Proverbs 1:24-33, “On God’s Bad Weather Friends”

“²⁴But since you refuse to listen when I call and nobody pays attention when I stretch out my hand, ²⁵since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke, ²⁶I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you – ²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. ²⁸‘Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. ²⁹Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. ³⁰Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke. ³¹They will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. ³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them, ³³but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.'” –Proverbs 1:24-33

Though Proverbs contain many verses which can cause elation, there are those scary ones as well, which warn and rebuke. Some of these like verses share in telling of the potential consequences of a life of sin. This group of verses however I think we are dealing with one sort of sinner. That doesn’t mean not all sinners can reflect upon the verses of course, for they are applicable to just about anyone. Yet, going into the text, I believe there is a group of sinners which are referenced here. To coin a term, assuming it hasn’t already been coined, I will call this group of individuals, “God’s bad weather friends.” We all know the idiom concerning a, “fair weather friend,” obviously signifying that a particular individual only has a relationship with you when the atmosphere is to his or her liking. God’s bad weather friends are exactly the opposite. These folks seek a relationship with God only in times of trouble. The rest of the time they go on sinning, yet when trouble comes along they look to God for deliverance.

I hope to explain how the Lord drew me to these conclusions. First, however, to really follow the way my thought process was guided, we need to start from the beginning of this collection of Scripture. Verse 24 says:

“²⁴But since you refuse to listen when I call and nobody pays attention when I stretch out my hand,”

Foremost, what we see is that this verse, and those following it, are not only directed to an individual, but also a group of individuals. “You,” commonly is used to target a singular individual, though it can be used for a class of people, but “nobody” specifically refers to more than one person. Not only does this suggest a plurality, but an absolute as well. “Nobody,” as a term is negated whenever there is exception.

One of these notable exceptions in Scripture is the exception of Lot. In Genesis 18 we find the fascinating account of Abraham bartering with God over the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In an effort to help save Sodom and Gomorrah from God’s wrath, Abraham argues with the Lord.

“²⁵Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? ²⁶The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’ ²⁷Then Abraham spoke up again: ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, ²⁸what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?’ ‘If I find forty-five there,’ He said, ‘I will not destroy it.’

From Abraham’s questions I can’t help wonder if Abraham was trying to discover the value of a human life to God. Regardless whether or not Abraham even had that inkling, we do find out the answer. Every human life is important and holds immense value to God. The bartering and humble boldness of Abraham continues as the Lord eventually concedes that He will not destroy the city if there are ten righteous people. Of course, God couldn’t find ten righteous people, so the cities came under His righteous wrath. However, it was not the case that nobody there was righteous. A man named Lot lived in Sodom. It was for his sake that God, though He didn’t relent from His anger, but for the sake of one righteous individual, the Lord called him and his family out of the city delivering him another way.

In the study of Proverbs we have already discovered some city imagery, which I believe carries over into the verses addressed here. Right now we are hearing from the point of view of “wisdom,” which is literary personification of a concept, that is wisdom. Yet, it is much more than that. This wisdom is God, for Proverbs 2:6 says:

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

It is God that is “wisdom,” for absolute wisdom is an attribute of God Himself.

Concerning verse 24, they refuse to listen when God calls, and do not pay attention when God stretches out his hand. What does it mean for the Lord to stretch out His hand? It can mean several things. Out of the short list I have compiled, and I do not claim to have all the possibilities written down, I noticed that a lot has to do with the position of the palm when conceptualizing the Lord’s outstretched hand.

It can be a reference to omniscience, an offering, acceptance, judgment, compassion, help, or the means of bringing about an event, either as a blessing, or as a calamity. “Since you refuse to listen when I call,” indicates that God has offered Himself to these people first, and they have not paid attention even when the Lord outstretches His hand. In this context, I believe the Lord’s outstretched hand to have the attributes of judgment, compassion, help and a means of bringing about a calamity. Meaning the people talked about here had a “bad weather” relationship with God. They reaped just consequence and then asked the Lord for his help. The Lord in His compassion, helped the folks in their time of distress, but they immediately went back to simple lives.

The term, “since,” indicates a upcoming consequent. Proverbs gives us several reasons why this judgment is to occur. Aforementioned there is the refusal to listen to God and the fact that nobody pays attention when the Lord stretches out His hand. I myself have been guilty of this very thing. At times I will pray for something in earnest and when it is answered from God by His very hand, I have forgot about the Lord. Simply, I have forgotten to give praise and credit where it is due. Furthermore, I don’t always act the way I should when receiving deliverance or rebuke from the Lord. This is only one reason why this group of Scriptures is so convicting to me.

In addition, to not listening and not recognizing the Lord’s outstretched hand, a couple more reasons are given as to why negative consequence will befall such people. These are because there is a complete disregard of the Lord’s advice and a non-acceptance of the Lord’s rebuke. How interesting it is that we are confronted with the term, “advice.” Many have the conception of God, that he is some omniscient arrogant deity that sits up on His thrown and just throws out commandments with a, “follow me or else,” type attitude. Though this is true to a degree, the fact is that such an unflattering view of God negates one of the most important attributes about God. That is His love and His desire to be in a relationship with every single individual that humbles themselves before Him. So while it is true the Lord has made commandments, at the same time it is also true that He desires a relationship. This is the meaning behind the term, “advice.” The Lord could have said, “Since you don’t obey me, then . . .” However, The Lord did not say such a thing, but makes His rebuke telling the objects of the Scripture that they have ignored His “advice.” When we juxtapose “command” with “advice” we find quite the striking difference. Advice suggests a deeper personal relationship. A relationship with somebody who cares about what direction the object towards which this advice is offered and is going.

“²⁶I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you – ²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.” –Proverbs 1:26-27

To better extrapolate the meaning behind these two verses, it is necessary to jump down a bit to verse 31 and 32:

“³¹They will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. ³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them.”

Although there is much contrast within this group of verses, there is also a coherence between who a man is and what consequence is to come to pass. The term fruit here is the consequent of these peoples state of heart and being. Their ways bring about a punishment which is corollary to their very behavior. “Simple,” in practical terms, refers to the indulgence of carnal desires. Such a simple man, no matter what Lynard Skynard might think, is completely wayward, for their ways suddenly shift in an effort to fulfill those carnal desires. Neither the wayward momentum of the simple, nor the stagnant ways of the complacent fool, will save them. Indeed, it will become their very downfall.

Even mockers will have their just and corollary reward. Mockers are brought up specifically just previously in Proverbs 1, Verse 22:

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?”

There are at least three classes of folks dealt with in our group of verses. The simple, the fool, and the mocker. As said before the simple indulges in the carnal desires. The fool is complacent and lacks knowledge, by choice, for there is a relationship between the simple and the fool. The mocker is included as well and more likely than not this has to do with a person who through behavior or by his spirit mocks God. God answers such as these in verses 26 and 27.

Yet, the Bible tells us in Ezekiel 18:32, that God takes no delight in even the punishment of the wicked. However, Proverbs specifically mentions God mocking and laughing. God also laughs which in turn can be a form of mocking. Is this God taking pleasure in the punishment of the wicked. We have somewhat of a paradox here, and when studying the Word, I love paradoxes. Why? Instead of writing them off as contradictions, the exploration of paradox gives us a deeper understanding into the Word of God and even God Himself.

Here we have a paradox between the absence of pleasure when God punishes the wicked, and His ability to mock. To settle this paradox we need to ask ourselves is it necessarily the case that mockery must be a form of pleasure. In practical applications, that is concerning human behavior, we find this not to be the case. Every mockery is not motivated by a joy. Quite the contrary, most mockery is a form of displeasure. Mockery, in human terms, seeks to lower another for a prideful purpose, as opposed to God whose motives are for just purposes. Since it is just, mockery from God seeks not to lower, but to reveal truth. God mocks the prideful, for next to God we are nothing. It is the pride He mocks. It is not directed at the punishment itself. Mockers mock due to prideful purposes, and because of that pride, God will mock the pride of the proud and bring them low. Thus, mockers too will eat the fruit of their ways. They will mock and in turn be mocked by God. For how misplaced is pride when compared with the Lord?

There is much imagery shared here concerning storms and weather. Keeping along the lines of our current themes the storms too must signify something. Since it comes upon the sinners it must be a part of the sinners God is mentioning specifically. Simply, we find the punishment fits the crime in that the fruits of the sinner will be the very ones to befall them. So, mockery for the mockers, the simple, the carnal desires, and the fool, the lack of knowledge. Since we have all this corollary fruit, so too would the storms mention be representational of those spoken of in Proverbs. How can a storm be representational of an individual as regards sin?

Let us take the waywardness of the simple for example. To be wayward, according to Dictionary.com, is to have turned away from what is right and proper; willful; disobedient. Swayed or prompted by caprice; capricious. Turning or changing irregularly; irregular. To be capricious is to be given to sudden unpredictable change, as one’s mind or the weather. Both these apply to the simple, in that they frequently change their mind to follow their own wayward carnal appetites and upon such the Lord will bring a storm of calamity. This storm will hit from all sides and the simple will make their plea to God for deliverance. Yet, the shifting storm is of their own doing much like their shifting desires and wills. It is this plea that will not be heard from by God. They will eat of their own just deserts. Verse 28 says:

“Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me.”

In this arises another paradox for the Bible also tells us in Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9, “Seek, and ye shall find.” Aren’t these men seeking God by their plea? Is the Holy Word contradicting itself? Not at all. Rather than this being the case, we receive insight into the heart of such individuals. Verse 29 and 30 read:

“²⁹Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord. ³⁰Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke.”

Such people hate knowledge, don’t fear the Lord, don’t accept his advice, nor his rebuke and being the case have not a heart for God, but a heart of self. It is only out of self-preservation that they cry out to God, not for the knowledge that they have done wrong and sinned. Nor is it for a healthy fear of the Lord. The Lord understands the human heart better than we ourselves do. Is the Lord bound to redeem those who have not heart for Him? Certainly not, though He does deliver the sinner at times to make Himself known unto them, but we should be wary of relinquishing ourselves to our basic “needs” and then begging the Lord for deliverance and forgiveness when consequence comes upon us. Such a repetition of behavior suggests a focus on self and not on the Lord.

To give scriptural evidence of this, the Book of James says in Chapter 4, Verse 3:

“Ye ask, and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

This is an amazing verse for it shows that the Lord doesn’t answer prayer if it is to encourage sinful behaviors. The people in Proverbs sought sinful behavior and ask for deliverance from trouble in order that they may continue to indulge in their lusts.

“³¹They will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” —Proverbs 1:31

Scheming certainly has its bad connotation. Yet, there are blessed schemes as well. Dictionary.com defines a scheme as a plan, design, or program of action to be followed, project, an underhand plot, intrigue. A visionary or impractical project. A body or system of related doctrines, theories, etc. Any system of correlated things, parts, etc, or the manner of its arrangement. A plan, program, or policy officially adopted and followed, as by government or business, an analytical or tabular statement. God has his own Holy schemes as is made evident in the sacred doctrine, but beware the underhand schemes of man which seek to deceive, if not self, then others including our Lord, but the Lord cannot be deceived due to His infinite perfection. What people desire in sin is often the very same means unto which they will meet their ends.

“³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them and the complacency of fools will destroy them, ³³but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

In addition, let us be wary of the complacency of the fool, complacency being foolish in and of itself. Being void of knowledge, wisdom, and is moreover given to sin. There are many things that bring about complacency. Drinking and drugs being two prime examples. We find that when these things are evident in life, complacency creeps into the lifestyle of the individual. Due to the dangers of idle hands we see an implicit and even explicit relationship between complacency and sin.

Despite some of the scary moments in Proverbs, there are messages of hope as well. The fact is we can choose to fear the Lord. We can choose to be non-complacent and non-foolish. We can chose not to be simple and not mock. We can repent and turn our hearts away from evil and towards the Lord. Such that do this will live in safety, be at ease, and be free of the fear of harm. Now that doesn’t mean that harm will not come to us, but in history time and time again we see those blessed men and women of the Lord who did not fear what harm was to come to them by the hands of man. Matthew 10:28 says:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

We can be free of the fear of this harm simply by fearing the Lord. This brings ease and rest to the soul. Due to the fact that we can count on this salvation, we can live in safety, knowing our salvation is secure in the Lord our God by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 1:20-23, “On The Bible’s Personification of Wisdom and a Rebuke of Polytheism Regarding Proverbs.”

“²⁰Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square. ²¹On top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech. ²²How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?²³Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.” —Proverbs 1:20-23

There are many things that set the Holy Bible apart from other books of antiquity. One simply is how people respond to it. Out of all books of antiquity it is unique in that almost every world view attempts to come to the Holy Bible, have it validate their belief system, or, on the other hand, they attempt to use it against itself to disprove it’s authenticity. These arguments run the gamut from being absurd and silly, to requiring extensive study by believers to provide an adequate answer against the charges. This charge, in particular, has surprised me for a couple reasons. First, due to its absurdity, and because I have heard it more than once. One would be most inclined to think the more absurd a charge is the rarer it becomes. Yet, there are those examples where there are shallow and boundless absurdities which we hear time and time again. This is one such charge.
The charge regarding Proverbs is that it denotes and thus “proves” a kind of polytheism. Polytheism is simply the belief in many gods, appropriately from the Greek’s, who had their own mythology concerning many gods and demi gods, “Polys” meaning “many.” At any rate, it has been argued that wisdom, which is personified more than once in Proverbs, is indeed reference to another god rather than an attribute of God. I find this to be quite an odd argument because of the fact that personification of concepts within forms of writing is such a prevalent instrument. From pop lit to the archaic, personification has been used in everything from these abstract concepts, like wisdom, to nature and animal forms. This being the case, to jump to such a literal conclusion is quite silly. Yet, here it is.

To somewhat prove the case that this isn’t a separate god speaking, but rather the one and true God, we only need to look at the gender of this personification. Wisdom is regarded as a female, while God is almost always depicted as male, when we take into account the personal pronouns which reference God Himself. This is nothing against the female gender mind you, quite the contrary, but what it does symbolize is God’s role when we come to him for salvation. He provides for us and we, the church, are His bride. The irony of this view, made even more ironic because it is argued from the point of view of feminists, is that if one is to hold that the female gender is derogatory in symbolism, and that we, that is all human kind, are referred to in a the female gender, it requires a derogatory view of the self if one is remain in complete coherence with that view.

What we have here is not a literal personification, but rather an abstract personification of one of the attributes of God. Verse 23 says:

“Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.”

To, “pour out,” is a not uncommon phrase in Scripture which is attributed to God, for God holds the cup of wisdom and pours it out to anyone who repents. Thus, the wisdom spoke of here is not a deity, but a part of God, not apart. There are a couple other curiosities to this verse which speak of and to wisdom. One of these I believe to be so profound that I have not grasped the real gravity of it. Thus, if there are any out there with insight, I would appreciate further clarification in the comments section immediately below this post.

It is interesting, but wisdom is said of speaking in four locations. This is the profoundness of which I speak. These are, out in the open, in the public square, on the top of the wall, and at the city gate. Instead of the Scripture saying, “Wisdom cries out…,” it gives us these four specific locales. Why? Though I do not claim to understand the full significance, and I have an inkling there is more, I think there are a few things we can safely and scripturally determine to be the case here. “Out in the open,” may refer to the fact that even outside men, independent of them, this Godly wisdom exists. “In the public square,” can signify that among men God’s wisdom calls to us.

“At the city gate,” I believe may need some clarification. Unlike contemporary cities, cities of antiquity were often surrounded by a wall and often had one or several gates that led into or out of the city. These gates were closed at times at certain hours and most definitely when the city was under siege. When someone was said to be at the gates, it is equivalent to saying, “Someone is at the door.” Meaning that one was or is on the other side. Thus, when wisdom calls out from the city gate, she is not crying out from inside, but from outside! This is symbolic of the human heart who has erected walls or strongholds against the wisdom of God, and God Himself. Despite this wisdom still cries out. “She” cannot be silenced.
“On top of the wall,” is a metaphor for this wisdom being loftier than man’s wisdom. Though it can be among men, it is greater than man and his own knowledge, reason or logic. As I had said before, the polytheistic argument is used other places in Proverbs. This includes Proverbs chapter 9. Here, in Verse 3, the lofty metaphor is repeated once more.

“She (wisdom) has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city.” —Proverbs 3:9

Saint Thomas Aquinas quotes it another way:

“Wisdom sent her maids to invite to the tower.” —Proverbs 3:9

Aquinas himself uses the verse to attempt to prove that the Sacred Doctrine is more noble than other sciences, but does liken the metaphor to its transcending nature:

“Since this science is partly speculative and partly practical, it transcends all others whether speculative or practical.” —Saint Thomas Aquinas

It is interesting to note that chapter 9 holds a lot of similarities to chapter 1. However, what we can gather from all this is that there is this transcending nature to wisdom and not only that but, there is also the apparent meaning that wisdom is everywhere, though not all men choose to recognize or hear it. This is utmost importance do to it being repeated. As we continue in chapter 1 this becomes more apparent.

“How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mocking and fools hate knowledge.” —Proverbs 1:22

It is quite fascinating that we are able to define what we are simply on what we love or hate. That’s worth repeating. We define what we are simply on what we love or hate. If we love to mock we become mockers. If we hate knowledge we become fools, and if we love our simple carnal ways, we become exactly that. This extends to even truth in general, of which God is a part. Those who love truth will see it, while those who hate the truth will avoid it altogether. Yet, truth and wisdom call out to us from their lofty positions to change our ways. To hate mockery, the carnal, and to love knowledge. All this so we might become respectful, spiritual and wise.

Proverbs 1:10,15-19, “On The Self-Treason of Those Who Rush Into Evil and A Tangent About Success”

“¹⁰My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. ¹⁵My son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; ¹⁶for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood. ¹⁷How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it! ¹⁸These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! ¹⁹Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.” -Proverbs 1:10,15-19

There are many things we find when studying the word. One of these is the honesty in which the Word addresses sin. What I mean is that it offers a kind of paradox. On one hand the warnings against sin are stern, but on the other hand the desire we have to sin or become disobedient is made evident. This paradox of course is settled by the grace of Jesus Christ. Here it is no different in sharing the tempting natures of sin. Verse 10 points out how sin and even the sinful can entice one. Sin can look glamorous or even fulfilling, but we know from both empirical evidence, namely our experience, and from the Scripture, that there is nothing further from the truth. Our enemy is not beyond using others to temp us and we should constantly keep this in remembrance. We should not give into the enticing appearance of sin, for the path that following sin puts us on is one that leads straight to death. Those who are of a sinful nature stroll upon these paths to ruin. Their paths are not straight, but crooked, winding and unsafe. How swift to shed blood and resort to violence are they who stroll upon this path. In addition, all forms of sin become their traveling companions and one should look to avoid such company. These men sabotage and ambush themselves.

“How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it.” —Proverbs 1:17

For a moment Verse 17 confused me. Yet, when I read 18 it began to make sense. The man whose feet rush quickly into evil are their own enemy. Going back to verse 15 it got me to thinking, “Do all sinners enjoy shedding blood?” No, I believe there exists a distinction here. Not a distinction that allows excuse to be made, for all men will be without excuse, but rather there are several types of sinner the Bible mentions. Elsewhere in Scripture we are given distinctions of outward rebellion in sin, conceptual sin, grievous sin, habitual sin, and finally sins of iniquity. There can be another distinction made concerning Verse 10. These are those who struggle against sin and accept the Lord’s grace for sinning, for purposes of distinction I will refer to this as reluctant sin and the other as willful sin. I do not say “reluctant” because I wish to belittle the personal responsibility in sin. Rather, I use this term for lack of others at the top of my head, and for strictly distinction. Reluctance denotes a slowness or hesitation to sin, which means one is slow in sinning and quick to receive grace offered. Willful sin however, as is the category those whose feet rush into evil belong, denotes a quickness to sin and a slowness to receive grace offered. A major component of receiving grace properly is to repent, or turn from sin. Grace offers us the ability to do so, and not to excuse indulgence in sin.

The willful and “fast” sinner is the one who is quick to shed blood. Even “reluctant” sinners are not so quick to shed blood and still can detest violence and in fact be peacekeepers. The paths of these willful sinners end in ruin. They will not see success, for verse 17 says they will sabotage themselves. Casting an obvious net to catch a bird conflicts with one’s desire. If one wishes to be successful in such an endeavor, they need to cast a concealed trap and after run and hide. We too should run and hide from sin, lest we be as the man who casts an obvious net only to be met with no success whatsoever.

Success is an interesting paradox with profound meaning, in that the more a person strives for it, the more distant it can become. In his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning,” holocaust survivor Viktor E. Frankl states:

“Don’t aim at success – the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s dedication to a cause greater than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success; you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge, then you will live to see that in the long run – in the long run I say! – success will follow precisely because you had forgotten to think of it.” —Viktor E. Frankl

The success of the sinner fails in that the success is based on the self, rather than on something greater than the self. Even those entrepreneurs who hold vast wealth because of the establishment of goods and company, do so because they believe in a cause greater than themselves. Of course this cause can be almost anything to supplying that which the world lacks to wanting to change or better things that already exist. The Christian has an even greater cause and this dedication is based on God’s will and not the will of the self. This leads to success.

I could use my very blog as an example. Whenever I focus on writing for an audience, rather than extrapolating the deep mysteries found within the Scripture and how it speaks to me personally, I find my writing, as well as my contemplation to wane to a vast degree. The more I forget about the audience which may or may not find their way to my blog, the better my writing and logical analysis. Whenever I try to impress with wit or wisdom, I find it all the more lacking, than when I humbly approach the Word and let it lead me in the way the Lord wills. However, if I have a particular goal greater than myself, as in sharing the message the Lord has deemed important, and focus on that alone, the more success I feel I have in my blog entry.

Quick to sin men are prideful, arrogant and violent according to the Word. His focus is so on the self, in the end, he will see no success by his sinful endeavors. They lie in wait, says Verse 18, to ambush only themselves. Their own actions testify against them so that their bitter means cannot bring sweet results. There are results which pacify, so let us not deny. Yet, where and by what means do these ends eventually lead. As we have mentioned, they lead to ruin, destruction, and death. By spilling other’s blood for gain, they spill their own. They contradict self, seeking to further self, they deteriorate it. The ultimate self-treason.

Proverbs 1:8, “On Some Notes on God, The Family System, and Equality”

“Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” —Proverbs 1:8

The family is a structure and system that is very important to God. This is made evident all throughout the scripture. In fact, it is part of the ten commandments which not only show us our need for salvation, but give us clear insight into the being and character of God.

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” —Exodus 20:12

God’s design for the family is really quite amazing, especially when one considers the Lord within it. Simply, the family system is directly representational of the relationship we have with God. Now, I realize that some of what I am about to write will offend some of those with greater feminist sensitivities. What I mean is feminism, and I do agree with some aspects of this title, but I disagree with what we will call radical feminism. It could be said those points I do agree with I feel extend beyond feminism to greater questions concerning equality, not necessarily limited to women.

Like it or not society has it’s conceptions of what the family system entails. Mainly, the father is a provider and mother a nurturer. It seems that despite the efforts of some we cannot get rid of these “roles” manifest in the family. Why that is is simple. It’s how God designed it. It is we who have put levels of importance on these roles, not God. To God, both are of extreme and equal importance in that they should edify each other in a proper family system. As I said before it is representational of God, both the father and mother roles. The Lord provides, nourishes, nurtures, and so too do the father and mother within the family. It is so representational in fact, that one could substitute God, for “father,” and “mother” in both verses written above and not contradict scripture one bit.

In contemporary society, why is it we feel the need to vilify the mother’s role above all else? The paradox of this is that a lot of the current mode of thinking was enticed by women and the radical feminist movement, which supposes such an honorable role is lesser then the one imposed or taken by the male. To me this is absurd, for they even vilify those who focus on nurturing by choice. On a philosophical and logical level they are in essence shooting themselves in the foot.

Of course, because it was designed by God, everyone has a inkling this is or may be the case. That’s why the Scripture is attacked above all else by radical feminists for a variety of reasons. They claim that God and His Word is a form of backwards thinking, that it is holding the world back from development into some utopia, or that it speaks of intolerance and inequality. Their claims and arguments are false. The Father/Mother relationship is one that is representational as we have said. Are we to say that God in His perfect nature is unequally yolked with Himself? How absurd an idea! Yet, they don’t find it absurd because they don’t find God a reality. We find God a reality and thereby know Him as perfect, equally great in all His attributes.

I implore the reader to change their mindset. Don’t listen to radical feminists who talk about our God being unequal and His design being flawed. The only flaw is what man brought upon himself, not God. Yes, believe in equality and strive for it that you may show the love of Christ unto all in an equal measure, but don’t suppose one is more important than another based on what God has designed. Are we called to do this among the body of Christ? No! In fact, we are told to strive against it! We are to unify in our differences and not separate because of them.

All roles manifest in the Father/Mother relationship are of equal importance, and when unified rear a child in ways denoting greatness. What makes it great and important is not one role or the other, but the working of the two as one. Am I saying then that a single mother cannot rear a child properly and that the offspring is destined for something less then great. By the grace of God, no I am not. Is there a likelihood though that if not in a proper family system, a child may be raised without a particular element which provides a means of struggle? Yes, in all likelihood. However, I am stopping way short of calling this an absolute, for I know many examples of the contrary.

I know of many great kids and young adults who have been raised by single parents.

This leads to another argument. This argument is logically near equivalent in that it has to do with importance of roles. The argument in our contemporary society is that the father and mother roles are of such little importance that either one can be negated in the rearing of a child. This is equally absurd as the first argument that states one must be greater than another. If we negate both, as sad as it is this can be the case at times, then we often find developmental issues associated with the lack of having parents and guidance. Again, I won’t state this as an absolute, but it is much more apparent then if we negate just one or another of the father/mother relationship. If it is much more apparent, then can’t we well say that because if two are absent, there is a detrimental consequent, then doesn’t it follow that if one or the other is absent, then there may be a consequent? We certainly can and being the case we see that both roles are important in the rearing of a child.

Lastly, these verses tell us not all responsibility falls on the parental figures. Rather, we as children are called to honor our parents and listen to them as in accordance with God’s will and His very nature.

Proverbs 1:1-7, “On Solomon: The Philosopher”

“¹The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ²for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; ³for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young- ⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance- ⁶for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. ⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” –Proverbs 1:1-7

After having a rather difficult night last night, I sought out the Bible for comfort and opened it to Proverbs. Not only was I comforted, but rather convicted as well. We often turn to the scriptures in times of difficulty or trouble, but how much less do we do sometimes during periods of comfort? This was my own personal conviction, I am so willing to open the bible in such times of hardship, either spiritual, emotional, or physical, but I am much less apt to do so in times of peace. I am glad for this conviction because conviction is a form of instruction which leads unto a beneficial end. Though, I must admit, it isn’t always comfortable in and of itself.

I realized something else as well. I have read Proverbs completely through (and indeed all of the sacred doctrine), but I have never embarked on a deep study of Proverbs, which shocks me somewhat. I am a fan of studying philosophy and philosophies. I find man infinitely interesting including the formulation of belief structures and sciences. This is generally speaking and does not reflect on what my viewpoints are concerning a particular philosophy, but studying them I do enjoy. Even in the study of opposing viewpoints, I feel I have honestly gained some wisdom and this is both to my benefit and my shame, for the Lord has shown me that I can continue to study, do what I enjoy, but focus more on the Holy Writ rather than on the words of ancient dead men. How much more important are the words of He who is still alive and those who live in Him?

So this is what I embark upon now, to study the words of one of the wisest men who has ever lived. King Solomon. If I love philosophy so much, why is it that I have put this off or it has never occurred to me. Partially its because, although I have always enjoyed the book, and speaking to its credit, it is one of the perfect books for randomly opening and reading. I could say the same about Psalms as well. This was my main method of study in Proverbs, the closing of eyes and pointing of the finger to illuminate verses contained within. This does serve some benefit, but I feel I have missed some of the fullness of the knowledge contained within.

During Solomon’s time, as it has been said, Israel was as close as it ever has got to being a world, “superpower.” King Solomon reigned during this time and his wealth of spirit, wisdom and material is unequaled. Therefore, he and his writings are great candidates for deep philosophical reflection. They are comforting, sweet, funny at times, insightful, contain deep mysteries, and can be even scary. Yet, all emanates from this man who deeply loved the Lord, as did his father David, and it is seen throughout. His love of the Lord is not only the love directed at the Lord Himself, but extends indeed to the Lord’s ways, means, and the knowledge or wisdom of the Lord.

It is a treasure trove of wisdom and experience. In fact, one could be reminded of the writings of Marcus Aurelius and his “Meditations,” when reading Proverbs, if one were so tempted to make a comparison. Yet, in reality, there is no comparison, for the wisdom of the world and the knowledge of God are two different things altogether. While one may be practical in the ways of the world, the other concerns divine things and thus is all the much greater. Yet, even these divine revelations have practical applications, for the two aren’t mutually exclusive.

Proverbs starts out giving a “mission statement” about the book as a whole. In this Solomon gives us his desire and intention for the book:

“¹The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: ²for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; ³for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair.” —Proverbs 1:1-3

Man is a master at self-deception. Despite evidence to the contrary, we often think we have everything under control. That we have provided a safe house against enemies, catastrophe, heartbreak, hardship and temptation. How arrogant and silly we can be! More often then not, despite our best efforts, we find ourselves in great tribulation and challenge. Some of this, at times, is due to our own ignorance and self-pacification. In times of comfort, we let our guard down and are assaulted sometimes as a consequent of those ignorant choices we have made. This is why prudence is so important. To be prudent is to be careful and wary of the future in our choices. Sure, we can never completely stop these hardships, but we can protect ourselves from being our own worst enemy in being prudent. This prudence only comes through instruction, especially that which comes the divine source.

Solomon never shies away from his mission. Simply, it is Solomon’s conviction to teach. Not only on these principles of wisdom, but also on how to understand the words. Further, he desires to provide instruction on prudent behaviors, of which are included moral choices, justice and fairness.

“⁴For giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young- ⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance.” –Proverbs 1:4-5

There is an interesting juxtaposition which can be made here. This shows the true extent of the wisdom shared in Proverbs. In verse 4, Solomon mentions the simple and the young. Those who lack knowledge and wisdom. Not only is this book for them, but also, in verse 5, Solomon mentions the wise, the learned and the discerning. This is an ingenious way to basically say that these words will never be irrelevant or untrue, nor is there any end to the wisdom contained within. If the wisdom can apply to both the simple and learned then there is no end to the extent of the wisdom and thus can only be divine in nature. King Solomon is not sharing the wisdom of man, practicality, but the wisdom of the Lord.

“⁶For understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. ⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” —Proverbs 1:6-7

First off let me say that the fear of the Lord and what it is exactly is a rather large topic and one I hope to visit further, for as soon as I think I understand it, some other element becomes apparent. Yet, it is interesting to note that elsewhere Solomon mentions the fear of the Lord as being a kind of humility. Being the case, we can see humility as well is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge. Yet, fools are haughty and despise wisdom and instruction, for such things strike against their pride. Again, to my shame I can see this lesson evident in my own life. I have forsaken knowledge and wisdom before for the mere purpose of preserving my pride. How interesting that pride can be more false than it already is.

1 John 1:1-5, “On The Light, Darkness and a Rededication”

“¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” –1 John 1:1-5

Its a wondrous thing our sacred doctrine. Often when we embark on studying it we may find key phrases may jump out at us during one reading, and another altogether during a rereading. For me this verse was no different. As I wrote it down on my white board, I stood there staring. Contemplating. Yes, I know the basic truths behind this verse, and furthermore believe them, but what was God trying to tell me through this particular scripture?

Two key phrases stood out to me:

From verse 3: “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

From Verse 5: “The light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Currently, in the spirit of full disclosure to the reader, I am working on rededicating my life to the Lord. How surprised was I to know that I had fallen away! However, some exhortation is due on part of the Lord for allowing me to know this very thing. How tragic it is when one falls away and never knows it! This may be of interest to the reader simply because it gives some context into the verse, what was shown unto me, and what it all means. First, we approach verse 3. It states, again, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

The language or construction of this verse is what made it stand out to me first. It is kind of odd. I thought, “Well, why not just say that without Him nothing was made?” Why the added, “nothing was made that has been made?” To me this indicated that I should see it through some new eyes. The ones that the Lord provides at times when reading His Word, which was in the beginning, along with God, and was God.

There is of course something to be said about the message of the Holy Trinity or the Triune God which is made evident here in its representation and presentation. Usually I would focus on this point, for it is a great point to make, but the Lord wanted something else known unto me.

Often when we run across repetition or a tautology of language within Holy Writ or anywhere else for that matter, it is either of grammatical error, or it is utilized to emphasize a point. I believe the repetition in this case of, “without Him nothing was made that has been made,” supports the latter, that it is used to emphasize something.

I realized the emphasis is used to make a powerful point, which becomes clearer when we add verse 5. I came to the realization that, “without Him nothing was made that has been made,” means nothing exists outside God. Everything is God. Not in the Cosmic Humanistic standpoint mind you, but everything that exists is so because God deemed it to be. Outside God there is nothing. What is this nothing?

Well, Scripture often describes nothingness, evil, and being apart from the Lord as “darkness.” Everything that was made was made THROUGH Him and WITHOUT Him nothing is. Yet, how does sin and evil equate to nothingness. We obviously have a conception of it so doesn’t it exist? Further, if it exists are we to say that God created it? Absolutely not!

Darkness only exists in relation to the light. God said, “Let there be light,” not, “Let there be darkness.” The darkness is the absence of God and being completely apart from him. This describes sin in a nutshell. Sin is action, thought, contemplation, temptation, and anything that is separate from the nature, being and, for lack of better terminology, character of God. As two forms of matter can’t occupy the same space, so too God and evil cannot occupy the same space. Thus if God is light, and darkness is far removed from Him, as it is, the darkness cannot occupy the same space without being illuminated itself and becoming light. Yet, we know God is of a singular nature and cannot be light and darkness at the same time.

Taking these principles, I read the second phrase that stood out, that is verse 5. Again, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” We should say, of course, amen to that, for it tells us of Christ’s complete victory. Yet, as does happen, I got something else out of it. Something Scriptural. It is important to weigh every interpretation with the rest of Scripture in order that the mind not deceive.

As I have shared, I am currently rededicating my life to Christ, and one of the first things that occurs to one when doing so is the great shame that envelopes. The nature of sin is darkness. It is apart from God. Thus, I had a great message of hope. When one walks of the path, we become entangled in the thickets of sin and in doing so the enemy prepares a lie which I heard on my way to church yesterday.

“You are a worthless pile. You have no business going to church, nor bowing before your Lord. Why would he want anything to do with you?”

Obviously, the end to following this lie is that one avoid church and avoid the Lord because of shame. It was easy to distinguish the lie and tell the enemy to get behind me. Yet, shame and guilt still follow. Some taunts of the enemy, others righteous revelation. My guilt was righteously being revealed unto me, but I still had the question:

“My sin is great O’Lord. So great forgiveness would be beyond my human understanding and comprehension. Can I still come to you? Have I been so set in my ways that I am separated and plunged into darkness for all eternity?”

No! Why? Verse 5 shows us that even in the midst of grievous sin there is light. Do we deserve it? Certainly not, but yet it is there. Our sin, which God knew from the beginning and destined our Savior to cleanse it with blood, is the light that shines through even the most horrid of sins. This is of course no credit to ourselves, but rather credit belongs to Him who sits at the right hand of God. The promise and blood of the lamb cannot be overcome by even willful sin it is so great. Again, this is no credit to self, but our Lord Himself and to Him may eternal praise belong.