Proverbs 12:1-14

Proverbs 12:1-14

There are unexpected insights and glimpses of wisdom available to us by asking a few simple questions. For example, in verse 6B, who are the “them” being rescued? At first reading we might say those rescued are the "upright." But there may be more to it than that. It might be that the ‘words’ or ‘mouth’ of the upright are rescuing those that the evil plan to kill, but these are not the same people as the 'upright.' An illustration might be that there are wicked people who, for various reasons, advocate for abortions, while the ‘upright’ teach about and prevent these in-womb murders.

Verse 9 offers a dichotomy that we might miss because of translation. The last part of verse 9A might be translated as “but is a servant to himself." This contrast works a little better. The self-employed, hard-working entrepreneur and small businessman (shopkeeper, tradesman, craftsman) is better off than the one who pretends to be a captain of industry or executive who is on the verge of financial ruin. 

The need to supply a noun in English may inadvertently limit the scope of v. 11. In 11b we could, or even should, read “he who pursues vain lacks sense/heart." What could fill that gap where we have placed the noun "things"? Certainly things could apply; we think of foolish trinkets of our life. We could include people who are fans or groupies of low-character entertainers. We could even include various religions or philosophies; think of persons who would rather focus on speculations. From video games to watching sports, people without sense or heart squander their lives.

Verse 12 gives us an odd contrast. Why is a net (the word translated as "plunder" or "booty") contrasted with a tree? The picture here is of patience. A well-set snare may yield game quickly, but a planted tree will take years to be fully fruitful. Wicked people can be very important in the short run, but those who are righteous play the long game.

“Lord, help me to practice the wisdom of waiting. AMEN.”

Proverbs 11:17-31

Proverbs 11:17-31 

One of the challenges we face is, as the saying goes, “to keep the main thing the main thing.” In other words, our tendency is to make the “advantages and benefits” of life the focus of our lives. We fail to realize that these are or should be secondary byproducts. In Proverbs we see a return to ‘the primary’ as the focus of life rather than the less important secondary benefits. This focus is hard to maintain with all the secondary beneficial distractions. In verse 19 we may see the word ‘steadfastness’ in our English translation. This verse speaks of the vigilance needed to live righteously. Righteous living is no fluke or accident but rather the focused agenda of life; it is the consecrated effort of every moment and decision. Life is the byproduct, not the objective. 

An example of the unexpected byproduct is provided for us in verse 21. The Hebrew idiom is difficult to understand. Verse 21 literally says, “Hand to hand, the evil man will not go unpunished.” What does “hand to hand” mean? There are three possibilities: one, the powerful union of evil people will not protect the evil individual. Two, the evil that passes from generation to generation will bring certain ruin. Third, engaging in evil is to be held by the hand that leads to destruction. Whatever the author's specific meaning, the by-product of evil is ruin. 

Verse 30 is unexpected. We might have expected that the righteous man is a tree of life. But it refers to the fruit of his life. The emphasis is laid on the attractive power of his conduct and goodness. Few things are less attractive than a person who is short-tempered, harsh, and arrogant and who blabs a lot of ‘God-talk.’ But the man whose gracious behavior springs from an inner righteousness is powerfully attractive. The English translation of the second part of this verse is a little weak. “Wins” could literally be translated as "seize, take, marry, or buy." This is not a call to coerce conversion, but our lives are so compelling and their total goodness is such that people's souls find them completely irresistible. 

“Lord, let my life be a powerful attraction to draw all men to You. AMEN.”

Proverbs 11:1-16

Proverbs 11:1-16 

So many of the Proverbs have subtle and unexpected twists or conclusions that ought to cause us to pause and think about personal application. Verse 2 is a prime example. The first part is so well accepted that it has become an often-quoted maxim. But in the second part there is an unexpected twist. Read it fast and fail to think about it, and you will miss it. In contrast to “when pride comes, then comes dishonor,” we might expect “but with humility there is respect.” But that's not what we see. What we see is that “with the humble there is wisdom.” There is no promise of honor for the humble. In fact, in this world the humble person may not be honored or even noticed. The benefit of humility is primarily internal and personal. There are no award shows or trophies for the humble. They have a better, hidden, and internal reward: they operate out of and give more wisdom. 

Another unexpected turn occurs in verse 9. It was once believed that the internet in general and social media specifically would somehow promote unity and social concord by giving the average person a platform to hear and be heard. What is actually happening is that the most extreme and evil voices garner the most attention because they are the personification of their given position. Choose any subject, and the rhetoric is driven by those who would most aggressively tear down the other side. “They are destroying their neighbor." The second part of the verse offers a twist. On the surface we may see that by knowledge (righteous knowledge) the godly person avoids the destruction that the godless man brings. But there is a subtle implication here. By the godly knowledge of the righteous man, the hypocrites or the evil man benefit and are rescued. The ruin of a people is prevented by the knowledge or the wisdom of the righteous.

“Help me, Lord, to operate with the humble wisdom that You provide. Amen.”

Proverbs 10:17-32

Proverbs 10:17-32

One of the recurring themes of Proverbs is our words. Verses 18-21 offer worthy insights to our conversations or, as is the case in verse 19, the absence of words. The first part of the issue is word explosion. When there is a multitude of words, there will be sin. We see this in gossip, where each gossiper tries to outdo the other. We see it in heated arguments where people speak before they think. We even see it in the police investigation, in which guilty people talk a lot to explain their innocence. In contrast, the wise person says little or nothing. To add to a conversation, one must have something worthwhile to add. There is an old Latin saying that translates to "He is closest to God who knows how to be silent for a good reason." Verse 24 is historically speaking loaded with irony. Wicked people have a deep fear, and so they will work aggressively to prevent those fears from coming about? But their activity actually brings that which they fear. Let’s look at two examples. In Genesis 11:4 we see the motivation for building the Tower of Babel: “lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” What was the result of their project? That which they most feared. What was the motivation for the religious elite to arrange the judicial murder of Jesus? What the elite feared was that the Romans would “come and take away both our temple and our nation." As a result of rejecting the Messiah, the Jewish leadership led their people to the ruin of 70 A.D. In contrast, the desires of the righteous will be granted. "We must not imagine that this refers to our selfish, worldly desires. What the righteous desire is what God wants for them! When our greatest desire is for God's will to be done in our lives, God will ultimately make that happen. It is tempting to say, "God's greatest desire for me is to have—here you can insert your own agenda." The desires we impose in God's name may be nothing like what He wants in us and for us. 

"Lord, help me make sure all my words honor You. AMEN."

The difference between "What" and "Why"

 Why?

There is a world of difference between “what” we do and “why” we do it. That is especially true for those who are in the ministry.  “What” a preacher does is pretty easy to categorize, list, evaluate, and outline. But the heartfelt “Why” is very different. For many people in ministry, they begin with a “Why” related to a passion to serve God, to serve the church, and to love people. But over time they get bogged down in the “What” they do in ministry. Sometimes because of frustrations, difficult circumstances, and problematic people, they can lose the “Why”. They function by doing the “What” but inside there's no energy, no passion, and no fire.

The reason “Why” Lorie and I have chosen to be a part of the Standing Stone Ministry is because we understand what it's like to lose the “Why” in the midst of the “What”. We know what it's like to conscientiously and faithfully go through the functionality of ministry but to still be a little dead inside. So our goal is to help ministers who are losing their “Why” to refresh and restore. We are excited to see them be excellent at the “What” of ministry, but we want that excellence to grow out of their heartfelt “Why”.

We would like to ask you to continue to help us as we help pastors hang on to and restore the “Why” of their ministry. By your faithful generous support, your prayers, and your words of encouragement, you're not simply helping us do “What” we need to do; you are helping us help pastors hang on to their very precious “Why”.

I came across a video that expresses this idea of “what” and “why”. Please follow this link and see the difference between “What” and “Why”. Know Your Why | Michael Jr.

I hope that today you can move beyond simply “What” you're doing into an excited and energized “Why” you are doing it. Also below is a link to our partnership portal so that if you want to begin to help us financially as we encourage pastors in their “Why” you can do so through our ministry and service. https://standingstone.givevirtuous.org/donate/shepherd-donation?projectCodePreselect=2103.03

In the Cause of Christ

Charlie and Lorie

Proverbs 10:1-16

Proverbs 10:1-16

This begins a collection of proverbial sayings that will continue till 22:16. Each of these proverbs generally provides a two-part antithetical conclusion. It's almost as if we have the moral of the story without hearing the story. But that is okay because we all could supply a story. For those who love to hear, tell, read, or make up stories, these proverbs are a springboard of memory and imagination. The contrast between the parts of the couplets is essential, and each enriches the other. Do not be too hasty to read through these golden sayings. Recalling a story to which these are fitting conclusions, discovering them, sharing them, and chewing them over is when we get the most from them.

It will not be possible to address all of these 376 proverbs individually. So individually we will need to take time to find the story that will stand out to you as a fitting conclusion. There are some proverbs that, for cultural or linguistic reasons, are more obscure. On these we will focus energy and time and hopefully find an event or story to which each proverb is the moral of the story.

In verses 8 to 11 we see a short collection of proverbs that share the theme of open honesty versus evil plots. The phrase "the chattering of fools comes to ruin” (NIV) is repeated in 8 and 10. The meaning of this phrase is more than English translations provide. It carries the implication that the fool's mouth will at any moment bring out and expose the secret plot and cause the ruin of the conspirators. In verses 8, 9, and 11, we see the security of the righteous person. In verse 10a we see the clever conspirator who has secret signals for his companions in crime, but one of them is a fool who will, in one way or another, blab what is afoot. In verse 11 the clever wicked man carefully conceals his evil plans. His problem is he has to have accomplices, and sooner or later one of them will talk too much and let the word out. 

“Lord, keep me innocent so I need not depend on foolish conspirators. AMEN.”

Proverbs 9:1-18

Proverbs 9:1-18

The introduction of the book of Proverbs wraps up with two invitations to a meal. One invitation is from the woman "Wisdom," who was the subject of chapter 8. Following the invitation in verses 1-6, we have a short endorsement in verses 7-12. The woman, "Folly," extends her contrasting invitation in verses 13-17, which is followed by a single verse warning in verse 18.

Wisdom's house is open and has plenty of space. “Seven pillars” expresses completeness but also a wide-open portico; think of a large open picnic pavilion. Wisdom has sent out her maidens, her serving staff, to invite people to come to her meal. This invitation is for the simple and those who lack understanding. Wisdom's invitation is a call to move up to a higher level.

Our response to the invitation of wisdom defines us and gives us a fair assessment of who we are. If we accept wisdom's work in our lives, we are wise and becoming wiser. If we reject it, no matter what we say, we are fools. Verse 12 is elegantly simple and profound. It is about personal responsibility; wisdom and folly are ours. No one can be wise for you, and if you are foolish, you will and cannot avoid the consequences.

The woman “Folly” offers her invitation. Rather than a spacious open pavilion, she is at the door of a house; the author may be implying a brothel. In verse 15 we see her calling to those who are wanting to do what is right, trying to allure them. Her invitation is to slip down to the level of your comfort. In verse 16, instead of the challenge to rise to a higher level of wisdom, Folly suggests that you slip into the easy shortcut. To offer a contemporary parallel expression, why do the hard work of studying the word of God when you can scroll down on your smartphone and be told what to think?

The one-verse commentary in verse 18 is simple and direct. The invitation of folly is the invitation to death—moral, spiritual, social, and physical. Follies' home is the grave's doorway.

“Lord, help me to accept the rigorous challenge and invitation of wisdom. AMEN.”