how it looks to God.

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but He blesseth the habitation of the just.

We must ask ourselves – is our habitation bright and shiny on the outside, but festering and rotten on the inside? Do we demonstrate Christianity outwardly, but have dirty, besetting sin, hidden away in out hearts? Remember, God always looks at the inward man, the dwelling place of the heart. Can we hide anything from Him?

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34 Surely He scorneth the scorners:

At left you see famous scorner Richard Dawkins in a scene from Ben Stein’s excellent documentary – “Expelled.” But scornfulness isn’t limited to the intellectual elite. School teachers use it to intimidate students, bullies (this covers everyone with power over another) of all ages and both sexes use it; parents apply scorn to their children, and children to each other. Then, of course – the children grow up, and scorn their parents. The most grievous and only unforgivable form of scornfulness is the debasement, ridicule, and egotistical rejection of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.

humble

 but He giveth Grace unto the lowly.

That’s right – no matter how many time we fail Him, no matter how undeserving – if we are humble and repent – He gives us Grace – unmerited favor. The scornful are completely unrepentant. Very important distinction!

jesus

35 The wise shall inherit glory:

Those who have wisely accepted Jesus Christ, will receive a crown of glory. Not the scornful – no matter how many good works they perform. The scornful are blinded by their pride. Evidence of this can be seen in the “good works” such as the charitable giving that many of the uber-wealthy, celebrities, and elite do. Professional athletes make a show of visiting sick children in hospitals, and then proceed to commit adultery. The nice lady next door may bake cookies for the church bake sale, and then spend the rest of the day watching soap operas (soft porn) or flirting with someone online. The Word of God is clear – Grace can not be purchased at any price. It is “unmerited.”

outer-darkness

but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

Proverbs 3: 33-35

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Jude 1: 10-13

Friday Proverb – Finding Wisdom

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Last week we discussed the ever popular subject of chastening. We now move on to a continuation of the wisdom theme, again personified as a woman. In this passage as in other Proverbs – the woman (wisdom) is an extraordinarily virtuous, extremely desirable female, who is pursued by everyone. Not easily seen, she keeps herself above the fray and is hidden from view. She is what every man wants, but very few find.

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13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: 

and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

Many men pursue after wealth – yet this verse says that even fabulous wealth beyond imagination is nothing compared to wisdom.

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16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 

Verse 16 tells us that there is balance received from wisdom, long life in the strong right hand, and in the weaker left hand – riches and honor. The riches are not to be thought of as temporal ones.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

peaceful-path

All her paths are peace.

Sigh. Think about that. That means – if we walk with wisdom – all our paths will be peace, not just peaceful – but peace itself.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her

tree

It says “a tree of life,” not the Tree of Life. But what this is telling us, is that wisdom from God will sustain us, just as a food bearing tree would.

We are also told that holding steadfastly onto wisdom will give us happiness. Can we lose wisdom? Yes – if worry, fear, or besetting sin is allowed to displace it.

Proverbs 3: 13-18

Here is wisdom –

28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Friday Proverb – The Reward for Heeding Wisdom

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In our Proverb last Friday, wisdom was personified as a woman crying out in the streets to anyone who would listen. This week, the reward for heeding wisdom is laid out in great detail; and that if it is pursued with the same zeal as would be employed in the quest for silver, and buried treasure – the Lord will then reveal Himself to the earnestly intense seeker. But it is conditional – always prefaced with an “if,” followed by a “then.”

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

The plea here is to make the commandments a part of yourself, to hide them so deeply within you that they become an integral part of your being.

2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

Important to note  that sound wisdom is “layed up.” That means there is always more for the seeker to search out. The Lord also stresses that He is only a buckler (shield) to the righteous. Those outside the Body of Christ, or, those believers in an unrepentant, carnal and back-slidden position, are not shielded.

8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.

The post modern church of today has cozied right up to the world, and has embraced it with lame excuses such as “we need to bring the young people in.” How pathetic that must seem to our Lord. See what liberality has done to the church? This revolting image is of “Christian” rock group – Stryper.

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Do these abominable cross-dressers look like Christian men to you?

We are living in perilous times of woeful apostasy. Never before have we witnessed so many so-called “Christians” who live like the sinful world, look like the sinful world, talk like the sinful world, and fraternize with the sinful world. DISCIPLE is no exception. DISCIPLE is one of the most popular and successful bands in the world today; yet, they are phonies and should be avoided by all Christ-honoring Christians. {jesusissavior.com}

If the Lord and His Word and Wisdom are always foremost in our minds, our Christian walk through this sinful world will be made smoother. If He is our goal and quest in life, and the world and its trappings are pushed to the background, then we will receive the blessings of His wisdom and understanding. We will see things through His eyes, as they really are – not as the fallen world presents them. He must be the focus, then and only then, will the understanding come. Otherwise – the road is darkness and pathos.

 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

Proverbs 2: 1-9