As I said in the comment I left on the last post, we travelled this past week to Tulsa and Kansas City to see my daughter and her husband (Tulsa) and my son and his family (Kansas City). I thought I might have the opportunity to sit down at a computer and post the week's lesson, but I just didn't! We were on the go and having lots of fun, and on top of the busyness, I had a sinus infection which kept me from early morning "alone times" as I was taking medication making early risings almost impossible. Anyway, I hope you have either used this time to catch up as I heard many were saying they were a little behind, or to just keep going ahead! You certainly don't have to wait on me!
We have four chapters of Proverbs to cover, and then two chapters in our workbook covering our view of God, and then wisdom concerning the family unit. LOTS of material...so we better get going!
Chapter 7 ~
We are told to protect these teachings as we would protect the pupil of our eye. How far would you go to protect your physical vision? Well more important than that is spiritual vision, Godly wisdom. Each time that we contemplate these verses of wisdom, we should stop and think about how critical it is to see...really see what God is showing us.
In v. 6, Solomon starts telling a story of seduction. Again, the story talks about seduction in the form of a married woman seducing an inexperienced young man. But again, we are to read the story and take in it's deeper meaning, and I think we can get some of that picture by looking at how the seductive woman is described: dressed like a prostitute (worldly, not modest), has a hidden agenda (manipulative), loud and defiant (demands attention and goes against moral guidelines), doesn't stay at home (not content, looking for trouble), brazen (she describes in detail how she has prepared her bed for an all-night lovemaking session, that her husband has left for a long journey), she is persistent (as is all temptation) and flattering (as with all seduction). And then we are told that the young man "follows her impulsively...he doesn't know it will cost him his life."
Solomon is warning his son not only about seductive women, but about all forms of temptation that can seem appealing to the young and inexperienced (or the "old and should know better"!) Temptation of all forms is worldly, looks flashy and more exciting than what we are currently experiencing. It manipulates us into thinking that if we follow it's path, we will find fun and pleasure. It becomes loud and defiant, yelling at us to break the rules, do our own thing, go our own way. It pulls us away from our place of contentment and lures us into it's "bedroom", letting us believe that we are the select and sole object of it's preparation, when, in truth, temptation will take any willing participant. And many times we find ourselves following temptation impulsively, ignoring the wisdom that is whispering in our ear and putting ourselves in spiritual danger. We are urged...
"Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't stray onto her paths."
Chapter 8 ~
The rhetorical questions are asked, "Doesn't Wisdom call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard?" YES - they do! PAY ATTENTION! Whereas deception comes out in the dark and lurks in the corners, (Ch 7, vs. 9-12), Wisdom is speaking from the gates of the city, at the main entrance. Learn to be shrewd, learn common sense (v. 5). NOTHING desirable (any other thing that we take delight in) can compare with Wisdom.
Wisdom speaks in this chapter. Who is this "Wisdom"? Matthew Henry explains this chapter this way: "The Redeemer is the eternal Word and wisdom, the Logos. He is the Wisdom that speaks to the children of men in the former part of the chapter. All divine revelation passes through his hand, and centres in him; but of him as the personal Wisdom, the second person in the Godhead, in the judgment of many of the ancients, Solomon here speaks (v. 22-31). He concludes with a repeated charge to the children of men diligently to attend to the voice of God in his word (v. 32-36)."
So this seems to make sense. But then it can get tricky. If we claim that Wisdom in Chapter 8 is actually Jesus, verse 22 would then indicate that Jesus was a created being, and this is a proof text used by Jehovah's Witnesses in just such a claim.
So is Wisdom in Chapter 8 referring to Jesus Christ, or is it a form of literature personifying Wisdom, just as Chapter 8 personified Seduction? While I agree with Matthew Henry that Christ is the divine revelation of godly wisdom, I do not believe Chapter 8 describes Christ. I believe it is a personification of Wisdom following the personification of Seduction in Chapter 7. Both being portrayed as women with a purpose..Wisdom to bring people to life and the favor of the Lord (v. 35) and Seduction to bring people to the chambers of death (Ch 7, v.27)
Agree - disagree?
Chapter 9 ~
Here we find the argument between Wisdom and Foolishness...again Wisdom is portrayed as a woman calling out to the inexperienced and naive to pursue the way of understanding.
How do we reconcile v. 11? I have known many wise, godly people who did not live long lives, and yet this verse tells us that Wisdom brings with her added year to our lives. Again, I think we have to read these verses with spiritual eyes and hear their words with reborn ears...how long will our lives be in eternity? How many year will be added? Endless. Wisdom, godly wisdom that allows us to understand God and His ways, brings us to the life that He alone can give...eternal life.
And then there is the Woman Folly! Rowdy and gullible, calling as well to the inexperienced and naive, but not to a pursuit of understanding, rather to "stolen water" and "bread eaten in secret" claiming them as sweet and tasty. Whatever is presented to us to be done in secret can almost always be attributed to that rowdy Woman Folly! If we must do it in secret, it is most likely something we don't need to be doing.
Chapter 10 ~
This chapter is just packed with verse after verse of Solomon's proverbs. It is a chapter full of wisdom to be gleaned. Which is your favorite? It is hard to pick.
I would love to hear from you stating your favorite proverb out of this chapter. Mine is v. 17 because I think it is such a good reminder to pay attention: "The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray."
Lord, let me follow Your instruction and let me heed Your correction. I ask for Your correction over my life, wherever I am off Your path, correct me and guide me back. Don't ever let me get comfortable in the way of foolishness or seduction. Forgive my failures, and set my path straight. Thank You for Your Word and for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness through Jesus, my Savior!
This is enough for tonight! Please let me hear back from you...I'll do a review of the workbook Chapters 4 & 5 tomorrow!
We have four chapters of Proverbs to cover, and then two chapters in our workbook covering our view of God, and then wisdom concerning the family unit. LOTS of material...so we better get going!
Chapter 7 ~
We are told to protect these teachings as we would protect the pupil of our eye. How far would you go to protect your physical vision? Well more important than that is spiritual vision, Godly wisdom. Each time that we contemplate these verses of wisdom, we should stop and think about how critical it is to see...really see what God is showing us.
In v. 6, Solomon starts telling a story of seduction. Again, the story talks about seduction in the form of a married woman seducing an inexperienced young man. But again, we are to read the story and take in it's deeper meaning, and I think we can get some of that picture by looking at how the seductive woman is described: dressed like a prostitute (worldly, not modest), has a hidden agenda (manipulative), loud and defiant (demands attention and goes against moral guidelines), doesn't stay at home (not content, looking for trouble), brazen (she describes in detail how she has prepared her bed for an all-night lovemaking session, that her husband has left for a long journey), she is persistent (as is all temptation) and flattering (as with all seduction). And then we are told that the young man "follows her impulsively...he doesn't know it will cost him his life."
Solomon is warning his son not only about seductive women, but about all forms of temptation that can seem appealing to the young and inexperienced (or the "old and should know better"!) Temptation of all forms is worldly, looks flashy and more exciting than what we are currently experiencing. It manipulates us into thinking that if we follow it's path, we will find fun and pleasure. It becomes loud and defiant, yelling at us to break the rules, do our own thing, go our own way. It pulls us away from our place of contentment and lures us into it's "bedroom", letting us believe that we are the select and sole object of it's preparation, when, in truth, temptation will take any willing participant. And many times we find ourselves following temptation impulsively, ignoring the wisdom that is whispering in our ear and putting ourselves in spiritual danger. We are urged...
"Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't stray onto her paths."
Chapter 8 ~
The rhetorical questions are asked, "Doesn't Wisdom call out? Doesn't Understanding make her voice heard?" YES - they do! PAY ATTENTION! Whereas deception comes out in the dark and lurks in the corners, (Ch 7, vs. 9-12), Wisdom is speaking from the gates of the city, at the main entrance. Learn to be shrewd, learn common sense (v. 5). NOTHING desirable (any other thing that we take delight in) can compare with Wisdom.
Wisdom speaks in this chapter. Who is this "Wisdom"? Matthew Henry explains this chapter this way: "The Redeemer is the eternal Word and wisdom, the Logos. He is the Wisdom that speaks to the children of men in the former part of the chapter. All divine revelation passes through his hand, and centres in him; but of him as the personal Wisdom, the second person in the Godhead, in the judgment of many of the ancients, Solomon here speaks (v. 22-31). He concludes with a repeated charge to the children of men diligently to attend to the voice of God in his word (v. 32-36)."
So this seems to make sense. But then it can get tricky. If we claim that Wisdom in Chapter 8 is actually Jesus, verse 22 would then indicate that Jesus was a created being, and this is a proof text used by Jehovah's Witnesses in just such a claim.
So is Wisdom in Chapter 8 referring to Jesus Christ, or is it a form of literature personifying Wisdom, just as Chapter 8 personified Seduction? While I agree with Matthew Henry that Christ is the divine revelation of godly wisdom, I do not believe Chapter 8 describes Christ. I believe it is a personification of Wisdom following the personification of Seduction in Chapter 7. Both being portrayed as women with a purpose..Wisdom to bring people to life and the favor of the Lord (v. 35) and Seduction to bring people to the chambers of death (Ch 7, v.27)
Agree - disagree?
Chapter 9 ~
Here we find the argument between Wisdom and Foolishness...again Wisdom is portrayed as a woman calling out to the inexperienced and naive to pursue the way of understanding.
How do we reconcile v. 11? I have known many wise, godly people who did not live long lives, and yet this verse tells us that Wisdom brings with her added year to our lives. Again, I think we have to read these verses with spiritual eyes and hear their words with reborn ears...how long will our lives be in eternity? How many year will be added? Endless. Wisdom, godly wisdom that allows us to understand God and His ways, brings us to the life that He alone can give...eternal life.
And then there is the Woman Folly! Rowdy and gullible, calling as well to the inexperienced and naive, but not to a pursuit of understanding, rather to "stolen water" and "bread eaten in secret" claiming them as sweet and tasty. Whatever is presented to us to be done in secret can almost always be attributed to that rowdy Woman Folly! If we must do it in secret, it is most likely something we don't need to be doing.
Chapter 10 ~
This chapter is just packed with verse after verse of Solomon's proverbs. It is a chapter full of wisdom to be gleaned. Which is your favorite? It is hard to pick.
I would love to hear from you stating your favorite proverb out of this chapter. Mine is v. 17 because I think it is such a good reminder to pay attention: "The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray."
Lord, let me follow Your instruction and let me heed Your correction. I ask for Your correction over my life, wherever I am off Your path, correct me and guide me back. Don't ever let me get comfortable in the way of foolishness or seduction. Forgive my failures, and set my path straight. Thank You for Your Word and for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness through Jesus, my Savior!
This is enough for tonight! Please let me hear back from you...I'll do a review of the workbook Chapters 4 & 5 tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment