(Proverbs 2:7 KJV) He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
See the promise. God assumes the role of “buckler” (shield) (4043). We like that. We want God to be on our side. What does it mean for God to accept this responsibility? Since we live in the era of nuclear missiles and armor piercing ammunition we have no feel for shields. Why is the KJV a better word here than the NASB? What is the difference between a buckler and a shield?
Usually when I think of shields two pictures come to mind. One is the shield of the Roman infantry. This is a massive piece of curved defense, almost as tall as the legionnaire and is designed to provide a shield wall. A second picture is the large circular shield shown in pictures of the Greek attack on Troy. It was very large and could be hidden behind. Neither of these is a buckler.
A buckler is a small shield that is worn on the arm and is designed to be highly mobile in defense. It is to be moved to block a specific attack by a sword wielding enemy. It would be absolutely useless in a phalanx or against an arrow attack. This is useful against attacks that we see.
So? This is a promise that is conditional. It requires our buy-in or, in computer terms, activation. It is not a passive defense. In this spot God is saying He will be active in helping us defend ourselves. This is an active defense. Find the switch and turn it on.
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2 comments:
That's an angle that I hadn't thought of, thanks.
One of the patterns I picked up from you was writing, waiting and rewriting. I write about a month ahead on these posts so when someone likes it, I read it again. That way I can speak again to myself.
I am always willing to learn, even from myself.
Grace and peace.
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