Proverbs 1: 20-33
- Wisdom cries aloud in the streets,
Raises her voice in the squares.
At the head of the busy streets she calls;
At the entrance of the gates, in the city, she speaks out (20-21).
Have you ever wondered at the alfresco setting? It is very overt, very public, which are good. But it is also very impersonal, and anonymous voices mingled with the din of the busy streets are difficult to understand and easy to ignore. Wisdom, being wise, is certainly aware of this. So, then, why does she choose the great outdoors to preach in?
- My [child], heed the discipline of your father,
And do not forsake the instruction of your mother. (8)
- "Because they hated knowledge,
And did not choose fear of the LORD;
They refused my advice,
And disdained all my rebukes,
They shall eat the fruit of their ways,
And have their fill of their own counsels." (29-31)
With the above consideration in mind, read this Psalm.
- The heavens declare the glory of God,
the sky proclaims [God's] handiwork. [2]
- There is no utterance,
there are no words,
whose sound goes unheard. [4]
- Your servant pays them heed;
in obeying them there is much reward. [12]
- Who can be aware of errors?
Clear me of unperceived guilt,
and from willful sins keep Your servant;
let them not dominate me;
then shall I be blameless
and clear of grave offense. [13-14]
You, my friends, were called to be free; only beware of turning your freedom into license for your unspiritual nature. Instead, serve one another in love; for the whole law is summed up in a single commandment: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' But if you go on fighting one another, tooth and nail, all you can expect is mutual destruction. (Gal. 5: 13-15)
- "How long will you simple ones love simplicity,
You scoffers be eager to scoff,
You dullards hate knowledge?" (Pro. 1: 22)
All of us go wrong again and again; a [person] who never says anything wrong is perfect and is capable of controlling every part of [the] body. (2) Now James is not contradicting Paul here; rather, with irony, he is affirming Paul's application of Scripture: There is no one righteous; no, not one; ...All have swerved aside, all alike have become debased; ...Their throats are open tombs, they use their tongues for treachery, adders' venom is on their lips, and their mouths are full of bitter curses. (Rom. 3: 10..12..13-14)
To refresh your memory and set the above in its proper context: From Paul, ...to all of you in Rome, who are loved by God and called to be [God's] people (Rom. 1: 1..7); From [Jacob], ...to the twelve tribes dispersed throughout the world (1: 1) take heed: we have already drawn up the indictment that all, Jews and Greeks alike, are under the power of sin. (Rom. 3: 9) Be not deceived, Christian. Both Apostles are speaking to the Church, to you and me; both are speaking of the Church, of you and me. All of us, even the Pope, Billy Graham, your seminary professors and kindly pastors of fond memory, you and me, All of us go wrong again and again. But we refuse to believe that; we know that we possess the inerrant and infallible interpretation of God's Word. But Wisdom asserts that we are wrong again and again; 'You think as [people] think, not as God thinks.' (Mk. 8: 33) 'Repent, and believe the gospel.' (Mk. 1: 15)
The tongue, as both James and Paul were aware, is a metaphor (6); it is the slave of the mind and, like Balaam, can only say what it is told to say. Unfortunately, our minds are more like Balaam's than that of his ass.(5)
Out of the same mouth come praise and curses. This should not be so, my friends. (10) Will that preach? Most likely so. But can you preach it with clean lips and a pure heart?
- May the words of my mouth
and the prayer of my heart
be acceptable to You,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. [Psa. 19: 15]
But Jesus, turning and looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter. 'Out of my sight, Satan!' he said. 'You think as [people] think, not as God thinks.' (33) Why did Mark include the phrase, turning and looking at his disciples? Was it because he knew that Jesus' disciples-- of his day and of ours-- need to hear what Jesus said to Peter? Considering the import of our Lord's gaze(6), could it be that Jesus was using Peter as a stand-in for the disciples-- and us? That Christ's rebuke was meant for us? "Oh, but we don't think like that!" we protest, hugely offended. And in so doing, we profess that we are not one of Jesus' disciples.
- "You are indifferent to my rebuke;
I will now speak my mind to you,
And let you know my thoughts." (Pro. 1: 23)
"Because [you] hated knowledge,
And did not choose fear of the LORD:
[You] refused my advice,
And disdained all my rebukes,
[You] shall eat the fruit of [your] ways,
And have [your] fill of [your] own counsels."
- Lord, I do believe
Your Word of Wisdom and Truth;
but not all of it.(7)
1. 1 Read Heb. 9: 1 - 10: 2.
2 See 1Cor. 1: 24.
3 See Jas. 1: 22-25, 2: 17-18ff.
4 Are you still reading James through every day? Or, at least, each week?
5 See Num. 22 - 24.
6 Does not a speaker usually look at those being spoken to?
7. 7 Haiku poem by Phil Gilman. Please feel free to utilize anything from these pages; just give God the Glory, Praise and Thanks and me whatever credit may be due.
(comments to Phil at ENAPXH@aol.com )