A Harsh Command to Obey

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Pete

Not sure where I’m going with this, but chewing on a command to obey this morning.

Avoid such people.

Doesn’t sound very “Christian” at first blush, does it? Maybe it’s just the translation. Let’s check out others.

Having nothing to do with them (NIV). Stay away from people like that (NLT). From such people turn away (NKJV). And these be constantly shunning (WNT).

Nope. Not just the translation.

Avoid literally means to turn one’s self away from. They’re heading your way? Go another way. They wanna connect for coffee? Start drinking tea only. Avoid them.

Only time this word is used in the NT. So, Paul (moved by the Spirit) grabs a rarely used word in order to make a pretty emphatic point.

So, who are “such people”? Who are “people like that”? Paul identifies them pretty clearly, not sparing detail in describing them.

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

(2Timothy 3:2-5 ESV)

Nineteen. I count nineteen identifying factors in a list which marks “such people.” A lot of them, it seems to me, mark also the spirit of our culture today. Read the list again and see if it doesn’t seem that way to you too.

So, are we to avoid the world? No, that can’t be it. We’ve actually been sent into the world as ambassadors of the King to establish outposts for the kingdom. Well then, who was Timothy (who am I) to turn away from?

I think the key that unlocks the command is in the last identifying factor. Those we are to avoid, who have bought into the brutality of a culture which has rejected God and loves self and pleasure more than the Creator, are those having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Professing Christians, church-going people, who have given themselves over to self and to the world. Those who walk like the world and talk like the world while trying to convince others they are really representing another world. Turn away from them, says Paul. Having nothing to do with them.

Seems harsh. But, if I’m reading it right, it’s still a command to obey.

How zealous we need to be for the purity (not perfection) of God’s people — those called to be a light on a hill and the salt of the earth. How determined, as much as lies in us, to be on guard against the leaven of the world which seeks to infiltrate the church. How great our resolve to live in a counter-cultural manner. How intent to not just have the appearance of godliness but to demonstrate also the reality of its transforming, other-worldly power. Willing to the engage in the world’s games but playing by a set of heavenly rules.

Times of difficulty. That’s what Paul says these last days will be (2Tim. 3:1). Difficult times demanding difficult decisions as we discern and detach from those who say they are of Christ but live in contradiction to the way of Christ.

Oh, how we need wisdom. How we need to discernment. How we need courage.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.

Posted in 2Timothy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Lord’s Servant and The Public Square

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Pete

I’m not saying anything new if I point out that the public square of our day is increasingly marked by raging rhetoric and canceling culture. Make your point, make it loud, make it rude, and then shut the door. Goodwill debate valued less and less. Instead, what too often gains applause are drop the mic moments followed by walking off the stage.

But while it may not be a new observation, it’s one that I think we need to constantly be aware of. Because the world has a way of rubbing off on us. That’s why John in his first epistle, is emphatic that we’re not to love the world or the things in it (1Jn. 2:15). We are not to take our cue from the ways of the world or model the world’s approach to matters of public discourse and debate. For, at the heart of the world’s ways are “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life.” And that, says John, “is not from the Father” (1Jn. 2:16).

So, how should a believer engage in the public square, in debate and discourse? Like a slave, says Paul this morning. Like the Lord’s servant.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

(2Timothy 2:24-26 ESV)

You gotta feel for Timothy. Sent in to contend for the faith (1Tim. 1:3-4). Urged to “fan into flame” his gift (2Tim. 1:6). Told not to succumb to a spirit of fear, but to walk in power (1:7), wage war as soldier (2:3-4) and compete as an athlete (2:5). And yet, amidst such zeal, fervency, and holy determination, to keep his cool.

To not be argumentative, but to be friendly, good-natured and easy to talk to. When things start getting heated and the rhetoric starts getting personal, to forbear and not take offense at the ills and wrongs directed toward him. But also, not shutting down or walking way. Instead, hanging in there with meekness and mildness presenting the truth, holding forth the word, contending for the faith.

How’s that possible? Well, it helps if we’re able to remember that it’s God who in His kindness reveals truth and grants repentance. We’re not called to win the debate. We’re called to represent the truth.

But, as I chew on it a bit more, it REALLY HELPS if I remember that I am just the Lord’s servant. That’s “servant” not as in a server or deacon, but “servant” as in a slave, a bondman, a man or woman of servile condition. I’ve given myself up to Another’s will. Devoted to His cause, jealous for His reputation, disregarding my own interests or need to justify myself.

If I see myself as but a bondservant, shouldn’t humility follow? I’m thinkin’ . . .

To be sure, I should have conviction. I am to contend with courage. But I must not be quarrelsome. Because I’m the Lord’s servant.

Only by His grace. Only as all I want is for Him to receive glory.

Posted in 2Timothy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The LORD’s Delight

Posted on August 8, 2022 by Pete

More and more I find myself reading the last 21 chapters of Proverbs increasingly like the Sermon on the Mount rather than as just a checklist to make sure I’m on the right track. To be sure, the plethora of “to do’s” and “to be’s” in the latter chapters of Proverbs are virtal coaching towards skillful living now and eternal reward in a day yet to come. However, if meeting the standard set by these many exhortations is the basis for my confidence as to God’s acceptance then, to quote a famous prophet speaking in King James language, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isa. 6:5a)

Case in point, something I’m chewing on this morning.

Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those of blameless ways are His delight.

(Proverbs 11:20 ESV)

Okay, bottom line? I wanna be the LORD’s delight. Just sayin’ . . .

And at first, at the most macro processing of this verse, I don’t think I’m an abomination. I don’t think my heart is crooked aka, twisted, distorted, perverse, or perverted — especially if I’ve been given a new heart through conversion (Ezek. 36:26). So, at least initially, feeling pretty good about being on the “His delight” side of the ledger.

But then I start noodling on “blameless ways.” Hmm . . .

Is that some of my ways? Most of my ways? Some of my ways most of the time? Most of my ways some of the time? Most of my ways most of the time? Or, shudder, all of my ways all of the time?

Come on! Whose gonna clear that bar? Not this guy!

And then, James’ words come to mind:

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

(James 2:10 ESV)

Did I mention the woe is me part?

So, while I need to read Proverbs as exhortations to keep on the right path, to stay away from the fool’s path and walk in ways that are blameless ways, if I’m being honest with myself, I know how often the old man compromises the new heart, and how the flesh frequently leads me to walk in some old ways. So then, am I not His delight because all my ways are not blameless ways? Or do I fall in and out of delight when I waver in my ways? I don’t think so. I think, just like the Sermon on the Mount, the standards set by the Proverbs for flourishing in life are also meant to lead us to the cross.

Like the Law, the Proverbs can be seen as a “guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24 ESV). Or, as Peterson captures so well the Greek nuances in his paraphrase, the Proverbs are “like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for” (Gal. 3:24 MSG).

I’m thinking that the Proverbs, beyond practical advice on how to live as kingdom people, are ultimately tasked with bringing us (again and again and again) to the finished work of the cross as our only basis for being the LORD’s delight. They ready us for justification by faith. They calm us as we rest in justification by faith. The spur us on to obedience in response to justification by faith. And they assure us we are the LORD’s delight only through justification by faith.

We ARE blameless, because Jesus is blameless — and we are in Him. We ARE the LORD’s delight, for the Son is the Father’s delight — and we are in Him.

Rest and rejoice, oh my heart. You are blameless even as you seek to walk in ways that are blameless. For You are in Christ.

And in Him, you are the LORD’s delight.

Because of His grace. Only for His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Remember and Fight

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Pete

Hovering over Nehemiah 4 this morning.

First observation, the work of God will be opposed by the enemies of God. Nehemiah & Co. are in the center of God’s will as they rebuild the wall at Jerusalem. They are also in the crosshairs of those who were displeased greatly “that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel” (2:10). And after their foes failed at compromising the work by infiltrating the people of God (2:17-20) and failed at discouraging the work by jeering the people of God (4:1-3), they quit playing games and plotted to end the work by physically attacking the people of God (4:7-8).

Second observation? Prayer and planning are not mutually exclusive. Neither are trusting and taking up the sword. Nor faith and fighting.

And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

(Nehemiah 4:8-9 ESV)

Our enemies plotted, records Nehemiah, and we prayed. They got ready to fight, we got ready to protect. Petition and preparation went hand-in-hand.

They trusted God for the work so they kept working. But they were not unaware of the reality of an enemy and so they worked smart.

From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.

(Nehemiah 4:16-18a ESV)

Half working, half watching. Some with one hand put to the task and the other hand holding a sword. Others, while fully engaged in God’s building program and fully trusting in God’s protection, yet fitted with the battle gear of God’s providing.

And what I’m chewing on in particular this morning is Nehemiah’s exhortation to those ready to work and prepared to wage war.

And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

(Nehemiah 4:14 ESV)

Do not be afraid. Remember and fight.

Remember your God. Bring to mind all that you know concerning Jehovah, that He is great and awesome. Recall that He who has already delivered you from bondage for a great work (Eph. 2:10) has promised to complete that work (Php. 1:6).

And then, knowing that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood”, take up the full armor of God and be prepared to repel the enemy, (Eph. 6:10-18). Stand fast. Pray much. Be ready to engage much with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. Confident that greater is He who is in you than He who is the world (1Jn. 4:4).

Prayer and preparation aren’t mutually exclusive. While engaging the enemy directly may not always be needed, we should always be ready.

Ready to remember. Ready to fight.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Nehemiah | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where Am I Going to Eat Today?

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Pete

Noodling on two house parties being put on in Proverbs 9. Meditating on two hostesses, Wisdom and Folly, who have set their tables and sent out their invitations.

Wisdom’s table is filled with organic, free-range food. Triple-A, Prime beef from her own herd. Only the best, hand-tended grapes from her own vineyards used for the wine. A three Michelin star meal for those wanting to experience the full flavor of life. And so, she sends her young women to call “from the highest places in town” (9:3).

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.”

(Proverbs 9:4-5 ESV)

But there’s another voice crying out “on the highest places of town” (9:14). She’s serving warmed up takeout from a greasy spoon, fake food restaurant. She really has no idea what’s on her table and care’s little where the food has come from. Serving up a nourishing meal isn’t her concern, her endgame is to serve up herself. She wants to get ’em in with the offer of filling their belly, but in the end what she really wants to do is consume them. Folly’s offer sounds a lot like Wisdom’s, but she’s offering up junk food.

“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

(Proverbs 9:16-17 ESV)

Wisdom’s dining place is well sourced, well lit, and welling up with food that enables the simple to flourish. Her guests are those who want to live life and life it to the full.

Folly’s serving up stolen food, in a dark place. The food but a cheap, coma-inducing appetizer as she offers up herself as the main dish. Her guests? “The dead are there” (9:16a).

Hmm . . . where am I going to eat today?

Sounds like it should be a no-brainer. But we’re talking about the simple here. The naïve. The undiscerning. The seducible. So committed to being “open-minded” that they’re willing to try whatever looks good with little regard to where it comes from or what it might lead to. What they need first is to want to leave their simple-ness and “walk in the way of insight” (9:6b). And what unlocks the desire for insight?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

(Proverbs 9:10 ESV)

The knowledge of the Holy One, the Creator, will create the palette for the Three-Star table. The fear of the LORD is what will make Wisdom’s invitation compelling and send up red flags when it hears Folly’s call.

With our culture’s increasing rejection of the Divine and the Transcendent, is it any wonder there’s so little interest in insight and we’re gorging ourselves at Folly’s table?

For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.

(Romans 1:21-22 ESV)

How I need to beware of culture’s influence and Folly’s call. How I need to nurture the insight gifted to me as, through the cross, I once was blind to the things of heaven but now I see the Holy One. How I need to feast at Wisdom’s table on a frequent basis and stay far away from secret places and stolen food.

Only by God’s grace. Only for God’s glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Delight

Posted on August 3, 2022 by Pete

Proverbs 8 has got to be one of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture. Wisdom’s calling. And if you listen to her voice in this chapter, how do you not come away knowing that Jesus is Wisdom?

And among my favorite verses in this favorite chapter are verses 22 through 31 which connect the Wisdom of Proverbs 8 with the Word of John 1:1-3. You know, the Word that was in the beginning. The Word who was with God, and the Word who was God. The Word who, in the beginning, made all things, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. The Word in whom was life and light.

In Proverbs 8, Wisdom declares without ambiguity that “the LORD possessed Me at the beginning of His work” (8:22). Before the first acts of old, before the beginning of the earth, before there were any depths of the sea, before any hills on the land, before the heavens were established, says Wisdom, “I was there . . . I was beside Him . . . like a master workman.”

Get Wisdom and you get the Creator. Heed Wisdom’s call and you’re gonna hear the voice of the promised Christ.

But here’s what I’m chewing on in particular this morning, the daily delight of Wisdom.

. . . then I was beside [the LORD], like a master workman, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing before Him always, rejoicing in His inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.

(Proverbs 8:30-31 ESV)

Pretty easy to noodle on these verses and just make it about me. That, if Jesus the Creator rejoiced in the world that was inhabited by image-bearers of God and delighted in the children of man, how much more does He delight in those children He has rescued and redeemed from the curse of the fall? A lot, I’m guessing. So, I could just stop there and sit back and bask in the glow that Jesus loves me this I know.

But let our eyes and our thoughts leave the “me” as the object of Wisdom’s delight and let them focus on the “He” who is the object of the Father’s delight and tell me it doesn’t do something to cause your soul to soar.

I was daily His delight

My bible says the word “His” isn’t in the original, so the verse is literally, I was daily delight. So, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (and He is according to Hebrews 13:8), then not only was He daily delight, but He will always be daily delight, and this morning He is daily delight. Yes, yes You are, Lord Jesus!

He who has always been “the beloved Son” (Col. 1:13), will always be our beloved Savior. The One in whom the Father is well pleased (Mt. 3:17, 17:5) is the One in whom we are well placed. He who is the delight of God’s soul (Isa. 42:1) is He who is ever the delight of the saved soul.

Jesus can be daily delight if we’ll but pause for a few moments each day and delight in Him. Regardless of the season, despite the daily circumstance, every day we can know enjoyment if we but pause and enjoy Him. The object of our delight. The unchanging source of pleasure.

If Wisdom (aka Jesus) is able to be God’s delight, He’s certainly sufficient to be mine. I just need to take the time to be delighted . . . daily.

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Reproof. The Way of Life?

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Pete

After reading Proverbs 6 this morning, was chewing a bit on the old adage, “Play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.” The fire of temptation, you don’t want to mess with it. Seems I was noodling on the same thing 5 years ago. But back then, I connected some dots that hit me afresh this morning. For me, a good reminder of the value of rebuke and correction, especially if it’s God doing the correcting through His holy Word. Not sure it’s any easier for me to receive such rebuke today than it was five years ago, but I do think reproofs are the way of life. Here are my thoughts from 2017 . . .

She must have been a beauty. Her allure bordering on irresistible. ‘Cause the father keeps warning his son about her, again and again, in these opening chapters of Proverbs. With the batting of her eyelashes, she captures the unsuspecting’s attention (6:25). With her seductive flattery, she draws him near (7:21). Her lips dripping with honey, her speech “smoother than oil” (5:3), she draws him closer and closer to her door, eventually inviting him into her house.

“Keep your way far from her,” warns Wisdom (5:8). For to even give her a second glance is to run the risk of becoming addicted to her intoxicating ways. And it won’t turn out well.

Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?

(Proverbs 6:27-28 ESV)

Who doesn’t know that? Play with fire, you’re gonna get burned. The problem is recognizing the fire. The trick is being on guard against the subtle, disguised call of infidelity. Believing that she’s out there. If not in a person, in the ways of a world which compete for those betrothed to Christ, subtly calling them to ways of unfaithfulness.

So how do we recognize her voice? How do we see the deception–and eventual destruction–that is hers?

My son, keep your fathers commandment, and forsake not your mothers teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.

(Proverbs 6:20-24 ESV)

We need to heed instruction. To bind the Father’s words on our hearts and tie them around our necks. Not literally, as did the Pharisees with their ostentatious phylacteries tied about their heads and arms, but enveloping our minds and souls with His teaching such that it lead us, watches over us, and speaks to us. So internalizing His commandments that they truly become a lamp and light, preserving us from the seductive calls of darkness.

Makes sense doesn’t it? But why is it so hard to do? Here’s what hit me this morning . . . the last part of verse 23 . . .

. . . and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life . . .

Who likes reproof? Uh, not me.

I might say I value “constructive criticism” and that I won’t become defensive, but not gonna lie, my natural reaction is to bristle at rebuke. As humble as I think I might try to be, something about being chastised that wakes up the pride monster within me (probably because he’s not in that deep of sleep anyhow).

But if I’m gonna stay away from the fire, if I’m serious about avoiding hot coals in my lap, if I really believe that the seductress is really as seductive as the Father says she is, then I’m gonna need to envelope myself with the Word of God and brace myself for it’s reproving work in my life.

And when my failure is exposed, I need to apply again the blood of Christ shed for all my failure. When my fickleness is made evident, I need to put on again the Son of God who Himself is ever faithful. When the flesh’s temptation to heed the seductress’s voice is made manifest, I need to, by the power of the Spirit indwelling me, crucify the flesh which has already died with Christ.

Reproof. It’s the way of life.

It’s the practical path to realizing the fullness promised through the gospel. The nuts and bolts for remaining true to Him who has betrothed me as His own.

The way made possible by His grace. The way made possible for His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Wisdom of God in Our Hands

Posted on August 1, 2022 by Pete

If there’s anything the Spirit wants us to know about Ezra, it’s that he was a man of the Word, as in “God’s word”.

Sure, when he’s introduced in Ezra 7 the first thing mentioned is that he was the son of Seriah, a descendent of Aaron (yes, the Aaron of Moses and Aaron fame–as in the first chief priest of Israel). But the repeated thing mentioned is that he was a man of the Word.

He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given . . . For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel. . . a man learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes for Israel . . .

(Ezra 7:6b, 10, 11b ESV)

Skilled in the law. A student of the Law. Pretty sharp when it came to the Law. Know anything about Ezra, and that, it seems, is what we’re to know.

And, because I know what’s coming in Nehemiah (spoiler alert, he reads and teaches the Law), I’m reminded how important God’s word is when it comes to God’s work. That being reminded of what God says has a way of reviving those who God has saved.

So, Ezra’s kind of a big deal in God’s “Rebuild the Temple, Rebuild the City” program after Babylon exile. The kind of guy we’d be tempted to put on a pedestal (actually, they do in Nehemiah, see 8:4). The kind of guy, we might think to ourselves, we could never be like.

But something catches my eye that actually is kind of an equalizer between me and Ezra. Not that I could be an Ezra or would be called to do what he was called to do. But not that I couldn’t be an Ezra either, and be called to be who I’m called to be.

Background: the reigning king over Babylon, Artaxerxes (we’re just gonna call him Art), is moved by the God of heaven to send Ezra, along with any who wanted to go with him, back to Jerusalem to assist in the rebuilding program. And so, Art writes a letter commissioning Ezra’s expedition and requiring his governors over Israel to protect and support this second group of returning exiles.

And in that letter, this is what popped:

“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.”

(Ezra 7:25 ESV)

The wisdom of God that is in your hand. That’s what I’m chewing on this morning. That’s my connect with Ezra. That’s what makes us more alike than different. We both know what it is to have the wisdom of God in our hands.

He had the Law. I have the Bible. He had the word of God revealed through Moses. I have that and more, the fulfillment of that ancient written word in the person of Jesus, the Son of God, the living Word. He could set his heart to study what was in his hand, I can set my heart to study what’s in mine. He became learned and skilled in the matters concerning God’s plan for His people, I can become learned and skilled in the mystery of the gospel revealed since then. We both have access to the wisdom of God in our hands.

The wisdom of God. Okay, noodle on that for a bit. The Bible in our hands, it’s the wisdom of God. The revelation given by the Creator so He could be known by His creation. The mind of the Sovereign made available to those who are sojourning. The plans and promises of Him who is able to fulfill all plans and promises for those who desperately need to know there’s a plan and a promise.

The wisdom of your God that is in your hand. That’s what my Bible is. That’s what your Bible is. If we really believed that what could keep us from opening it, reading it, studying it, listening to it, and chewing on it?

Father, help the wisdom of God that is in my hands become the wisdom of God that fills my head and occupies my heart.

By Your grace. For Your glory.

Posted in Ezra | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

For She Is Your Life

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Pete

Hyperbole or reality? Somewhat dramatic or appropriately emphatic? Thoughts running through my mind as I chew on something in Proverbs this morning.

The opening chapters of Proverbs are an extended pitch by a dad to his son to pursue wisdom. Not just any dad, but a pretty accomplished dad, Solomon, king of Israel. Not just any king of Israel but the king who was known for wisdom. He had “wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people” (1Ki. 4:29). Wisdom intentionally sought from the God of heaven (1Ki. 3:8-9). Wisdom abundantly supplied by the God of heaven (1Ki. 3:12). This dad knew what it was to walk with wisdom, and he wanted his boy to know it as well.

And so, in these opening chapters, he extols wisdom and he exhorts his son to go after her.

Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.

(Proverbs 4:5-8 ESV)

The beginning of wisdom? Get wisdom. Sounds a bit circular, but I love it. Seems wisdom starts with an awareness that wisdom is needed–such an awareness itself being wisdom. That drop of wisdom then primes the pump for wisdom. A taste of wisdom becomes the catalyst which sets the course to be totally consumed by the pursuit of wisdom. So, says dad, get it. Do not turn away from it; do not forsake it; love it; prize it; embrace it.

And then, as if not being forceful enough already, he drops this bombshell.

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

(Proverbs 4:13 ESV)

She is your life? Really? Or is dad exaggerating a bit to make a point?

Your life is at stake (MSG)? Come on! Sounds a little theatrical. Or is it, in fact, intensely practical? Wanna live? Get wisdom.

You can’t read this first section of Proverbs and not be confronted with the importance of getting wisdom. If what dad is saying is true, then we’re being fools not to listen.

But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Wisdom or foolishness? Which one’s for you? The former, it seems, requires purposeful pursuit. The latter, foolishness . . . well, all you really need to do is do nothing. Go with the flow. If it sounds good, accept it. If it looks good, follow it. If it feels good, do it.

Wisdom. A life and death matter? Apparently. For she is your life.

So where is wisdom found? It is found in the counsel of God. It is found in the person and nature of God as revealed by God. It is found in the Son of God, Jesus. For in these last days, God has spoken to us by His Son (Heb. 11:1).

So, the beginning of wisdom is this: Get Jesus.

Get Jesus and Jesus will keep us. Jesus will guard us. Jesus will exalt us and honor us. For Jesus is our life. And that’s not being overly dramatic.

Oh, that my heart would never tire nor grow complacent towards wisdom. For she really is my life. And she is found fully in Him.

Only by His grace. Only for His glory.

Posted in Proverbs | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Building the House

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Pete

Okay, it may be an Old Testament declaration but, with a slight, two-letter modification, I think it would be fit for a New Testament t-shirt.

Back story: “The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin have heard that the returned exiles are building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel” (Ezra 4:1). First, they try and infiltrate the building program in order to subvert it (4:2). Then, they try to discourage the laborers through intimidation, even hiring mercenary “counselors” to try and frustrate their purposes (4:4-5). Finally, they take the matter to the supreme court, the king of Persia, seeking a cease and desist order.

Over time, the matter works its way back and forth through the courts of the kings of Persia. And something in one of the depositions jumps off the page as I read. So, I start chewing on it a bit and end up thinking it could be words fit for my imagined t-shirt.

“Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ . . . And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.'”

(Ezra 5:9, 11 ESV)

We are the servants of God, and we are building the house. How’s that for the back of a t-shirt? How’s that for a church vision statement?

We are the servants of God. Amen? And we dwell in a land that would seek to subvert, oppose, intimidate, and frustrate the purposes of God. Agree? And what are we doing here? We are building the house.

Not some brick-and-mortar building. Not some ornate, inanimate structure. But with living stones as our materials, we’re building a living house, a spiritual house “to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1Pet. 2:5).

Where do these living stones come from? They are trophies of grace, redeemed through faith from the bondage of sin by the blood of Jesus through the finished work of the cross. How are they quarried? They are transformed, conformed, and shaped into the likeness of the temple’s cornerstone, the Son of God, through the sanctifying work of the temple’s active agent, the Spirit of God. And what they are making, again? They are “being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22).

Us New Testament folks are kind of involved in the same stuff those Old Testament folks were involved in. Aren’t we? I think we are!

Now be honest with me, if that’s really how we saw ourselves, how jazzed would we be to be part of a church? Pretty jazzed, I’m thinkin’. How much would we want to be where the action is? Pretty much. How blessed by being part of such a building program? Pretty blessed.

Blessed enough, I’m guessing, we might even get t-shirts made up.

We are the servants of God,
and we are building the house.


Yeah, we are!

By His grace. For His glory.

Posted in Ezra | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment