Proverbs Reading Challenge – Chapter 2

Posted on January 30, 2020 by dkoop

Welcome to chapter 2!  I have prayed for you and hope you have gotten much out of your time in God’s word.

Today as we look at chapter 2 the repetition of the phrase “my son” (2:1; 3:1, 11, 21; 4:10, 20; and “my children” 4:1,) reminds us that the book of Proverbs records a loving father’s wise counsel to his family.

While the Proverbs of Ch 1-9 are directed toward young people, the principles supporting them are helpful to all believers, male and female, young and old. Anyone beginning his or her journey to discover more of wisdom will benefit greatly from these wise sayings.

Proverbs chapter 2 teaches the doctrine of two ways.

Chose the Way of God 2:1–4 and  2:5–11

Chapters 2-4 all begin with a challenge to listen to God’s words and take them to heart, because that’s the only way we can walk with God and live skillfully. Eight essentials in this paragraph reveal our responsibilities toward God’s truth: accept God’s words and store them up in our minds and hearts; turn your ear and apply your heart; cry out for understanding, look for wisdom and search for it.

 Avoid the Way of Death

10-19. Here we meet 2 more people “the wicked man” and “the adulteress” two people who are dangerous because they want to lead God’s children away from the path of life. The evil man holds out the promise of easy money (vv. 12–15; cf. 1:10–19), and the adulteress holds out the promise of easy sex (vv. 16–19; cf. 5:1–23).

The wicked man is known for his perverse (crooked) words (see vv. 12, 14; 6:14; 8:13; 10:31-32; and 16:28, 30). That is, he justifies his way of life with a distorted set of values in order to persuade others to join him. He walks on the dark path of disobedience and enjoys doing that which is evil. He belongs to the crowd Solomon warns us about in 1:10-19. The person who walks in the way of wisdom would immediately detect his deceit and avoid him.

The “adulteress” has no respect for God, because she breaks His law (Ex. 20:14); she has no respect for her husband because she violates the promises she made to him when she married him. She no longer has a guide or a friend in the Lord or in her husband, because she has taken the path of sin. Those who enter the house of the immoral woman find only the ghosts of those who preceded them and discover too late that there is no exit (vv. 18–19). This is a powerful image accurately and graphically describing the situation of those who have followed the allurement of sexual sin.  Anyone who listens to her words and follows her path is heading for death.

 Then You Will Walk in Ways of Good Men.

Note the argument that Solomon gives in this chapter that begins with the “if” of verse 1 and continues with the “then” of verse 9 and the “thus” of verse 20. If we receive God’s words and obey them, then we will have wisdom to make wise decisions, and  God will keep His promise and protect us from the wicked man and the adulteress woman. When you obey God, you have the privilege to “walk in the ways of good men” (v. 20).

The wicked may appear to be succeeding, but their end is destruction (Ps. 37). The godly will be rooted in the place of God’s blessing (Ps. 1:3), but the ungodly will be uprooted from the land. The safest and most satisfying path is the path of wisdom, the path of life.

May we walk in God’s way, Darrell

Ps. talk to you tomorrow

http://www.Upwards.Church

Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary – Old Testament
New American Commentary
Life Application Bible Notes
Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
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Proverbs Reading Challenge – Chapter 1

Posted on January 28, 2020 by dkoop

Welcome to Chapter 1 of the Proverbs reading challenge!  I’m thankful for your desire to get to know God better through his Word.

As we enter 2020 and a new decade, what a better way to start this time than with some insight from God’s word?

Proverbs 1 is broken into 3 major parts:

  1. The purpose of Proverbs
  2. Warning Against Enticement
  3. Embrace Wisdom/Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

 Let’s see the reason the book was written.  And all the great things we can expect from time we spend in Proverbs.

  1. The purpose of Proverbs

I see some good things in store for us as we dig in (I am reading from the NIV):

  • attaining wisdom (vs. 2)
  • attaining discipline (vs.2)
  • understanding words of insight (vs. 2)
  • acquiring a disciplined life (vs. 3)
  • acquiring a sensible life (vs. 3)
  • to be able to do what is right (vs. 3)
  • to be able to do what is just (vs. 3)
  • to be able to do what is fair (vs. 3)
  • to be able to give moral instruction to those who lack moral sense (vs. 4)
  • to able to give knowledge and insight to the young (vs. 4)

I could benefit from all the above, couldn’t you?

Then comes what every commentator says is the key verse of all of Proverbs   1:7-9

  In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the Lord — to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power, and to obey his Word. Faith in God should be the controlling principle for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. Trust in God — he will make you truly wise.

  1. Warning Against Enticement

(vv. 7-10, 15-19). This is the voice of a godly father, urging his son to listen to his parents instruction and to beware of those who would entice him to do the wrong things.

There will be people who will entice you to cut corners, to cheat, to be dishonest and immoral.  They will convince you that you can have something for nothing.

Vs. 15 – DO NOT GO ALONG WITH THEM.   Pretty clear isn’t it?   DO NOT SET FOOT ON THEIR PATH.  Yes sir!

Sin is enticing because it offers a quick route to prosperity and makes us feel like one of the crowd. But when we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we’ll do anything to satisfy them. Sin, even when attractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashy appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects. Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to entice us into activities that we know are wrong. We can’t be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected.

Notes for 1:19

Going after “ill-gotten gain” is one of Satan’s surest traps. It begins when he plants the suggestion that we can’t live without some possession or more money. Then that desire fans its own fire until it becomes an all-consuming obsession. Ask God for wisdom to recognize any greedy desire before it destroys you. God will help you overcome it.

  • Embrace Wisdom/Warning Against Rejecting Wisdom

  (vv. 20-33). How does Wisdom speak? In a loud ringing voice that everybody can hear! Through both creation (Rom. 10:18; Ps. 19:1-4) and conscience (Rom. 2:14-16), “what may be known of God is manifest in them [the lost world], for God has shown it to them” (Rom. 1:19, NKJV). The church’s task is to proclaim the Gospel message so everybody can hear, believe, and be saved. Like Wisdom, we must speak the Word in an uncompromising way.

Where does Wisdom speak? In the crowded streets and public places where busy people gather to take care of the business of life. The message of God’s truth is made for the marketplace, not church buildings alone; we must share it “at the head of the noisy streets” (Prov. 1:21, NIV). Wisdom even went to the city gate where the leaders were transacting official business. No matter where people are, they need to hear Wisdom’s call.

To whom does Wisdom speak? To three classes of people :

(Yesterday I wrote that over a hundred of types of people are mentioned in Proverbs and you may be able to identify someone you know with each type.  Here are the first 3)

The simple ones, the scorners (scoffers, mockers, NIV), and the fools – the simple are naive people who believe anything but examine nothing. They’re gullible and easily led astray. Scorners think they know everything and laugh at the things that are really important. While the simple one has a blank look on his face, the scorner wears a sneer. Fools are people who are ignorant of truth because they’re dull and stubborn. Their problem isn’t a low IQ or poor education; their problem is a lack of spiritual desire to seek and find God’s wisdom. Fools enjoy their foolishness but don’t know how foolish they are! The outlook of fools is purely materialistic and humanistic. They hate knowledge and have no interest in things eternal. I’ll have more to say about each of these in a later chapter.

What does wisdom say to them? First, she brings an indictment against them (1:22) and asks how long they plan to remain in their dangerous spiritual condition. Wisdom has spoken to them time and time again, but they have refused to listen, and this will make their judgment even more severe. Then Wisdom issues an invitation that they turn from their evil ways and receive her gifts (v. 23). This is a call to repentance and faith. She promises to change their hearts and teach them the wisdom of God from the Word of God.

How do the simple, the scorners, and the fools respond to Wisdom? They refuse to obey her voice; they won’t take hold of her outstretched hand; they laugh at her warnings; and they mock her words.  Because they laughed at Wisdom, one day Wisdom will also laugh at them. Because they mocked her, she will mock them. Wisdom sees a storm of judgment coming that will bring distress and anguish to all who reject God’s invitation.

Until tomorrow, Darrell

http://www.Upwards.Church

Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary – Old Testament
Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
Life Application Bible Notes
Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

 

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Proverbs Reading Challenge – Introduction

Posted on January 27, 2020 by dkoop

Proverbs Introduction 

Greetings!  Thanks for being a part of the Proverbs challenge: to read a Proverb a day – 31 Proverbs in 31 days!    It’s going to be a great journey with lots of discovery, insight and fun.

Each day pick a convenient time to read your Proverb.  It could be in the morning when you wake up, at night just before you go to sleep, at work during lunch, etc.    Each day for the next 31 days, I will post on the blog and send emails to those who signed up.  Each day’s post/email will contain expanded thoughts, some background and commentary.   Each day’s post/email will also serve as an encouragement as I will be praying for you each day.

To start with I thought it might be helpful to give a general overview of the book – to whet your appetite for what is to come.   I will be drawing on several sources for commentary and insight as well as include my own thoughts and discoveries.  I will include a source list at the bottom.

Let’s get prepared for our journey through Proverbs by answering these five questions.

  1. What Is the Major Theme of the Book of Proverbs?

One word answers the question: wisdom. In Proverbs, the words wise and wisdom are used at least 125 times, because the aim of the book is to help us acquire and apply God’s wisdom to the decisions and activities of daily life.

What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?  “Knowledge” is (having the facts) and “wisdom” is (applying those facts to life). We may amass knowledge, but without wisdom, our knowledge is useless. We must learn how to live out what we know.

Proverbs also covers a wide range of topics, including money, youth and discipline, family life, self-control and resisting temptation, business matters, words and the tongue, knowing God, marriage, seeking the truth, wealth and poverty, immorality, and, of course, wisdom.

The word “proverb” comes from a Hebrew word that means “to rule or to govern,” and these sayings, reminders, and admonitions provide profound advice for governing our lives.

  1. Who Wrote the Book of Proverbs and How Is It Written?

Author:  We’re told that King Solomon is the author of the proverbs in this book. God gave Solomon great wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15), so that people came from the ends of the earth to listen to him and returned home amazed (4:29-34; Matt. 12:42). He spoke 3, 000 proverbs, most of which are not included in this book. The Holy Spirit selected only those proverbs that the people of God should understand and obey in every age.   Date: The book was originally composed in the days of Solomon (971-931 B.C)

Proverbs are pithy statements that summarize in a few choice words practical truths relating to some aspect of everyday life.  Someone defined a proverb as “a short sentence based on long experience.”

The book uses varied literary forms: poems, brief parables, pointed questions, and couplets. Other literary devices include antithesis, comparison, and personification.

*Three additional items I find interesting:

  • Here is something that will make the Book of Proverbs a fun experience for you: It’s a book about people. There are over a hundred different kinds of people talked about in this book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, from the wise son to the lazy messenger to the wicked king to the smooth talker and the upright judge and the excellent wife and the offended brother, the simple man, the mocker, the sluggard and, my favorite, the fool.    I think you will find there is a proverb that will fit all your friends and family members — but perhaps you had better not mention to them the proverb that fits some of them! There is a proverb that will fit every one of us, and we can have a good time going through this book.
  • Proverbs has no unscientific statement or inaccurate observation. For example, “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” ( 4:23). This is a remarkable statement because it was about 2,700 years later that Harvey found that the blood circulates and that the heart is the pump. In contrast, in an apocryphal book called the Epistle of Barnabas, mention is made of the mythical phoenix, a bird that consumes itself by fire and rises in resurrection. Such a fable does not appear in the Book of Proverbs nor anywhere else in the Bible. It is strange that this is an ancient book containing hundreds of proverbs and not one of them is unscientific today. That in itself ought to alert any thinking person to the fact that the Book of Proverbs is God-inspired.

The Proverbs do not contradict themselves, while man’s proverbs are often in opposition to each other. For example: “Look before you leap” contrasted with “He who hesitates is lost.” “A man gets what he pays for” contrasted with “The best things in life are free.” The proverbs of man contradict each other because men’s ideas differ. But you will find no contradiction in the Book of Proverbs because it is inspired by God.

3. What Is the Key Verse That Helps “Unlock” the Book?

I suggest that 1:7 is the key verse we’re looking for: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning [chief part] of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (See also Job 28:28 and Psalm 111:10. )

There are at least eighteen references to “the fear of the Lord” in Proverbs.

If we truly “fear the Lord,” we acknowledge from our hearts that He’s the Creator, we’re the creatures; He’s the Father, we’re His children; He’s the Master, we’re the servants. It means to respect God for who He is, to listen carefully to what He says, and to obey His Word, knowing that our disobedience displeases Him, breaks our fellowship with Him, and invites His discipline

  1. What Does Proverbs Say about Jesus Christ?

In Jesus Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3), and He is our wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24, 30). Solomon was the wisest ruler who ever lived, and yet Jesus Christ is “greater than Solomon” in both His wisdom and His wealth (Matt. 12:42). Certainly all the beautiful qualities of wisdom described in Proverbs are seen in Jesus Christ, and His earthly walk is a pattern for God’s people to follow (1 John 2:6).  The description of wisdom in Proverbs 8:22-31 suggests Jesus Christ as the eternal wisdom of God.

  1. What Must We Do to Get the Most out of This Book?

Solomon often uses the phrase, “my son” (Prov. 1:8, 10, 15; 2:1; 3:1, 11, 21; 4:10, 20; 5:1, 20; 6:1, 3, 20; 7:1; 19:27; 23:15, 19, 26; 24:13, 21; 27:11), which suggests that Proverbs contains truths that loving godly parents would pass along to their children (see 1 Chron. 29:1). As God’s children, we need His loving counsel, and He gives it to us in this book. So, the first essential for an effective study of Proverbs is faith in Jesus Christ so that you can honestly call God your Father. You can’t make a life until you first have life, and this life comes through faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 36).

What applies to the study of Proverbs applies to the study of any book in the Bible: A willingness to obey is essential (John 7:17).

At least a dozen times in Proverbs you find the imperatives “hear” or “listen” (Prov. 1:8; 4:1, 10; 5:7; 7:24; 8:6, 32-33; 19:20; 22:17; 23:19, 22); many other verses explain the blessings that come to those who obey (who hear and heed) the Word of God (1:5, 33; 8:34; 12:15; 15:31-32).

As you read, keep in mind that Hebrew proverbs are generalized statements of what is usually true in life, and they should not be treated like promises. “A friend loves at all times” (Prov. 17:17, NKJV), but sometimes even the most devoted friends may have disagreements. “A soft answer turns away wrath” (15:1, NKJV) in most instances, but our Lord’s lamblike gentleness didn’t deliver Him from shame and suffering.

And lastly as you read Proverbs, understand that knowing God is the key to wisdom.  God calls us to receive His wisdom and be skillful, so that we can make a life that will glorify Him.  It’s one thing to make a living, but something else to make a life.

Until tomorrow, Darrell

http://www.Upwards.Church

Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary – Old Testament
J Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
Life Application Bible Notes
Tom Holiday, Smart Living
Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
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Trusting God for Our Future – 1 Samuel 16

Posted on June 5, 2019 by dkoop

Do you have an important decision to make about your future?   It could be related to your job, your health, your family, whether to move, where to go to school, who to marry or your children.   God is always two or three steps ahead of us preparing and providing for our future.

In our passage today, God is (yet again) providing for the welfare of the people, just as God had previously provided deliverance from Egypt; bread, quail, water, and the law in the wilderness; a land during the settlement; and guidance and leadership during the period of the Judges.

At the start of 1 Samuel 16, God says to Samuel: “I have provided for myself a king among [Jesse’s] sons.” The Hebrew word that is translated as “provided” literally means “to see” or “I have seen to it.”  This Hebrew term provides the key to this story. It signals that God has “seen” the people’s need even before they are aware of it. As God had done in the past, God was again venturing out ahead of the people, writing their story before it had come to be.

God’s guidance is usually not obvious at the moment as it is looking back.  We may not sense what God is doing in our lives or how God is leading us. Even the great prophet Samuel did not know what God was doing at that moment. This story, with so much of the Old Testament, affirms that God’s “providence” operates beyond the scale of what we can see.  Note also that God’s eye here is on the whole as well as the individual.

1 Samuel 16 is a much-loved story.   Samuel is still grieving Saul’s downfall; He also unsure what the future holds since he is old, his sons have been rejected as leaders and now Saul is spinning out of control.  God tells him to stop grieving and get moving.  It’s interesting that grief like this has an expiration date.  God gives Samuel two reasons why his grieving period should come to an end:  because God has rejected Saul and is not changing his mind.  Samuel’s grief will not change anything in regard to Saul. Sometimes our grief persists simply because we will not face the reality of a situation. When God closes the door, it’s closed. And secondly Samuel no longer needs to grieve because God has chosen a new king. Instead of grieving over what was, Samuel needs to be encouraged about what will be.

When Samuel gets to Bethlehem, the family of Jesse is gathered.  Of course, there is only one problem with this idea of an anointing ceremony: who is Samuel supposed to anoint? Jesse has come with seven of his boys. Which of them is the king?

But we read that when Jesse’s family first arrives, Samuel seems convinced that God’s choice is as clear as day. It has to be Eliab, the firstborn. The guy just looks like a king. I like the way one commentator expresses this:

“One can understand Samuel’s thinking. Eliab was doubtless an impressive hunk of manhood. Around 6’ 2’’ perhaps, about 225 pounds, met people well, all man but with social grace, excellent taste in after-shave lotion, and so on. Perhaps he’d starred as wide receiver for Bethlehem High School football. Probably made the All-Judean All-Star team. Samuel was not alone in his estimate of Eliab. Many thought “Future” was Eliab’s middle name.”

When the eldest son Eliab, who was tall and fair, passed before Samuel, the prophet thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But as we see here, God is quick to correct Samuel’s thinking.  God’s response has echoed down through the ages:

“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Jesse then paraded six more sons in front of Samuel, but each time God said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

There was one more son, but he was the youngest and of such little account that Jesse had left him out in the field tending sheep.   In the most important gathering that this family would ever know, the most significant event in this family’s life, and David is not even given an invitation. He was such an afterthought; he is not even mentioned by name! He is called, “the youngest”

We might feel like no one in the world understands our struggles. But God sees your heart.

We might carry with us hurts and fears and scars and regrets that feel like a ball and chain around our necks. But God sees your heart.

He sees and he is working on your behalf.

When David was brought forth, the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”

Also I hope that the study of David’s life in the next few weeks will be profitable to us all, but I hope it will be especially profitable to those who are teenagers and young adults. David was anointed as king by the prophet Samuel while he was still a teenager.  He was probably in his late teens when he slew the giant Goliath (our passage next week!)  He may have wrote Psalm 23 and perhaps other psalms while he was still a teenager, watching his father’s sheep. The trials David went through at the hand of Saul occurred while David was in his twenties.  His life contains much instruction for those on the young side of life.

That’s especially important in our day when there is a common belief that teenagers are supposed to rebel. We expect it and it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it’s not a biblical norm. In Scripture, there are many examples, David being foremost, of young people with a heart for God. Sure, David lacked the wisdom of experience. He needed trials to refine and mature him. There were “sins of his youth” that he later would regret (Ps. 25:7). But God began to use David in a significant way while he was still in his teens. He can still do that.   It is my prayer that God would use the life of David in the upcoming messages to lay hold of many of our young people as well as adults, to help us all to develop a heart after God’s heart.

Everything is different in light of the fact that God sees our hearts.

We might imagine ourselves to be fairly good people, and because we are good citizens and have not killed anyone or robbed a bank, we pat ourselves on the back. But God sees your heart.

We might pacify ourselves with some kind of religious assurance because we don’t look like a “sinner” and do all the things “saints” are supposed to do. But God sees your heart.

We might commend ourselves when our anger does not spill over, when our lust does not act out, when our greed is never tangibly satisfied. But God sees your heart.

So how can any of us have this kind of confidence before God, in light of what we know about our hearts?

The Son of God, the Son of David, the Savior can save us from our hearts. He can give us confidence before God because he died to cleanse our hearts. What does God say to us in light of Jesus and His cross? He says:

“Let not your hearts be troubled…” (John 14:1) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience… (Hebrews 10:22) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (II Corinthians 4:6) [God] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). …That he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father. (I Thessalonians 3:13) …[That he may] comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (II Thessalonians 2:17).

Because of Jesus, everything is different in regard to our hearts and our future.

When Samuel is given the ‘green light’ to anoint this young man, we discover that the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him.  13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

When the Spirit of God came upon David, it was a symbol that he was equipped and empowered by God to become the future leader of Israel.

Anointing is a biblical term and practice we may not be familiar with.  In the Old Testament it was for prophets, priests and kings.  Anointing meant to set apart for a special task.   Did you know that all believers, all Christ followers are also anointed and set apart for a special task?

21 Now it is God who makes us stand firm in Christ. He anointed us,  22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (NIV)

The greatest gift in all the world is the gift of God’s Spirit. When we approach God through Christ, God places His own Spirit in us, in the very core of our being. We become indwelt by God’s Spirit. It is God’s Spirit who convicts and saves and gives us assurance of salvation. He guides, teaches, protects, and provides the necessities of life for us, meeting all our needs.

What more could a person ask? It is the Spirit of God who empowers us to conquer all the trials and temptations of life, who enables us to live a victorious and triumphant life day by day.   I hope and pray that we all seek to live in this way: seen and known by God, saved and cleansed, anointed and empowered.

 

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

 

Sources:

Bruce Birch, “The First and Second Books of Samuel: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes (Nashville: Abingdon, 1998), 2:1097-1100

 

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