Forget Not (3:1)
"My son, forget not my law; But let thine heart keep my commandments:" Proverbs 3:1
In the event that you were to ask my wife about the quality of my memory, no doubt she would laugh out loud. While many may forget where they placed their keys or their wallet (which are no less a concern for me), my tendency is to be midway through a conversation and lose the intended thought. Within the last week, I've lost a pair of sunglasses, an important set of notes, and even the precise location of my eardrum (even if that sounds absurd).
Fearing this troublesome characteristic of my brain, my return to a university level education in 2005 was coupled with a gift of cards called, "Boost Your Memory Power" by Joel Levy. Laughing as I unwrapped it during our special Christmas that year, my wife and I discussed the study tools that would be essential to a fuller education. By that year, about the only thing that I could cling to in my memory was the Word of God. But why? For what reason could my memory retain the opening lines of every Pauline Epistle or the obscure details of Isaiah, yet it took the life of me to remember what year the Founding Fathers signed the United States Constitution? The answer was simple: you remember what you take to heart (not merely to mind) for the purpose of application. Ten years of burying my nose in Scripture outweighed minimal weeks in a history book.
When Solomon begins this third chapter of Proverbs, a pattern emerges. He first asked his son to hear (1:8), then to receive (2:1), and now to forget not (3:1). Later we will see that the son is asked to despise not (3:11) and attend to (4:20, 5:1) the words that he is being taught. In many ways, this parallels a familiar theme of Ephesians 1:12-13 in which saints are reminded of a time when they first trusted, then heard, and then believed in the gospel of salvation. In the case of Proverbs, the king makes a careful mention to forget not the "law" and "commandments" that are now being given.
A frequent trend among dispensational believers is to associate any and all commands with those pertaining to a former time and another place. Lest we become too caught up in our own regard, Paul himself gives a commandment of marriage (I Corinthians 7:10), a commandment of labor (I Thessalonians 4:11, II Thessalonians 3:10,12) and a commandment for the orderly walk (II Thessalonians 3:6). These commands (Gk.paraggello) are contrasted with the traditional commands (Gk.entello) of Mosaic Law as found in several other Pauline Scriptures (Romans 7:8-13). In other words, commandments are often given directly by parents or father figures who intend to convey an important instruction for the godly character of righteousness. The trouble is, if a command of the Word is given, regardless of the giver, how can we be sure that it will be remembered?
Our answer is embedded within this very series. Here we read and study. Here we meditate in careful contemplation. In 2005, I may not have been able to recite the timeline of 1787, but the investment of my study from that time to this has now given more significance to the date. What we take to heart is the essence of our foundation and the basis of our understanding. Forget not the law of faith (Romans 3:27). Forget not the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). Forget not the law of love (Romans 13:10). Forget not who you are in Christ.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Length of Days (3:2)
"For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee." Proverbs 3:2
Frustrated by the fading sense of diligence in his teenage son, my father drove me to work many years ago and imparted words of wisdom that I would never forget. "If you ever get to the end of your day, look back, and realize that you haven't accomplished anything, then something needs to change." In other words, an unprofitable day was not a day worth counting (albeit there are days when we just need to rest and recoup). At that time in my life, the walk was just a series of dragging adolescent footsteps. Whether or not he knew it, my father kick started the wheels of my heart and my mind to live a life worthy of the call (Ephesians 4:1).
The most difficult question facing this text is whether or not "length of days" and "long life" and "peace" are gifts of God that we ought to consider implicit to the age of Solomon or if they are applicable to the present day. Can it be said that obedience to the words, laws and commandments of the ever-wise Solomon will provide such rewards? Furthermore, can there even be rewards in this life we live during the age of grace? If your immediate reaction to the last question is hesitant, I fear you might be living an isolated and lonely faith.
For many, the words "length of days" and "long life" are one and the same. But look at them again. To have a day of length is to have a day that is full of hours. To have a life of length is to have a life that is full of days. Speaking in terms of measurement, many days add to up to a person's fuller life and thus, the two go hand-in-hand. Yet, before a life can be full, the days must first have purpose or they will end as worthless. In other words, from the moment you rise to the moment you lay down for the night, your mind and heart ought to be at work to the glory of He who created you (Romans 13:12). Be it the age of Adam, the age of Noah, or the age of Thomas Aquinas, you were given life, breath, and existence by the mercy of our Heavenly Father. By the words of wisdom, your days will have purpose. By the words of wisdom, your years will have substance. By the words of wisdom, your life will have peace.
Alas, some pause to ask themselves whether such a message still reigns true. The Apostle Paul teaches that the honor of one's father and mother is essential "that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth" (Ephesians 6:3). Adherence to the wisdom of those who give us our roots is a key to unlocking the peace that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to sustain us in this life (II Corinthians 13:11, II Thessalonians 3:16). Contemplating his own mortality, Paul declared this most powerful affirmation of his condition: "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Therefore, because He lives and because He lives in us, let us seize the day for His glory by remembering and keeping His Word. Let your days in Christ be full, your life in Christ be worthy, and your peace in Christ be ever more joyous.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Forsaken Truth (3:3)
"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:" Proverbs 3:3
During the early stages of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, just a few men from his early ministry had remained. Most notable were Mark and Luke, writers of two gospels and the Book of Acts, as well as the lesser known Demas (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24). Pressure had mounted for many of them to return home because the Italian city was simply not a safe place to call yourself a Christian. At the end of Paul's final epistle (arguably), he writes that "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica… only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee:" (II Timothy 4:11). The word "forsaken" is used with a sense of abandon. Perhaps none of us can surely say that we would risk our lives at the expense of such a cause, but in the final lap of the race, Paul wrote that "all men" forsook him (II Timothy 4:16).
We glance at a story like Demas and Paul not for its immediate relevance to Solomon's proverb, but rather, for its use of the term "forsaken." The order of the words in Proverbs 3:3 can make it seem that truth and mercy are capable of abandoning those who have them. This is not the message. On the contrary we find that this is a reminder to take wisdom, to take mercy, to take truth, and to "bind them about thy neck" and "write them upon the table of thine heart" as a means to protect them from being forgotten (3:1).
Much of the illustrative descriptions of this verse are a parallel to Proverbs 1:9 when we encountered the son who was asked to wear the instruction of his father and mother as an "ornament of grace unto thy head" and "chains about thy neck." Here the author goes one step further from the head and neck when he says to "write them" on the "table of thine heart" (II Corinthians 3:3). In other words, mercy and truth cannot merely be understood by the mind or they will indeed "forsake" thee. How often have we met those who teach mercy and truth from the pulpit, but have not the first clue what they mean from the heart because they have never been applied? In some cases, I have even been witness to "men of grace" who teach that the heart is overrated. These are the victims of forsaken truth.
Some days ago, a woman stood in front of me in the grocery line running shy of the cash she needed for the bags that were already filled. Clearly embarrassed by a holiday gift card that wasn't working, she had a need for the application of mercy. Many of us have been in that line before. That afternoon was a reminder to my heart of one of the most precious lyrics of grace: "A scene so familiar at the old Five & Dime. A little boy waited his turn in line. And with eyes so intent, he proudly displayed the candy he'd buy with the money he'd saved. The girl at the counter wasn't sure what to do because the money was less than the price that was due. Then a stranger spoke up from his place in line. He said, 'Whatever he's short, just take it and add it to mine. I've got you covered.' " (PCD, "I've Got You Covered" 1999)
Her price was paid and her cost was covered. Mercy and truth are more than an exercise of the mind. If we believe in mercy and if we believe in truth, then they must become the operation of our hearts (Ephesians 6:6). May we all clothe ourselves in a lifestyle of grace.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + God and Man (3:4)
"So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:4
Page after page of the Kings and Chronicles tell the often redundant tale of men and tribes who either did right or did evil "in the sight of the Lord." Each account is given at the end of a reign so as to define the view of God regarding how that period ought to be described. Among the first of these is the author of Proverbs, whose story can be summed up with the following: "Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father" (I Kings 11:6). This truth may shock many who rightly praise King Solomon as the wisest of all men.
When called on the carpet for their actions or their conduct, a common trend among modern believers is to use God as their out. In other words, we jump on the bandwagon of saying that our testimony is only before God and what man thinks is irrelevant. Using Scripture as a proof-text, many will run to passages that speak against being "menpleasers" (Ephesians 6:6-7; Colossians 3:22-23; I Thessalonians 2:4, Galatians 1:10). We are correct if we understand the error of living to gain glory among men (I Corinthians 3:21), but when it becomes our scapegoat to live as we please regardless of anyone else, this is an even greater error that proves we did not and do not fully recognize our place in this world.
Standing before Felix in the governor's court, the Apostle Paul testified that he had "a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Perhaps most strikingly, he speaks to the Romans noting that they who are servants to Christ are both "acceptable to God" and "approved of men" (Romans 14:18). The contrast is drawn more clearly when Paul speaks to the Corinthians declaring that they "be not the servants of men" (I Corinthians 7:22-23) while later saying that he has been made a "servant to all" (I Corinthians 9:19) for the sake of man's salvation (I Corinthians 10:33).
As the Lord remains patient in His grace, we as believers remain a "spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (I Corinthians 4:9). Therefore, Paul affirms that we should be "careful to maintain good works" as they are "good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8). Likewise, we are not to "render evil for evil unto any man" as that would be contrary to the grace we have received and live to illustrate before "all men" (Romans 12:17; I Thessalonians 5:15). Such practical lessons are wrapped up in the interest of "providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (II Corinthians 8:21).
Here we return to Proverbs after surveying the ageless wisdom of our testimony before God and man. As the last passage makes clear, an honest life is not merely witnessed "in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." Thus, he who walks by the light of "mercy and truth" and does not forget what he has been taught shall "find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." When you find favor in the eyes of men, there is an open door to share the gospel. Live not to please man; rather, live for the cause of his salvation.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Director (3:5-6)
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
In recent years, the practice of skateboarding was frowned upon by many who perceived that it was a dangerous implication of alternative living. Over time, that fear has diminished, allowing for the skillful craft to become a legitimate sport. Whether or not any of us have participated in this trend, we all know that learning to balance our weight on a bike, on a board, or on a tightrope involves trial and error, scratches and burns, falls and accidents. Where you lean determines where you go and your direction is dependent upon that leaning.
Above is one of the most popular passages in the entire Book of Proverbs. From the time that many of us were children, this was deeply rooted into our hearts as an invaluable truth. If you've contemplated these words for years or happen to be reading them for the first time, the verses can be broken down into four crucial points.
First and foremost, to "trust in the Lord with all thine heart" is not an arbitrary or casual reference to how we ought to trust God. Solomon taught earlier that only by the heart can a man apply and keep what he understands (2:2, 3:1). Likewise, it is the heart that receives mercy and truth so that they might be used with wisdom (2:10, 3:3). He who trusts in the Lord with his mind is trusting in what he himself understands. This leads to the second point.
To "lean" on our "own understanding" is to make our understanding a crutch of dependence. Many good students of the Word have been caught in the draft of making allegiances to pastors and teachers who may or may not be teaching according to the truth. By this I mean to express those who come to an understanding of Scripture by way of a particular leader and begin putting all their eggs in one basket. Much like a political campaign where the die hard followers believe that their candidate can do no wrong, there is a tendency among believers to "lean" on human understanding and acknowledge the wrong source.
Point three is simply this: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him." No matter how much we believe we have understood, no matter how much we believe we know, it is not for us to acknowledge ourselves as brilliant scholars of the truth. Interestingly enough, the word acknowledge carries with it the message of "crediting" knowledge to whom it belongs. When we credit ourselves or other men for what we know, we find ourselves leaning to the right or to the left of center without the ability to move forward.
Thus, we find ourselves in need of He who can "direct our paths" and "direct our steps" (Proverbs 16:9). Jeremiah recognizes that "the way of a man is not in himself" or "in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Paul would later acknowledge God's direction toward the Thessalonian people (I Thessalonians 3:11) while teaching them that the Lord will "direct" their hearts "into the love of God" (II Thessalonians 3:5).
We trust in the Lord with all our hearts because that is where we have hidden His Word. We lean not on our own understanding because we are not the source of what we know. We acknowledge Him in all ways because He is the Director of our path. Our direction depends on where we lean. Trust in, lean on, and acknowledge the Lord.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Point Blank (3:7)
"Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil." Proverbs 3:7
Meet the Press began in 1945 as an American radio talk show, but soon joined in the rising popularity of television news by 1947. Just prior to the death of Tim Russert on June 13, 2008, nearly 3 million viewers of the longest running program in television history were tuning in at 9am on Sunday mornings to watch him interview a political candidate, a senator, a president, or a well-known government official. The environment of the room combined with the gentle intellect of Russert's moderation required every guest to be on their toes. For they knew as much as the viewer that this would be a time for point-blank questions and necessary answers that may not come easy.
Sometime during the 16th Century, "point blank" became a popular phrase among archers who spoke of aiming toward the white portion of their target. Referring to the "point" of their arrow and the "blank" dot ahead of them, this concept spread into usage for any common man's dialogue that involved tough, direct, or "pointed" investigation. Given that targets cannot feel the pain of a piercing arrow, the same cannot be said of human beings who are faced with those piercing questions. At this juncture in our study of Proverbs, the time is ripe for an unflattering self-examination.
Most of the lines, riddles, and sayings of Proverbs require that we use our minds to understand, but we have a difficult time bridging the gap from our minds to our hearts. Talking about the application of the heart is not equal to the application itself, so I find myself looking at such a simple, one-line verse as this and asking very personal, point blank questions of myself. Am I wise in my own eyes (I Corinthians 8:2; Galatians 6:3)? Do I fear the Lord (II Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:21)? Have I departed from evil (II Corinthians 13:7; I Thessalonians 5:22)?
Three questions. Three answers. If I consider myself wise, have I not already become a fool? If I do not fear the Lord, have I not already forgotten His sovereignty? If I run into the arms of sin, have I not already spit in the face of my Savior? It is not sufficient to merely look at the text and wash over it with academic swagger. Consider the necessity of God's Word, ask yourself these questions, and apply your heart to the answers that are righteous. Point blank: Are you walking worthy of the call?
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Promised Land (3:8-10)
"It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the
Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of thine increase: so
shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out
with new wine." Proverbs 3:8-10
Reading through the biographies of George Washington, the creative
genius of the Founding Fathers, or the collective sacrifice of
revolutionary soldiers, it should come as no surprise that many other nations of
the day attempted to make America and its constitution a model for
similar results. From the devastating massacres of the French Revolution to
the scattered Wars of Independence in South America, all men have
eventually discovered that the path to ultimate freedom is a unique charter.
Rarely, if ever, can we take the blessings, the promises, or the
conditions of one nation and place them on another in order to find the
same outcome.
This point is brought before you to illustrate that while Proverbs is
filled with ageless wisdom by which we can and should make use, there
are times when that wisdom specifies the generous love of God for the
nation of Israel. And for those who are not dispensational in their
thinking, this should not be offensive. If, given the chance to walk in the
Garden of Eden when all was perfect, you could enjoy the one-on-one
attention of the Lord for a period of time without anyone else around, no
doubt you would snatch up such an opportunity. Neither should we be
jealous or envious of those moments in Scripture when the Lord God of
heaven speaks with wonderful generosity to His chosen people of Israel.
Our task is to be careful that we do not misrepresent or misapply what
was intended for their ears and for their benefit.
The people of Israel have, historically, been a people of unparalleled
health through the will of God, the master dietician. By excluding the
bottom feeders of the ocean or the filthy habits of swine that
"cheweth not the cud" (Deuteronomy 14:8), their dietary obedience provided
"health to the navel" and "marrow to the bones." The navel, of course, is
where life once received nourishment in the womb. Yet, the essential
part of man's earliest mobility is in his bones. Good health leads to
strong bones and strong bones are filled with marrow. God's Word is
even described as that which is able to divide into the "joints and
marrow" (Hebrews 4:12).
While the conditions of healthy living might be ageless (with many now
eating by the Maker's Diet or other retroactive programs), there is no
mistaking substance, firstfruits, barns, and winepresses as intentional
for a specific audience. Israel had been promised blessing for her
"substance" of labor (Deuteronomy 33:11). Likewise, that substance is
identified repetitiously as her "firstfruits" and "increase" (Exodus
23:16; Deuteronomy 14:28). In other words, by working the promised land
that God had given them and returning to Him the fruits of their labor,
the Lord would fill their barns "with plenty" and cause their
winepresses to "burst out with new wine."
America, while valuable in its own right, is not a modern day promised
land. Neither can we say that God has intended to give plentiful
acreage for our churches and our schools if we pretend to give Him the
efforts of our labor. In this present age, He has not asked for the gifts
of our hands, but the trust of our hearts in the price of Calvary. Find
contentment in the sacrifice of Christ and do not "want" for more
(Philippians 4:11).
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Correction of Love (3:11-12)
"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His correction: For whom the Lord loveth He correcteth: Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." Proverbs 3:11-12
At the invitation of a friend and faithful servant of Christ some time ago, I opted to attend a debate on church authority. As it turned out, the debate was less of a forum and more of a dungeon. Flames of hatred were seething from the primary speaker who held to his microphone for more than two hours. Like venom from a serpent, this professing teacher of Scripture stood on the edge of denouncing all who disagreed with him, including my friend, as enemies of the cross. Deeply burdened by his excessively toxic words, my time came to speak. Without hesitation, priorities of grace were of the utmost concern before matters of doctrine could be assessed with any severity.
Believing that this man was favorable to II Timothy 3:16-17 and Scripture as "profitable" for "correction," I asked if he knew how vicious and hateful his conduct had been for those two hours. My question was followed by a quotation of Colossians 4:6: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." And before yielding the microphone back to the speaker, I simply asked if he had ever given fair consideration to the passage as he prepared his arguments. Unfortunately, his response was much like this: "I've been studying the Bible for more years than you've probably been alive and I won't be talked to like a child." In other words, being corrected was not an option. Not by me. And certainly not by the Word of God.
What is it within us that hesitates from correction? Do we fear the embarrassment of being in error and someone finding out? Do we perceive that we are without error? Have we set conditions on how or when correction is acceptable?
Chastening is a term used primarily with relation to Israel because it speaks to the punishments that would lead to their hopeful redemption. The Body of Christ is not in danger of being punished or chastened in order to bring about redemption because our price has been paid in full. Correction, on the other hand, is the process of rebuilding; the concept of taking pieces from an impaired lifestyle and starting fresh. Paul refers to this as sanctification for the purposes of God's workmanship (II Timothy 2:19-21; Ephesians 2:10). Beginning the journey of faith in Christ does not remove us from the polluted nature of our flesh (Romans 7:14-25). And for this reason above all, it is necessary that we be "rooted and built up" (Colossians 2:7) so that we do not forget the faith and grace of God both in study and practice.
We need correction more often than we reject it. You and I are recipients of the greatest love a father could ever provide. Furthermore, "whom the Lord loveth He correcteth" and such correction is as necessary as it is difficult. Our condition is resistant to change, hesitant to improve, and often fearful of progress that implies something was previously wrong. The larger the issue and the less personal a problem becomes, the easier we find it is to criticize and correct.
Take time to look inward. Be not "weary of His correction," but be reminded of His eternal love. For you are the sons and daughters in whom the Lord delights.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Pursuit of Happiness (3:13-14)
"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth
understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of
silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold." Proverbs 3:13-14
Over the years, television commercials have become far more witty and
creative than those in decades past. Geico continues to rotate from the
gecko to the cavemen to the celebrity endorsement so that when people
think of insurance, one company will stand out above the rest.
Southwest Airlines has a familiar "ding" with the words: "Wanna get away" and
"You are now free to move about the country." The smile of a child and
his classic moments are referred to as "priceless" while the closing
sentence is always the same: "For everything else, there's MasterCard."
Rarely, if ever, do readers think of wisdom as a form of merchandise or
gain that can or should be advertised. No one can inherit wisdom, nor
can anyone purchase it. Silver and gold, as mentioned above, are used
when referring to that which comes at a price or that which comes
through a royal family. In other words, Solomon cannot pass this gift on
to his son like the gold of his kingdom (I Kings 10:14). Neither can
the young Rehoboam offer up any kind of financial investment to receive
his father's wisdom. It is, quite simply, a happiness that cannot be
bought or granted.
When Bing Crosby recorded the famous Christmas lyrics of "Do You Hear
What I Hear" during the early 60s, the song was an instant classic.
Although it was filled with creative poetry, the third verse ends with the
misleading words, "Let us bring Him silver and gold." Surely it can
be said that the wise men brought "gold" as one of their three gifts to
Christ (Matthew 2:11), but for centuries, men have believed that they
were saved to eternal life because of what they brought or because of
what they gave (indulgences, tithes, offerings). Many children grow up
believing that their salvation depends on the faith of their parents.
The things of God have never been flattered by the things of man and
it's crucial that we really let this point sink in. For it is not merely
salvation that is priceless, but wisdom and the happiness that it
provides.
The political author and theorist, John Locke, once suggested in the
late 17th Century that the rights of man should be protected on the basis
of "life, liberty, and property." As a landowner himself, this was
much easier to say than the alterations Thomas Jefferson made almost a
century later. Instead, we now consider it more apt to quote the
Founding Fathers when they declared that our rights are to "life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness." While many have distorted "happiness" into
their own selfish pleasures and desires, true happiness is found in a
heavenly source. They who put their trust in the Lord and retain the
wisdom He provides shall be happy (Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 16:20). If
indeed, you have a right to this happiness, then never cease to walk in
the path that the Lord has established (Colossians 4:5).
Some things money can't buy. "For everything else, there's
MasterCard."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + More Precious (3:15)
"She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her." Proverbs 3:15
From time to time, each of us visit a restaurant or a deli where our mouth is treated with a fantastic meal that satisfies in every way. More recently, I've become addicted to a Japanese Miso Salmon served on a bed of white rice and Sake butter and garnished with snow peas. Ask me if I could eat it every night and you'd see the enthusiasm dripping from my face. The trouble is, a food overeaten is no longer a favorite. We find the same challenge with music and television when a song gets overplayed or the same program shows up every night. If something we desire can be obtained at every turn, it ceases to be valuable.
Even in Solomon's kingdom, where gold and silver were plentiful, rubies were not quite so common. They are among just a few "precious" stones in the world and gained their English name from the Latin word, ruber, meaning "red." While it is easy to quote that wisdom is "more precious than rubies," this leaves a gaping hole between what we read and what we accept. If wisdom is indeed "more precious" than a rare stone, then this ought to be an indication that wisdom is itself near impossible to find. Who among us would dare say that we are wise simply because we know a few things? Knowledge is not sufficient to declare one's self wise. Quite the contrary, if you think yourself wise, then you must also think yourself more rare than a precious stone.
Century after century, men have been proved to desire, more than anything else, what they cannot have. And if they get it, they cease to desire it any longer. This can be seen in our modern world when a young man finds a woman to love and showers her with flowers, dates, and moonlight conversations. Yet, after the wedding, the bride receives no more flowers, no more dinners, and no more fireside chats (It should be said that I find this post-wedding lifestyle among the most destructive factors in American society). By some standards, the new husband can be said to have "captured" his prize and no longer have reason to vie for her affections. And as nature would have it, when he no longer desires his wife, he opens his eyes to others whom he cannot have. Desire is a beast of burden that plagues the flesh and the mind like an endless cycle (Ephesians 2:3).
Consider the things that you desire right now. Make a list in your mind. Now go from item to item on that list and ask yourself what happens if and when you receive them. When you get the perfect car, what replaces that desire? When you find the perfect job, what replaces that desire? When you find the perfect spouse, what replaces that desire? Truth be told, there is no perfect car, no perfect job, and no perfect spouse. Instead, we go after the things that we desire and when they show themselves to have flaws, our tendency is start going after something else. Alas, that endless cycle of desire proves that we need something more sustaining.
Wisdom is among the most valuable things ever testified in the Scriptures. Rare are the men and women who find it, for they can hardly describe what cannot be "compared." In this age of grace we live, eternal life is a treasure we need not seek, for it is already ours in Christ, but wisdom requires our daily search. Remember that the rarity of wisdom is what makes it so valuable. Nothing is more precious to our walk.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Years That Make Us Wise (3:16)
"Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour."
Proverbs 3:16
With a baby sleeping quietly in the next room, Julia Ward Howe took a pen and paper to begin writing a song that would soon lift the spirits of Union soldiers. As an abolitionist and mother of six, she wanted to do so much more, but found that words were a tool more powerful than the sword. In February of 1862 when the Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in Boston, crowds could be heard singing "glory, glory, hallelujah" to the beat of every march. By her eighty-sixth birthday in 1905, Julia Howe sat down to reflect on her unfinished life:
"Yes, I've had a lot of birthdays and I'm growing very old,
That 's why they make so much of me, if once the truth were told.
And I love the shade in summer, and in winter love the sun,
And I'm just learning how to live, my wisdom 's just begun.
Don't trouble more to celebrate this natal day of mine,
But keep the grasp of fellowship which warms us more than wine.
Let us thank the lavish hand that gives world beauty to our eyes,
And bless the days that saw us young, and years that make us wise." *
Unlike Howe and the many to whom age is easily measured, the Scriptures do not provide us with Solomon's year of death nor does it provide the age when he began his reign (though we're told he ruled forty years). Based on other historical events within the Biblical text, some historians have calculated that the wise king did not make it to his sixtieth birthday. This detail is significant if only to illustrate that wisdom itself is not a guarantee or a promise of God to anyone that they will have a "long life" as mentioned earlier in the chapter (3:2). Conversely, when wisdom holds "length of days" in her "right hand," this is the essence of self-reflection as found in those who go to bed at night proud of the full day they have lived and walked according to the gift of God's grace.
When wisdom holds "riches and honor" in her "left" hand, note that the truly wise do not aspire to such gain, for they recognize the vanity of this life (Ecclesiastes 11:8). Although they may be "rich" in one way and "honored" in another, every breath is fleeting and every moment is precious. Some readers may remember that God's "right hand" will sometimes hold more eternal value than His "left" (Matthew 25:33), but more often than not, His two hands have an equal balance (I Kings 22:19, II Chronicles 18:18). All that to be said, both hands of wisdom contain gifts that are precious to this life regardless of their assurance or absence thereof.
The pursuit of wisdom is not a guarantee of prizes and glory, but over the "years that make us wise," perhaps we may come to appreciate the days worth living.
* Richards, Laura E. & Maud Howe Elliott. Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1915.
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"Her ways are the ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17
Often it seems that the more we study and the more we know, the more we begin to push away from those who need us most. Always seeking someone who knows what we know, fellowship becomes an intellectual competition rather than a place for edification and strength. On some level, this justification comes from a belief that our understanding of truth is without error. And if we can just get our point across, it will cut those who disagree like a knife and sting them like a bee. After all, the Word of God is compared to a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). This is a war, is it not!?
Indeed there is a war, but our gospel and the life that we live was never meant to be ruthless, cold, or isolated. As we discovered in the previous chapter, the deeper our knowledge of truth goes, the more pleasant it should be to our soul (2:10-11). Likewise, the way of wisdom ought to be enjoyed like the sweet juices of fruit to the tongue. Far too many believers look at life as though they were walking on a tightrope. Lean too far to the right and you'll fall off. Lean too far to the left and you'll lose your balance. Life is seen as a series of tiptoed footsteps and any miscalculation will take you off course. We would be foolish to ignore the need for great caution along the path, but the ways of wisdom are "the ways of pleasantness." To find wisdom is to find sweetness where pure knowledge alone can be bitter and tasteless.
When the path is pleasant, we cease to look for battles and places to compete. From time to time, the fighting may show up on our doorstep and we must be prepared to make a defense for what we believe (Colossians 4:6). However, when a wise man goes to pick a fight, he is merely a fool pretending to be wise. This is not a lifestyle of peace.
In this age of grace, eternal peace is granted through the blood of the cross, but what of peace that sustains us during the storms of this life? While ours is a gospel of peace (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15), there is a continued call to "follow after the things which make for peace" (Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:3; II Timothy 2:22). Likewise, our God is a God of peace (Romans 15:33; 16:20; I Corinthians 14:33; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7,9; Colossians 3:15; I Thessalonians 5:23; II Thessalonians 3:16; ) who calls us to "live in peace" (II Corinthians 13:11; I Thessalonians 5:13). The path has not changed and neither has the God of ages.
Truth be told, there will always be men and women who know more than their brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who have knowledge and flaunt it have very little. Those who have knowledge and start wars have no wisdom. Those who have knowledge and live by it have peace. If your path has no joy, look around and make sure you're walking the right way.
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"She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her." Proverbs 3:18
Legendary stories have carried men into the lands of Great Britain and America searching for fountains, cups, and swords that might have the power of immortality within them. From the Fountain of Youth to the Holy Grail and even Arthur's Excalibur, the tales are typically more grand than the actual experiences. With technology being what it is today, few remain interested in the mystical fictions of yesterday and turn to science as their outlet for eternal life. Hoping to find an end for aging or a method to mask its every wrinkle, each result is the same. Life and death were never man's to find or extend.
Within the realm of Biblical scholarship, none of the above have been as captivating as the faith-based story of the Tree of Life. Of all the trees in the Garden of Eden, only two are noted in the story of creation; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life (Genesis 2:9). The unique mystery behind these two trees is a riddle all its own. For it was the fruit of one that gave life and the fruit of the other that brought death. When sin entered the world and death therein, the Lord God made a fascinating decision that has driven men to the ends of the earth in wonder. "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24).
The tree of life is mentioned three times in Genesis and three times in Revelation, but no where else in between the pages of Scripture with the exception of four times in the Book of Proverbs. While this may or may not be significant, what stands out is the riddle of its very nature. Adam and Eve only had access to such fruit when they were without the knowledge of death. Likewise, when they were banished from its fruit, they were without the knowledge of life. Thus, to know life was to not know death and to know death was to not know life. Mysteries surely abound on the subject of this tree.
Where the Book of Proverbs differs from Genesis and Revelation is that it refers to "a" tree, rather than "the" tree. In other words, this a reference to wisdom that provides the form, the example, and the replication of life, but does not refer to eternal life itself. He who wishes to live fully from within his dying flesh is called to wisdom. "Happy" is he who both finds wisdom (3:13) and "retaineth" what he has found. For it is only by the wisdom of God that a man finds peace in knowing both the meaning of life and the meaning of death.
They who have been granted eternal life are among those who ought to exhibit the fruits of the "tree" that provided it. For they are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). Struggling with his own mortality, Paul declared that his life was worth living if for no other reason than to bear the "fruit" of labor in the grace of God (Philippians 1:22). Indeed, a man who has been given the gift of eternal life and does not bear the fruit of that life has shown that he is still searching for another form of temporary happiness that will never be found. For those who have hope in the promise of eternal life through Christ, "lay hold" of wisdom and bear the fruit of life He has given by the Spirit.
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"The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; By understanding hath He established the heavens." Proverbs 3:19
Above the month of January in our office calendar is the image of a female northern cardinal with her feet loosely gripping the snow-filled branch of an evergreen tree. Just outside our front door fly sparrows and finches to their heart's desire in the moderate winds of a South Florida winter. Those that rest and take flight provide a glimpse into the fifth day of creation when the fish and the birds were each provided a home below the earth and throughout the heavens (Genesis 1:20). The beauty of God's ingenuity was that He did not simply toss the living into a void, but first "founded" and "established" the place where they would reside.
From cover to cover, the Word of God is sprinkled with reminders of the Creator, not simply because He created mankind, but because He also created their habitation. All of heaven and earth belong to Him (Psalm 89:11), for they are the work of His hands and no other (Psalm 102:25). He is said to have "stretched out" the heavens, "spread forth" the earth (Isaiah 42:5), and "formed it to be inhabited" (Isaiah 45:18). Lest any man forget his founder or the God who paved every beach with sand, He declares:
"Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding." Isaiah 40:28
For many years in my contemplation of God's creation, I found it difficult to imagine the Creator prior to the heavens and earth. While we trust that He knew us before the foundations of the earth were formed (Ephesians 1:4), perhaps you also try to reckon the image of God when there is no heaven, no earth, and no man to reflect that image. Who was He then? What did He look like? How could He be described when there was no work of His hands to show His existence?
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3
"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." I Timothy 1:17
Before there were men to reflect His image, He was. Before there were birds to fly unto every corner of the sky, He was. Before the sun and the moon were set in place to light the earth, He was. Before any seed was planted, He was. Before the land appeared and the waters came together, He was. Before the heavens were stretched in the firmament, He was. Before the first light, He was. "Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou" (Job 35:5). In the beginning were wisdom and understanding. In the beginning, He was thinking of you.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Storm (3:20)
"By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew." Proverbs 3:20
With a deep sense of anguish and a few remaining tears, I pulled out of a gas station on the southern edge of Salem in December 1998 to the falling of Pacific rains and roaring thunder. Every possession filled the cubicle of my little car as I found myself desperately clinging to the words of Philippians 3:13 with the hope of a new day. As a young man enduring his own tragic love story, it seemed the southbound pools of Interstate 5 would be my undoing. Waters from this Oregon weather crashed against my windows with each passing truck and I was fearful that the rain would never end. Going through such a personal and physical storm on that wet night, there were moments when I was sure the Lord would take me home. But the heavens were not mine to control.
The children of our Sunday school class were recently challenged to imagine the story of Noah with a new consideration. Certainly we know God's declaration of destruction (Genesis 6:13) and the command to build an ark (Genesis 6:14), but what of the moment when he entered the boat and made eye contact with his wife and three sons (Genesis 7:7)? Upon closing the door to the great ark, these eight precious human beings had seven days of unknown discussion before the first raindrop fell (Genesis 7:10). Did they weep on behalf of those who were left behind? Did they express fear of the future? My own tale of sorrow is so vastly pale in comparison to what these men and women must have experienced during that final week. And then the waters came.
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). The storm of the ages began and the people upon whose grace God had extended were forced to endure an unprecedented flood from the heavens above and the earth below. Most of us have been taught to view this story with regard to a single water source, rather than the two that God had created from above and below the heavens (Genesis 1:6-8). In other words, Noah's flood was not simply a lot of rain, but a combination of showers with an unplugged drain below the earth that began to rise. Every inch of this storm was calculated from the beginning.
The Book of Job reminds us that there is only One who has ultimate control over the storm. He "hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters" and "a way for the lightning of thunder; to cause it to rain on the earth" (Job 38:25-26a). Surely there is not a man who can "lift up his voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover" or "send lightnings, that they may go" (Job 38:34-35a). Only "by His knowledge the depths are broken up" and only by His knowledge do the "clouds drop down the dew."
From inside the walls of the ark, Noah and his family could hear the storm and feel the weight of its wind. From outside those walls, our Almighty God had measured every drop, filled every valley, and numbered every day. By design, the waters above and the waters below would enclose the earth and give birth to a fresh start. Solomon reminds his readers that by the knowledge of God, there are no accidents and there are no mistakes. Every storm has a final hour and every night has a rising sun. Whatever you must endure in this life of tears and trouble, His grace will carry you through to the promise of a new day (Genesis 6:8).
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Son of a King (3:21-23)
"My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: Keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble." Proverbs 3:21-23
For the seventh time in just three chapters, Solomon begins a proverb with this focused call to his son. Those who remember the "super" combination of Christopher Reeve with the voice of Marlon Brando may find themselves hearing the echoes of "my son" as every viewer knew… the gifted child would now become the heroic man. Others may giggle at the mention of Sean Connery grabbing the arm of Harrison Ford with a gentle whisper that said, "Indiana." Whether we see it on the big screen, read it in a book, or know it by experience, a son should always recognize his father's voice.
By order, the first six calls can be summed up as follows: (1) Hear me (1:8); (2) Ignore the enticement of the sinner (1:10); (3) Walk not in the ways of the world (1:12); (4) Receive my words and hide them deep inside (2:1); (5) Forget not what you have been taught (3:1); (6) Welcome the discipline and correction of God, for such is the manner of your earthly father (3:11). Periodically, the point must be made that while there is ageless wisdom throughout the text of this book, we ought not randomly assert that these father-to-son instructions can or should always be applied. Remember, the entire Kingdom of Israel is in the hands of a king who has done "evil in the sight of the Lord" (I Kings 11:6), but who still, like any good father, intends to pass along his most precious gift to the eldest son. That gift is wisdom. And wisdom, while it exists for all those who know the Lord, will never require the same actions of every man.
To a casual reader, Verse 21 seems to fall out of place with the preceding text. Certainly we would not assume that Solomon is asking his son to maintain the clouds or the depths of the sea and yet the reference is made that he should "let not them depart from thine eyes." For this, we have to rub our pupils ever so slightly to see that "them" refers back to Verse 3. In other words, let not "mercy and truth" depart from thine eyes. He that walks with his eyes forward will have "sound wisdom and discretion."
Underneath discretion is the concept of being discreet, or having good active judgment with words. Some are quick to condemn the fool and slander the liar as they praise their own righteousness. Sadly, this is not wisdom and neither could it ever be. For if "mercy and truth" are the central focus of a man's walk, then his "soul" will be full of "life" rather than death and his neck will be wrapped in "grace" rather than disapproval. He who learns only to walk with his mind and not his heart will crush the very people that he was sent to serve. He who learns to operate his heart on the basis of a sound mind will strengthen the people of God.
Perhaps no other natural father in the expanse of Scripture can be said to desire the safety of his son more than Solomon. For this, we compare Proverbs 3:23 with the final words of Chapter One: "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (1:33). Alas, the desire of this father is the safety of his kingdom for years to come through the preservation of wisdom in the coming generation. "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon" (I Kings 4:25). This, the expectation of a king's son.
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"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet." Proverbs 3:24
Several days before sitting down to chew on this proverb, a familiar face approached me on Sunday morning and slipped me a business-sized card along with his handshake. In just a few words, the insight was simple. "Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily tasks, go to sleep in peace – God is awake." Indeed, we can rest with a confidence that our God is not on vacation from the needs of His Body.
If a book like Proverbs were not so full of curious riddles, one might easily glance over this verse noting only that a man who is afraid will sleep worse than a man who has nothing to fear. Even "the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much" (Ecclesiastes 5:12). We've all worked hard and fallen fast asleep from our labors. We've all enjoyed the peaceful rest of a holiday without interruption. And to be sure, some might even admit that if allowed, they would prefer to sleep all day (while smiling at the words of Proverbs 20:13). To all who labor and all who live in peace, this verse is no more complex than pouring milk on cereal with the dawn of a new day. However, the deeper we get into the book, including this verse, the closer we come to the inner circle of a king and his message of preparation for the most important kingdom in Biblical history.
For what it's worth, my goal is not to overcomplicate the simple, but to remind readers of the previous verses and set the pretext for what is to come. Scripture speaks of "sweet sleep" only three times; in the aforementioned words of Ecclesiastes 5:12, Jeremiah 31:26, and our current verse. Jeremiah 31 is, for all intensive purposes, one of the most memorable chapters in all of Biblical prophecy. Only here do we find the most explicit reference to a "new covenant" established between "the house of Israel" and the "house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31). Just prior to saying, "Behold, the days come" when this new covenant will be made, the prophet has envisioned this terrifying "time of Jacob's trouble" with a foreknowledge of peace to follow (Jeremiah 30:7). Yet he says, "Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me" (Jeremiah 31:26).
Sweet sleep always comes at the close of great labor. In the prophetic words of Jeremiah, that labor and "travail" would give birth to the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:6; 31:8). With a similar tone in Proverbs, Solomon is tending to the future of his kingdom. Indeed, as we shall see in the coming verses, trouble and desolation are around the corner for the wicked, but the Lord God will preserve His children. It is for this reason that Jeremiah can awaken from troubled visions to say that he has had "sweet sleep" when it would appear that great sorrow should leave him restless.
In ages past, the Lord God calculated the measure of waters above and below that were necessary to flush the world of what angered Him. The storm raged for forty days and forty nights, but within the walls of a great boat, the Lord preserved Noah and his family for a new day ahead. In the end, even the ark rested from its labor (Genesis 8:4). The proverbial words of Solomon to the young Rehoboam are quite simple: Days of sorrow are coming, but fear not when "thou liest down;" sleep in peace, for God is awake.
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"Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." Proverbs 3:25-26
Historians are often wary of using the word "inevitable" because it might imply the possibility of a sure thing where life cannot always be predicted. These modern days have witnessed a presidential campaign where many of the remaining players were counted out by the experts. Baseball and football have frequently enjoyed the rise of unexpected underdogs who go on to defeat the "inevitable" champion. Perhaps the final cliché is that no detail of our human experience is fully over until it's over.
Scripture, however, does not hesitate on the matter of "inevitable" desolation. The ever-forgiving Father calls frequently on the nation of Israel to "turn from their wicked ways" so that he might heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14). "For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men" (Jeremiah 5:26). Early on in the Book of Proverbs, we encountered the "wily" efforts of such sinners in the midst of Solomon's kingdom. These are the wicked who are "greedy of gain" and whose houses "inclineth unto death" (1:10-18; 2:18). They seek only to destroy the harmony of righteousness and face imminent destruction.
On June 16, 1858 in Springfield, Illinois, the future U.S. president foreshadowed the dangers of civil war. Channeling the Gospel of Matthew, Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Two thousand years earlier, the original words came from Christ: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matthew 12:25). This ought to give us a depth of understanding about how serious King Solomon was regarding the future of Israel. He stands on record as the last remaining king over a united kingdom. The tense of his proverbial wisdom suggested that he knew what was coming. One might even say he knew what was inevitable.
Many commentators, believing that they are doing justice to our need of modern application, have tended to view these verses as a reference to everyday tribulation. Needless to say, such teaching is nonsense. Over and over, Solomon attempts to establish his son according to the law of marital purity where he himself has fallen short. The Lord God of Israel declares through Mosaic Law that an improper alliance with foreign nations would "turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly" (Deuteronomy 7:1-4). Hence, the prevalent issue for King Solomon throughout the Book of Proverbs is the purity of his kingdom and the preservation of its union by the king.
Desolation is coming to the wicked of the kingdom, but if the king will walk in the steps of mercy and truth, the Lord will keep his "foot from being taken." If his walk is righteous, he has nothing to fear. The conditions of security for the nation of Israel were to be based on their proper conduct. No one is more responsible for the behavior of a kingdom than the king himself. It is now imperative by the lessons of his father that Rehoboam, the future King of Judah, the southern half of a divided house, learn the courage of godliness. For if he would live by these lessons, so would his kingdom.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The Economy of Labor (3:27-28)
"Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not to thy neighbour, 'Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give;' when thou hast it by thee." Proverbs 3:27-28
Over the years, most of us have been impacted at one time or another to make decisions based on the images we see around us, but this is not always the case. Arguing against the notion that a picture is worth a thousand words, twentieth century author and poet, William Childress, said the following: "If you're not convinced, fall in a lake and start gulping water. Then, instead of screaming the word HELP, hold up a picture of yourself drowning. If someone pulls you out, I lose my argument." Perhaps Childress has a dour sense of humor, but his message captures the necessity of action. The most heart-breaking image of a starving child is worthless if those who see it do nothing.
The dynamics of those with power and those without it have changed little from the days of Solomon. In one sense, the very existence of a modern middle class has allowed our society to become even more patronizing to those in need. We grip tightly to our prosperity and tell the poor that we'll help them tomorrow. This endless cycle of unwilling provision has convinced many of us that we can freely decide who to help, when to help, and under what conditions we will help. At the same time, funding the poor is not always so black and white. What should be done with the idle and passive beggar who refuses to work if given the opportunity? In the case of a universal health care system, should our taxes fund the homeless at the same cost of our own survival?
For centuries, kings, queens, presidents and even dictators have tried to develop laws for the benefit of their weakest citizens. To date, few have ever witnessed a society absent of such concerns. The context of our passage in Proverbs tells every reader that when a man has given profitable labor to his kingdom, the king has a duty to pay what is owed. This is the price of national morale. For if men work without pay, then the nation is fed by the poor economics of slavery.
Much of the Old Testament serves as a tutor of wisdom from an age gone by. The Apostle Paul, speaking of similar expectations under a new dispensation, wrote: "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt" (Romans 4:4). In other words, for a man who works and gives of his labor, a debt is owed. Those who lived as citizens in this historic nation of Israel were to be rewarded for what they had done and punished for what they had not. For the future king to see a man's labor and not respond would teach the people that there was no point in continuing their efforts. Why would they work if they weren't going to receive anything for it?
Through the unexpected hands of time, our Lord Jesus Christ introduced a new economic system for His children. Rather than finding a reward through our endless labor, the tables have turned in this present dispensation. We are now rewarded simply for believing on He who "justifieth the ungodly," for such a man's faith "is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The economy of labor was necessary for the provisions of a kingdom. The economy of grace is necessary for the insufficient worth of our labor.
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"Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm." Proverbs 3:29-30
In the years that have followed a million tears from September 11, 2001, Americans have found themselves entangled in a web of complex debates about the intangible enemy of terror. While there are those who have gained momentum with the idea of conservative caution, many others support the unspoken ideal that every suspected "harboring nation" is guilty until proven innocent. Only this morning did my eyes catch an article polling readers as to whether they were willing to support the death penalty for six "suspects" involved in the events of 2001. At the time of my viewing, seventy-five percent were in favor of taking the life of those who had not yet endured a fair trial outside the walls of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Solomon, no doubt, had it mind to caution his son about the abuses of waging war too quickly or presuming that every "neighboring" country was, by their very existence of disagreeable faith, an enemy of Israel. The discretion of a young king was to be built on the godly principles of mercy and truth, rather than malice and presumption. In other words, a neighboring country "dwelling securely by thee" should have no concern for the malicious blueprints of a nearby king.
Often, students of Scripture find it easy to pass off the word "evil" as a means of outrageous immorality when, in fact, "evil" is often defined by that which is harmful to another. The words, "devise not evil against thy neighbor," is not referring to explicit sin, but instead, to pre-emptive ruin and abuse. To "devise evil" against a secure neighbor is to set up plans for that neighbor's ruin based solely on the conclusions of the deviser.
"Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good." Proverbs 14:22
Just recently, a man who lives in our building came knocking on our front door with two packages that had gone missing the previous month. Days before, my wife and I were quite sure that the post office had made an error, but had no idea about the location of that mistake. We found ourselves wondering whether their had been malicious intent on the part of a neighbor who wrongly accepted what did not belong to them. Not knowing with confidence that any wrong had been done, we counted both boxes as a loss and set the matter aside. With an apology for taking so long to make contact, any notion of misconduct was removed by his friendly handshake. Had we begun pounding doors in anger or storming every unknown living room with impatience, the obvious error would have been ours.
Solomon's foreign policy was simple: "Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm." The Lord Jesus would take this message further in the coming years of Roman rule over Israel: "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other;" (Luke 6:29). With the exception of wars to regain the promised land of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:6-7), God had called Israel to peace. Such was the long-term expectation of a holy nation.
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"Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways." Proverbs 3:31
Embracing an opportunity to travel overseas, Alexis de Tocqueville took advantage of his position in the French court to visit the United States during the 1830s. His agenda was quite simple. He wanted to understand why the American Revolution achieved long-term success while the French Revolution had not. Tocqueville was deeply fascinated with a growing democracy abroad and hoped to study a system that was quite different than his own. Upon return to France, he wrote two volumes appropriately titled,
Democracy in America. The New York Times was noted for saying that "no better study of a nation's institutions and culture has ever been written by a foreign observer."
In truth, when Christians delve into the pages of Old Testament history, the vast majority are foreigners to the laws, systems, and politics of Israel. Believing that none of this matters, critics of the dispensational approach to Scripture often take verses at random without any concern for who they were written. Without question, there are immense and deeply penetrating lessons that the Body can learn from the tutor of Israel's past, but it is absolutely essential to basic Biblical comprehension that we know how one system differs from another. Tocqueville spent nine months studying the American people with an understanding that their system was quite different from his own.
Basing our studies on the most sound principles of right division (II Timothy 2:15), we must, by now, recognize that the administrative structure of Israel is not the administrative structure for the Body of Christ. At this point in the Book of Proverbs, it should be quite evident that King Solomon was, in a wonderfully mysterious fashion, setting the law of succession for the human leader of God's people in Israel. His young son, Rehoboam, would be given the guidelines for a monarchy that could either lead the kingdom into a prosperous future or derail them into a period of civil conflict and ultimate desolation.
With this particular proverb, like many others, Solomon expounds upon the Mosaic law of human relations. "Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 22:21; 23:9). Careful readers of Proverbs 3:31 might notice that the implication seems less national and more individually grounded. However, we mustn't forget that there is no citizen of Israel greater than the king and the only person capable of actually oppressing the crown is the head of another nation. If Rehoboam was to "choose" the way of his enemies, then "the prince that wanteth understanding" would himself become the "great oppressor" to the nations around (Proverbs 28:16). Under such a government, Israel would always be seen as a threat and peace could hardly be secured.
Perhaps the lasting question can be asked: Why would anyone "envy" the ways of their oppressor? Surely the oppressed would not wish to be the oppressor, right? Not necessarily. Every athlete who has experienced crushing defeat at the hands of a superior rival can admit that they would revel in their own moment of victory. When you turn the tables of human government, the politics of envy are no different. Solomon warns his son against the dangers of turning from the oppressed to the oppressor. Again, such was the long-term expectation of a holy nation.
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"For the froward is abomination to the Lord: But his secret is with the righteous." Proverbs 3:32
Between 1978 and 1982, the infamous character of Dr. David Banner and his inner rage came to life on television screens across America. Although it was one of my favorite t.v. shows as a child, I still recall running out of the room every time Banner's eyes turned green. It wasn't as scary to see the actual monster as it was to see the man go from peaceful to evil within a matter of seconds. According to Marvel Comics (creators of The Incredible Hulk), a more terrifying creature was written into the series in the late 1960s. This new character was called The Abomination. Both he and the original Hulk were compelled throughout the story to find a way of controlling their "raging spirit within."
For many of us, the word "abomination" has an immediate context. More often than not, both dispensational and covenant theologians refer to the "abomination of desolation" that Christ speaks of in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. Both verses refer back to Daniel 11:31 and 12:11 when the famous prophet talks about the coming "time of Jacob's trouble." In layman's terms, this is known as the Great Tribulation, and has to do with a prophesied crisis in the land of Israel.
However, not every reference to "abomination" is a prophetic implication of troubled times. In fact, more often than not, the word "abomination" is simply a reference to any dishonorable action in the eyes of another person or persons. And much to the surprise of faithful Bible students, this word is used more in Proverbs (19x) than any of the other 66 books and has little to do with prophecy. Rather, this book of wisdom uses "abomination" to explain "seven" things God considers to be utterly shameful.
"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (1) A proud look, (2) a lying tongue, (3) and hands that shed innocent blood, (4) an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, (5) feet that be swift in running into mischief, (6) a false witness that speaketh lies, (7) and he that soweth discord among the brethren." Proverbs 6:16-19
The passage of our lesson (3:32) is merely a prelude to this list of hated abominations before the eyes of God. Our studies brought us to the brink of the froward man (2:12-15) and it was discovered that Solomon was speaking about the man inside who turns his back on the forward path. To be "froward" is to be the opposite of "forward" and thus implies a man who is moving in a backwards direction. Hence, for the "froward" to be "abomination to the Lord" is a preliminary explanation for what exactly God hates to see within His people.
Such a man who walks with his back to the light of the lamp (Psalm 119:105) is a man whose "secret is with the righteous." In other words, Solomon is teaching that there are those who carelessly live by these seven abominations, but the righteous will always recognize a wolf "secretly" disguised in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). Speaking of those who disregard the "doctrine" of "godliness," the Apostle Paul warns against similar types of dissenters among the Body of Christ (I Timothy 6:3-6). Whether it be Israel or the Body, this point of ageless wisdom remains: God hates the proud and lifts up the humble. May our righteousness in Christ Jesus never be taken for granted lest we become prideful of what we did not earn.
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"The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: But He blesseth the habitation of the just." Proverbs 3:33
During a recent evening of late night reading, I was distracted by the sound of crashing flower pots and the voice of a woman screaming profanity outside. For whatever reason, an inside conversation had spilled out into the hearing distance of neighbors and children trying to sleep in the nearby apartments. After calling the police (who arrived within seconds), I peered out the blinds to see a man being handcuffed on the sidewalk. Over the course of an hour, his hands were released and the officers apprehended the woman in his place. As it turned out, she had thrown the crashing pot at his head and caused a significant gash above his ear. When the dust finally settled and all was at peace around our building, I wandered back into my quiet study and noted how different life must really be from one house to another.
Much like the previous message on abomination, Solomon contrasts the house of the just with the house of the wicked far more than any other Biblical author (10:6, 7; 10:20; 12:13; 12:21; 17:15; 24:16; 29:27). And although the lesson of this particular proverb is fair and reasonable, the wise king is quick to share a far more disturbing reality in the Book of Ecclesiastes: "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness." Ecclesiastes 7:15
This is almost the exact reverse of what we read in Proverbs 3:33, wherein the just man gets his blessing for being just while the wicked man receives his curse for being wicked. According to the words of vanity, the righteous man may die earlier than the wicked man who somehow manages to extend his life. How are these to be reconciled if indeed we trust the Word of God as a source of consistency over contradiction? How can it be that one man gets everything he doesn't deserve while the other man achieves nothing that he did deserve?
The Apostle Paul guides his Corinthian readers through the tutelage of historic Israel in order to explain such a distinction. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" (I Corinthians 1:27). Truth is, when we think we've nailed down the basics of human logic, both Scripture and experience teach us that our wisdom is foolishness before God who sets forth every mysterious puzzle.
While establishing the Mosaic Law in the Book of Deuteronomy, God consistently promised that He would "bless" Israel in their labor (14:29; 15:10,18; 23:20; 24:19; 28:12), in their lands (15:4; 28:8; 30:16), and with their increase (16:15). They who upheld the "just" laws of righteousness in the nation would enjoy physical blessing for their obedience. Although it would be nice to imagine these blessings within our own "houses" and "habitations," the promise of such prosperity is not ours to steal. Likewise, it would be foolish to declare our own righteousness in the hope of earthly gain. "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
We, as members of the Body of Christ, have nothing of necessity beyond the cross of Calvary. In other words, we have no just cause for demanding anything more than the price that was paid for our salvation. The Lord God gave back to Israel what He promised them for their efforts in the land. If they worked according to the law, they were to be blessed according to the same law. We, however, have the full assurance of a heavenly blessing without the requirement of our human labor. Only by His grace are we blessed, my friends, only by His grace.
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"Surely He scorneth the scorners: But he giveth grace unto the lowly." Proverbs 3:34
Across the highest peaks of the Chaine de la Selle mountain range to the sands of Atlantic waters, shouts of independence echoed for the second time in the western hemisphere. Men once bound with the chains of slavery wept in the streets of freedom on New Year's Day of 1804 sharing a common hope that someone, somewhere would lend them a hand in their greatest moment of need. For it was not enough to merely know that they were independent if the trading nations of the world rejected their declaration. They were indeed a free people, but without the sovereign grace of their racially-divided neighbor to the north, the families of Haiti would face a terrifying future of neglected genocide.
Theological debates afford us the unspoken privilege of defining grace as "unmerited favor" because we know that God's gift of salvation to us came through no efforts of our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our human condition, however, has yet to learn the practical application of such truth. After leading thirteen colonies to the climax of their own declaration in 1776, President Thomas Jefferson was now in a position to either support or ignore the predominantly black republic in the Central American islands south of the United States. With the support of Congressional slave owners, he signed a law prohibiting all trade with Haiti and thus ensured the death warrant of thousands upon thousands who would never be recognized as free.
Within the pit of our stomachs, few of us are willing to admit when we have failed to show the grace we were given. Fortunately for those who have witnessed our arrogance, God Himself is still gracious. And as we read Solomon's words above, we can see that grace was always the Lord's to give among those who did not appear deserving. In fact, the ageless and eternal love of God would seem to turn the tables on those who "scorn" (mock) the "lowly" (poor). After years of unspeakable poverty, Haitians tell the volume of their lives in the following proverb: Bay kou bliye, pote mak sonje, which translates, "Those who give the blows forget: those who bear the scars remember."
King Solomon uses this verse both practically and prophetically to teach his son, who is far from "lowly," about the character of God's mercy upon weaker vessels of the earth who have been rejected by the haughtiness of the self-righteous scoffer. Indeed, for those who have been needlessly condemned by the standards of human merit, vengeance is His to take upon the scorner (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30). From the angle of prophecy, this passage becomes an assurance and reminder to the future king about the way God would deal with men from the lowliest condition to the highest royalty.
At the core of God's love, both in ages past and ages present, we find a body of broken people who need what only His sovereign grace can provide: a freedom that extends beyond mere words. For it is not enough to simply loosen the chains of a slave if he knows not who he is, where he is from, or where he is going. True grace does more than talk about its own favor. True grace gives men a family, a hope, and a future. Ours are the feet that were intended to bring this message and live by its eternal application.
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"The wise shall inherit glory: But shame shall be the promotion of fools." Proverbs 3:35
Three days before my wife and I got married in June of 2002, the biggest stage of unknown talent was unleashed throughout the United States. American Idol debuted with little fanfare, but quickly burst into an unexpected phenomenon that has since been known to produce three or more memorable musicians each season (regardless of the finale). Before any significant musical ability is discovered, each year begins with a myriad of absurd singers with little or no vocal strength. Among these contenders, the vast majority find themselves relishing in "five minutes of fame" at the expense of looking ridiculous in front of an audience of millions. At the other end of the spectrum, most who go on to achieve great success begin their journey with very little confidence. Viewers, like my wife and I, have long found that some of our favorite singers are those who "face the music" of critical judgment with the greatest humility.
Perhaps most remarkable about this wave of pop culture icons and one-hit-wonders is that far too many in the world are willing to be "remembered" as famous even if that fame has no substance. The goal, of course, is to be recognized for something. Anything. Give a man a soapbox with nothing to say in front of an audience of ten thousand and the fool will make up the first thing that pops into his head. Will he be remembered? Perhaps. Will it matter? Not remotely.
Most who read through the Book of Proverbs are deeply familiar with Solomon's use of contrastive parallelism. Scholars have noted that the last four verses of Chapter Three offer the first glimpse at the king's style in defining such opposite extremes: the Froward vs the Righteous (v.32), the Wicked vs the Just (v.33), the Scorner vs the Lowly (v.34), and the Wise vs the Fool (v.35). The last two are connected in the following passage: "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2).
Wisdom finds itself most evident among the lowly… among those who think nothing of themselves and yet hold the keys of understanding in the palm of their admittedly weak hands. With pride cometh contention (Proverbs 13:10), destruction (Proverbs 16:18), and shame. Those who think they are something prove to have nothing and those who know they are nothing find themselves to have everything.
We who are destined to a hope of heavenly glory with the appearance of Christ (Colossians 3:2-4) are also set apart to admit that we are weak without Christ (II Corinthians 12:9-11). According to I Corinthians 4:7-10, we are presently a "spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men." If we had achieved this promotional spectacle by our own doing, it would be to our shame. Since the eyes of creation are upon us by the work of Christ rather than our own labor, let us heed the lesson of Romans 12:16… "Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits" (Romans 12:16).
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Quite possibly, the very mention of chocolate leaves your mouth watering for something that may or may not be in your nearby cupboard. Depending on the time of year, most of us are given the occasional privilege to stick our hands into a box of chocolates in order to taste the pure joys of sweet candy. Certain pieces put a flavored shell over the nuts and fruits that we would never touch otherwise. More often than not, we've all studied the interior placement of these candies so as to avoid certain chocolates that are not to our liking. Some of us are more self-controlled than others, but with each bite, we're given a chance to take momentary pleasure in something that seems more than worth the experience.
Part of the joy found in the Book of Proverbs is the very nature of knowing that wisdom, in its most bare form, is a transcendent part of Scripture that all believers in all ages can taste. Yet, as we survey the contents available for our study while living in the present age of grace, our obligation under the principle of "right division" (II Timothy 2:15) forces us to recognize where and when the kingly author's message ceases to be transcendent. In other words, wisdom is wisdom regardless of its place in time, but captured within specific moments of history, wisdom has a centralized purpose that modern readers must understand apart from themselves or their longing to find personal attachment within the Word of God. The third chapter of Proverbs can, at times, seem like an oddly ordered pattern of both transcendent wisdom and age-sensitive wisdom. Below is, perhaps, a reasonable guide for understanding that unique order.
Solomon extends the message of chapter two by emphasizing that the path of mercy and truth ought never be forgotten or forsaken (3:1-4) and that the source of this foundation [mercy and truth] is not of human wisdom, but rather, stems from a heavenly Father figure (3:5-12). Much as he did in the Proverbs 2:4, the king reminds his reader that the alternative to human wisdom far surpasses any tangible merchandise such as silver, gold, or rubies (3:13-15), for within the gift of God's wisdom are life, honor, true pleasure, peace, and happiness (3:16-18). No man's wisdom can compete with He who established the heavens and the earth (3:19-20).
The age-sensitive material of this third chapter begins in verse 21 with an almost constitutional preparation for the future government of the king's son. If, in fact, the future king will bind the words of wisdom and the lessons of grace about his neck, then his kingdom will be a place of safety and righteousness (3:21-24). On the other hand, in a rather prophetical fashion, the son is warned of domestic concerns within Israel (3:25-26) as well as foreign concerns among those who are perceived as oppressors (3:29-31). As he turns back to the theme of righteous leadership, Solomon writes four remaining proverbs that introduce a prelude to the seven abominations of Proverbs 6:16-19 (3:32-35).
Kingdom or no kingdom, the ultimate path upon which all men of God are asked to walk, both then and now, demands attention to the spirit of wisdom (Ephesians 1:17). Wisdom always leans us forward, but the most memorable passage of the chapter issues a warning against leaning to the left or right upon our own understanding (3:5-6). May we begin to discover that it is not merely salvation that was given us as a gift, but everything we know of Him to be true. For if we come to believe that we know what we know by our own merits of investment and study, then the abomination of our pride will never acknowledge the Creator and Director of our path.
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