Song of Solomon — Marriage of the King

Posted on September 4, 2011 by parklinscomb

The Song of Solomon is a very different kind of literature for the Bible. Not only is it a little racy for a religious book, but it doesn’t have a readily apparent spiritual purpose. On it’s surface, it looks to be no more than a love poem complete with a little hinted eroticism evident. To get the meaning of the book, it’s important to read it front to end, rather than a piece at a time; so I’m asking you, dear reader, to plow through the whole book at one sitting. Don’t worry, it’s not that long.

There are, you should also know, several parts in this romantic poem: the maiden, the king, the chorus, and the maiden’s servants. They each contribute to the story, even though they are not clearly marked in the text.

But what is the point to this religious book? There at least two: 1) to manifest the beauty of human, erotic love and 2) to point to a greater and higher relationship between God and His people. Both are more important than you might think.

Despite the fact that sexuality was dirtied in the first two or three centuries of Christianity, it was not always this way. The European conversion to Christianity came with difficulty. The Greeks and Romans and everyone they influenced had descended in their sexual morality to the point of deep depravity. As a more than casual student of ancient history, I don’t think that it would be too much of a stretch to say that many a European was a sexual addict without anything like a sexual moral compass. But as Christianity changed the world with Jesus’ teachings and salvation, many found themselves having to exercise a kind of self control that they had never exercised before over their sexual drives. Like most other addicts, they found total abstinence the best way to control themselves. From that monastery life emerged, and celibacy became considered the more pious lifestyle to choose. Before too long sex itself was considered impious and somewhat dirty, in fact, from this the idea of original sin was developed. Anyway, parents from that.day forward tried to dissuade their kids from sexuality by labeling it dirty. This is a world away from the original biblical idea. And Song of Solomon helps us reclaim the beauty married sexuality.

Secondly, however, there is a greater and higher meaning in this poem of the marriage of the King, and it is that it is a metaphor for God and His people. God has a wife. It is the meaning of Hosea’s prophecy, it is the meaning of Ephesians 5:22-33, and it is the meaning of “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,’” Revelation 21:2, 3, NAS95. Israel at one time, the church in this age, we are the bride of Christ. God seeks relationship with us and wants to know us. Regarding Israel, the LORD said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6, NAS95. The very same could apply to the church; and it’s not just about knowing the Bible, or knowing about God; it’s about knowing Him. Do you?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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The conclusion, when all has been heard — Ecclesiastes 10-12

Posted on September 3, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, is everyone ready for a little pessimism and emptiness one more time? Except that today won’t be as dismal as the last couple of days. Although these proverbs still dwell on the “flat wisdom” I was talking about yesterday, they will also be followed up by the grand summary of Solomon’s great experiment and research for the meaning of life. The first of these proverbs are “under the sun” wisdom — not bad, for someone who’s leaving God out of the picture — but starting about 11:9 Solomon starts transition toward a conclusion to a wisdom that factors God in.

“Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good. Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.” Ecclesiastes 9:18; 10:1 — A spot on a white shirt; a sour note in a song; an unrepented of sin in an otherwise good life. One mess-up can spoil something really good. This is the fly in the ointment proverb that some folks have a hard time grasping; it’s easier when you have more context, isn’t it?

“If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” Ecclesiastes 10:10 — Here’s a good one to help young people understand the value of education — if you sharpen an axe, cutting or splitting wood is ever-so-much easier (take it from someone who used to heat his New England home with a wood stove). If the axe is dull, you can still get the job done, just much more slowly with so much more effort. The point, sharpen your mind, your tools, your skills, etc. and things in life will be much easier.

“Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything.” Ecclesiastes 10:19 — Boy, oh boy, here’s the secular world’s favorite sentiment — money is the answer to everything! And in a world without God, it’s close to true in many circumstances of life. Combine food and wine with money and you have something close to the godless world’s version of the trinity — maybe sex, too. But it too is emptiness. It’s “flat wisdom”.

“He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. Just as you do not know the path of the wind and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes all things. Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 — If you wait for the perfect opportunity to present itself to you to do something, you’ll never do what you need to do. There’s a lot of truth to it, but factor in God and the believer doesn’t have to worry over the timing of everything — “Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3, NAS95) and ““For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His…” (2 Chronicles 16:9, NAS95).

“Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes. Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things. So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” Ecclesiastes 11:9, 10 — The key phrase that transitions this book from “under the sun” to “under God” is one found in v. 9, “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” And from here Solomon starts talking about preparing one’s life with regard to God before the end. Youth is great, just remember!

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them’” Ecclesiastes 12:1 — There’s coming a time in an older man’s life, when all these things that so enamored us as young people start to take on a much lower value. The shiny and sparkly things of life start to grow dull with emptiness and “so what?” -ness (as it were). It’s better to recognize their real valuelessness sooner rather than later, better to remember God in youth, so there will be fewer wasted days to regret.

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 — OK, this is it — don’t miss it — the conclusion of the whole thing. Here is the one thing in this world that isn’t empty and temporal; here is the distillation of heavenly wisdom, wisdom that isn’t “flat”: “Fear God and keep His commandments…God will bring every act to judgment.” OK, it’s pretty simple and is exactly what you might have assumed that a religious person might say — but this is being said by no less a person that the rich, famously wise, powerful, and worldly king Solomon himself — not some shriveled up, pale minister who never had a life. Think about it. Do more than think about it — live what it is saying. It’s the “no spin zone”, no-holds-barred, bare-naked, and honest truth.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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A flat wisdom — Ecclesiastes 7-9

Posted on September 2, 2011 by parklinscomb

One of the interesting features of Ecclesiastes is the philosophic ramblings and attempts at reaching some sort of wisdom without the “God dimension” — that’s why I’m calling it a “flat wisdom”. We’ll be reading some of that today in our readings; keep it in mind as you go through. It’s not that the LORD is endorsing these proverbs, many of them are simply observations “under the sun” which lead to “under the sun” advice — human wisdom, wisdom without factoring God in. Some of it is true as far as it goes; it’s just that it doesn’t go far enough and include the LORD. Let’s take a look…

“It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2 — Having officiated at and attended my share of funerals, there is definitely wisdom here. Funerals, standing looking down into a casket, and watching the coffin lowered into the ground is all very sobering. It reminds everyone of their eventual date with death. Even the unbeliever is impressed, but the question is what they’ll do with it. A couple of years ago I was asked to do the funeral of a Hell’s Angel pledge (as it were). It was a well-attended funeral and I met a lot of really interesting people. After the formal part of the funeral was over, the somber crowd were invited to the local Hell’s Angel’s bar for drinks (presumably to get sloshed). My point is that the reminder of mortality will persuade some to think about God and others to “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” You’ll see more of this response from the “wisdom under the sun” later in this posting. My point: without God factored in, look where even spending time in the house of mourning can and often times lead you.

“In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider– God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.” Ecclesiastes 7:14 — This “flat wisdom” sees no afterlife, no hope, nothing. Stuff just happens without any rhyme or reason that man can figure out. It’s a rather fatalistic approach to living, which (again) becomes a common theme among those living “wisdom under the sun”.

“I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself? Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let go of the other; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them.” Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 — This passage is really clearly “flat wisdom” without the God dimension: don’t be too good or too bad — a little bit of both is best. I’ve run across lots and lots of these folks in my life — “I’m not a bad person, I’ve got my little vices, but I think that’s OK.” The rationale: people will give you a hard time and take advantage of you, if you’re a boy scout all the time; but you don’t want to end up in the clink either. It’s sort of a no-worse-than-anyone-else moral position — and it makes sense, if God’s not really part of your life.

“Who is like the wise man and who knows the interpretation of a matter? A man’s wisdom illumines him and causes his stern face to beam.” Ecclesiastes 8:1 — In other words (and not nearly as eloquently put): Life’s perplexities and tragedies and troubles will definitely bring a frown to the face. Blessed are the fortunate guys who finally figure things out; you can tell who they are by the smiles that they wear. That’s why real Christians do a lot of smiling.

“I say, “Keep the command of the king because of the oath before God.” Ecclesiastes 8:2 — “Flat wisdom” says stay out of trouble, do what you’re told. And it does make good sense most of the time — until the king falls morally.

“Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.” Ecclesiastes 8:11 — Again, there is a certain wisdom here that is unquestionably sound, when dealing with misbehaving children and even criminals. But Peter reminds us of the reason why God hasn’t taken out the bad guys yet: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9, NAS95. He’s giving us all a chance to turn. I’m glad He gave me a chance.

“There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility. So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:14, 15 — Here’s one of the “eat, drink, and be merry” pieces of advice from “under the sun” philosophers and their “flat wisdom”.

“For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a share in all that is done under the sun. Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.” Ecclesiastes 9:4-7 — Here are more conclusions of the “under the sun” wise men: death is to be avoided at all costs (better a live dog than a dead lion), when you’re dead, you’re gone (the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward), since we’ll all die in the end, let’s “eat, drink, and be merry”. Except that when you factor God in, everything — everything — changes. With God, there are things worse than death, death is not the end at all and you definitely have great reward, and since we all die in the end let’s live for eternity rather than the futility of this life! You see, adding God turns the whole thing 180˚.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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What the eyes see — Ecclesiastes 4-6

Posted on September 1, 2011 by parklinscomb

Hopefully, you weren’t too depressed by Ecclesiastes 1-3 yesterday. Some have characterized this book as being pretty joyless, pessimistic, and sour on life — the “pessimists proverbs”, so to speak. The truth is that it is simply the strong medicine that we sometimes need about this world, wisdom isn’t always pretty — with a sprinkling of more joyful observations about gifts from God — 2:24; 3:12,13; 3:22; 5:18-20; 9:7-9; 11:9-10).

A number of years ago I had a weekly Bible study with an agnostic, who fancied himself a bit of an intellectual (he even smoked a pipe). In retrospect, I really don’t think he really questioned God’s existence, but it was a convenient philosophic position to hold, since it became clear in time that he didn’t really want to lead a godly life. In my study with him, I offered the moral argument for the existence of God: that if God does not exist, then there is no morality — it makes absolutely no real difference whether, for example, I murder and rape or not. He was shocked, blown away. How could I say such a thing, he exclaimed. I reasoned with him to the logical conclusion of an atheistic viewpoint — no morality, no ultimate accountability, nothing. He had no answer. As intellectual as he thought he was, he had never followed his philosophic position to the bitter (and I do mean bitter) end. He liked the idea of living in a world with moral standards for others to live up to, he just didn’t want to follow them himself. Similarly, people rarely ponder such ultimate questions as Ecclesiastes discusses, in part because life without God in the equation, life “under the sun” (where a lot of people prefer to live) is meaningless and empty— just as Ecclesiastes describes it. Things get brighter, only when we factor God in.

With these observations firmly in mind, let’s take a look at a few more of Ecclesiastes’ proverbial, “under the sun” observations.

“…I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 4:1-3 — The oppressed feels alone and without consolation; and sometimes, when the opportunity presents itself the oppressed become the oppressor — but still finds no consolation. Life is hard either way, and you still die. A world without God is a world without consolation, a world, ultimately, of disconsolate despair. We are alone. Sorry, just telling it like it would be without God.

“There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.” Ecclesiastes 4:8 — Could there be a better description of a workaholic? Sometimes working for the same reason that a alcoholic drinks — to dull or hide from the pain of suffering, guilt, loneliness, despair, or depression. Welcome to the world “under the sun”, if the sun is the only thing over our heads.

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 — A great piece of worldly wisdom about our need for one another — in a world with or without God. But if God’s part of your equation, how much better is it to have a divine companion in addition to your human one! Men die, God is immortal and powerful.

“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:1, 2 — Is there such a thing as “under the sun” religion, too? Apparently so, and it is practiced by offering the sacrifice of fools — promising something to God in exchange for some benefit (ever done this?) and not coming through on your promise.

“If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.” Ecclesiastes 5:8, 9 — Everyone hates the oppression of the government’s bureaucracy, but everyone realizes the need for government. Complaint, this passage seems to be saying in context, is also vanity. Now, as Americans, we would lodge an objection — complaint results in changes. But as 4:13-16 tells us, even politics is frustratingly a striving after the wind. As “The Who” put it in Won’t Get Fooled Again, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss” — in other words, they did get fooled again.

“There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.” Ecclesiastes 5:13, 14 —  Wall Street, are you listening?

“All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied.” Ecclesiastes 6:7 —  More vanity isn’t it?

“What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires. This too is futility and a striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 6:9 — I really like this passage; it tells the story of mankind’s perpetually sinful choices. Why did Eve pick and eat the forbidden fruit? Why did Esau trade his birthright for a bowl of stew? Why did David commit adultery with Bathsheba rather than keep his integrity? Why do we choose what we choose? Why? Why? Why? “What the eyes see is better than what the soul desires.” But it is emptiness every time!

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Vanity, vanity, all is vanity — Ecclesiastes 1-3

Posted on August 31, 2011 by parklinscomb

So, today we bravely dive off into the book of Ecclesiastes! It’s not a book for the satisfied-with-the-status-quo. It’s challenging, starts you thinking, wondering what you’ve been doing and why. It’s philosophical in places and jolting in places. It’s the “no spin zone” of life, a no-holds-barred, bare-naked, and honest look at questions we often are satisfied to put aside…until we’re faced with our own mortality.

Ecclesiastes indirectly claims to be written by Solomon: “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.…I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.” Ecclesiastes 1:1, 12 —  This makes sense, since it was Solomon who had access to the wealth, power, and knowledge to test the various proposed meanings to life that the “preacher” talks about. Solomon as a young man started off well, but the middle of his life and reign sadly quite poor. Though he was responsible for building the magnificent Temple of the LORD (probably fine enough to be considered a “wonder of the world”), he was tragically influenced by marrying wives from foreign countries presumably for diplomatic purposes. They pressed him for temples to worship their own gods, which he gave in to (1 Kings 11:1-8). This unfaithfulness became the reason for the division of the united kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 11:9-13), not really Rehoboam’s foolish tax policy (1 Kings 12:15). Although other portions of Scripture are silent on this matter, it would seem through the books of Proverbs and especially Ecclesiastes that Solomon may have reawakened to the wisdom of God in his latter days. The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to look at life more as something that has been experienced and something that may be expected coming to an end shortly — it reads like someone who is grappling with the reality his own morality and trying to share life’s lessons with younger people. And indeed, given this generation’s groping for meaning, this book should be really interesting reading and pondering for most.

In some respects Ecclesiastes may be thought of as the (very eloquent and poetic) report about a grand life experiment — “What’s it all about?” Now, you need to keep in mind as you read through it, it is mostly being written through an “earthly” lens. We’re used to reading Scripture that is being written from a “God-point-of-view”. We not only read of the history of Israel and others, but also get an inspired commentary about what’s really happening behind the scenes. Historical events are explained in terms of what God is accomplishing, and even the psalms of complaint are given godly answers afterward. Not so much in Ecclesiastes; that’s why I spoke of it as a “‘no spin zone’ of life, a no-holds-barred, bare-naked, and honest look”. Rarely in Ecclesiastes do we get a chance to see something from the eternal perspective, until the end. It is Solomon, the sophisticate, that is writing here, as if he were agnostic and unaware of any afterlife. In today’s reading, the first three chapters, Solomon kind of lays out the essence of his “existential angst” — his really big question, “What’s it all about?” So, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in the upright and locked position and that your seat belts are correctly fastened — here we go…

“’Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’ What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun?” Ecclesiastes 1:2, 3 — Vanity means emptiness, worthlessness, vacuous. Solomon’s assessment of everything in this life, everything without God figured into the calculation, is meaningless. This gets deeper the farther into the book we get.

“That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us.” Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10 — Our modern generation, owners of iPhones and passengers on airplanes may have trouble with this passage, but Solomon’s point is not that the day of invention was really past, but that the essence of life’s problems remain the same. As we read through Solomon’s litany of complaints about the difficulties of life, you’ll find them very familiar — even 3000 years later. And let’s face it, even our inventions are basically creative, recombinant mash-ups of things we’ve known about for a while — in many cases, just learning how to do what we have observed God’s natural world already doing.

“And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:13, 14 — Solomon notes that the works of men are vain and useless — they come with great effort and go with seldom a trace.

“And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.” Ecclesiastes 1:17, 18 — Even the gaining of wisdom through much hard effort is often useless. Who can do it consistently? Moreover, the wise man and fool both (from a worldly perspective) end up in the same place, the tomb.

“I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.” Ecclesiastes 2:1 — Pleasure is never enjoyed for very long, and even so, the point is…? Yeah, I know, to feel good; and the point is…? That’s the reason for being?

“Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored by acting wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 2:18, 19 — And does leaving a legacy have a point? More often than not, it gets squandered on frivolous things the accumulator would never have spent it on. So, the point is to spend it all now? Really? Overall, Solomon deals with pleasure, laughter, wine; the building of houses, vineyards, gardens, trees; the owning of servants, animals, riches, concubines, and more. He sought philosophy (2:12) but found that the wise man and the fool die alike — no advantage. Vanity!

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven– A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 — Do you feel like singing a chorus of “Turn, Turn, Turn”? This is where the song made famous by the Birds (the rock group, not the animal) came from. It’s point, however, is not always clear — until you read all the way to end. At the end it appears to be saying that this crazy life, so full of vanity, is also full of a chaotic cycle of absurd opposites and extremes without meaning or order — have you ever noticed. You can laugh til your sides hurts and weep until you think your eyes are going to fall out in the same day — maybe within the same hour. When you think about it, you might want to say, “Get me off this crazy roller coaster!”

“I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities, for that is his lot. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?” Ecclesiastes 3:22 — The only thing that Solomon finds of worth from a sheerly worldly perspective is to simply be happy or content in daily activities, and not worry about tomorrow — right.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Tested words — Proverbs 29-31

Posted on August 30, 2011 by parklinscomb

Well, we’ve almost read our way all the way through Proverbs; today features the last three chapters of the book. Today’s chapters include some wisdom from a certain “…Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:” Proverbs 30:1 and “… of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him:” Proverbs 31:1. How did the proverbs of these men make their way into the inspired Scriptures? We little or nothing of either of them, so all we can do is surmise that they may have themselves been prophets of the LORD — unknown except for these verses. Could an unknown, and probably Gentile, king be a prophet? Well, king David was a prophet, and Balaam was both a Gentile and a prophet. Worship of the LORD was not limited to Israel only.

Having tarried on these background matters long enough, let’s get down to “business”.

“A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.” Proverbs 29:1 — How many times have you rejected God’s will for your life? This proverb predicts that eventually the odds that you’ll suffer from your folly will catch up with you. Even more importantly, God’s patience eventually comes to an end, too. And when the axe falls, it tends to fall hard — broken beyond remedy. Isn’t it time you stopped stiffening your neck?

“A man who flatters his neighbor Is spreading a net for his steps.” Proverbs 29:5 — This is just another way of saying that you really ought to be careful, when you find others giving you too many compliments. Sadly, we are sometimes so caught up in the flattery that we never see the “catch” coming. Compliments and encouragement are good, but the person who offers too many has an ulterior motive.

“The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, The wicked does not understand such concern.” Proverbs 29:7 — “The poor” in this verse are assumed not to be a lazy person or sluggard. Some folks really are poor through tragedy, sickness, unexpected reversal of fortune, and other matters over which they had no control. Such people are still people and still are due proper justice. Righteous men understand, while wicked men seek to take advantage and oppress without a conscience.

“Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” Proverbs 30:5, 6 — God’s word is not some sort of philosophical or theological theory. “Tested” refers to the fact that those who have lived God’s words — and those who who have disobeyed them, too — can testify (no pun intended here) to the fact that God knows what He’s talking about. We can try doing our own thing, but in the end our wisdom always turns out to be not-so-smart.

“Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:7-9 — Here’s the antithesis of our consumer society, a prayer for wisdom to not be deceived (given the context, by greed or riches) and to have neither too much nor too little. It’s a blessing to be middleclass. Too much and we start thinking that we’re “all that”; too little and we begin try to get by “by hook or by crook”. Contentment is a great virtue to aspire to.

“Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer; The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in ranks; The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.” Proverbs 30:24-28 — You don’t have to be big or great to do great or wise things. What a wonderful truth to ponder: you don’t have to be brilliant, tall, talented, rich, athletic, pretty, well-educated, or advantaged. Churches don’t have to be well endowed, well-connected, large, or high profile. In fact, God has tended to use the small and least suspected folks to do big things: from Abraham to David to Peter.

“For the churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.” Proverbs 30:33 — I’ve known people, perhaps you have, too, who think its a good thing to stir things up. But it never leads to good things.

“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. …Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31:10, 11, 30, 31 — Finding the right spouse is one of the greatest discoveries of one’s life. Whether one depended on parents to find one a wife as in ancient times, or whether, as in modern times, you pick out your own; you need to be careful. It’s important to look beyond the sexual attraction, beyond the charm, beyond the money, and beyond the fun. This proverb (vv. 10-31) covers integrity, diligence, discretion, hard work, maternal adeptness and aptitude, and more — it actually is an alphabetic acrostic, which is to say it is an A-Z. Pay attention to these and you’ll be blessed in this life immeasurably.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Courtly Proverbs— Proverbs 25-27

Posted on August 29, 2011 by parklinscomb

Today’s reading begins in Proverbs 25, which begins what is sometimes called the courtly proverbs. They are proverbs of the inspired Solomon that were added to the original book by scribes of Hezekiah’s time: “These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, transcribed.” Proverbs 25:1 —  Perhaps you’ve noticed: the first 9 chapters were more or less thematically organized around the themes of wisdom v. folly and exhortations to avoid the adultress, and chapters 10-24 were mostly one-lines organized in generally random order; but these proverbs (25-31) tend to be grouped mostly thematically and have a lot to do with wise behavior in specific social or courtly situations. With those hopefully helpful observations out of the way, let’s look at some of the proverbs that sort of jumped out at me.

“Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.” Proverbs 25:6, 7 — If this proverb sounds familiar, it sort of is — Jesus said something like this in Luke 14:7-11. Humility is better than arrogance.

“Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances.” Proverbs 25:11 — The right word at the right time in the right place is priceless: words of encouragement, words of praise, words of gentle correction, words of kindness and generosity. We all know how valuable they are to ourselves; let’s offer them to others.

“Like clouds and wind without rain Is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.” Proverbs 25:14 — Clouds and rain often come before rains which bless the land. So also are those who make lots of promises that they can’t keep. It’s disappointing to those who expected something and embarrassing to those who didn’t come through.

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;” Proverbs 25:21 — This proverb is also quoted in the New Testament, Romans 12:20, by Paul who was making a strong point about dealing with persecutors and enemies.

“The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.” Proverbs 25:23 — Should we really be surprised at the reaction that biting words bring? And yet we often are. This proverbs tell us that such as reaction is a predictable as a what a north wind will bring in Israel.

“Like the legs which are useless to the lame, So is a proverb in the mouth of fools.” Proverbs 26:7 — In other words, you can preach at a person who refuses to seek good until “the cows come home”, but they’ll never use it.

“Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly.” Proverbs 26:11 — And yet both dogs and fools do it again and again — doing the same thing again and again expecting to get a different result. Revolting and you don’t want to watch.

“Like one who takes a dog by the ears Is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.” Proverbs 26:17 — Meddling in other people’s affairs is just looking for trouble.

“Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.” Proverbs 27:1 — Does sound like something else you’ve heard in the New Testament — like James 4:13-16? “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 — It great, even essential for people to have other people in their lives to bounce things off of, provide a reality check, build on another person’s good idea

“The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, And each is tested by the praise accorded him.” Proverbs 27:21 — So what is the praise in your life revealing about you? Pride or humility?

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Who has woe? Who has sorrow? — Proverbs 22-24

Posted on August 28, 2011 by parklinscomb

Many of you who live in New England and the northeast corridor are either enduring hurricane Irene or cleaning up after her. I pray you all suffered little or no loss.

Getting down to the text, however…

“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 — The hope of this proverb, when training really happens, can be one of high expectation. But training includes more than just teaching. Correction, exampling, coaching, mentoring, consistency, copious amounts of love and support, and much more are part of effective parenting. Even so, each child is an independent moral agent and occasionally there will be a child that will refuse even the best parenting efforts.

“Do not associate with a man given to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man, Or you will learn his ways And find a snare for yourself.” Proverbs 22:24, 25 — Anger, like many other emotions, are contagious. If you hang around people who are always angry, you are likely to become an angry person yourself — not a happy ambition. Want to be calm, peaceful, and rational? Associate with people who are calm, peaceful, and rational.

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” Proverbs 22:29 — The truth of this proverb is fairly self-evident and it encourages us to polish the skills that we have. Sadly, many are content with mediocrity — never growing, never improving beyond their current level, never getting better, simply “good enough”. What you do, try to do well!

“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.” Proverbs 23:29, 30 — While drinking isn’t considered sinful, drunkenness is. This proverb adds strong warnings of consequences to God’s specific commandments against drunkenness. Who needs woe, sorrow, fights, complaints, and bumps and bruises they don’t remember? Take the hint. “At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things.” Proverbs 23:32, 33, NAS95.

“Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:11, 12 — This has sometimes been called the evangelist’s proverb. It certainly has wider applications, too, but the essence it of boils down to the accountability we will have for simply turning our heads the other way to blithely ignore the tragedy or disaster of others. What souls do you know that are staggering toward death without Jesus?

“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.” Proverbs 24:17, 18 — It’s hard not to gloat over a fallen enemy, but it demonstrates something less than Christian love, doesn’t it?

“My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?” Proverbs 24:21, 22 — Rebellion (change) is the key issue here: neither the king nor the LORD are pleased with their subjects seeking to change their law or authority. It’s something for those with religiously liberal ideas to consider.

“I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,” Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34 — Laziness leaves almost everything neglected. Leisure and taking it easy are vastly overrated in our world. Although God did provide for the idea of Sabbath to renew and recharge our bodies and souls, it was never intended to be the main pursuit of our lives.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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There is no counsel against the LORD — Proverbs 19-21

Posted on August 27, 2011 by parklinscomb

Those of us on the east coast are bracing for what the weather forecasters are calling a fairly substantial storm, Irene. Here’s hoping that the damage will be minimal; and that if you’re on the east coast, that you and yours will be safe and sound by the end of it all.

Continuing with my briefer comments on the Proverbs:

“The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD.” Proverbs 19:3, NAS95 — It would be funny, if it weren’t so tragic. People ruin their own chances at happiness with their sinful behavior and then blame God for their plight. How many families are ruined by a fling? How many careers are ruined by a get-rich-quick effort? How many marriages have been soured by selfish criticism, vengeance, lack of forgiveness, or a lazy failure to live up to vows? And how many times have men blamed God for the curses they brought on themselves?

“One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.” Proverbs 19:17, NAS95. — What a lovely paradigm or frame for benevolence; a frame that would encourage helping the poorer than we are—we are lending to the Lord. Jesus’ teaching about the judgement in Matt. 25:31ff is a parallel in that He tells us that as we help one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you have helped Me.  Perhaps the “lending to the Lord” understanding would make us less likely to seek repayment; since it is God’s debt, let God repay it in His own time (He certainly has given to us often enough).

“A man of great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue him, you will only have to do it again.” Proverbs 19:19, NAS95. — Rescue of a hot-head will only temporary. Their passionate anger leads them to ignore consequences altogether. It is better that such people pay the penalty as often as they offend; it is probably the only thing that will moderate their immoderate behavior.

“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish, But will not even bring it back to his mouth.” Proverbs 19:24, NAS95 — You can give a lazy man every advantage in the book, but he’ll never use them. It will always be too much effort.

“Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd, But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.” Proverbs 19:25, NAS95 — Prisons have sometimes been called the graduate school of criminals. Although there are some who emerge from prison and never want to return again, there are many more who simply learn how to accomplish their criminal (foolish) ends without getting caught — they become more shrewd. Wise men, on the other hand, grow repentant and choose not to return to sin.

“Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, But who can find a trustworthy man?” Proverbs 20:6, NAS95 — Everyone likes to think of themselves as loyal, but when push comes to shove, self-interest compromises the loyalty of many.

“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them.” Proverbs 20:12, NAS95 — Why would this proverb be of any use? The LORD who made our eyes and ears also sees and hears — everything.

“He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.” Proverbs 20:19, NAS95. — Can the person who spreads the secrets of others be trusted to keep your confidences? How do you suppose he/she finds out the secrets of others — by pledging confidence, like he/she did to you?

“Haughty eyes and a proud heart, The lamp of the wicked, is sin.” Proverbs 21:4, NAS95 — Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” In contrast to this, this proverb tells us that lamp of the wicked is pride and self-deceived arrogance. Pride directs the steps of the wicked, is the “true north” of the sinful. Sadly such a “lamp” leads to death, not life (Rom. 6:23).

“It is better to live in a corner of a roof Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” Proverbs 21:9, NAS95 — The strength of a man is his muscular strength and he is prohibited from using it against his wife. Such behavior is despised and considered brutal. The strength of women is their tongues, and sometimes it is used just as brutally as a man’s fist — only sometimes the bruises and wounds remain a lifetime. No wonder some men choose to spend more time at the office or among friends than at home; it is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared with a verbally brutal woman.

“There is no wisdom and no understanding And no counsel against the LORD. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD.” Proverbs 21:30, 31, NAS95 — You cannot win against God. You’re not smart enough; your security isn’t secure enough for Him to not know your plan; you’re not powerful enough; your won’t last longer than Him; you won’t be able to wear Him down with your argument; you will not be able to justify yourself; you will not be able to trick Him; you won’t be able to bully Him; you won’t be able to outrun Him; and you’ll never be able to gather an army large enough or strong enough to defeat Him. It’s better to humbly realize that He is God and we are men. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10, NAS95.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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Proverbs 16-18

Posted on August 25, 2011 by parklinscomb

Being an unusually busy day, I thought I’d point out a few proverbs that really grabbed my attention and offer some briefer than usual comments on each one.

“All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.” Proverbs 16:2, NAS95 — We’re all pretty good at justification and making things look pretty good, but God judges motives, too. You can’t hide stuff from God

“The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.” Proverbs 16:4, NAS95 — We are all instruments of God; you have your purpose. Paul put it this way, “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20, 21, NAS95. Which will you be?

“A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.” Proverbs 16:26, NAS95 — Although it is a good thing to feed the hungry and clothe the needy, it’s also important to avoid enabling people, too. People tend to be more industrious, creative, and diligent, when there are consequences to their laziness — a major theme in several proverbs we’ve read already.

“Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife.” Proverbs 17:1, NAS95 — Would you rather be poor and happy and than rich and unhappy? That’s the point here. As valuable as the money, house, and baubles might be, there are things that are much more valuable. Choose wisely.

“A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding Than a hundred blows into a fool.” Proverbs 17:10, NAS95 — Stubbornness and an insistence on doing things their own way is one of the premier characteristics of the fool. Correction of a wise man, on the other hand, usually only has to happen once.

“Why is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, When he has no sense?” Proverbs 17:16, NAS95 — All the money in the world won’t buy ethics or good sense.

“He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.” Proverbs 18:1, NAS95 — God’s wisdom calls for His people to be together, united, in fellowship. It’s when people want their own way that they decide to be divisive, unwilling to listen to the sound wisdom of God’s word.

“He also who is slack in his work Is brother to him who destroys.” Proverbs 18:9, NAS95 — Lack of diligence is not innocent or harmless. God’s wisdom says that it is the same as actually being destructive. My observation is, “Amen”.

“He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.” Proverbs 18:13, NAS95 — Listen before you speak is such an important principle in life.

See you tomorrow, Lord willing.

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