Pr. 13: Proverbs for Living

Proverbs 13:6 "Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. "

So if you don't go running your mouth like an idiot, people will be less intent on killing you. (v. 3)

Along with great wealth comes the chance you'll be kidnapped for ransom. Is this a warning that there may be unintended consequences for the things we dream of? (v. 8)

Pride is incongruous with unity. (v. 10)

A man is more apt to take care of the money he earns honestly than dishonestly. (v. 11)

Verse 12 is like this. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. "
Don't stop hoping, your heart will thank you. You have to know things will get better. Longings can't be fulfilled if you don't have them. (See v. 19)

It is good to leave an inheritance. Who can take it with him? (v. 22) The sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous? Someone will get a sinner's wealth, and it's not ultimately that sinner.

Verse 23 is heartbreaking, a poor man's field may produce abundant wealth, but injustice sweeps it away? Is this wealth too sudden, and therefore unmanageable? Is sudden wealth swindled away?

I imagine it may be hard to swat your kid when they do something bad, brainless or rude, but discipline is born out of love. If you hate your kid, you'll let them run amok. (v. 24)

Pr. 12: Proverbs for Living

Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice."

First time I've seen "stupid" in the Bible. I think. (v. 1) So that must be saved for special moments, like those who hate correction.

Craftiness earns no favor from God.

A woman of noble character is paramount to a man. Not a fine piece of tail or a nice rack.

Be true to yourself. (v. 9)

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal. Not only is this instruction against cruelty, but it elevates man above animals. (v. 10)

If you play the lottery, is that chasing a fantasy? (v. 11)

Fools think that what they are doing, their way, is right. Refusing to accept correction or discipline. (v. 15)

A prudent man has a thick skin...overlooking insult. I'll try to remember that in traffic next time. (v. 16)

No harm befalls the righteous? (v. 21) What exactly does that mean? That the righteous will be preserved? But the wicked have their fill of trouble. So what kind of trouble? I know righteous people that have dealt with some horrible stuff. But is it because God protects them and carries them through trauma that it means "no harm?" I wonder about that.

Diligent hands will rule...the hands that are prepared, keep watch, aware of their situation...laziness leads to slavery. Once a person can be controlled, they can be enslaved. Happening now? (v. 24)

Don't hold on to kind words, go cheer somebody up. Whether they need it or not. (v. 25)

Pr. 11: Proverbs for Living

Proverbs 11:21 "Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free."

As I read through the 11th chapter of Proverbs, I was wondering what, if anything, ties this list of sayings together. And there really isn't a common thread. What does seem to bind them together as a whole is that there are clearly consequences for evil, and conversely, consequences for righteousness.

Descriptors of what happens to evil folk is that they are brought down by their own wickedness. God abhors them. They are deceptive and unfair, "earning" dishonest wages. Their hope ends in wrath. Just, you get the point. There is no hope in living among and like the wicked. They will not go unpunished.

Theres also quite a bit about generosity. In giving, the righteous man invites riches, while the stingy, greedy types have only their money and perish.

Ps. 17: The Enemy Closes In...

Psalm 17:15 "And I—in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."

This is getting critical. I wonder if David was really hiding in secret from Saul's men. He writes this desperately. The language is quite intense. "They have tracked me down...they now surround me." It sounds as though he is writing his final entry in his diary. I imagine this was probably quite literal. 

Here David is pleading with God with all his might to protect him. David continues to affirm that he will hide in God...as verse 8 puts it, in the shadow of God's wings. I love that metaphor, because it says more about the hen protecting than it does the chick hiding.

David is thoroughly convinced he is in the right. But here comes the army of men after him to kill him. It doesn't matter to them who is in the right, they're under Saul's orders. David goes through the various ways he has been righteous. In a way, he appears to be "reminding" God about how he has continually walked in God's ways, never leaving his path. 

Probably what I enjoy the most about this passage is that David realizes what happens with the wicked men. Sure they will prosper materially, and maybe enjoy a life of spoils and luxury, but I cannot get over how simple and beautiful verse 15 is. What peace must have inspired David to say "in righteousness, I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness." Amazing! I hope you ponder on that verse for a few moments. There is nothing on earth that interests David as much as seeing God's face after all is said and done. The idea that you are completely clean and can come before God hiding nothing, wearing no mask. Having nothing get in the way of you and God. O, that I would gain that attitude. 

Ps. 15: How to Be With God

Psalm 15:1 "LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?"

This is a profound question, that reveals some amazing things about the asker. First of all, that it is important to him to be with God. To dwell in God's sanctuary, to live on God's holy hill...that essentially means to be with God, wherever He may be. There aren't many people that I know that I would love to live with them. My wife for one. That's about it. This requires devotion and an unbelievable closeness to desire that about anyone. Is it about heaven? Yeah, maybe. 

Secondly, it suggests that not everyone will dwell in God's sanctuary. It's not easy. It's not a given. And most likely, not everyone would want to. Not because God's sanctuary wouldn't be perfect, but because they don't understand who God is and have not met Him. 

What happens when you get to know who God is? The things that bring you into his sanctuary, and David lists several in the 15th Psalm. A blameless walk, doing what is righteous, not speaking ill of people, honoring those who fear God and keep their word, and then those who don't screw people over with lending.

Those seem like simple concepts, but I remember making fun of the teacher's pet in Sunday School. The nerd who had all the answers. I wasn't ready to dig my nose into scriptures and keep it there like that kid. It wasn't because I didn't care, or didn't believe it. I just figured I had lots of years ahead of me to get to know God. And I would do that in the boring...you know...adult Sunday school classes. And here I am now, way behind. How many times have I not done these things here? I still find myself caught up in these things. But I have never had a problem lending money. I don't have money to lend, and nor would I get all usurous. Its amazing what I care about when it comes to people. I occasionally don't have a problem badmouthing them, but I sure wouldn't want to cost them any money.

These are things that, if they get out of control, will barricade me from really getting to know God, to grow close to Him...and maybe to meet Him on His holy hill.

Ps. 7: David's Righteousness

Psalm 7:8 "...let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High."

This seventh Psalm is something called a Shiggaion about Cush, a Benjamite. I can't remember if David had trouble with Benjamites during his reign. I thought they were on his side (Judah's). But Saul was a Benjamite, and that may be where the tangle was. I looked up Shiggaion, and discovered it's derived from the verb shagah, and means to "reel about through drink." So this Psalm is written with extreme emotion and maybe somewhat rambling and sloppy, which is what happens when you are in a glass cage of emotion. Is it though? I don't know, it looks all right to me. There are powerful pleas and requests of God throughout this Psalm.

Verses 3-5 are a somewhat incredible declaration, offering that one's foes could overtake him and trample his life away if he somehow wronged them without them declaring war on him. You'd have to make absolutely certain your house was in order. I like to think I haven't wronged people, but you never know if you say something that was taken offensively, or if you cut someone off in traffic without knowing, they can carbomb you. I don't know if I could make that kind of a declaration. But the point of it seems to be an attempt by David to come clean and prove his innocence.

I'm not sure where David is coming from in verse 8. David wants God to judge him according to his righteousness. If we are to believe that there is no man sinless since the fall of Adam, how can David expect God to spare him? Or was he? To what degree would God say, "OK, David is righteous enough." Bathsheba, and other wives, household gods, etc. David was not exactly working with a completely clean slate. I imagine he realized that, and was hoping God was working on a sliding scale. A comparative righteousness. But this is a shiggaion, and maybe David didn't have complete clarity.

The evil get what they deserve, and David hopes they deserve a lot, while claiming God as his shield and protection. Perhaps David is searching for some sort of justification for wiping out his enemies. You know, "they shouldn't have been pregnant with evil or digging holes for themselves to fall into." David wants to be innocent really bad here.