Proverbs 1

Proverbs 1  (ESV)

¹ The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

² To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
³ to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴ to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
⁵ Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
⁶ to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸ Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching,
⁹ for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
¹¹ If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹² like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³ we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴ throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵ my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶ for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷ For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
¹⁸ but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
¹⁹ Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.

9/1/18

Proverbs 1:1ff

There are four takeaways in this chapter. They will be the foundation for the whole.

1. Verse 7 This is key verse to all wisdom. 

A. No fear, no beginning.

B. Always on every occasion without any exception fools despise wisdom as it is intended here.

2. Verses 10,15 This was then, and is now, the only way to escape destructive influence,

never start on their way.

3. Verse 23 There is no blessing from from the Holy Spirit.  And the Spirit never blesses the unrepentant person.

4. Verses 28-31 The wicked unrepentant person by definition hates God, His Word, and all requirements of His Law.  

All present sinful acts are a result of this hatred.

REFLECTIONS

Romans 8:18

⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

There is a place in the Christian’s life for divine accounting.  In the text for today, Paul uses a word comparing and drawing a reasonable or a true conclusion.  In the King James Version “consider” is translated “reckon”.  In the NASB it is “consider”.  It is “count, reckon, calculate, credit, evaluate, and even think on or reflect upon.”  But principally it points to an accounting process.  It is this thought.  “When all the accounting is done and the sums are finished, this is what they equal.”  Any suffering that I experience is nowhere to even be compared to the future glory I can expect.”  That should always be the result of a Christian’s reflections.

There is a practical way to approach our considerations of life as a whole.  Three questions will help to explain my intent in Spiritual inspection.

I.                    What is your love in this life?  We need not be in doubt what the answer is to be.

a.      I Corinthians 16:22 NASB, ²² If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha.

The curse of God is extended to all who do not love the Savior.  This is no less the wrath of God in its eternal application.  This love for the Savior which he has not seen is the unique ability of those Kingdom citizens born into this privilege.

I Peter 1:8 NKJV ⁸ whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

II.                  What is your rule of life?  Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV  ¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

No one’s life is without some guiding principle.  The Psalmist in 1:2 describes this in the believer, “His delight is in the law of the Lord.”  This for us in this day has faint resemblance to what is taught in Christian churches.  If the law is taught at all it is a necessary evil.

The law as only a duty is the theme with which we are familiar.  We are to “delight” in the law and have the assurance that it is not “burdensome”.  ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. I John 5:3.  I say this without equivocation, it should be the confession of every believer as it was of the Old Testament saint, “O how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day”, Psalm 119:97.

III.             What is the end you look for?  So often at funerals II Timothy 4:7-8 is quoted and applied to the life of a diligent saint.  It is not my purpose to criticize this.  But the great reward is in 4:7. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  This is a commendable motive for us.  We should live our lives to accomplish this great end.

1.      “Fight the good fight”

2.      “Finish the course”

3.       “Keep the faith”

4.      “Love his appearing”

Revelation 22:20-21 KJV  ²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

And Amen!!

THE CLARITY AND PURITY OF SCRIPTURE

Psalm 85:8

I will hear what God the Lord will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
But let them not turn back to folly.

The lesson to be learned from the Hubble telescope is that space, as far as measurement is concerned, is infinite.  There are millions, even billions of galaxies and billions of stars in each galaxy.  Faced with this staggering fact, non-creationists cannot believe our small insignificant planet can be the only residence of life as we know it.

If there is no Creator, if there is no intelligent design, I must agree with the materialist.  But the same sheer magnitude of the universe that requires the thought of other spots of life must also, with the information we have, deal with our uniqueness.  And until we get an intelligent answer that there is someone else, this uniqueness holds the floor.

So we say, “yes there is a God.”  “It is He that has made us and not we ourselves.”  That brings us to the next question, “Has He communicated with us?”  It seems until this is answered the first question is meaningless.

There are two sides to communication from God and with God.  The Psalmist speaks of both.  “I will hear” and “He will speak.”  So we must know that to those who have no intention of hearing--God is not speaking.

The Psalmist in this verse describes those to whom God speaks, “His people and His saints.”  The sheer magnitude of information in Scripture that supports this description of those who receive God’s communication is overwhelming.  The understanding of this fact and the answer of the question that follows that of God communicating, can we understand Him, is given us in I Corinthians 2:9-11, 14.  Paul’s description of those who hear and receive the speech of God is not difficult.  It is really quite clear.  There is a prerequisite to hearing God.  That is a spiritual one.  Jesus tells what this is in John 3:3, ³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Jesus continues this heavenly instruction in vs 12, ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  There is in this well- known discourse an absolute.  This is in vs 7, ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The “must” stated to Nicodemus is a universal necessity.  Without a Spiritual birth there will be no communication from God.  The natural man can think as he chooses, it does not affect God or our holy religion.  The God of holy writ has spoken and He does not change. 

I am including again Westminster Confession of Faith I:5.  Please read it carefully.

5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.

THE QUESTIONS OF A THINKING MAN

Psalm 14:1

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

First matters first.

1.       Who speaks?  The fool: Nabal is the Hebrew word used here.  In I Samuel 25:25 Abigail says of her husband, “He is a scoundrel” and “folly” is his practice.  The original King James Version writes “he is a churlish man.”  The identification of the speaker will help us determine the meaning of his claim.

2.      The center of the conversation:

A.     In his heart is to say with thorough conviction.  This is what he believes and what he will practice.

B.     It is not particularly a matter for discussion.  It is internal, not through lack of conviction, but because it is more a matter of conviction than conversation.

3.       What he says!  No God.  No Elohim.  No lawgiver, judge, or supreme ruler.  An evangelist I heard speak years ago, Rolf Barnard, described this as a rejection of God’s control of his life or right to his service.  He understood the Nabal to be saying “No God for me.”  I think the context of this Psalm and the description of the Biblical fool lends itself to this understanding.

The Puritans distinguished between the philosophical atheist, of which there are not many, and the practical atheist, which overwhelms the earth.  This man is the practical atheist, “No God for me.”

But what is the importance of God to man?  The answer is one of eternal significance no matter what the intellectual convictions.  There is an eternity to face.  If there is nothing, then that is an answer that must be found.

The great question posed to man, “Is there a God?”  This poses the problem of the origin of our environment and man in that space.  I watched again today, June 2, 2016, the Nova film on the Hubble Telescope.  The woman who is considered to be the “mother” of the Hubble finished the program by saying the hope that the Hubble and science from it would help us to determine “where we came from, what we are, and what we are to do.”  Certainly these are important questions, but I doubt Hubble science will give us the answers.

Again, another of the Hubble scientists said the Hubble teaches that the universe is expanding and that it has a beginning.  We say, “yes” and we know the Beginner.

Man cannot see effect without thinking cause.  Who caused all this--the world around us, and the world above, and certainly the world beyond us?  There are but three choices:

1.      The world is uncaused.

2.      The world caused itself.

3.      God did it.

Please not the question and answer in Psalm 115:2-3.

²Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”

³ But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.

WALKING IN THE WAY

John 6:40 7:17

⁴⁰ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 7:17

¹⁷ If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

How does one know the will of God?  Is this some mystical secret that must be received after dedicated agony and denial in seeking it?  When we look at Jesus’ words in John 6:40 it does not seem so great a mystery.  It appears as if it is as easy as believing the Gospel.

Three requirements for spiritual life are fulfilled when Christ is received by Gospel faith.

A.     John 1:12, 3:16, 6:40 and others.  Salvation is received.  The person who believes Jesus, is a child of God.  This is the clear statement of Scripture.  The only way this can be doubted is either the Scripture is not known or doubt clouds the mind.

Doubt or unbelief is the great enemy of Christians.  Lack of fellowship with God, personal sin without repentance, and ignorance of grace are the most fruitful causes of doubt.

The relief for unbelief is the knowledge of Christ.  His person, work, and present intercession are our only true source of assurance.  The three words of Christ, “It is finished” are doubt removers.

B.      John 5:29, I John 3:23, 5:1-5.  Obedience as the practical test of faith is certain.  There is not faith where the Law of God is not loved and obeyed.  The statements of I John 2:3-4 are far too clear to bother denying and I fail to see that this scripture needs any explaining.  ³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

With the same exactness that we are informed of our salvation by grace, Ephesians 2:8-9, we are taught that our being is given for the purpose of “good works” Ephesians 2:10.  The Biblical Calvinist might at times be justly accused of being a legalist.  But it is absolute nonsense to accuse him of ignoring or denying God’s Law.

C.      I John 1:3, 3:11, 14-16.  We find in I John 3:23 the first table of the Law is satisfied by faith in Christ.    And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

So the second table remains.  It seems as if the “faith” is easy to fake.  But this love that extends to our life itself is far more difficult.

Because it is so seldom that life is the issue, John in I John 3:17 gives a far simpler and more common example. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

The issue is not will you give a kidney, but will you take a bag of groceries to the needy in your community?

Let me try a personal illustration.  I was ready to go to Africa but my health prevented it.  I looked forward to the work and the people but I was not able to go.  I began a voluntary ministry in a Texas prison near us.  Here the real test came.  Could I be faithful to a simple, non-rewarding, but burdensome, and most often unfruitful ministry?  Or would I  say, “God bless you brothers” and stay at home?  I can tell you truthfully I came to love those prisoners with a passion but the trip never became easy.

Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know

Ask ye what great thing I know,
That delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win?
Whose the Name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

What is faith’s foundation strong?
What awakes my heart to song?
He Who bore my sinful load,
Purchased for me peace with God,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who is He that makes me wise
To discern where duty lies?
Who is He that makes me true
Duty, when discerned to do,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Who defeats my fiercest foes?
Who consoles my saddest woes?
Who revives my fainting heart,
Healing all its hidden smart?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Johann C. Schwedler, translated by Benjamin H. Kennedy

A SIMPLE GOSPEL

Galatians 1:4-5

“The one who gave Himself concerning the sins of us, so that He might deliver us out of the present age the evil one according to the will of God the Father of us, to whom the glory be unto age upon age.  Amen.”  A personal translation.

I heard a man say the Scripture above is the shortest, purest statement of the gospel in Scripture.  I concur.

There are some simple truths in it which are required to constitute the content of what the gospel really is.  It is to our advantage to review these truths.

1.       “Christ gave himself.”

a.        His life was not taken from Him but it was a voluntary death.  There was neither the requirement of law nor the power of man that could take His life from Him            (John 10:18).

b.      The giving in this statement is the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross.  Smeaton, commenting on John 3:16 writes, “When used in connection with the death of Christ….When the Son is said ‘to give Himself’ the language must be understood in the sacrificial sense.”  The Doctrine Of  The Atonement As Taught By Christ Himself, George Smeaton, pg 45.

The Gospel always is summed up in either one of two facts, the cross or the resurrection.  The cross is completed in the resurrection and the resurrection is the victory of the cross.

2.       “Concerning our sins” is the purpose of Jesus’ coming, of His holy life, and of this sacrificial death.  As Paul can say “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” he says with equal effectiveness His donation was for sins.  There is no real difference in these statements.  To save this people was for Him to put away their sins. 

(Romans 6:23).

And it must be understood the object of His action was specific.  It is the “sins of us”.  This is either only the sins of Paul and his companions or all who are included in the deliverance that follows.  It is not empty and aimless.  We were the objects.  The benefit accrues to us only.

3.      “Deliver us out of the present evil age”.

a.        This deliverance is as certain as the sacrifice.  As it was “Concerning” us so it delivers us.  The argument about sanctification of Christ atoned for people is a straw man to muddle the fact that those who believe the elect alone are the objects of Christ’s death and they alone are the objects of Christ’s death and they alone receive the benefits never denies the desire and effort of holiness.  (Ephesians 2:10)

b.      “present evil age” addresses the world with its influence.  This includes people, things, and life itself.  John writes, “if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him”.  Paul tells us “Demas loved this present evil world”, (II Timothy 4:10).

This is the world from which believers are delivered.  Do not be deceived about yourself.  If you have such an attachment to this age that it furnishes you pleasure and satisfaction you have not experienced this deliverance.

4.       “According to the will of our God and Father”.

a.        This single free will is named here.  There is no free will other than God’s.  His will alone determines the end of His creation.  We find any Christian will try to attribute all manner of major occurrences in the world to God--but put man off limits.    

When we call the overarching environment of our existence creation, we cannot exclude man.  It is beyond human comprehension that God in some way or for some reason gives away His sovereignty over His human creation.  If His will rules in anything, it rules in all things.

b.      It is with the greatest joy that we read it is the will of a Father that we have to do.  All that word portends, love, provision, protection, mercy, and grace are there for faith to receive.

5.       “To whom is the glory”.

This is the summum bonum for the saint.  When I look back at the cross, I see redemption to His glory and when I look forward there is only His  glory.

DAY OR NIGHT:  WAKING OR SLEEPING

Psalm 139

“What can I say?  Just a few quotes and an outline is enough said.

“Nowhere are the great attributes of God—His Omniscience, His Omnipresence, His Omnipotence—set forth so strikingly as they are in this magnificent Psalm….Man is here the workmanship of God, and stands in the presence and under the eye of One who is his Judge.  The power of conscience, the sense of sin and of responsibility, are felt and acknowledged, and prayer is offered to One who is not only the Judge, but the Friend; to One who is feared as none else are feared, who is loved as none else are loved.”

The Book Of Psalms Vol. 2,  J.J. Stewart Perowne, D.D. pg 438

“Omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience are often used as expository language…But it must be done with care lest this conceptualization become a knowing God without a being known, accompanied, created and sustained by God.  Devotion and confession must not be reduced to metaphysics.”

Interpellations; Psalms , James Luther Mays, pg 427.

“The notion of God’s relation to the psalmist transcend the psalmist’s understanding what he knows, he knows he does know.  His knowing is an unknowing; its achievement is wonder, and its only certainty is ‘I am with you….

‘The second part of the Psalm (vv19-24) has always posed the sharpest problems for interpreters.  But…In the worldview of the psalms, the wicked and their dangerous threats to those who base life on God are an important part of the reality in the midst of which faith must live….the wicked do not seem a personal threat to the psalmist’s life.  They are described rather as the enemies of God. That is there!  They are a part of the society in which the psalmist lives who by their moral and religious conduct oppose and ignore God.  Ibid, pg 428.

“The way everlasting is the existence that is not shaken or brought to an end as the way of the wicked will be.  The psalmist wants God to be his judge so that god may be his shepherd.”  Ibid, pg 429.

Calvin writes on vs 17 “O God!  How great the sums of them.”  ‘To the same effect is what he adds that the ‘sums’ or aggregate of them were great and mighty;…The explanation made by the psalmist suggests to us that they were men not so dull of apprehension, or rather so senseless, they would be struck by the mysterious ways of God and would humbly and tremblingly set themselves before His tribunal instead of presumptuously thinking that they could evade it.”

Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol. II Psalms 93-150, John Calvin, pg 219.

PSALM 139  AN OUTLINE

Vv 1-6    The certainty of God’s foreknowledge and human responsibility are a mystery.

Vv 7-12  The Spirit of God is omnipresent in the world.

Vv13-16  Man is the perfection of creation.

Vv 17-18  God’s self- revelation is infinite.

Vv 19-22  God’s enemies are my enemies.

The poet is a fit close for me.

Be Thou My Vision

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –

Thou my best thought, by day or by night;

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

            Ancient Irish poem, translated by Mary E. Byrne, 1905