PROVERBS “Wisdom is having the sense and maturity to live by the good instructions you have received. Proverbs is chocked full of nuggets of such wisdom.” DAY 11 – More wisdom from chapter 3. “Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the Lord detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence.” (31-32) There’s an abundance of warnings in the Bible about not envying the wicked. Violence among people is as old as mankind itself, i.e. Cain murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4). I grew up watching “shoot ‘em up” Westerns, and played with cap guns, and yet to the chagrin of some anti-gun enthusiasts I have never committed a violent crime. No doubt other factors in one’s upbringing has some bearing on all of that. But some today, particularly some young people, can’t seemingly handle the extreme violence of video games, and at some point have a hard time distinguishing between those they “kill” on the games, and real people in private settings, malls, schools, etc. Those on the flip side of this perverse behavior are what this proverb calls “the upright,” who (amazingly!) it says, the Lord takes into His confidence. In life you quickly learn who you can trust with secrets, important details, etc. The Lord does this as He lets us know – clearly, plainly and in great detail – His will for people. For those who do not know God so much of His teachings are a “mystery” – some are “ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!” (Isa. 6:9-10) “He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble. The wise inherit honor, but fools he hold up to shame.” (35-36) The first part of this section is quoted in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, most often translated as “God opposes the proud …” For those who have even an inkling of the power and transcendence of God, the idea of God actually, personally opposing them should be a horrifying thought. Nobody in their right mind would welcome such a possibility. But that’s just the point; people in the world aren’t in their right minds without the right perspective on God and His ways. And Christians can also forget and act, randomly or habitually, in prideful ways. Conversely, anyone who understands even a little about grace should constantly be saying to themselves, “I want and need God’s grace, and will do whatever I have to do to not risk losing it.” So when we’re following God’s wisdom, we should be continually doing all we can to rid ourselves of any vestiges of pride. Easy to say; hard to do! It’s hard because much of the world’s message conditions and reinforces personal pride. That’s why so many people are self-centered and self-absorbed. They see themselves, not God, as the center of the universe, and act like (to varying degrees) that others exist just to please and serve them. Vs. 35 offers a clear contrast in the outcome for “the wise” versus “fools,” i.e. those who choose not to listen to God because their deeds are evil. RELATING TO SOMETHING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may life you up in due time.” (1 Pet. 5:6)
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 22:33:39 +0000
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