Listen Up

Proverbs 21:13 (KJV) Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

This spoke to me today as I am playing nursemaid to my wife.  She just had surgery, and although she claims to have a high pain threshold, and to not be a whiner, that does not always work out in real life.  She is a high need person right now and legitimately so.  I, on the other hand, I’m still a person who does not understand the gift of mercy.

In my case the cry of the poor applies to her.  She has many needs that she cannot meet.  It is my place to step in and take care of that.  I somehow have to reach down inside of me and find the mercy and service that are called on in the spot.

My concern cannot be selfish.  I can’t focus on the second part of this verse and try to be a servant just because I want to avoid suffering myself.  I guess might get the job done but that’s not how love is defined.

So?  I seek the right attitude and the right actions.  Keep in mind that the poor who are crying out to you may not be those who have no money but who are lacking and some other area.  Pray that you would be heard.

Rock Wisdom

Proverbs 20:10 (KJV) Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD.

You find in the margin of some translations the explanation that when Proverbs here talks about different weights, it is talking about stones, or rocks.  Picture a balance beam scale where you put the bananas on one side, and a rock weighing 12 ounces on the other.  Then the person would pay for 12 ounces of bananas.

A literal translation of this is a rock and a rock. The application is that the dishonest merchant will have two sets of rocks under the table, and he will switch them for different customers or different transactions. Thus he will charge over for one and under for another. The rocks look the same to the casual observer, but the results are different.

Where I’m going with this is to give Christians some insight into our social mores.  We have things like affirmative action, as it used to be called.  We do have different ways of saying it, such as multiculturalism and DEI and so forth.  What we end up doing is using different measurements for different people based on whether we are buying or selling so to speak.  The point here is that this is not acceptable for Christians.

So?  If you are in the habit of evaluating people based on the measurements that your woke friends like then you are acting in a way that God calls an abomination.  Reverse discrimination is still discrimination.  Different measures for the same product is still an abomination.  Think about it because you live your life today. 

Group Effort

(Psa 54:4 KJV)  Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

(Proverbs 19 also read)

Several of the translations I looked at phrase the second half of this as “the Lord upholds my soul”.  Both the KJV and the NASB have this idea.  The KJV and a few others translate it as a group effort.

I know we look to God as the source of our salvation.  He is the ultimate source.  He is what we might call the Prime Mover.  And yet this points out that He uses other people in lifting us up and making us strong.

It is a group effort to “uphold” us.  This is partly why we are involved in the church.  This is why we have family and friends.  This is why we reach out to others.  They reach out to us.  We support them.  They support us.

So?  If you are not involved, at least on weekly worship in the church, then you need to look to your priorities, and seriously ask yourself how you’re doing.  Remember it’s not a crutch if you really need it.  It is a source of strength and mobility. 

Second Thoughts

Proverbs 18:2 (KJV) A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

When I first read this in the KJV, I thought, “I like that idea”.  I responded very well to the idea of my heart discovering itself.  I thought this was a great insight, that we can look inside ourselves and discuss our motives and our attitudes and all kinds of wonderful things.  Then I read the NASB and came back to the King James.  At that point, I noticed that this is the action of a “fool”.

Not wanting to be a fool, I looked a little deeper and realized that what was being talked about here was what we would now call “self actualization”.  This is contemplating our bellybutton.  This is looking inside of us for great insights and wisdom.  That is defined as a fool.

So?  Don’t look to yourself for wisdom.  If you really want understanding, knowledge, insights and such things, then look to the word and to the holy God, who will reveal the meanings of the word to you. 

Of Little Concern

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

(Proverbs 17 also read)

As I worship God in the dark of the morning on my front porch I have visions of what some people think of as worship.  I think of people crawling on their bellies.  I think of people taking whips and flagellating themselves.  I think of people crying out in terror.  I wonder what God they are worshiping.

I think all of those things that people are trying to achieve by that type of worship were taken care of by Jesus on the cross.  Not only did He pay for my sins, but He suffered all of the things that I should have suffered.  He became the curse.  He became sin on my behalf.  Because of Him I can approach the throne boldly.  Because I know Him and see Him revealed in scripture I know God the Father.  What would be a terrifying experience becomes a great joy.

And so I seek first His kingdom.  I seek His righteousness.  And I’m not sure about all the things that are going to be added onto me.  What else could I ask?  As far as salvation goes, Jesus supplies the answers.  As far as the temporal world goes, what more could I ask?

So?  It’s a great promise.  I’m glad that we can expect all these things to be added, but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and don’t worry about what comes next. 

When Does Forever Start?

Psalm 48:8 (KJV) As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.

(Proverbs 16 also read)

I don’t generally expect to find prophecy in the book of Psalms.  Yet here it is.  Prophecy is about the only way you can understand this verse.  Notice what it says.  Jerusalem will be established “forever”.  Make note that this was written before the destruction of the temple and the deportation to Babylon.  It was written before the Romans leveled the city.  And yet it’s stated that the city will last forever.

This has to be eschatology.  This must be a prophecy of the end times.  We say that because it has not been fulfilled yet, at least to our knowledge.  It’s possible that the current city of Jerusalem will last forever.  With the tension going on in the Middle East and the existence of nuclear weapons. I am not so sure that this incarnation will last.  But the Bible says some incarnation will last, and it will last forever.

So?  Interpret the Bible based on what you know and what it says.  If something seems inconsistent with your understanding, then it’s possible that the answer is to dig a little bit deeper and other times see what others say.  But keep in mind that the Bible speaks truth.  All of that truth is not useful all of the time, but it is still truth. 

Simple Juxtaposition

(Pro 15:8 KJV)  The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Every time I read this verse, the first part jumps out at me.  It tells me that things which would normally be excepted and, shall we say, honored by God, become an abomination when they come from the person who has the wrong heart.  He talks about sacrifice.  That is part of the law.  Actually it goes before the law because we have Cain and Abel bringing their offerings to the Lord.  But the idea is that the law has a whole series of sacrifices of different levels that can be brought.  It’s a very involved ritual.  It is at the heart of Judaism.

God says, “Not so fast stranger.”  He says it’s not enough to go through the routine, the ritual.  He says there has to be a personal commitment and involvement that starts in your heart.  That’s where the second part comes in.  Notice that there are these groups of people who are called “upright” (3477).  That means that they are standing tall and walking in the way that God wants them to walk as far as they are able.  They know they depend on God for everything.  They know that God‘s grace and God‘s loving kindness is would makes the difference.  They know that.  And because of that, they’re considered upright.  For them, the key is prayer, communicating with God, which involves listening as well as speaking.

So?  God is so focused on the intent of our heart.  The outward motions are great as long as they reflect an inward reality.  If it’s time for sacrifice, sacrifice.  But at all times it is a time of prayer as Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” 

Irony

(Psa 74:22 KJV)  Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

(Proverbs 14 also read)

I found it interesting to read this verse toward the end of the Psalm 74.  He talks about this “fool” who is criticizing God all day long.  Now this is ironic because if you bother to read the Psalm itself, you find that the author, Asaph, has been reproaching God all through.  He keeps calling upon God to get His act together.  He keeps telling God that He needs to deal with these people who are disrespectful and defiant.  He talks about how the temple is being destroyed.  I assume it’s the temple.

And then at the end he talks about the fool.  It looks to me like he is the fool.

So?  Do you listen to yourself?  Do you evaluate the things that you yourself say?  Now might be a good time to start and when you read, make sure that you’re reading to see what God has to say to you, not what God wants you to say to other people. 

Leave Comments Below

(Pro 13:18 KJV)  Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

When I watch different videos on YouTube, I often have people who will tell me to leave comments below.  In a perfect world that would be because they would actually want to know what I have to say.  In reality, I think it’s more a way of measuring how many people are watching.  And the number of people watching is reflected in their advertising revenues.  Call me a skeptic, I will answer.

This verse is telling us that we should actually be desiring those kind of comments.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to want to avoid criticism.  I don’t want people telling me what’s wrong with my life and what I need to change.  At the same time, I need to be open to listening when someone is bold enough to actually try to correct me.  I need to be humble enough to be asking myself, “Do they have a point?”

So?  Often they do.  We can really benefit from what other people have to say to us.  Even someone who sets out to insult us can make us a better person if we take what they say with the right attitude. 

Bipolar Asaph

(Psa 73:1 KJV)  A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

(Proverbs 12 also read)

As I read this Psalm, I swear it seems like Asaph, the author, is schizophrenic.  We start off with this glorious statement.  It assures us of the character of God, and how He responds to those who are seeking Him, and to live righteous lives.

Then you go into this long, long complaint session.  It’s almost as if a different person is writing, and he just starts in the next verse.  Then towards the end, the attitude changes again.

(Psa 73:25 KJV)  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

And from there he is off, filled with the glory of God, and how God sustains him, and so forth.

So?  If you have different moods during the day, you need to be reminded that you’re not the only one.  The Bible again shows us that it is aware of the human condition.  If someone who is writing in the book of Psalms under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is going to have such wide swings, who are you to be different? 

Mercy Checks In

(Pro 11:17 KJV)  The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

Earlier this morning before I got to Proverbs, I was reading one of the verses that keeps coming to mind in the book of Micah,

Micah 6:8 (KJV) He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

As I read in Proverbs I noticed the quality of mercy and I saw that it was contrasted with cruelty.  This made me sit up because I was wondering about the three divisions in Micah and this helped me to see that perhaps justice had to do with my civil responsibilities and larger social involvement whereas mercy has to do with my one-on-one relationships.

So?  God is concerned about every aspect of my life. 

California in Prophecy

Psalm 46:2 (KJV) Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

(Proverbs 10 also read)

You may not see it here, but you possibly have not lived much of your life in California, where people worry about earthquakes and the ignorant have no knowledge of what geology tells us fear that California will fall into the ocean.  That’s what you see here.  It’s possible that this Psalm is talking about the day in which California leans too far left and it is gone.

In regard to California and earthquakes, that of course is nonsense.  In regard to the end times, and what God is going to do with the earthquakes and other forces, it could be very valid.

So?  Keep in mind the context.  This is the mighty power of God, and much of it is figurative.  Also, part of the Psalm is the fact that we are in God‘s hand.  It has the picture of being under his wings.  There is also a sense of security in the midst of the earthquake. Relax, and rejoice.

Songs of Moaning

(Psa 69:12 KJV)  They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

(Proverbs 9 also read)

I have you ever wondered what people are thinking about you?  Have you ever worried that they are talking about you?  The other day I leaned forward and told the lady sitting in front of me in church that her husband needed a loving wife to straighten out his collar.  I could have done it, but I felt like he might take it a little better from her.  After all, that’s her job not mine.  One of my concerns was that people might notice.  A greater concern is that he might realize it leaving the service and feel embarrassed.  Such a feeling would be unnecessary, because people would understand how that happens.

On the other hand, when we take a stand in public for God, we tend to get harassed and lambasted.  Hopefully it’s just a verbal not physical.  I liked what the LSB had to say in translating this verse.

    Psalms 69:12 (LSB) Those who dwell at the gate moan about me, And I am the drunkards’ songs.

Picture people moaning in the gates.  I like that.  I would love to be the target of the songs of drunks as they went down the street trying to hurt my feelings.  As long as my motives are right, and my behavior reflects the righteousness of my God, I say, let them moan.

So?  Rejoice when you are persecuted for his sake.  It means that you are living as Jesus wants you to live.  And I think that verse also says, “and great will be your reward in heaven”. 

Divine Doxxing

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

(Proverbs 8 also read)

I’m not sure what “doxxing” means.  I keep hearing it used and maybe I’ll look it up later, but I thought it went well with this doxology that is given to us, not at the end of Ephesians, but in the middle.

What struck me about this as I was thinking of creation, and our interpretations and understandings is that God is so far beyond us.  He is more than one step ahead.  You’ve heard of baby steps and giant steps in one of the games we played his children.  God steps are bigger than giant steps.  He is beyond what we could even ask, let alone think.

So?  Although we are told reason, we are created in the image of God, we are a little above, or below the angels, keep in mind that we are limited.  We are finite.  We are creatures.  And we are designed to trust the creator.

Attributes: Eternal

(Psa 41:13 KJV)  Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.

(Proverbs 7 also read)

What is God like?  That is one of the trains of thought that guides my thinking each morning.  There are many statements, flat out.  There are many insinuations.  There are many indications.  Here we have a clear presentation of the fact that God is eternal.  Notice that phrase “everlasting to everlasting” (5769).

That means both ways.  It means eternally in the past.  He has no beginning.  It means eternally into the future.  He has no end.  We find ourselves right in the middle.  If you’ve ever done any thinking about the concept of infinity, you know that infinity multiplied by two is still infinity.  Infinity divided by two is still infinity.  It doesn’t make sense to my finite human mind.  It does make sense in regard to God.

So?  How does it feel being halfway through infinity your entire life?  These concepts are beyond us, but so is God.  The difference is that infinity is a concept in physics or math, or both, and God is a real living person who has reached out to us in the mist of His everlasting and drawn us into His eternity.  He will be there to escort us. 

Shortcomings

(Psa 39:4 KJV)  LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

(Proverbs 6 also read)

Again, the Septuagint has an interesting spin on this verse.  I’m not reading in the Septuagint per se, but I do have it on my screen next to the Legacy Standard Bible, that I am reading Psalms in.  At times, I noticed differences and this is one of them.  Notice what the Septuagint has to say,

Psalms 39:4 (BES) (38:5) O Lord, make me to know mine end, and the number of my days, what it is; that I may know what I lack.

The difference from the KJV is not startling, but it gives us a good insight into what the author may be saying.  According to this understanding, we want to know the time we have left not to remind us of our frailty, but to stimulate us to spiritual growth.

What do we “lack?  Of course that brings along the question of what can we do about it and what should we do about it.

So?  The ball is in your court,.  God is speaking.  The Holy Spirit is leading.  Do you see any area where you can improve.  That is a rhetorical question. 

On Guard

Proverbs 5:2 (KJV) That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

I think this is an unfortunate translation.  I refer to the KJV “regard” (8104).  Both translations that I use tend to look at this is something that is somewhat casual.  At the root of its meaning is the idea of guarding, keeping, watch over, focusing on.  It has the idea of intentionally concentrating on discretion so that we don’t lose it.

Wisdom doesn’t just happen.  Wise decisions are not accidents.  Being able to behave in the ways that God wants us to behave, to bring about brief glimmers of His kingdom on earth, require that we focus.  It requires that we apply ourselves.  Yes, it’s ultimately up to God‘s grace, and the work of His Holy Spirit.  At the same time He expects us to be consciously involved.

So?  Turn your brain on.  Take the knowledge that you know, arrange it, consider it and move forward, actively pursuing the attitudes and actions as God wants.  Make wisdom a part of your life.

Forgotten Priorities

(Pro 4:7 KJV)  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

What kind of things are we told are important today?  Probably the most common advice for young people is to get an education.  Then they want to get a good job.  Rarely do I hear anybody advising young people to get wisdom.  Yet wisdom is the number one priority given to us in the book of Proverbs and the wisdom literature.

One reason why wisdom is not popular is because it is rooted in a fear of Almighty God.  Remember, the serpent in the Garden of Eden, tempting in Eve to disobedience because she could be like the gods.  Man’s ultimate sin is his arrogance and self-centeredness.  Wisdom is rooted in the right priorities.  As a general rule, we don’t like the right priorities.

So?  It’s up to you whether you follow the standards and dictates of the world around you.  When you’re planning for the future, don’t forget eternity.  Get wisdom.

Variety of Correction

Proverbs 3:12 (KJV) For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

I think we can say safely that we don’t like correction.  We don’t like it when our spouse does it.  We don’t like it when our friends do it.  We definitely don’t like it from strangers.  But here it’s promising that God will direct us when we need it.

The thing here is that God corrects us because He loves us.  We still don’t like it.  We need to accept it.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could live in anticipation of the glory of God, reaching out and taking the kinks out of our life?

Correction can be gentle.  Correction can be harsh.  Often the degree of pain involved is a reflection of how long we wait to respond.  When you see the stop sign coming, you can gently put your foot on the break and bring the car to a stop.  If you weren’t paying attention and see the sign at the last minute, you have to stand on the break, which can have all kinds of unusual results from spilled coffee to the car being sideways in the intersection.

So?  Assume the correction will happen.  You’re no better than anybody else.  You will make mistakes.  I guess I should say I also make mistakes.  The point is listen early and don’t spoil your coffee. 

Dominion

Psalm 8:6 (KJV) Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

(Proverbs 2 also read)

This verse brings to mind the creation account where God says that we are to multiply and have dominion over all the Earth.  This is something that we as believers need to remember.  We are not just evolved monkeys.  We are not just an accident of chemical combinations, or any other nonsense, put out by the God haters.

Humanity was created in the image of God.  The totality of what that means is still a mystery.  It will probably be a mystery until we get to eternity and if at that point we are still curious we can probably ask and get an answer.  Or maybe we’ll just know.

One thing we do know, we are put in charge of this world that He gave us.  Notice that it says “over the works of his hands”.  We have a lot of responsibility.

So?  Are you living up to your responsibility?  That could be something as simple as not throwing your trash on the ground.  It could be something as complex as working to end abortion.  We could be many things in between.  God calls it dominion. 

Fearless

Psalm 36:1 (KJV) [[To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD.]] The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

The Septuagint personalizes this in an interesting way.

Psalms 36:1 (BES) (35:1) For the end, by David the servant of the Lord.(35:2) The transgressor, that he may sin, says within himself, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Recently at church, we had a discussion of why there is so much evil in the world.  We talked about the irrational ideas that are accepted as normal.  One of the reasons given was a lack of fear of God.  This verse reinforces that.

People deliberately reject God, and refuse to fear him.  That is one of the great sources of ignorance, confusion, and nonsense.

So?  Fear.  Be filled with awe.  Set your priorities based on what the universe is really like.